1. Do be Prepared. Know what you’re eating BEFORE you eat it. Nothing is worse than eating something “healthy” and finding out later that it’s high in calories. That’s why it’s important when eating out at a restaurant to check out the nutrition facts beforehand, so you know what you are going to be up against. Most restaurants have their nutrition facts online or available upon request at the restaurant. One strategy is to check out the menu online before you go, along with the nutrition facts, so that you can plan and account for it in your calorie intake for the day.
2. Don’t eliminate ALL Your Carbs. Eliminating carbs from your diet altogether is not always the best idea. Instead, try eating carbs in moderation or at certain times, like right after your workout, for example. Your body needs carbs to function properly. So cutting out a carbohydrates completely may not serve you as well as you may think.
3. Do get the support you need. You don’t have to lose weight on your own! Having someone to talk and relate to during your weight loss journey will be crucial. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends and/or loved ones. Ultimately, you will need to own your choices and take responsibility for what you are putting in your mouth. No one is force-feeding you food. People will try to sway you, but stick to your guns. Learn how to say ‘no’ to people who don’t get what you’re trying to accomplish.
4. Don’t drink your calories. Tell me you’re not still drinking soda. You need to choose between what you want right now and what you want in the future because soda is definitely not helping you lose weight. (This includes diet soda.) Instead of drinking soda, try drinking water with lemon juice and stevia.
5. Don’t skip meals. We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But why is it so important? Food is fuel for our bodies, without breakfast, we are just running on fumes from last night’s dinner all the way to lunch. This desperation hunger can lead to us making bad food decisions. This goes back to being prepared. On your day off you can prepare food for your week. Put your snacks into plastic bags and label them by the days of the week. That way, during the daily grind, you won’t have to think about what you’re going to eat, it removes the guesswork of what to eat. This will build confidence and not allow you to be swayed by co-workers who want to go to lunch. It will also save you money.
6. Choose your friends wisely. I’m not saying ditch your friends because they are overweight, but you are the average of the people you hang out with. So choose wisely. Or, you could take the initiative in your current group of friends and throw a new dynamic into the group. So instead of always eating out at restaurants, maybe try and do more activities together. Like bike riding, walking, jogging, etc. And following up the activity with some homemade food, you can take turns cooking low-fat healthy options.
7. Don’t obsessively check the scale. Weighing yourself everyday is not healthy. Don’t place too much importance on the number you see staring back at you, instead gauge your success by how your clothes fit and how you feel. You should be weighing yourself once a week at the most. Also, try to think of the number on the scale as information, don’t let it define your self worth, just use it as feedback on your progress that week.
How you progress on your weight loss journey is ultimately up to you. It will not be a direct route to your goal. There will be ebbs and flows, but it’s important to stay tough during low points and don’t let it deter you. Staying consistently motivated will be tough, but it’s crucial to seeing continued success. If you ever feel like giving up, just remember why you started and how far you’ve come so far.
Christina
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