Reasons to lose weight

Mini_Medic

Here's some motivation that helped me. Make a list! On one side write down as many reasons as you can of why you want to lose weight and on the other side list reasons to stay the same. Sample of my list:

Reasons to lose:
Health and fitness
Lower blood pressure and heart rate
Feeling good physically
Avoid illness
No pain
Example to others due to my job
I work as a paramedic, I need to stay fit
Clothes that fit, not bunch or pull
Options, lots of options with clothes
Having space around me
Being fast while running
Knee high boots fitting my calves
Socks not cutting into my ankles/calves
Loving a bikini
Losing back/bra fat, the annoying roll under the shoulder blade
Fitting into smaller spaces
Car seats, roller coasters, booths
Vanity purposes: looking good for my boyfriend

Reasons to stay the same:
I love food



See? Many reasons versus only one. I needed the visual to motivate myself and it really helps to have goals that aren't just scale numbers.

Things that have worked for me!

1. Buy pants that you can barely get up, but don't zip or button. Goals! Nothing feels better than fitting into clothes that didn't fit before, seriously. Try them on weekly and you'll visually see your progress until they fit! Or you'll bypass a size which is a even better surprise, not good for the pants though!
2. Plan an adventure/trip a few months out and set a goal of a small reachable amount of weight to drop. I enjoy setting small goals and a trip is something for me to look forward to and work for.
3. Clean the pantry and take out things you know you lose control around. Try to buy individual size servings or things that aren't bulk. Way to easy to eat a whole bag of chips when it's a big bag. Get the snack size, it helps a lot with portion control.
4. Walking is amazing exercise, at any size! Do what you can and build up to longer and longer walks. Listen to music, have a destination and just do it. It's good for you, the mental benefits are amazing and the fresh air and clarity and stress relief are so worth it.
5. Eat out less. Restaurants are calorie bombs, much easier to limit your intake at home, plus you know exactly what the ingredients are. No sneaky butter or salt surprises.
6. Food scales are easy don't be intimidated by the time consuming hype. Most people eat more than they think. Scales help people with serving sizes which reflect in accurate calorie counts and weight loss. 30 grams is 30 grams. If I grab a handful it's probably 50 grams. Eye balling doesn't work at first. Place jar of peanut butter on scale, record weight in grams. Eat yummy peanut butter. Place jar back on, record weight and subtract to get how much you ate. Easy!
7. Reward yourself after each 5, 10 or 20 lb loss. New mascara, a video game, a book, slippers anything that's not a food reward.
8. Take progress pictures you will be glad you did. My 126lb self would have forgotten what 175lb me looks like without them. When the scale doesn't move, it can be disheartening. You can forget how clothes used to fit, but pictures don't lie! Really good motivation when you see your stomach smaller, rolls diminishing, indentations of muscles long forgotten showing through and your wrists and ankles shrinking.
9. Avoid long periods with the tv and internet. Too much will leave you sedentary and reaching for snacks. Try to get up and move whenever you can.
10. Do this for yourself. Love yourself. Think about it, does anyone else's weight really effect your life? No. Yours does not effect theirs either. This has to come from within and when you are ready you will make the change for you. Do you want to be the same in a year or smaller and healthier? Time passes either way. I spent years putting it off and gaining, before I decided to change. In a year you will thank yourself for starting today!