Tips
- make your environment weight-loss friendly by banning big spoons, watch serving size, and keep the counter tops clear of food that you'd be tempted to eat.
- keep a food journal, recording every last morsel that gets passed your lips. review it regularly to see if you can spot any common threads that might be trouble spots for you.
- figure out how many calories you can eat per day and still lose weight by multiplying your current weight by 12. also watch for carbs and proteins, alcohol, and fat (four components of foods supply calories).
- never skip a workout by being specific in what you'd like to accomplish and choose benchmarks to gauge your progress. don't workout alone or find an accountability partner that you don't want to disappoint or skip out on. recommitting daily to your goal also helps keep you on track.
- never, ever, EVER skip breakfast. and don't rush, which can cause you to consume more calories.
- get your veggies and fruits to feel fuller, more satisfied, and to reduce fat storage. sneak in your daily dose by using them when you cook, mix fruit in with yogurt, and use baby spinach instead of iceberg lettuce.
- be honest with yourself by setting attainable objectives through making changes gradually, understanding you'll lose 1-2 lbs per week, accepting your body type, and by choosing activities and foods that work WITH your life.
- eat every four hours to keep a steady intake of fuel and to keep your metabolism revved, and make sure you eat before working out (but keep it light so you don't get an upset stomach--i opt for a rice cake with a little bit of peanut butter).
- get enough shut-eye (at least 7 hours) by going to bed earlier, eliminating caffeine and alcohol 4 hours before your head hits the pillow, go to bed and get up at the same time every day, and calm down via meditation before getting that much wanted shut-eye.
- find your "happy place" and stay calm, because not being able to let go of stress keeps the pounds on. also exercise (no pun intended) the word 'no' more often--you don't have to say yes to everything that's thrown your way.
- reward yourself with non-food prizes and pencil them in on your calendar so you're constantly reminded about what you want to achieve! (like those Christian Louboutin's I'm buying when I reach my goal weight...)
- try not to eat late, but if you must snack, reach for cereal or nonfat milk or graham crackers, air-popped popcorn (no butter), or sugar-free chocolate ice pops!
- fill your tank with positive fuel and minimize the things that suck it dry by working out regularly, getting sleep, and keeping stress under control (seeing a pattern here?)
- improve your groove by making work meaningful, indulge in your interests and assess your inner circle, cutting ties with those people and things that leave you drained instead of energized.
- get started!
I printed this out and put it on my fridge. It's something I take a look at (along with my list of reasons why I want to lose weight) every morning to start my day.
Have any of you found tips that keep you motivated when the going gets tough?
Coming Soon: A Re-introduction and an Explanation--stay tuned!
Posts
nice list. i like the eat every 4 hrs rule... that sounds pretty do-able!
ReplyDeleteEating every 4 fours seems counter-productive, but there's tons of research about it benefitting you! My biggest struggle with this is leaving enough time in the morning to plan out my meals and snacks for the day since I'm on campus. When I forget and have to eat something on campus, it definitely makes it harder!
ReplyDeleteyou should post something about "Cleansing" diets or whatever those are where you only eat like veggies on monday drink milk all tuesday, etc. you're supposed to lose weight fast on those, i heard, except i've never tried such a diet before
ReplyDeleteI actually tried one of those my junior year! It works for the week, but then if you start eating horribly on day 8, you pretty much screw yourself over. I'll do some research and see what I come up with! :)
ReplyDeleteCleansing diets, I have found personally are only for the very strong willed and committed, like they are very intense you really have to stick with it. And if you go back to eating your normal diet and you start eating more, it just hurts you. The only one I suggest is the "lemonade" cleanse but its very hard but I did it for half the time and lost 10 pounds and gained like 3 back but I have not gone back to my original weight, so I feel like if I did the full time, it would have been more affective.
ReplyDeleteCan you do a post on healthy full-breakfast ideas?
ReplyDeleteI loveeee breakfast and all breakfast foods, but I never know what is good and I like to change it up.
Also, keep posting pictures of food that you've cooked! I love those!
More pictures, I promise. If they're not on the blog, I'll be sure to put them on the Facebook Fanpage, so be sure to check there!
ReplyDeleteI have made myself so excellent breakfasts recently that I'll be sure to share. They beat the ol' cereal or yogurt staples for sure :)
WOW! I failed on all 15 tips. Even though my kitchen counter is generally clear of tempting food, the CVS down the block never ceases to overwhelm my will power. Speaking of my terrible will power I tried the GM cleansing diet just to see if I could complete it successfully (i did). After a week I lost between 5 and 10 lbs but I'm pretty sure it was all water weight since I basically gained it back immediately.
ReplyDelete