A couple requests were made for lessons learned during HH and mine weight loss journey…...and like so many others who have lost weight, the lessons learned are quite alike.
I’ve categorized these three avenues to help wade through these lifestyle changes to make it easier to understand. First category is FOOD. This is a no-brainer, you’ve got to look long and hard at what you are eating. Second Category is EXERCISE. Now, of course, you knew there had to be some physical activity to get results, right? Lastly, I’ve included the MENTAL GAME. New to you? Ok, let’s be real. There is a mental component to weight loss. You have to be committed, and ready to look at life, eating and your choices seriously.
Let’s begin with what HH and I learned about FOOD.
1. Begin to look at food as a way to survive and be healthy, not for any other reason (like boredom activity or just wanted to taste great flavors).
2. Increase vegetables and fruit and protein. Decrease processed foods that come in a box….or cut them out completely.
3. Increase fish in your diet. Most are low calorie and very healthy for you.
4. Commit to only purchasing low calorie foods. READ THOSE LABELS. If bad foods aren’t even in the house, you won’t eat it.
5. Don’t deprive yourself all the time. Give in once in a while. (like once or twice a week, with small indulgences)
6. Count calories. (Lose it app on iPod helped me) Or some other method to record of exactly what you are eating. Sometimes, seeing on paper gives it all new meaning.
7. Use smaller plates or take smaller portions.
8. Cut out sugar. No pop, minimal juices. Stick to mostly water and milk. No Starbucks – some of those drinks are thousands of calories! It’s not just a cup of coffee, when you add whipped cream, and all the rest – It’s a desert!
9. Be careful when eating out. The portions are huge and so is the calorie counts at most restaurants. (Even the ones you think are healthy!) Choose baked not fried.
10. Watch butter, mayonnaise, sour cream, Miracle whip, well, mostly anything creamy. That’s high calorie count, only take a tiny amount of those food items, or skip it all together.
Next let’s look at what we’ve learned about EXERCISE.
11. Make a plan of when you’ll exercise, and what you’ll do during that time. Tell those around to help keep you accountable.
12. Start small. Begin the first couple of weeks doing only 10-15 minutes, then increase length of time after a few weeks of getting used to incorporating exercise into your day. (I get to it before 9 am. If I don’t it doesn’t happen in the rest of the day.)
13. Include some type of aerobic to get your heart rate up every other day. On the off days, do some kind of stretching (yoga, Pilates).
14. Find ways in your ordinary day to include exercise. Ie: Run up your stairs instead of walking. Or start parking farther away when shopping, those extra steps are exercise!
Now, I’ve added one more component to the Weight Loss Journey, lessons learned. It’s the MENTAL GAME, or simply WILLPOWER.
1. Commit to it. Give your will power a shot in the arm and commit to this project, regardless where you are, or what you are doing.
2. Make a plan – get what you need. Scale. (Our bathroom scale was digital, and measured BMI and fat percentages as well, it takes a bit of reading the manual.) Excel spreadsheet up on bathroom wall. Record every morning. Don’t fail recording.
3. Have a buddy. Motivate each other. Offer a reward to the first one to lose five pounds.
4. Everything in moderation….don’t go to extremes.
5. Listen to your body when it says, “I’ve eaten enough”.
6. Plan on a six month journey. Nothing is over night.
Over all I’d say this. It’s a will power thing. It’s exercising when you don’t feel like it, or saying ‘no’ when everything in your being wants to say ‘yes’!
I once received great advice to build will power, and it works, it really works. She told me, “Try everyday to find something that will stretch your will.” I said, “Hum….like what?” She said, “Do you ever hit the snooze button?” I said, “Yep, all the time.” She said, “Get up right away.” Ok, I thought, I can do that.
She said, “Are there foods you don’t like?” I said, “Well, not really, I’m not picky”, but as God would have it, I burnt my toast the very next day, and instead of making new, I ate the blacked bread…..forcing my will.
There are a ton of little ways that we can improve our will power. It just takes a moment of looking at something, and saying, Gosh I don’t want to do it, but I am gonna force myself to do it. And then do it.
As you get better and better at strengthening your will power, it gets easier to do it. You soon realize, “Hey, I CAN do this. I see results, I actually CAN change my habits, lifestyle and do better.”
It’s one of those things that is really lacking in the world, that ability to do difficult things, that strength of will. Working on losing weight is truly a strengthening of the will. You have to stop yourself, because even if you have a partner, you are still accountable to yourself, anyway, as that partner won’t see you every second of the day, and you have to have self control when you are alone!
Also, one last think I’d say is this: Make small changes, but everywhere. Slowly you will change your lifestyle, eat out less or order smarter when you do, and cook more nutritious foods for your family. But start small. Make a few changes at a time.
These above Lessons Learned worked for HH and me. You might have to tweak this list for you to make it more specific to your lifestyle and needs. However, I do believe these three things, FOOD, EXERCISE and the MENTAL GAME of WILLPOWER will always need to be included in whatever plan you make for yourself. You can’t pick and choose which of the three you’ll do. YOU NEED TO INCLUDE ALL, and ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
Once you see pounds melting off, you’ll feel better, look better, overall you’ll be healthier, stronger and live a longer life. And isn’t that worth all the effort in the end, anyway?
Share
Let’s begin with what HH and I learned about FOOD.
1. Begin to look at food as a way to survive and be healthy, not for any other reason (like boredom activity or just wanted to taste great flavors).
2. Increase vegetables and fruit and protein. Decrease processed foods that come in a box….or cut them out completely.
3. Increase fish in your diet. Most are low calorie and very healthy for you.
4. Commit to only purchasing low calorie foods. READ THOSE LABELS. If bad foods aren’t even in the house, you won’t eat it.
5. Don’t deprive yourself all the time. Give in once in a while. (like once or twice a week, with small indulgences)
6. Count calories. (Lose it app on iPod helped me) Or some other method to record of exactly what you are eating. Sometimes, seeing on paper gives it all new meaning.
7. Use smaller plates or take smaller portions.
8. Cut out sugar. No pop, minimal juices. Stick to mostly water and milk. No Starbucks – some of those drinks are thousands of calories! It’s not just a cup of coffee, when you add whipped cream, and all the rest – It’s a desert!
9. Be careful when eating out. The portions are huge and so is the calorie counts at most restaurants. (Even the ones you think are healthy!) Choose baked not fried.
10. Watch butter, mayonnaise, sour cream, Miracle whip, well, mostly anything creamy. That’s high calorie count, only take a tiny amount of those food items, or skip it all together.
Next let’s look at what we’ve learned about EXERCISE.
11. Make a plan of when you’ll exercise, and what you’ll do during that time. Tell those around to help keep you accountable.
12. Start small. Begin the first couple of weeks doing only 10-15 minutes, then increase length of time after a few weeks of getting used to incorporating exercise into your day. (I get to it before 9 am. If I don’t it doesn’t happen in the rest of the day.)
13. Include some type of aerobic to get your heart rate up every other day. On the off days, do some kind of stretching (yoga, Pilates).
14. Find ways in your ordinary day to include exercise. Ie: Run up your stairs instead of walking. Or start parking farther away when shopping, those extra steps are exercise!
Now, I’ve added one more component to the Weight Loss Journey, lessons learned. It’s the MENTAL GAME, or simply WILLPOWER.
1. Commit to it. Give your will power a shot in the arm and commit to this project, regardless where you are, or what you are doing.
2. Make a plan – get what you need. Scale. (Our bathroom scale was digital, and measured BMI and fat percentages as well, it takes a bit of reading the manual.) Excel spreadsheet up on bathroom wall. Record every morning. Don’t fail recording.
3. Have a buddy. Motivate each other. Offer a reward to the first one to lose five pounds.
4. Everything in moderation….don’t go to extremes.
5. Listen to your body when it says, “I’ve eaten enough”.
6. Plan on a six month journey. Nothing is over night.
Over all I’d say this. It’s a will power thing. It’s exercising when you don’t feel like it, or saying ‘no’ when everything in your being wants to say ‘yes’!
I once received great advice to build will power, and it works, it really works. She told me, “Try everyday to find something that will stretch your will.” I said, “Hum….like what?” She said, “Do you ever hit the snooze button?” I said, “Yep, all the time.” She said, “Get up right away.” Ok, I thought, I can do that.
She said, “Are there foods you don’t like?” I said, “Well, not really, I’m not picky”, but as God would have it, I burnt my toast the very next day, and instead of making new, I ate the blacked bread…..forcing my will.
There are a ton of little ways that we can improve our will power. It just takes a moment of looking at something, and saying, Gosh I don’t want to do it, but I am gonna force myself to do it. And then do it.
As you get better and better at strengthening your will power, it gets easier to do it. You soon realize, “Hey, I CAN do this. I see results, I actually CAN change my habits, lifestyle and do better.”
It’s one of those things that is really lacking in the world, that ability to do difficult things, that strength of will. Working on losing weight is truly a strengthening of the will. You have to stop yourself, because even if you have a partner, you are still accountable to yourself, anyway, as that partner won’t see you every second of the day, and you have to have self control when you are alone!
Also, one last think I’d say is this: Make small changes, but everywhere. Slowly you will change your lifestyle, eat out less or order smarter when you do, and cook more nutritious foods for your family. But start small. Make a few changes at a time.
These above Lessons Learned worked for HH and me. You might have to tweak this list for you to make it more specific to your lifestyle and needs. However, I do believe these three things, FOOD, EXERCISE and the MENTAL GAME of WILLPOWER will always need to be included in whatever plan you make for yourself. You can’t pick and choose which of the three you’ll do. YOU NEED TO INCLUDE ALL, and ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
Once you see pounds melting off, you’ll feel better, look better, overall you’ll be healthier, stronger and live a longer life. And isn’t that worth all the effort in the end, anyway?
Share
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