Weekends for me are the hardest. Unstructured, lots of events, and lots of food. This weekend has many opportunities for me to make unhealthy choices. Honestly, I am struggling a little bit.
So I found this article on Sparkpeople about strategies for success and helped put me (and my attitude) back on track.
1. Start Small
Quite possibly the biggest mistake people make is pushing the accelerator too soon. You can’t lose 20 pounds in a week. But you can lose one. Taking small bites and chewing slowly have as much to do with goal achievement as they do with your mom’s dinner table scolding.
2. Get It On Paper
Whether setting your first goals, tracking daily progress, or sharing your deepest thoughts with a journal, writing things down crystallizes your ideas, exposes underlying fears, and paints an accurate picture of real life.
3. Focus On Everyday Habits
The building blocks of a healthy lifestyle are forged in the smallest of actions you take every day and every week. Healthy choices can become as natural as brushing your teeth or locking the front door. Build one habit, one action at a time.
4. Always See Your Goal
Goals need attention. They need to be seen and heard and thought of often if they ever hope to come true. So surround yourself with as many reminders as possible.
5. Be Consistent
Imagine a plane taking off. In the beginning, a lot of energy is spent to simply get moving down the runway. But as speed and momentum take over, the plane is pulled forward and up into the sky, faster and further by the second. Consistent action, no matter how small, has more power than you ever imagined.
6. Never Stop Learning
A healthy lifestyle is a process—a journey more than a destination. You can always learn more about nutrition, fitness, and even yourself that can help you be just a little bit better tomorrow.
7. Come Out of Seclusion
Has anyone ever achieved anything of real value all alone? Probably not many. Most receive some form of help from other people. Support, information, a sense of shared experience, encouragement, advice, and a well-timed pep talk are all invaluable as you set off on your adventure.
8. Allow For Setbacks
Accept the fact right now that you will make mistakes, and that it can be a positive thing. We are usually harder on ourselves that we are on anyone else we know. Be your own #1 fan. That means being supportive (instead of critical) when you stumble, and enjoying your wins (rather than ignoring your accomplishments) when you succeed.
9. Trust Your Plan
You’ll have up weeks and down weeks, and frustrating weeks that make no sense at all. The tools and strategies you’re learning will help you build a plan that makes a healthier lifestyle almost inevitable. If you consistently make the right choices and build healthy habits, weight loss is literally just a matter of time.
10. Have Fun!!!
Who says getting healthy has to be a chore, a burden to be endured or suffered through? Probably a very unhappy person, that’s who. This is an exciting adventure of self-discovery and building a meaningful life. Enjoy the ride!
Quite possibly the biggest mistake people make is pushing the accelerator too soon. You can’t lose 20 pounds in a week. But you can lose one. Taking small bites and chewing slowly have as much to do with goal achievement as they do with your mom’s dinner table scolding.
2. Get It On Paper
Whether setting your first goals, tracking daily progress, or sharing your deepest thoughts with a journal, writing things down crystallizes your ideas, exposes underlying fears, and paints an accurate picture of real life.
3. Focus On Everyday Habits
The building blocks of a healthy lifestyle are forged in the smallest of actions you take every day and every week. Healthy choices can become as natural as brushing your teeth or locking the front door. Build one habit, one action at a time.
4. Always See Your Goal
Goals need attention. They need to be seen and heard and thought of often if they ever hope to come true. So surround yourself with as many reminders as possible.
5. Be Consistent
Imagine a plane taking off. In the beginning, a lot of energy is spent to simply get moving down the runway. But as speed and momentum take over, the plane is pulled forward and up into the sky, faster and further by the second. Consistent action, no matter how small, has more power than you ever imagined.
6. Never Stop Learning
A healthy lifestyle is a process—a journey more than a destination. You can always learn more about nutrition, fitness, and even yourself that can help you be just a little bit better tomorrow.
7. Come Out of Seclusion
Has anyone ever achieved anything of real value all alone? Probably not many. Most receive some form of help from other people. Support, information, a sense of shared experience, encouragement, advice, and a well-timed pep talk are all invaluable as you set off on your adventure.
8. Allow For Setbacks
Accept the fact right now that you will make mistakes, and that it can be a positive thing. We are usually harder on ourselves that we are on anyone else we know. Be your own #1 fan. That means being supportive (instead of critical) when you stumble, and enjoying your wins (rather than ignoring your accomplishments) when you succeed.
9. Trust Your Plan
You’ll have up weeks and down weeks, and frustrating weeks that make no sense at all. The tools and strategies you’re learning will help you build a plan that makes a healthier lifestyle almost inevitable. If you consistently make the right choices and build healthy habits, weight loss is literally just a matter of time.
10. Have Fun!!!
Who says getting healthy has to be a chore, a burden to be endured or suffered through? Probably a very unhappy person, that’s who. This is an exciting adventure of self-discovery and building a meaningful life. Enjoy the ride!
Like my sister said to me last post, its not all going to happen at once. I need to celebrate my small successes. And today is only one day out of many to come.
Shout out to Tina who often inspires me
Quote of the day: We are what we do... Not what we did. Now if we continue doing what we used to do, we can't be upset that we are still what we were, simply because we're still doing what we did! -Unknown
What I ate today:
Lemon Poppy Seed muffin (thanks again to Dori who has sent me countless lowfat recipes)
Banana
1/2 Chicken, tomato and pesto Panini from U Food Grill for lunch
the other 1/2 for dinner
Apple
Orange
Carrots
Lite flour Chocolate Cupcake (another Dori recipe)
And since I am going to a friends house tonight for some Rock Band fun I am going to factor in a glass of sangria
Tomorrow is weigh in day!
Luck
-K
Shout out to Tina who often inspires me
Quote of the day: We are what we do... Not what we did. Now if we continue doing what we used to do, we can't be upset that we are still what we were, simply because we're still doing what we did! -Unknown
What I ate today:
Lemon Poppy Seed muffin (thanks again to Dori who has sent me countless lowfat recipes)
Banana
1/2 Chicken, tomato and pesto Panini from U Food Grill for lunch
the other 1/2 for dinner
Apple
Orange
Carrots
Lite flour Chocolate Cupcake (another Dori recipe)
And since I am going to a friends house tonight for some Rock Band fun I am going to factor in a glass of sangria
Tomorrow is weigh in day!
Luck
-K
Instead of dreading the weekend, why not change your perspective and use it as something to look forward to (other than for the obvious reason of not having to work)? If you've been diligent about eating healthily and exercising all week, you can use the weekend as an opportunity to indulge a bit without feeling guilty. I'm not talking about an all-out pig-out but a nice meal that's a bit less virtuous than usual and a few drinks. I think it's very motivating to know that you have a little treat coming your way after all the hard work you've put in all week and, if you enjoy yourself in moderation, there's absolutely nothing to feel guilty about! Even if you do go overboard, remember that no one ever got fat because of one bad meal or one off-day (just as no one ever got fat by eating carrots, potatoes or a piece of bread as some bizarre diet devotees would have you believe). Think long-term and get back on track the next day! Managing difficult food situations and dealing with occasional overeating is something we'll have to deal with forever.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the shout out, sis, and good luck with the weigh in!