The secret to permanent weight loss can be found in your daily
decisions. It's about switching from diets and quick fix solutions to permanent
lifestyle change. We all know someone (maybe it's you?) who wants to lose
weight but quit after two to four weeks. Results didn't happen fast enough. Or
it wasn't any fun. For whatever reason, you gave up. If you want to finally
lose weight and keep it off for good, you have to master consistency and small
doable changes. Sound cliché? Something you've heard before? Well, then why do
so many people have trouble losing weight? I'm not belittling anyone who has
headed down this path before. Your journey isn't about being perfect, it's
about making progress. My goal is to empower you and let you know, it's going
to take some time. It's all about decisions you make day in and day out. Weight
loss is about feeling in control of your decisions, allowing a little leeway
here and there and staying focused on your long-term goal. It's about patience
and positivity.
Tweak your lifestyle little by little until you are loving how
you live and loving how you look and feel. Come on now, I'm here for you! Here
are 55 tips to move you in the right direction.
Weight
Loss Motivation
1. Set a small, specific
goal. Stick it on the fridge or your bathroom mirror.
2. Use your scale as a
gauge to track your progress and not as a body-shaming device
3. Take before and after
pictures. You won't believe how much real proof motivates.
4. Buy a new outfit that
you want to rock. Hang it where you can see it daily for a visual reminder to
stick to your goals. Or reward your small wins with new workout gear!
5. Focus only on losing
the next two pounds. Whether you want to lose 10 pounds or 100 pounds, focusing
on micro-goals can keep you from feeling overwhelmed. Think two pounds at a
time.
6. Try on your jeans once
a week to gauge how you are doing.
7. Surround yourself with
support. Support can be friends, family, inspirational images, a fitness app,
or all of the above.
8. Make a list of what
works for you and keep doing those things. Now you have your own little success
list.
9. Visualize the way you
want to look.
10. Cancel negative
thoughts and replace with positive thoughts. Practice the positive and build it
up over time like a muscle.
11. Find someone to be
your accountability partner.
12. Celebrate your small
wins and share your progress with a Facebook post, Tweet or Instagram pic.
13. Practice
self-compassion. Stop beating yourself up for missing a workout. Stop
regretting what you ate. Practice kindness and understanding with yourself and
simply make a better choice next time. Guess what? You are human and that's
okay.
Exercise
14. Vary up your
workouts. Don't Groundhog Day your workouts. Avoid having each day look the
same.
15. Incorporate strength
training and focus on specific muscle groups. Avoid exercising the same muscle
groups two days in a row.
16. Track your exercise.
You can use an app like MyFitnessPal, RunKeeper, or you can go old school and
write it down on a calendar. Logging your workouts gives you an immediate sense
of accomplishment.
17. Warm up. You will
accomplish more and stay injury-free.
18. Have a workout DVD
ready to go for those days when it's dark, rainy, snowy or cold and you don't
want to venture out or to the gym. Now you've got your Plan B in place.
20. Aspire to sweat from
exercise at least three times a week.
21. Don't overtrain.
Signs of over-training include irritability, tension, restless sleep, aches and
pains and a decline in athletic performance.
23. Stretch after your
workout when your body is warm.
24. Sign up to your first
5K to jog or walk and catch the motivation of a crowd.
26. Master the
micro-workout. Even if you only have 10 minutes, use those 10 minutes wisely.
27. Use hand weights and
resistance bands at home for some bonus strength-training.
28. Breathe deeply during
your workouts. Your muscles and body need oxygen to work effectively.
29. Schedule exercise
like an appointment.
30. Do something active
with your family at least once a week.
31. Add intensity to your
workouts: Add time, speed or effort to your regular workout to take it up a
notch.
32. Put your treadmill on
an incline and vigorously move your arms while you walk.
33. Join a group fitness
class.
Nutrition
34. Eat fiber-rich foods
like green beans, broccoli, avocado, bananas, spinach, pears, Brussels sprouts,
oranges, apples, beets, almonds, beans, brown rice, flax seeds, bok choy,
cabbage, carrots, cauliflower and raspberries.
35. Calories are the holy
grail of weight loss. Keep your eye on your portions.
36. Keep a food journal.
Tracking keeps you more aware of your choices all day long.
37. Eat clean. Stop
eating foods that come in a package and try to eat more foods that come from
the earth.
38. Set it and forget it.
Make slow cooker meals to eat healthy and keep your life easy breezy. (Well, at
least your dinner.)
39. Give up soda and diet
soda.
40. Eat healthy fats like
olive oil, nuts, avocado and seeds.
41. Schedule planned
indulgences. You can enjoy your favorites without any guilt nonsense.
42. Shop the perimeter of
your grocery store. Try and reduce the amount of packaged and boxed items in
your grocery cart.
43. Have a prep day. Cut
up veggies and have them ready to go in the fridge. Make up a batch of brown
rice or cut up a rotisserie chicken for salads or a snack. Make some healthy
grab and go snacks. Make eating healthy easier for you to do.
44. Add more protein to
your diet: lentils, beans, quinoa, eggs, fish and lean meats.
45. Create a fail-safe
environment. Make a list of your trigger foods (those you can't stop eating if
they are in the house) and don't buy them. Why make it harder for yourself?
47. Drink water all day.
Start your day with a tall glass of lemon water. Squeeze about a half of a
lemon into your room temperature water. So simple, and yet so good for your
body. Read more about lemon water and how it benefits your body.
Lifestyle
48. Love your music
playlist. Music motivates. Music YOU love motivates YOU More.
49. Sleep seven to eight
hours each night.
50. Stand up more than
you sit down. If your job doesn't allow for that, stand up once an hour and try
to sit less when you aren't at work.
51. Quiet your mind. Use
blocks of your time to unplug, enjoy the silence, recharge and organize your
thoughts.
52. Switch from diets to
lifestyle change. Diets are temporary and something you are on or off,
lifestyle is permanent.
53. Get regular health
screenings for blood pressure and cholesterol. If your numbers are good you
will want to keep doing what you're doing. If they aren't so good, your numbers
will motivate you to change some habits.
54. Spend time in nature
to clear space for your mind and stay focused on your goals.
55. Follow some fitness
enthusiasts on social media. Are we connected on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest
and Instagram? I'm here for you.
Are you ready to lose
weight and not find it again? I'd love to hear from you and your journey in the
comments below.
Original Post Found Here:
0 comments:
Post a Comment