Use your accountability partner (or another friend) to help you get some exercise. Studies show that when people exercise together, they are more likely to stick with it. Set regular appointments with your friend, whether at the gym or for walks in your neighborhood. Make sure this is a “no excuses” friend that will hold you to your appointment.
This may sound funny, but having portable, healthy food with you can really help you stay on track. Keeping an apple and a portable source of protein (100 calorie pack of almonds) is a great strategy so you don’t get trapped and hungry when errands take longer than you think they will. You never know how long a “15 minute errand” will take.
This is not something that most people do long term, but it is a good idea to try this for at least a short period of time when you are beginning your weight loss journey. You may be surprised how easy it is to underestimate the caloric value of treats. Just logging your food (without even trying to stay within guidelines) is eye-opening and powerful.
This should always include protein. Extreme hunger almost always leads to overeating. If you have 4 oz. of protein in your body about an hour before the meal, you will have better self control in your choices.
There is no real justifiable reason to have tempting junk food in your pantry. Just because your kids like it doesn’t mean it is doing them any favors either. Processed foods have many other ramifications than just weight, so avoid keeping junk foods in the house so that your kids can eat them. Eating habits are formed at a young age, so help them and yourself at the same time. Keep healthy snacks around like almonds, apples, cheese sticks, yogurt, and Kind Nut and Spice bars (read the package…only the “nut and spice” ones have 5 grams of sugar or less).
Find some statements that really speak to you (or write your own). These should be uplifting statements that help you stay on track with your health when you are struggling. Keep as many of them as you can find, and post them in a place of prominence in your house. Put up a new one every week, and recycle the old ones periodically. You may find the posting them helps other family members too.
Add simple interval training to anything you do. Studies have shown that 20 minutes of interval training burns more calories than 40 minutes of steady state training. Maximize your time AND burn more calories. You can do this no matter what your fitness level. If you walk for exercise, try adding periods of walking faster and slower. Simple changes in the heart rate also count as intervals.
Post a picture of yourself at a time when you felt good about the way you looked. Put it in a place that is convenient for you to look at when you are feeling tempted (like inside a kitchen cabinet door or drawer).
As Americans, we are a “meat and potatoes” society. When we minimize the starches in our dinner, we maximize the body’s natural metabolic processes. The body is most receptive to burning carbohydrates for energy in the morning and more likely to store them as fat when we eat them at night. If you are one who eats a starch at dinner every night, try going to every other night and adding an extra serving of vegetables so you still get full.
Most people embark on weight loss programs and are either “on” or “off” a diet. This sets us all up for defeat. Instead, set one goal per week that will help you to achieve the goal of weight loss. Goals can be simple things like packing your lunch every day, always eating breakfast at home instead of the drive through, or not snacking after 8:00. Whatever your change, just make one new one every week. You will be surprised what a change you can make in your body when you do this. This allows you to lose weight without being on a “diet.” Nobody can live on a diet. Set yourself up for success with simple changes. Remember “if there’s no wagon to fall off of, you can’t fall off the wagon.”