I have to be honest here: weight loss isn't exactly easy. There are a bunch of reasons why weighing your food and tracking your calories just doesn't fit into hectic life, which we all typically seem to have now.
So here are a couple of tidbits that I have found which are making the journey a bit easier. These are the things that have always been obstacles for why I couldn't start my weight loss.
1) Do it with a partner - this seems to be key in the success stories I have seen, and I know it has been crucial for me. This person is doing the same thing you are, so it is exciting for them too. I find that on my hardest days, it's nice to have someone say "Keep going! You're doing great!" Then when Lee has his hardest days, I usually have the motivation he doesn't, so I can say to him "Keep going! You're doing great!" Motivation, accountability and celebration all seem to increase when you have a partner involved.
2) Make time (for yourself) - the thing I have learned is that it takes time for this all to happen. Time to price out the best values on healthy foods. Time to pre-weigh foods for easy access. Time to talk to people about calories or weight loss, or read articles. Time for the results to show. Time for the habits to form. The crucial thing is that you need to be able to focus a good chunk of your time to this process, for the prep work and for the daily grind and for the final results. So make and allow yourself time - it is totally worth it. For myself, I need to work on the goal of making time to exercise in some form, but I'm not quite there yet. :)
3) Allow yourself goodies - it seems counter-productive, but the idea of total deprivation doesn't sound very appealing to anyone. The trick that has made my weight loss successful this time is budgeting my food. Budgeting means that you will stay under a certain calorie mark every day, so if you want to eat a treat and you still have calories to spare, GO FOR IT. Lee and I actually split a big ol' cinnamon roll for breakfast yesterday morning, and I didn't feel guilty! I could only get through 1/2 of my 1/2, since I knew about how many calories I was taking in and I couldn't stand it. So I might've had guilt if I would've finished it, but who knows? Point is, have a treat and savor it. Enjoy it. Make it really count. Then get right back to eating the low-cal nutrient-packed foods you should be eating!
4) Give yourself credit - my main goal is to feel better about myself, so even if I didn't quite reach a goal I'm shooting for, I still give myself a pat on the back for what I WAS able to accomplish. So what if I didn't lose 10 lbs this month? I lost 9, and that's still very very cool (actually I might still hit my -10 lbs goal). It's all hard work, and it all deserves a little credit. When you reach a goal, give yourself lots of credit! You did it! Now...what's the next goal?
Okay so I don't mean to be up on a soap box about this, since I am not really the best example of taking care of yourself. But (to my credit!) I am working on it and have been really proud of the little I have accomplished in the past 62 days. I know this is a life change, not a diet. I know I'll never be able to eat a cheeseburger mindlessly, without thinking about how many calories it is.
Change is hard, but it CAN HAPPEN! Love.
2 comments:
You left one out. Cry a lot! ;0)
Here's a tip: When you're at the store, find a vegetable you haven't eaten in a long time or, better yet, one that you have never eaten and buy it. Take it home and love it and find a recipe to use it. You'll find you can make lentil soup with wheat berries or slop your normal sauce on spaghetti squash instead of pasta. All kinds of good stuff awaits if you buy a vegetable!
That one's free. The next one.. will also be free. But after that.. okay, they'll all be free.
Use of security word in a sentence: My android tore its cyconsu but won the death battle in extra rounds.
Post a Comment