I am just starting out and I have an idea to take small steps. I have decided that I will walk to work every day - that is 60 minutes a day, 5 days a week. I use to go by bus or tram and walk only sometimes, but now I have decided to walk every day. It will also help me to distress from my work. If I manage to do that in a month I will be very proud of myself.
Also I will try not to eat like a mad man and to cut on junk food and carbs and eat more proteins (like green cheese) to stop cravings. I will drink more tea and water as much as I can.
I will try to post regularly and to make my flat cleaner because I think that would help to calm my soul and direct me to my path to wellness. I know it sounds crazy but I think that would also help. I will not right about my job because its a mad house there but I will find a way to control it or FORGET IT because it makes me fat. Its just not worth it.
Those are all great ideas! And I totally agree with you that having an orderly flat will make you feel like a more balanced person-- and balance is a key element to mental and physical health! And a clean environment will also make you feel more in control, of both your surroundings and yourself.
I started with one or two things and built from there!
My only advice would be to think realistically about the goal of walking EVERY day. What happens if it's pouring rain one day and you don't walk? Will you feel like a failure and give up? Maybe make a goal to walk 3-4 days a week, but be sure to make a real commitment to that?
Just something to think about. I think sometimes we set goals that look great on paper but that are hard to do every SINGLE day. Then our all or nothing attitudes kick in, we figure we can't do anything, and we quit.
I agree with Wyllenn... expecting perfection sets us up to fail. I try to get some exercise every day, but my official goal is 4/5 week days, and once on the weekend. That way, I can miss a day here and there, and not have "failed". Anything above that is bonus.
Same with eating - I'd like to avoid the junk, but I have to make a little room for treats in my eating, because if I didn't, I'd be setting myself up for failure (and likely a binge).
Good job on coming up with a plan! I also started with small steps, and what helped me was to make those steps something that I could do every day without feeling bad.
One very healthy first step that i took was to drink more water, so I started taking water with me to work. I didn´t say I was going to drink 64 oz of water a day, just more. I can drink 4 liters of water now and only go to the bathroom 3 times a day (although I am sweating a lot).
I changed my diet slowly as well. I started cutting down portions and taking fruit with me as snacks. Nothing huge, nothing that would scream DIET, just a little less stuff and more fruit.
Since my body was used to exercise (walking for 7 hours a day), I just sort of jumped in full throttle, since a little bit at a time wouldn´t have made a difference.
Sounds like aa good plan! I wanted to keep my walking plan going even during bad weather, so I bought "Walk Away the Pounds" DVDs (Leslie Sansone). My favorite that I do on rainy days is "Walk Away the Pounds 4 Mile Super Challenge." I have other DVDs, too, which I use all the time.
You will see big changes when you continue a walking plan! I lost fifty pounds with walking as my exercise!
First steps to take/one thing to do?
