These aren't tips per se, more of realizations I've had along the way. Still, they have been key in getting me this far.
1. Weight loss isn't an all or nothing game. One bad day, even a few of them, does not negate the whole deal. If you just keep at it your good days will eventually out number the bad ones.
2. Slow and steady win the race.
3. Excuses get you nowhere. There will always be a million reasons not to exercise or eat right on any given day. There are very rarely GOOD reasons not to do them.
4. There is only ONE person who is responsible for what goes into your mouth and that person is YOU. My husband may bring home a dozen Krispy Kremes and eat them right in front of me. Sure, that might make things harder for me but it is still MY CHOICE whether or not I should eat them too. If I give in it is MY fault, not his. Even people who intentionally try and derail you aren't responsible for your actions.
5. If it goes in your mouth it needs to be weighed and measured first. I am always surprised by how off my portions are if I estimate. And it goes both ways - sometimes I shortchange myself by UNDERESTIMATING my portions. Weighing and measuring insures that I get all of the calories I'm allowed.
6. There is a difference between exercising for heart health and moving to burn extra calories. I love a good cardio workout and can't imagine giving up weight training. Both are efficient calorie burners and will make you feel great. But, ANY additional movement burns more calories than just sitting there. One of the biggest changes I made at the onset of my weight loss plan was moving more. I stopped asking people to bring me things because they were already up. I jogged in place or did a couple of jumping jacks while I waited on the coffee to brew or the popcorn to pop. I made several little trips to put the laundry away instead of one big trip. It adds up and it makes a difference - especially in the beginning.
7. Losing weight is often a matter or trial and error. It doesn't matter what works for anyone else. Keep and open mind and be willing to experiement. Educate yourself on nutrition and choose a plan that makes sense to YOU. Take the bits and pieces of advice that seem to apply to YOUR situation and compliment YOUR lifestyle. If something isn't working - TRY SOMETHING ELSE! There is no right or wrong way to lose weight - just what works for you.
8. The scale is not always the most accurate way to gauge your success. Your pants may get loose a few weeks before the scale ever says you've lost any ounce. Our bodies are complicated machines and they know what they are doing. If you KNOW (be honest!) you are doing all of the right things you can rest assured that you ARE losing weight - even if the scale claims otherwise. Your body is efficient and reliable. The scale, ehh, not so much. So, trust yourself and your body and take the number on the scale for what it is worth.
9. Start at the highest calorie level possible that still allows for a healthy rate of weight loss. Starting at the lowest level gives you no elbow room and doesn't guarantee you'll reach your goal sooner. A low calorie level may mean quick weight loss to begin with but it will taper off and things will even out in the end. So, why not eat as much as you can and still lose weight?
10. You aren't always going to be motivated so don't count on it to get you to your goal. When you do feel especially motivated make the most of it. But, accept that sometimes you'll have to do the right things because they will get you where you want to be not because you FEEL like doing them.
11. Be your own best friend. When you stumble think about how you might respond if a complete stranger posted about being in a similar situation - then take your own advice.
1) exercise, somehow, someway, something. anything.
2) eat food that is fresh. no packaged stuff except for a treat maybe? i cant remember the last time i ate food from a can or a box.
My best tip....I have told everyone I know that I am trying to lose weight...I have so many watching me to see if I have...I have to all ways be on my toes to stay on track....lol
Lucky-Thanks for your words of wisdom. The scale and I are not the best of friends, but every day I look in the mirror and I am smaller...my pants are falling off. So, the number is just a good way to stay competitive with myself. My word of advice is find food that you like of course, but too many people stick to the same lunch and dinner and then get bored. Try new foods. There are all kinds of healthy foods and recipes. I find the more variety I have, the better I do, and since this is a lifelong journey, I am going to need to have a lot of choices. Oh, and the more lowfat/nofat stuff you try, the more you wont notice the difference. I used to scoff at fat free cream cheese, or dressing or anything...now, it's just a way of life, and honestly, I don't miss it.
Plan, plan, plan. Don't give yourself the excuse that you don't have any healthy food in the house. Make sure you buy it before you run out, plan your menus and don't buy unhealthy things that don't need, and then plan some more.
I agree that trying new stuff is a good idea, as long as it's healthy stuff like fruit and veg!
1) Drink at least 16oz of water before breakfast (within 30 minutes of waking)
2) EAT BREAKFAST
3)Eat healthy snacks
4)If you want a piece of cake, ice cream, ect, eat it (just eat a smaller piece)
5)Stop eating by 7pm!
6)DRINK your WATER (even drinking more than you think you need will help you)
7)Get up and move more, park farther away from stores, take the stairs, ect.
HollizleMyNizzle, I really like that one! I got rid of all my clothes as soon I bought my new ones so if I started gaining again I wouldn't have anything to wear. I never thought of using one as my gym towel though! That's great motivation!
My one thing that has really helped is making nothing off limits. We're all human, we all have bad days, we all have cravings. I see no point in feeling guilty every time we want a "bad" food. Just count it, make sure it isn't excessive, and move on. This is life, ladies, it isn't a temporary fix.
1) eat often - every 2-3 hours. It keeps your blood sugar stable, cravings down, and energy up.
2) Plan ahead. If you walk out the door in the morning without knowing what you are going to eat today, tomorrow, and the day after - you WILL eat off plan.
3) Take a high quality multivitamin, daily. Much as we'd like it to be otherwise, we really CAN'T get our daily dose from just our diet.
4) Drink half your body weight in ounces of water (if you weigh 250, drink 125 ounces of water)
5) don't eat within two hours of bedtime
6) Don't keep off-plan foods in the house.
7) If you are an emotional eater, get your hands on a wonderful book called Life is Hard, Food is Easy, by Linda Spangle. In order to break a pattern, you need to first recognize it.
8) Find an exercise you LIKE to do - for me, it's winsor Pilates and rebounding (how can you NOT like jumping up and down on a mini-trampoline? )
9) Laugh outloud every day. Laughter not only releases endorphins, but also burns calories!
10) Pamper yourself. You deserve to live a healthy, slender life. Take an aromatherapy bath and read a laugh-out-loud book (I recommend anything by Terry Pratchet )
Here are a few things that have helped me out along the way:
(1) Plan out your meals and do any preparation for dinner (i.e. chopping the vegetables) the night before so you're less likely to be too tired and end up eating in an unhealthy way.
(2) Get a buddy (or atleast friends who will motivate you and help you stick to a diet.) It's so nice to have a "good angel" on your shoulder when you want to listen to the devil inside of you
(3) I love water, so I get a bottle and drink half of it before I sit down to eat. This gets something in my belly, so I get a semi-full feeling even before I take one bite. If you don't like water, try Crystal Lite. At 10 calories per serving, it will barely put a dent in your diet.
(4) Indulge a little! The most important part of my diet is that it is not a diet. I don't deprive myself, so I don't feel like I'm really missing out on all the things that used to taste so good. Every once in awhile, I will give myself a couple of hershey kisses or a fudgesicle bar. You just need to eat less of these things, not cut them out completely. If you don't feel like you're on a diet, you'll probably stick to it longer.
(5) I hang up pictures of myself at my lowest weight, and at my highest. It shows me where I've come from, and where I am going.
Now see I love Lane Bryant clothes.I am getting scared cos' I am in their last size 14..........I dont know if size 14 jeans tall.........will fit as good from anywhere else!!lol
I always "nibble" at my kids leftovers - and I know they add up. Especially when I make them my favorite snacks and they don't eat any.
So today I started doing this. If their is a plate of food on the counter (I guess of course this is the same as throwing it way - but my garbage isn't next to the sink), I just toss it in the sink and pour water on it.
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Easy-Peezy
