I was once 300 lbs – I’m not anymore.
Three and a half years later here I am. 125 pounds down, with still a long way to go in terms of fitness goals, and more motivated than ever.
It has been a long, stressful, exhausting but yet empowering 3.5 years, and I expect the rest of my journey to be the same.
Through all the ups and downs, success and losses, I’ve learned one thing : You’ve got to think small, if you want something BIG.
So here are the first few steps I took to creating a healthy lifestyle:
1. Stop Drinking Calories
When you’re trying to shed weight, you’ve only got a set number of precious calories to consume in a day. Why, oh why, waste on a liquid, on something that cannot keep you full?! So curb the high calorie drinks, like soda, juice, lattes, etc, and swap it in for some good old fashioned water, and tea. If you get tired of plan water, you can always infuse it with some fruits. Check out some cool tools here.
2. Set Small Goals
You may have heard this before, probably because it is the truest tip out there. Setting a goal is easy, but the road to achieving that goal is not. The longer the road seems, the harder it is to stay motivated and on track. So how about setting one BIG goal, and several smaller goals that you know will help get you there. For Example: Your big goal is to lose 25 lbs by Christmas. Small goal could be, lose 5lbs by Halloween, Work out 4 times a week, lose another 7 lbs for Thanksgiving. etc. There is no greater feeling than accomplishing your goal. With smaller goals, you get to that great feeling faster, and more frequently!
3. Drink Water in the Am
"Get 8 glass of water a day" Easier said than done to me. I struggled with getting in enough ounces of water at first. Once sneaky way I found to get more ounces in is drinking a glass first thing in the morning. Think about it! You usually wake up with a dry mouth, so it’s the perfect time to chug a glass of water without feeling forced.
4. Log what you eat
It seems tedious, but logging every single bite you take will help you out so much in the long run. Everyone is different, we don’t all have the same taste, and our bodies all react to food differently. By keeping a consistent log of our food and exercise, it gives us a better idea of what food we feel best eating.
5. Find your “fitspiration”
Social media is such a powerful tool. Whether you have facebook, twitter, Instagram, you should take some time and look up some fitness pages. I personally follow several accounts. It’s a great way to learn about new tips, but more importantly it serves as a reminder of your goal. Each time you’re bored and aimlessly scrolling through your news feed, you’ll come across a motivational post, workout video, or food tip. It’ll help keep you accountable wherever you are.
Here are some accounts I recommend:
Always remember, the hardest part of losing weight is getting started, and if you are tired of starting over stop giving up!
Good luck!