Permanent, Positive Changes; Small But Significant Lifestyle Changes. Help!?

MICHG16

I am 23 yrs old and I am trying to get into the routine of a healthier lifestyle, with the goal of losing weight and becoming more toned, so as I get older my weight does not get out of control. For the most part I am considered to have a slender build, but I definitely still have to be aware of what/how much I eat. I am 5'6 and weigh 145; my biggest area of improvement is my stomach. I go through phases of exercising regularly and eating healthy, to then completely letting myself go.
I want to make permanent changes, but I don't know how to do that.

I have read discussion upon discussion about small changes to make that have a big impact, but I feel like I already do a lot of those things.
I never drink soda or juice -- I only drink water, and alcohol socially. I only eat whole wheat bread, rice, etc. I snack on raw veggies and sometimes fruit. At home we eat/drink majority of organic products. I take the stairs instead of elevators. Park far away from buildings. Etc, etc.
My downfall is late night snacking, and indulging on cookies/brownies when I allow myself to have them.

Whenever I get into a routine of working out, I never have the drive to stick with it. I get bored with running, I don't have enough self motivation to push myself through an alone-at-home work out, and I don't have the money to join a gym or go to classes and such.
I am looking for new/additional ways to make changes that won't seem drastic, in the hopes they will become permanent, and produce change.

Does anyone have any ideas to help?? What has worked for you?? Thanks!!!

SLLRunner

Weight management comes down to calories in/calories out, everything else is preference only.

You are at a healthy weight already, and if this is where you maintain then you are doing fine. It sounds like you are being awful hard on yourself, though.

Blueseraphchaos

One thing you could do to reduce binging on sweets is to just plan for one every day, that way you won't feel denied. You'll know you get to have one at some point, which typically helps with binging. It may or may not help you, but it's probably worth a shot.

I exercise alone, lol. Can't get anyone else in my house to do it due to many factors...and i can no longer run for who knows how long because of a torn acl and lcl. But if you lack motivation, you can always just force yourself to put on sneakers and walk out the door with no intention of running or exercising. Just walk out the door and tell yourself you're going to take a walk for five minutes. Sometimes it is just 5 minutes, and sometimes it turns into more, for me. This is what i do.

Good luck!

SaffronSunrise

I'm much older and have a lot of weight to lose, but the biggest change I've made was weighing and food on a scale and strength training (lifting). I allow myself to eat what I want as long as I'm staying in a calorie deficit. Luckily, we have a small gym at work so I was able to start working out with weights because I really don't like cardio.

Blueseraphchaos

Also, don't be too hard on yourself. If you're at a healthy weight and want to improve how you look, try lifting heavy weights or doing body-weight exercises. And everyone has lazy days and needs rest days. As long as those days don't turn into months where you are consistently gaining weight and also feeling like crap because of how you're eating and acting, you're doing well.

lemurcat12

This could spark a helpful discussion.

One big lifestyle change that may be similar to those things you already do is walking/biking whenever possible. I live in a big city, so really can walk for just about all regular daily errands, shopping, etc. (but driving is sometimes more convenient). I find I can burn a lot more calories in a day if I just assume that I will do anything possible by walking. (I also do if I ride my bike to work instead of taking the L, but just switching from the bus to the L--which requires more of a walk from my house--and occasionally getting on/off at a farther away stop is a good way to incorporate more movement.)

Another is by planning better so I can always make something nutritious and satisfying from what's in the refrigerator (even if it's just a vegetable omelet). Eliminates excuses to order food when I get home late/am tired.

Eating at home isn't really a problem for me--my bigger issues were impulse eating not at home and eating at work, but I don't really keep sweets or snacks I am likely to overindulge on at home (if I bake a pie for a holiday I try not to end up with lots of leftovers). For some reason I don't have trouble sticking to a serving size of ice cream, so that's what I tend to have at home.

For working out, I find it really helps keep me interested to have long-term goals or plans. Like recently I did an Olympic distance tri and I'm working at improving my time at that and also at running in general. I am trying to increase my strength through a progressive strength training program. On the whole, the two things that help me most with exercise consistency is being able to work toward and goal and see that I'm improving, and being part of a community (I like mostly running alone, but once a week group runs can be really motivating to me in the winter and joining a tri group to have people to bike and swim with sometimes and just generally share goals is fun for me. There are lots of exercise groups on MeetUp.com where I live. I'm thinking about checking out the hiking/backpacking one.

strong_curves

Things that have helped me the most:

consistency with diet & exercise
food scale
planning meals in advance, pre-logging

Bshmerlie

My advice to you would be to try and stay active. When we were young (your age) we were all active. We got out and did things, played tennis, lifted weights, trained for triathalons...etc...etc. But as we get older many of us got so busy with everything else in life (work/kids) we stopped doing all of the things that kept our bodies in shape. So just stay active....walk the dog, go shopping at a huge mall with your friends just stay busy. Don't let the couch be your best friend at the end of a long day.

And always weigh yourself...at least once a week. For many of us it crept up over the years. Don't let that happen. Stay fit and don't let it get away from you.

Blueseraphchaos

Bshmerlie wrote: »

And always weigh yourself...at least once a week. For many of us it crept up over the years. Don't let that happen. Stay fit and don't let it get away from you.

Yes, this! I didn't own a scale for a long time. Realized i had to go buy new clothes because nothing was fitting quite right, still never thought to figure out a way to fix it. Even after i found mfp and started trying, nothing worked the way it was supposed to. Eventually, i made it to a doctor who helped me immensely, but just being here in the first place is a great start.

MICHG16

Blueseraphchaos wrote: »

One thing you could do to reduce binging on sweets is to just plan for one every day, that way you won't feel denied. You'll know you get to have one at some point, which typically helps with binging. It may or may not help you, but it's probably worth a shot.

I exercise alone, lol. Can't get anyone else in my house to do it due to many factors...and i can no longer run for who knows how long because of a torn acl and lcl. But if you lack motivation, you can always just force yourself to put on sneakers and walk out the door with no intention of running or exercising. Just walk out the door and tell yourself you're going to take a walk for five minutes. Sometimes it is just 5 minutes, and sometimes it turns into more, for me. This is what i do.

Good luck!

Thanks!! Putting on sneakers and just walking out the door even if i don't have intention of running is great advice! That way I won't be disappointed in myself. I actually did exactly that, and ended up running for about 20 min!

MICHG16

Bshmerlie wrote: »

My advice to you would be to try and stay active. When we were young (your age) we were all active. We got out and did things, played tennis, lifted weights, trained for triathalons...etc...etc. But as we get older many of us got so busy with everything else in life (work/kids) we stopped doing all of the things that kept our bodies in shape. So just stay active....walk the dog, go shopping at a huge mall with your friends just stay busy. Don't let the couch be your best friend at the end of a long day.

And always weigh yourself...at least once a week. For many of us it crept up over the years. Don't let that happen. Stay fit and don't let it get away from you.

Thats what I'm afraid of. I want to get into good habits now so I keep them as a priority as life gets busier. I don't have a scale but maybe I should look into getting one just to stay consistent

WBB55

Even if you don't do formal exercise, seeing yourself as an active person is a great life-long habit. I often recommend a FitBit-type device to simply stay in touch with approximately how active your day is. Just as an example, if I actually do nearly nothing in a day -- just drive to work, stand a little at work, drive home and do dishes, the remainder being me sitting on my butt -- I only burn about 1650 calories. If I just add a little bit of activity --walk to lunch, go window shopping after work, clean the house -- I get up to 1900 calories or so. Add a 1-mile walk per day, and I'm above 2000. So the theory behind the FitBit would be to give yourself that extra motivation to simply walk 10,000 or 12,000 steps or whatever.

adidrea

It sounds like you are already making a lot of positive changes in your life. The late-night snacking, you just have to find ways to shut that down so that it doesn't cancel out your efforts throughout the day. Maybe you could not keep unhealthy snacks around, or brush your teeth after dinner, or find something to keep yourself busy with. Ultimately though, it's all about self control which YOU have to learn. After you've done it for a few weeks it will get much easier

For exercise what helped me is getting a gym membership. I made friends in some of the group classes to help me stay accountable. Also, knowing that I was paying for it motivated me to actually use it! It's an investment in your health. That's just what worked for me, it might not be realistic for everyone and I understand that.

Another thing that helped me is downloading free audiobooks from my library and going on super long walks (5+ miles) while I listen to a good book. The time flies by so fast and I don't even notice how much I'm walking

ahoy_m8

My first doctor out of college (age 22) took one look at me and suggested I do some weight training. She said it might not be easy to gain bone and muscle, but it would never be easier than in my 20's. I promptly ignored her advice. At that age I was grateful just to be doing any exercise regularly and to be maintaining a good weight, and I was utterly unconcerned with bone loss down the road. Fast forward a couple decades. A couple years ago I saw a new doc, and she took one look at me and suggested I do weight training. I ignored her, too! Well, for a year. I finally started doing it regularly 1.5 years ago, and I have gained noticeable definition. I wish I had listened sooner! LOL

Diet soda and eating organic won't make a difference, IMHO. CICO (for weight loss/maintenance) and exercise (for composition) will. You don't have to join a gym. You can do progressive resistance training with bodyweight exercises at home in ~20 minutes. It's hard to come up with an excuse when it's that short. One habit that helps me is I don't have the treat I planned until I've finished the exercise. Linking something you're tempted to do (snack) to something you're tempted to avoid (exercise) is called "temptation bundling." Google it and give it a go! Best to you!

gothchiq

Try hooping, with some good upbeat music. That's an exercise that is fun instead of boring.

JayRuby84

I just bought a fitbit and feel motivated to walk more. Find something that works for you. You gave a lot of excuses in your OP, and those are ones you'll have to work on. Only you can make yourself eat well and burn more calories than you consume. Good luck.

LivingtheLeanDream

Late night snacking is my thing too...I always reserve about 400 cals for that...mind you it's easier now in maintenance...

Sip water throughout the evening is my tip...or make yourself busy, boredom is what leads to snacking in my experience.

zdyb23456

I run for exercise and it helps to set running goals to stay motivated. Google local 5K races, pick one in the future and sign up for it, then start training for it. If a 5K is too easy, try a longer distance.

I did an 8K race earlier this year that I spent almost a year training for.

My goal now is running a 5K race in 25 minutes or less.

LULU4178

How about working out with a Fitness Blender video on YouTube? They are free and there are many to choose from--as well as other good workout videos. That way, you are not always doing the same thing. As far as late night snacking--all you need to do is to not do it one or two days in a row and then it will be easier to not do it. I sometimes force myself to watch tv so I don't eat anything. I tell myself to watch a show and then when it gets over it's too late to eat. For some reason I don't break my rule of not eating after 9. Stay active! You can do it!

Liftng4Lis

SLLRunner wrote: »

Weight management comes down to calories in/calories out, everything else is preference only.

You are at a healthy weight already, and if this is where you maintain then you are doing fine. It sounds like you are being awful hard on yourself, though.

BAM!

cupcakesplz

I know you said you don't have the money
But when you have some extra money.
Think about getting a Fitbit.
I got one last week and I have bee. Do 60 mins of exercise a day. It pushes you into moving.
You will find your self running on the spot.

jadedone

I am riding my bike for almost anything within 5 miles. Groceries too! I just load up my basket(s). There is great research that says this keeps you young when you are old. And it is easy. I think of it as free exercise. I don't pedal hard, but instead of driving for 10 minutes, I might walk for 15-20. And suddenly I have added 45-60 minutes of exercise in my day just to do my regular stuff.

I also have a Withings activite to track my steps. I generally get my 10k in.