A simple answer could change a life

MelissaPhippsFeagins

Plan your work and work your plan.

For me, that meant adding exercise.and counting calories together.

For my punk kid sister, it meant starting with counting calories and adding more exercise later. (She still doesn't exercise as much as I do because she medical issues. But it's her plan and that's okay.)

For my husband, it means adding exercise and thinking about his food choices, but he still doesn't want to log his food. He will lose the slowest of the three of us, but he is trying and he is eating less (I have more leftovers for lunch) and it will work, eventually.

None of us is exactly the same and we all have to do what we will do. I don't like to run, so I walk hike and bike. I am super proud of my sis for finding an exercise she will do - water aerobics. My husband likes running, hiking and weight training, but he hates the thought of counting calories. His plan, I think eventually he will count them. It just makes.it easier.

jmclaughlin22

Forgive yourself. So often we beat ourselves up for letting our weight get out of control. Forgive yourself and look forward. You got this!

PinkyPan1

1. Log every bite of food
2. Move...walk, run, climb do something.
3. You have to want it. Really want it.
4. Love yourself
5. Set small goals
6. Drink lots of water
7. A good nights sleep

RLMsFitnessPal

There's lots of good advice here to choose. It's a matter of finding which pieces fit into your puzzle. Only you can decide what will work for you.

I've been developing my new health and fitness habits for a little over a month. I've lost 10 pounds, and am feeling better. Several factors led me down this path. I've suffered depression and anxiety since I can remember. In the last few years, it has really taken a toll on me. I gained enough weight to develop severe sleep apnea. I had to start using a CPAP. I've always had sleep problems, but this was a whole new level of sleep deprivation. It was getting more difficult to recover. It was interfering with my ability to function from day to day. I was having chronic migraines, memory problems, worse mood swings than usual, etc.

My doctor has been concerned for some time about my cholesterol. We've talked a lot about it, and tried to manage it without medication. She finally prescribed Atorvastatin to help manage it. I started looking at all of my health problems, and took a serious inventory of my life. I've been needing a change for some time, but felt powerless to make it happen. I was just overwhelmed, and didn't know where to start. As I went through this reevaluation process, I realized that any small change in a positive direction is one step closer to where I need to be for my well being. I've been working with my doctor and a health coach through my insurance provider.

My wife has her own health problems. She had gastric bypass in November. Her lifestyle has changed quite a bit as a result. I decided to start following along with her to show support. She got a Fitbit to track her activity. I decided to get one. Walking is my main activity right now, and I've had several days of hitting the 10,000 step goal I set for myself. I try to walk at least once a day, sometimes several times a day. I'm also considering other exercise routines to add in to my habits.

My advice is as follows..... Be honest with yourself at all times. List your goals, and break them down into actions that will get you there. Start small and build on each victory. Keep it simple so it's not overwhelming. Don't give in to discouragement when you don't see the results you expect. Keep doing what works as long as you are seeing any sort of positive result. Seek out like-minded people you trust to help encourage and motivate you. They will also help you keep accountable to yourself. Consult with your doctors/therapists so they can advise you and help monitor your progress. Find activities and hobbies you enjoy to help give you peace of mind. This is what's working for me. It's not easy. I have my bad days, but I keep going because I refuse to give up on myself.

spacelump

Be kind to yourself, it's a taxing process some days.

therealklane

I tend to agree about logging absolutely everything. When you look at your first few days and realize what you're putting into your body versus what you should be putting into your body, it's a huge reality check. It was for me at least. You don't think your habits are "that bad," but you find out the truth rather quickly!

dogpaws4ever

Focus on just ONE day at a time.
Don't get caught up in worrying about tomorrow.
Just today,! Make it through today with everything you need to do to succeed and tomorrow will be easier.

ddkphotos

every journey begins with one step... and you can do anything you set your mind to!

krawhitham

I'd say begin with taking a photograph. Take one with shorts/tank top, and one in underwear. Put the shorts/tank top one on your computer or somewhere you frequently sit or go in your house, and put the one in your underwear somewhere private where you don't want other people to see it.

I only say this because this is what helps me. When I see what I look like in a photograph every day, it's all I need to utilize the other tools (logging food, eating small portions, staying under calorie goal and exercising)

A photograph can mean so much and can change your whole way of looking at and thinking about yourself! I look at that photograph and remember the habits I had to get me to that point, and I tell myself I have to keep being consistent so I never go back.

Cheechos

"Don't stop eating what you love, just eat less of it. "

I really wish someone had told me at the start that I didn't need to cut out candy or cake or all of the "bad" foods; my relationship with food overall would probably be a lot healthier by now if I'd just learned to chill out in the beginning and focus on eating LESS and not trying to force myself to live a life without the foods I truly enjoy.

pursuittofit

I learned something, Thanks!

F00LofaT00K

I would tell them to take it one step at a time. Start b eating one less snack a day or eating smaller portions with one meal. Don't try to change your entire diet and start exercising for an hour a day all at once. Eat the foods you LOVE but teach yourself how to eat smaller portions.

caitology

That you don't have to cut all fat, all sugar, all soda, all carbs, or whatever else people demonize or blame for their weight. You can eat less of what you like and still lose weight. Weight loss isn't about eating all salads and no cheeseburgers, it's about eating a 1/4 lb cheeseburger with a small fry instead of a 1 lb cheeseburger with a large fry.

Edit: That and don't lie to yourself. If you know you overate, log it and own it. Fudging the numbers on paper doesn't change the calories that went into your body. Always overestimate rather than underestimate.

Kalikel

If they aren't over-eating, I'd tell them to bang down doctors' doors until they found a good one.

After that, nothing. People make changes when they want to do the work.

Smokers want to be non-smokers all the time. They stop smoking when they WANT TO QUIT.

Fat people want to be thin. They lose weight when they WANT TO DIET AND EXERCISE.

People have to WANT TO do the work. You can't give them desire. Has to come from within. When they have it, just try to stop them.

zoeysasha37

Weigh and measure everything :-) get a food scale!!

tuckeychicken

Certainly portion control is important, but more importantly is how you spend your calories 1500 calories worth of snickers and chips is going to hurt you a lot more than 1500 calories of good carbs, protien, fat and so on. Also of course keep an eye on your sodium intake that sometimes gets over looked while we watch the obvious like calories, fat and carbs.

Good luck everyone.