i wanted to start a thread of ideas things i do to give me a little more then what im doing. . . . so heres my little tips on little things ! please add yours i'd love to hear!!!!

• i park far from where im going so i walk more often
• i try to ride my bike if im going anywhere in a 5 mile radius of home
• i only allow myself to order water whenever i go anywhere to eat
• i munch on ice cubes as a snack
• i keep pictures of myself with the body i used to have everywhere, it embarasses me into working out
• i buy clothes that are just a little too small. maybe if im uncomfortable all the time ill fix it
• i use a medicine ball and only that to sit on when i watch tv. its crunches or no law n order for me
• i make it a habit of doing a spa night for myself at least once a week bath,nail,face masks, and sleep naked in satin sheets
• i bought a car refidgerator , snacks handy at all times of the day
• i ask everyone i know to keep an eye on me, dont let me sabotage myself.
• i started eating breakfast
• when ever i meet up with a friend i suggest a walk so we can catch up
• heart rate monitors are the greatest inventions ever.. . well after cake
• if i go out to eat , i only can if i ride my bike or rollerblade there
• clean , aggresivly, i mean dripping sweat laundry doing, dusting,dishes,vaccuming maniac

i think thats it if i think of more ill add!!! Good luck to everyone on thier weightloss journey! god bless!

Whenever I'm presented with stairs (whether 3 steps or 20) I run up them.

I like this thread
* I use the stairs
* I walk around my apartment or do strechs when on the phone
* If I have a maintance request for my apartment I walk to the leasing office rather then calling it in.
* I walk to school and home (even when I could get a ride).
* I don't buy junk food, only health snacks
* First thing I do when I come home from store is freeze all of my meat in single or double servings so I am less likely to overeat meat.
* If I am given food that I don't think I should eat I will take it to school and give it to a classmate.
* I put leftovers away right after I make my plate so I am less likely to go back for seconds.

Let's see which are coming to mind right now...

• I always take the stairs. Even if I need to climb tothe 17th floor this way. I hate elevators anyway.
• When I'm on an automated, moving stairs, I always climb the stairs as they move. It also allows me to get to the next floor faster.
• I don't let junk food enter my apartment. If I want it, I will have to make the effort to go buy it and eat it outside, which I usually can't be bothered with.
• I walk (and soon will get a bike to do... well, bike) to places I can reach that way, such as going to town (30 mins) instead of taking the tramway, etc.
• I always weigh the right quantities of food, so that I don't have any leftovers, and cannot be tempted at all.
• I package my foods in appropriate portions after buying the groceries.
• I take a short walk after lunch/dinner (longer if I don't have classes or homework to do right after).
• I use small plates and bowls, to trick my mind into thinking it has 'tons of food to eat'.

Let's see, what comes to mind....

* I hate stairs a LOT (especially at this weight/fitness level when they get me so out of breath), so at work, I take the elevator to the 3rd floor, and walk up the last flight to the 4th floor. I figure that way, I'm getting in some stairs, but I'm not so overwhelmed by it that I'm not doing any at all. Just a weird little thing that I do! It's a part of me trying to get over my "all-or-nothing" mentality.

* Caribou Coffee has introduced Northern Lites which are a much more diet-friendly version of the blended coffees you can get. A junior-size (oddly enough, a full 12 ounces, but I guess that's kid size these days) sets you back 170 calories. Still not a health food, but that's pocket change compared to the calorie count on most of those type of drinks. I am now exclusively ordering the lite coolers, or else skim lattes with sugar free flavor syrup.

• I do 15 pushups at the sink in the bathroom after i brush my teeth everytime.
• I tell myself I'm beautiful no matter what size i am.
• I keep all my old "tiny" clothes for when i lose the weight and never give in to buy new ones in a larger size.

keep em coming ladies. im trying these new ones. so far soooo goood

-I purposely sublet an apartment for the summer at least a mile from everything (a mile to class, a mile to grocery store, a mile to the subway, a mile and a half to my internship)

-I give myself time to walk everywhere (and might get a bike soon if I can find one cheap enough to warrant me getting one for only 3 months)

-if I'm not going out for a specific reason during the day, I at least walk to my internship and back to get moving

-I drag my boyfriend to the beach so we can run around in the sand for a few hours

-drink 6 liters of water a day minimum

-I have a guy housemate who only eats pizza (which could be bad for some, but I HATE pizza and if he was ordering out Chinese or Indian or something, it would be a problem)

-I go grocery shopping with a specific list and only pick up other healthy things if on sale

-if I have to do errands, I don't take the T from one point to another, I walk (unless it's raining or dark)

-I climb the stairs out of the T rather than use the escalator

These are all good!

Some of mine are:

*Right after I get home from the market I cut up/wash all my veggies and fruit. I am more likely to eat them as a snack if they are ready to eat.

*Keep gum near the kitchen. I have a bad habit of snacking while I am cooking - but if I am chewing gum I won't be tempted and will be able to wait until my meal is ready.

*Keep workout clothes/shoes in my car. You never know when you might have extra time to squeeze in a workout!

*I have a lot of friends that live out of state - so my phone calls to them tend to be long. I usually go on a long walks around the neighborhood while talking to them. I can easily go 2 miles during one conversation

All these tips are really great, and I will definitely incorporate a few into my routine. Here's a couple more:

• If I can't bring myself to do some kind of physical activity, then I play Dance Dance Revolution. I always break a sweat and end up playing until I am so tired I can't move my legs. It's so much fun!
• I drink lots of water. I buy 32oz bottles and can easily drink 3 or so a day. I used to drink only a glass a day, and I can feel the difference when I don't drink much now.
• I buy in smaller portions. I used to buy much more than I could even eat. Now I order much smaller things, and wait a while before deciding if I want more.
• Sugar free popsicles. Bless the man/woman who came up with those! It kills my sabotaging sweet-tooth and is only 15-40 calories depending on the flavor (and they just came out with diet soda flavors) YUM!

charolastra00 - It sounds like you have a college near buy where your living (I'm assuming fromt he going to class comment) you might want to check with their department of police and safety and see if they sell bikes that are impounded after a year. I went to MSU for my undergrad and at the end of the year they would go though and impound all of the bikes that were left and unregistered. Then after a set period of time they would send them to the surplus store to be sold, I had friends that got Swyins (spelling???) for like $15.

A couple more:
* Like Kellibee I drink a ton of water. I keep 3 nelgine bottles (the unbreakable resuable plastic bottles) in my fridge at all times. That way I always have cold water to drink. Two are 32 oz that I drink in my apartment and one is 20 oz which I take with me when I go to school or if I'm on the go.

* This one might be weird but I don't drink my calories. I drink: water, coffee (black), tea (with 1 packet of spleda so 4 calories), and diet coke plus. On a rare occasion I will us my cappicano machine to make one at home with 1 cup skim milk which makes it 80 calories.

* I make my own iced coffee drinks by freezing ice cubes of coffee and then making a cup of coffee, cooling it and adding the ice cubes.

* I run back from the dumpster at my apartment.

thanks for all the tips ya'll have posted! lol

- chew sugar-free gum whenever i want to snack, or i brush my teeth so i won't snack because of the taste
- i take a walk with my mom around the neighborhood with my mom after dinner
- whenever i watch TV, i do some stretches, ab routines
- if i want to snack, i try to keep my hands busy, by cleaning the house, playing a game on the computer, writing to do lists (one of my hobbies heh)
- if i'm at the mall, i'll do a lap on each floor, and use the stairs.

-I'm starting to pre-portion snacks in little baggies. Even if they're already wrapped - like granola bars - I stick them in a baggie.

-I'm measuring things out exactly, and writing everything down. If I have cereal in the morning, I use measuring cups for both the milk and cereal and fruit.

-I won't drink any beverages other than water and tea, unless it is a homemade shake in the morning with some protein powder, milk, fruit, yogurt, etc.

-I don't even think about eating things like chips, cookies, etc... it's weird but when I see them I pretend as if they aren't edible!

-I will NOT have Splenda, Equal, or any of that. I don't like the idea that it's chemical... but moreso, it just perpetuates the whole love for sugar thing. I want to move away from the taste of super sweet foods.

-I have my goals posted right in my room, and look at them every day.

-I'm thinking of starting a journal to log my emotional response and progress, not just calorie-logging.


For my general well being:

-I keep my surroundings clean and organized to the extreme.

-I make a goal of reading for one hour per day.

-I want to start meditating.

-When I am using the internet I will focus on educating myself every 2 weeks on a new topic that interests me.

-going to talk to coworkers instead of emailing them
-if the bus isn't coming for awhile, I'll walk a few stops instead of sitting and waiting
-munching on veggies instead of pastry at work has made a HUGE difference
-buying Kashi Go Lean Crunch and using plain yogurt with it in the mornings, instead of the homemade granola at the caf & sugary fruity yogurt...and I measure it now!