Meghan Markle's weight-loss advice

By Kelly Clark / Work With Your Body

Meghan and the freshman 15
Why Meghan Markle’s weight-loss advice works
How to apply this easy approach to your food choices

Meghan-mania has been building for months. There’s magazines, figurines and Legoland built wedding scenes. There’s even a made-for-tv movie. Wherever you look you see Meghan, Meghan and more Meghan Markle.

While she may be royal, Meghan Markle’s weight-loss advice is common.

Common sense that is.

Meghan Markle’s weight-loss advice is from experience

The Chicago Tribune recently stated:

In a 2014 visit to the school (Northwestern University) as part of a tour promoting her USA Network series “Suits,” Markle shed some light on how she spent her freshman year. She told students she lived in the North Mid-Quads dorm toward the southern end of campus, that she gained the dreaded “freshman 15” through visits to a nearby Burger King and that she participated in the school’s Dance Marathon fundraiser.

Like many people who go away for university, Meghan gained about 15 pounds during her first year.

Did you notice she didn’t gain weight via eating balanced meals made of whole foods? England’s newest princess gained weight by eating at the oldest king of burgers.

What is Meghan Markle’s weight-loss advice?

Meghan Markle’s weight-loss advice is simply:

“If you deprive yourself of something, you’re going to crave it more.”

For 10 years I tried to deprive myself and it was disastrous.

Don’t ignore Meghan Markle’s weight-loss advice!

Over the years I struggled to lose weight I tried to avoid sweet treats and dessert. I also did my best to keep my meals and snacks free of fat. This was back in the ’90’s when low fat, ultra-low fat and no fat food was all the craze. Sadly there are still tons of these unnaturally fat-free products around that work against you losing weight.

Now I know that food full of natural fat is part of a balanced meal. And balanced meals help us reach and maintain a healthy weight naturally.

Avoiding richer food lead me to:

feel hungry all the time; we need fat in our diets
want food I couldn’t have; when you can’t have something you want it more
feel guilty when I ate dessert or food full of natural fat, like salmon

The result?

Feeling hungry, deprived and then guilty is preoccupying. It takes your focus away from everything that matters to you. Additionally, the longer you deny yourself something, the more likely you are to overeat when you eventually have the food you’ve been avoiding.

The first time I heard Meghan Markle’s weight-loss advice

During high school my friend Sunny told me that if you want a cookie:

I didn’t know what she meant. I’d read you should steer clear of cookies if you want to lose weight.

At the time I had no idea weight-loss was about doing everything in moderation. I was sure weight loss was about being disciplined, having willpower and making sacrifices. I thought you had to take extremes to lose weight.

Sunny explained that when you want a cookie but don’t eat it, you end up eating a bit of yogurt. Then a few crackers. Then you decide to have a little bit of something else. Soon you’ve eaten much more than if you just ate the cookie!

How I follow Meghan Markle’s weight-loss advice

These days there’s a lot of great information available about the importance of eating natural fat. Including higher-fat foods like avocados, whole-fat dairy and peanut butter in my meals and snacks prevents me from craving unhealthy food choices.

Why?

Once I’ve met my body’s needs I’m no longer preoccupied by hunger or food.

Over the last 18 years that I’ve been a healthy weight, I’ve also been eating treats (hate that word!) like chocolate and dessert—something I NEVER did over the 10 years I struggled to lose weight.

Most nights I have a couple squares of chocolate. If I’m out with friends or there’s a special occasion I’ll eat dessert.

We need more of Meghan Markle’s weight-loss advice

The diet industry wants us to think reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is rocket science. Then we’ll be desperate for their help! Celebrities have resources on-the-ready, so they often fall prey to complicated meal plans and exercise routines. Which leads to having a complicated relationship with food. Gwyneth Paltrow, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Oprah are just a few examples.

It’s refreshing to see someone of Meghan Markle’s stature keep eating simple.

If you deprive yourself of something, you're going to crave it more— Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle’s weight-loss advice brings us back to a basic life lesson. Be kind to yourself.

Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is not the struggle we’re taught it is. Moderation is key.

Don’t ignore Meghan Markle’s weight-loss advice. Eating naturally high-fat food, treats and dessert in moderation is a healthy habit.

Build healthy eating and exercise habits. A healthy weight will follow.

Next Steps:
Are you following Meghan Markle’s weight-loss advice? Do you only eat low-fat food and avoid treats and dessert? Or do you crave these foods all the time? So much of what we desire comes down to habit. Sign up for my newsletter below and you’ll receive one of the best strategies I learned; one that helps you transition unhealthy cravings into healthy habits.