Finding a way to change the way you eat can be difficult if you don’t know what you’re already doing wrong. There are so many reasons to find ways to get fit, and I think I can help!
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Start TODAY!
You’ve seen the ecard… I’ll start my diet on Monday… Why wait? Starting today puts you one step closer to your ultimate goal. There’s no excuse not to change your life today! Start with the next meal. Find some fresh, seasonal vegetables, and a leaner cut of meat. You can still have your favorite meals, just find a way to eat smaller portions, or different, leaner cuts. Chicken is a great lean meat, that still tastes good. You can still eat tacos, too. Fill with black beans, leaner hamburger, and a low calorie tortilla shell.
Get Up and Move!
Maybe you think you’re not in good enough shape to start exercising, or can’t find the time. I promise that you CAN find the time. If you’re online, you have time! Turn off your computer right now, and turn on a good YouTube video like Walk Away the Pounds. You can start slowly with the one mile video, and slowly work your way up. If you can’t finish the one mile the first time, that’s fine. You got UP! You MOVED! You’re on your way. You’ve lapped all of the couch potatoes! Don’t drive to get your mail. If your mailbox isn’t a million miles away, walk! Take a small walk, down the driveway. You’ll find that you’ll be taking longer walks each day. Joining a gym is a great idea, but isn’t absolutely necessary. You CAN workout at home!
Set Goals
When you finally decide to make your lifestyle change, set a goal. Make it reasonable. Not everyone can be a size 2, or even a 7. Make it something attainable. Also, making smaller goals along the way, make it so much more fun to weigh in every week. Once you reach your smaller goals, reward yourself with a mani/pedi, a new pair of jeans, or a great looking top. New clothes are always a good reason to start losing weight! Who doesn’t want a brand new, smaller, wardrobe?
Change the Way You Eat
Eat five or six small meals throughout the day, and be sure to check the side of the packaging for the Nutrition Information. If you notice that your favorite foods are high in calories or fat, find something similar with less fat and calories. I promise that not ALL diet foods taste awful. Salads are great for a small meal, and you can add chicken, steak, black beans, fresh veggies, and/or fruit and nuts to your salads to make them taste better, and fill you up. Breakfast foods can be replaced with smoothies, or great tasting fruit plates. The possibilities for a tasty new lifestyle are endless!
Drink Water!
Soda tastes great, don’t get me wrong, but do you know how much water weight you’re holding onto because of the sodium content? Even diet sodas are a problem. Water is a big staple to changing the way you eat, and look. You’ll notice that your skin will clear up, and the first few weeks of drinking lots of water should result in bigger losses. You can start out small, by only drinking one or two sodas a day, or cut out soda completely. There are so many different ways to drink your water that you will never get bored! There’s great add ins you can buy at the store, or you can make your own fruit infused waters that taste amazing! Everyday you should be drinking half your body weight in water, but starting out with 6-8 glasses of water a day helps!
Don’t Make Excuses
If you’re promising yourself to get fit today, don’t find an excuse to skip a day tomorrow-or the next day. Rest days are important, but you need to establish a routine. If all you’re doing is walking, you probably don’t need a long rest day. Remember, it can take up to 30 days to establish routine, so taking a rest day could set you back. If you’re sore from walking, or lifting, do an upper or lower body workout, and rest injuries or sore muscles. Sometimes working through the pain actually helps, even though it hurts!
Add Weights!
If you’re walking, you can pick up small weights on Amazon, Ebay, Sporting Good stores, or even some stores like Five Below. Once you’ve gotten used to walking a few miles, bring smaller weights (2-3 pounds) with you, and do some arm lifts, squats, and lunges while you walk. You may get looked at a little strangely, but remember, this is all about YOU. Who cares what other people think?
Once you start on your journey to weight loss, you’ll start to feel better and have more energy. There will be days that you hurt, but…No Pain, No Gain definitely applies here. Cutting out ninety-five percent of the junk food from your diet will help immensely. Good luck!
Sadie says
This is a great article! I love the no excuses approach.