Are you ready?
Let’s get this started!:attack:
Today I’m going to share with you what I’ve learned about what works, and what doesn’t. While I am no Doctor or Nutritionist, I am a certified Coach (International Sports level) and have taken course on group fitness, and nutrition. Plus, I was a competitive athlete myswelf for 10 years, and even then, battled with control of my wieght and my habits. Basically, I know what needs to be done, I just don’t always do it. 😆
In the last 8 years, I’ve not considered myself an athlete, I’ve tried to live ‘normal” and not gain too much, but it slowly keeps creeping back on. I’ve successfully lost 30 pounds three times over, and each time it comes back, plus some. So this time, I’m taking it slow and steady, and I’m going to make it last. No more gaining it back.
First off, I believe that for lasting weight loss, the slow and steady is the key. Each time I’ve lost weight it’s been at a rate of ten or more pouinds a month. Each time, I’ve done it ina healthy manner, and while that’s not too much too soon, it isn’t the lifestyle I want to live anymore. By that I mean, I don’t want to have to go to the gym 5 or 6 days a week forthe rest of my life – and that is what it took to lose that weight in that time, in a helathy way.
Please notice I keep saying in a healthy way. This is because it can be easy to lose weight with fad diets, but it’s not always healthy, and it’s not always practical. My new plan however, is practical – and based on TWO key elements.
1) Goal Setting
2) Consisitency
You will not be able to improve your health, change your lifestyle, lose weight without goal setting and consistency.
1) Goal Setting:
Set realistic goals.
Start small. For me, one of my goals is to quite drinking soda pop. It doesn’t matter if it’s diet of not, pop is not a healthy choice, and honestly, I know it makes me crave junk food. And I also know I can do it. I tend to do good for a while but as soon as I have 1 glass, I want more, and more… yep. I’m that way with junk food too. So my second goal is No Junk Food In the house.
I know one of my big weaknesses is not being able to stop when I should. I’m like that in many things, not just food. Heh. *clears throat* Anyway, I know my weakness, so in order to help myself, I’m setting the goal of no junk food in the house. The final goal is to Be Active. For myself , I enjoy working out. Sometimes I enjoy it too much because my body is nto inthe same shape as mymind, and I do too much too soon, and I suffer injuries becasue of it. So this time around, my goal is to go slow, but remain active. To excercise 5-6 days a week, but starting with light workouts, and easing into things.
My goals will change as my lisfestyl does, as they should. But those are my goals, for now.
2) Consistency
Consistency in eating, consistency in exercising, and consistency in faith in myself.
Exercising consistently:sport: Do I need to explain why this is good? I’m not going to because I think we all know why it is. It burns calories, and makes us feel good.
One of the best things you can do for your body is eat consistently. Set up a schedule for yourself, within 12 hours. If you eat breakfast (And don’t skip it!!) at 8 AM, then your last meal or snak should be at 8 PM. And you should eat every 2-3 hours. The key to losing weight with diet is not to not eat. When you stop eating, your body starts to want to hold onto what you do put into it, and your metabolism slows. So if you consistently feed it, healthy food, it burns it up, and then starts in on the stored fats..thereby, burning more in a day, than when you eat less.
I hope I’m explaining the way it works well enough. But the main thing is, Don’t Starve yourself, just make better choices consistently.
Consistency in Faith in yourself. Do not give up on yourself if you fuck up. Just realize what happened, and get back on track. Believe in yourself, know it’s a process, and believe that you deserve to live a long healthy life. And to do that…you need to make better health a priority.
Those are my goals, and my current plan. I’m giving myself two weeks to make them habit, then I’m adding to my goals.
How about you? Think about your goals, and think about a plan – even a simple plan – and commit to it.
And Join my Fit Camp by commenting here, show support to each other, and gain motivation to keep us all on track!
Those of you that want, please feel free to post the FIT CAMP button (isn’t it awesome? My weblady Croco did it for us!) on your website/blog, and help encourage others. The more who join us, the merrier. We all need support and motivation, and I hope this helps. I’ll have new posts specifically for Fit Camp every Thursday, and you can bet I’ll probably comment on my own progress during the week as well.
Good Luck Everyone!!
Next Week: Amie Stuart talks about how she lost 45 lbs!
October 4th: Beth Williamson will be talking about Food Allergies and how she’s learned tolive with them.
I think you are totally spot on. I KNOW what I’ve done wrong and how to fix it, I’ve just been lazy and come up with a million excuses. Your approach is kind of like quitting cold turkey or setting realistic goals and sticking to them.
I’m pleased to say I’ve lost about 4 pounds this week (which is likely mostly water weight) and I’ve stayed away from sugar and chips (two binge foods). That’s my first step.
Step 2 is eating healthier. I’ve eaten salads for lunch and good stuff all around. I do tend to eat smaller meals and snacks are usually fruit or cheese.
Step 3 is exercise (my biggest problem). I used my stepper yesterday morning. Woo!
:sporty: My next goals will be to increase the exercising.
Oh and Amie looked absolutely stunning when I finally met here in Dallas. What a gorgeous woman! I am excited to read her post next week.
Great post to kick us all off, Sasha. I’m like you. I know what I need and should do. It’s getting myself to do it. OK, so I guess I need to set some goals for myself.
Let’s do this! :jump:
It seems like most of us know what we need to do. WE’ve tried it before, we tried many things. It’s just satying on track that is the problem…and hopefully we can help each other with that!
Great Goals, Beth!
And Tess, go for it. I can’t wait to see what you settle on as your starting goals.
All right….I’m getting motivated. And ladies, it is harder to lose the weight after you get older. So I am taking my stepper out of mothballs (it’s been doubling as a clothes rack) 🙄 And my nemesis is “ice cream”.
Will have to remove it from my house. 😉
Besides, I have a wedding to go to at Thanksgiving…..it would be nice to be thinner and have more energy. So my goal is to lose 10 pounds by Thanksgiving… :sport:
:sporty: Well I’ve started back on the road to good health and fitness …that said I did eat 14 oz’s of peanut M&M’s in 2 days 😥 but I forgive myself and I am pushing on :sport: I agree that you have to fuel your body and that the best way to do this is a diet based on the Glicemic index- If you can keep you blood level under control you can lose mor weight! Their are books and articles posted on this I have also made a pack of Cigs…bad Scarlet bad, I know …but they lasted 4 days! So that is a goal, to quit once and for all! I also have some great clothes that I put in front of and on top of my current size so I constantly see them,…I was almost there 2 months ago!I can do this and so can you..visualize your sucess! :puh: Oh and keep exercising, it gets better when your not sucking wind as much!
OMG! Sasha you are so wonderful. I just received in the mail “The GI Diet” which my Doctor suggested – I have to read it and if I get any great tips = well I’ll share them with you.
I am my biggest enemy. As soon as I say I can’t have it – I even dream about it – become obsessive. I need to really work on this. Ughhhhhhhhhhhh!
Stay tuned…..
Sorry I haven’t been around – too much happening here + I was sick yadda, yadda, yadda. LOL! Oh yeah that’s Erin…..
:duell:
:sporty: Just poppin’ by. Nice topic to find. I have been concentrating on being healthier. Not really dieting … though I have lost weight in the last few months. A family member with some health issues the last two months has kept me in that frame of mind to encourage her and also myself. Some relatives came to town this weekend and found the old ice cream from July that hasn’t been tossed yet but never got eaten and teased me that I should have just tossed it! I don’t even crave it anymore, I should have melted it down the drain. I’ll post your button… though haven’t read my own blog tonight but I see it is getting kind of late here! I guess you could say I’m going hog wild staying up late. I don’t have to work tomorrow.
YAY!! Look at us! We’re growing. The group that is, not us personally. LOL
Ruby 10 lbs by Thanks giving should be doiable!! Great Goal!!
That’s the right attitude Scarlet. Just keep going!!
Debbie, I’d love tohear about the GI diet when your done reading the book!
Hey Annalee. Healthy choices is best, no need to think of things as “Diet”. And Yay onlosing wieght already!
We’re going to have some fun!
:jump:
Awwwwwww Beth thanks!! :inlove: Hon we have the same “biggest problem” so I’m right there with you.
Awesome tips! I’ve just got back on the wagon myself. I’m on my fourth day of eating great and being active. I agree with the small goals part. Too much at once can just set you up to fail.
I’m loving this cowgirl smilie.
:cowgirl:
i lost about 34-36 pounds in 8 days, of course i just ate jello and 1 mini salad and so much water, im surprised my kidneys didnt leave home
of course all the weight i lost was water, off all the mt dews i drunk , , my hands ,feet all wasnt so strutted and then i got hungry and then really hungry , then , o i will start back to just one smal bowl of special k and lots of sugar free jello and salads, TOMMORROW , o well not today, i will tommorrow, well i got blah blah blah reason for not going back to dieting ever since, but lucky me,i only gain back about 12 pounds , but i do not drink mt dew or coke of any kinds now
water, water with crystal light 5 calories add to water thingys
i just cant find the UMPH to go back dieting and unloading the gazelle and using it