Adrienne Farr's Top Tips for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss

Losing 10 pounds in 4 days? Sounds too good to be true, right? But you can lose weight quickly—and healthfully—if you follow a simple, nutrient-packed plan that's designed to cleanse your body and mind. “When I lost seven pounds in four days, I couldn’t believe it!” says Adrienne Farr, who started The Digest Diet ten months ago and has now shed 60 pounds in total. She was especially intrigued by the initial four-day fast-release phase, which helped her to kick her weight loss into high gear. And she loved how the filling soups and energizing shakes wiped away cravings. “I was shocked by how little food I needed to feel full,” Adrienne says.

Adrienne eagerly followed the rest of the 21-day plan, which she says has transformed her attitude toward food. “I was 100 percent an emotional eater,” she says. “Happy, sad, anxious, I’d use my moods as an excuse to eat. Now when something bothers me, I identify the problem, deal with it, and move on.” While she once struggled to walk to the subway, she now shuns escalators and bounds up stairs. Heart palpitations and joint pain? Gone. “I used to hate looking in the mirror, but now I just can’t stop! I’m finally seeing my true reflection—and I love it!” she says.

Here are a few of our favorite tips from this motivator:

1. Don’t reward yourself for meeting your goals.

Yep, you read that right.  “I stopped rewarding myself whenever I reached a goal weight, because my ‘reward’ was, ‘Okay, let me just give myself a piece of Godiva chocolate,” she explains. Instead, Adrienne now opts to record her accomplishments in a journal—like when she finished a workout DVD that used to be too challenging—so she can look back at them for an instant mental boost any time. “And I just let myself be happy…which I am!” she says.

2. Dine with style.

Since so much of a dining experience is food presentation, Adrienne swapped her old tableware for a set of pretty dishes. “Eating off new plates and using gorgeous new utensils makes me feel like I’m spoiling myself,” she says.

3. Exercise, even when you don't feel like it.

"Sometimes getting started is hard. But once the workout begins, my adrenaline kicks in and I actually enjoy the exercise," she admits. "Nothing beats the feeling of finishing a workout. My body feels strong, I feel proud of myself and my meal and snack choices post-workout are always healthier." One way to make the time go faster: Count reps down rather than up (so start with 10 jumping jacks, then go down to nine, et cetera) to mentally feel like you're getting there faster. Also, break up larger sets (20 jumping jacks) into smaller ones (four sets of five).

Adrienne visits the facebook.com/digestdiet often, if you want more of her brand of motivation!

MORE FROM READER’S DIGEST

• 13 Fat Releasing Foods
• Stop the Craving: 24 Healthy Snack Ideas
• What Experts Don’t Tell You About Weight Loss
• Diet Foods That Can Pack on Pounds
• Power Food Pairings for Incredible Health

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