Advice for Family Fitness

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ashleyyrachell
ashleyyrachell Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello all! My family (mom, dad, sister) have all agreed that we need to slim down and get fit this summer. We all talk about how we want to lose weight and get fit and become more active, but it is always easier said then done. What advice do you all have for motivating the family to not only work out, eat right, and get fit, but be able to all support each other along the way?
Thanks!

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  • suruda
    suruda Posts: 1,233 Member
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    Can you make meal planning something you all do together? Take one of your favorite family meals and google some lighter recipes...there are tons of places to find lighter, healthier versions of those old family favorites. Plan an activity on the weekend that everyone likes OR...rotate who plans and the others have to go along. A hike or walk to a destination is a fun motivator...I always like waterfall hikes, then you have a definite end spot. OR you can use an app like "map my walk" to get everyone out walking one mile, two miles or whatever that distance is that motivates all of you.

    Maybe you all 4 sign up for a 5 k fun run or walk toward the end of the summer as a goal. Then you spend a couple of months getting ready for it? Splurge on one of the silly ones like the color run, bubble run, or electric run...that being said, I have no idea where you all live if there is anything like that!

    Playing together as a family is a great motivator!
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    Turn off the TV, computers. iPads, smartphones, etc. Decide what to do and do it.
  • beautifulwarrior18
    beautifulwarrior18 Posts: 914 Member
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    ashleyyrachell wrote: »
    Hello all! My family (mom, dad, sister) have all agreed that we need to slim down and get fit this summer. We all talk about how we want to lose weight and get fit and become more active, but it is always easier said then done. What advice do you all have for motivating the family to not only work out, eat right, and get fit, but be able to all support each other along the way?
    Thanks!

    So, I have a friend who bought this cookbook of like 300 different types of salads and her and her friends are doing a "book club" once a month where half of the people bring a salad from the book and the other half bring wine. I'd skip the wine but this is something you could do with your family like once a week to get them trying new, healthy menu options that they may stick with later. It doesn't have to be salads (as not all the salads in said book are 'healthy' per say). Check into a Paleo cookbook.

    Another option would be to start making family events active. Meet in the park instead of at a restaurant. Pack a healthy picnic for your family. If there are little kids in your family, have everyone engage in a game of kick ball. There's a lot of options.
  • hamstertango
    hamstertango Posts: 129 Member
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    All join MFP and become 'friends on it', encourage each other, have a friendly competition on whose getting the most steps in. Focus on what goes in your mouth first and all activity you get in on top is just a bonus. You may find that you'll naturally want to be more active as you drop weight.

    I used to avoid weightloss attempts as I didn't have any motivation to exercise, then realised its more what you eat and concentrated on calories in first, then later I actually wanted to exercise as the pounds came off!
    What I'm trying to say is...each of you just start counting calories on MFP straightaway; even if you haven't started 'healthy eating' yet...you may find the shock of seeing the calorie numbers of a 'normal' day gives you the motivation you are all looking for!
    Good luck to you all!

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