12 Weeks of Small Changes for Big Gains

TheFabulousDiva

For this challenge, commit to making one new small change each week for 12 weeks and then post about your journey along the way. Feel free to leave tips and help keep members motivated. Who's with me? :-)

kayymojo

Really great idea! I pretty much gave up all my vice foods and drinks at once, but I'd like to slowly start adding exercises.
My goal right now is just to stay off soda!

TheFabulousDiva

My goal for week one is to limit my snacks to one serving. I let myself think because they're healthy, I can just help myself, but calories (despite some being better than others) are calories.

mom2moonbear

My goal is to eat 3 meals a day. I want to stop skipping meals because it alway ends in disaster. I would like to have 2 whole weeks of tracking 3 meals a day!
Thank you for this challenge.

TheFabulousDiva

We can do this!!!

TheFabulousDiva

So for my snack today I opted to eat a tomato instead of cheese or nuts, which I tend to overeat. To my surprise, it was pretty good with a little salt and easy on the calories. I also had a tangerine this morning. The week is still early, but I'm feeling pretty good so far.

mom2moonbear

That does sound refreshing. I've been substituting fresh tomato slices for breakfast potatoes. I logged three meals today and went on a walk with a friend. We walked 3 and so miles. I was not expecting it to be as warm as it was but I got tons of water in early!

joselyn0408

I'm in!

TheFabulousDiva

Hi Joselyn0408! What small change will you make this week?

TheFabulousDiva

Mom2moonbear, great job with the walk and water intake! Increasing my water intake will be challenge next week. How'd you do today?

TheFabulousDiva

Kayymojo, how are you doing staying away from soda? I can't believe we're halfway through this first week!

mom2moonbear

I've been overwhelmed with some school issues but I ate 3 meals a day. Whoop whoop!! I worked out at the gym yesterday, weights. Today my friend and I hit the neighborhood and walked 3 miles. When will we get cooler weather?!
How are you doing??

mom2moonbear

First week almost done. My challenge is the weekend.

TheFabulousDiva

So I had a rough few days with a sick kid that involved an ER visit. Luckily, my kid is OK. Needless to say, I did track some, but not as well as a I wanted. Weekends are usually hard for me too, even without the challenges from this past weekend. My goal this week is to keep up the 1 portion snack sizes from last week AND add up my water intake to 9 glasses a day for week 2.

How are you all doing? How do you all stay motivated and committed during the weekend. My biggest challenge is that not working out leaves me with only 1700 calories in order to achieve my goals. That usually equals very hungry for me. :-)

mom2moonbear

I hope your kiddo is on the mend.My weekend was a haze. I tracked but I really haven't worked out. This is a crazy week with lots of personal projects plus volunteer stuff. I'll be working out tomorrow so that's good. I did eat three meals daily. Motivation?? I have no idea. Just thinking of why I'm doing this. What's your challenge for the week??

AliceWinston

Hi, This sounds like a great way to change habits and get started on new things!
I want in, please.
This week I joined a couple of support groups and committed to a plan (below).

I'm getting back into controlled eating and exercise after a long stretch away, for various reasons. I did a 3 hr hike today. I've found I cannot lose weight without exercise. The best I do by dieting alone is stop gaining. Also, My body deteriorates. Most of my life, I've exercised regularly, but injuries, work, doctors orders, not wanting to get out until I lose weight (catch 22), travel, medications, trying to please others with their schedules, etc., ...have held me back. Time to break the sedentary cycle and return to a lifelong minimal maintenance of diet and exercise.
My commitment is: 1) Some movement daily.
2) Weekly, at least 20 min each, to start, of stretch related, weight related-upper and lower body, and cardio. 3) 2 hikes per week. 4) Minimum, to start, 2 1/2 hours per week, which is the Minimum recommended by many Dr groups and the heart association 5) 1200 cal, but I can make it up if I'm over, and quality exercise calories can be subtracted 6) 8 glasses of water a day, including a glass before each meal. 7) Get organized for exercise: Get a pedometer.
Find my weights. Look for a bike. Running shoes and clothes in a ready place. A couple of pairs of exercise and hiking clothes ready. Fix a drawer of hiking exercise socks, maybe get new ones. Find a support group. Water in car. Find my ankle supports. Get good hiking sunglasses. Get stuff for hiking lunches. Get new exercise tapes. Try for a punch card at the gym as winter weather comes and keep a gym bag loaded.
8) Go to the grocery store at least once per week...I hate it! 9) Control my alcohol...I have a partner who fills my wine glass to the top every time we sit down. Lots of calories! Limit to 2, and find something to put over my glass. Try apple cider vinegar to substitute. 10) Reduce my meds, which I've been doing pretty well at...they grog me out and make it harder to exercise. This plan is flexible enough to work for me if I'm traveling, have company, really busy, sick or whatever, so really no excuses.
11) Remember my motto: "Focus on and Do what I can, not what I can't." There is more than I can do than I can ever get to anyway.

mom2moonbear

Cassevans you've got lots going on but a great plan. I'm going to follow some of your leads. My advice would be if you mess up don't linger in it- keep going!! I say this to you because it really is my problem. I don't workout one day and just throw it all away pushing myself more behind.

AliceWinston

Thank u for replying. Yeah, good idea. That's why I just said something everyday. Sometimes, it may not be much. However, sometimes I start something and i want to keep going. Cass

lala_602

I'm in ☺

babedoll1007

Im in. Im starting with cutting down on soda Intake.

TheFabulousDiva

Cassevans...I think they key to anything is having a plan, and you do! Things don't always go as planned, but you've got to start somewhere. We got this!!!!!

TheFabulousDiva

Cassevans, Lydia and Babedoll1007, welcome to the community!!!

TheFabulousDiva

Mom2moonbear, great advice. I've really got to work on not letting my slip ups linger with me. It's so hard to get the weight off, and so easy to get discouraged. Here's to encouraging one another and staying motivated!

AliceWinston

Thanks all. Baby steps, though it's been 1 step forward and 1 back. I got discouraged last week and blew it off. Didn't seem to matter. Back on again. So, rest of this week, through the weekend, ignore discouragement.

TheFabulousDiva

We're more than half way through week 2. How's everybody doing? Increasing my water intake has been much harder than I anticipated... On the bright side, tracking is making it easier for me to control my snack portions.

anneshields001

May I join in?

TheFabulousDiva

Absolutely!!! Welcome, Anneshields001!

EmmaSurfs

I hope it's not too late to join. My first change is to track my food. I forget to eat and when i don't have regular healthy meals, i gain weight regardless of number of calories (not to mention that bad nutrition = bad health, bad mood, etc. ).

I realize hearing someone say they don't eat enough grates on overeaters struggling with portion control. Rest assured I'm not a little birdy pecking at my food - some medication just messes with me so my clock seems off ☺

My plan is to get some tools and goals in place by end of year so i can start a positive healthy new year.

TheFabulousDiva

EmmaSurfs, you're more than welcome to join!

Tracking is hard. I struggle with it, but the accountability helps me make better (or informed) choices.

Are you able to eat on a schedule?

am_change

Hi, I'd like to join in to. And for this week I'm going to have no more than 2 slices of bread per day. Bread is a big weakness of mine and it a) makes me hungrier than I was b) invariably has other bad food with it on toast or as a sandwich c) shows how bad my willpower can be! One week and then forever more. I can do this!

anneshields001

Ok. Here goes!
This week's small change - track every bite and every glass of water

Have to start somewhere and simply by tracking I'm more conscious!