A small step of change can make all the difference.

rebecca916

A small step of change can make all the difference.
Anyone want to list some simple suggestions or advice on living a healthier lifestyle?
We can all learn from each other's input (:

Here is what I try to do:
-Drink lots of water.

-Get enough sleep. Your body needs sleep to recover from your daily activities.

-Control your portions.

-Destressify yourself. This has helped me a lot. I don't let the little things get the best of me. Stress can affect your whole body. Finding a balance is key.

CricketKate

Take one day at a time. Deciding to eat right and exercise forever can be daunting. Decide to eat right and exercise TODAY!

chovest81

get back up after falling off! Dont let one day turn into 2 days or a week!

deannar417

**I take one day at a time.......
**drink water and NOT POP.........
** try to excerise at least 3 to 4 times a week.
** A MAJOR help for me is to eat more friut and it some how knocks out me wanting sweets so much.
***** I make srue I get on this web site everyday. Keeps me goin!!!!!!!

chris1132

I plan out all of my meals for the next day before I go to sleep at night. Having my meals planned the day before takes all decision-making out of my hands when I am hungry the next day and would make bad choices!

christinet8504

I second "drink lots of water." For me that had added benefits besides helping me lose weight and feel thinner. Ive always suffered from acne but after chugging about 10 cups of water a day for about a month, its magically gone. Best skin of my life and NO drugs! Crazy..............

I also try finding healthier alternative to the snacks I love. I LOVE cereal - especially sweet ones. But, we all know they're high in sugar and calories and not much else so I spent some time in the cereal isle and found Kellogg's Fiber plus cereals. The Yogurt Berry Crunch satisfies my sweet tooth and it has like 10 grams of fiber per serving (I ALWAYS lack fiber). Its also about 170 calories so with skim milk, makes a pretty good part to breakfast.

Also, I try new things to fit into the puzzle that is my dietary needs. Some of the awesome finds: Almond Milk (MMMMMMMMM), mangoes, fresh green beans (boiled with some pepper for seasoning), organic meats (juiciest chicken Ive ever had).

Turn every day activities into exercise. I have a dog which I take on a couple walks a day. Shes a border collie and very active. We've stepped up the intensity of our walks and extended them from about 10 mins to 30 mins. Thats an hour of exercise every day.

Not hating myself if I fall off the wagon. Its not the end of the world. For me this is a lifestyle change. I know Ive done so much good and one day wont completely wipe away my practice.

That being said, I'm totally honest in my food diary. EVERYTHING is noted - even condiments that don't have a caloric value.

Jessisweet2194

before you eat anything make sure it is 14g of sugar or less, no more than 14g. things like orange juice have a lot of sugar even though you would think they were healthy and if you do want to hav oj or any other type of juice make sure you read what the serving size is and drink that specific size like maybe it might say "Serving size: 8fl. oz (1 cup) or something like that, and i was surprised but a nutritionist showed me how to check out the nutrition facts. This has worked out great for me, since I don't drink soda anymore I started drinking more water like you listed and that has helped out a lot too, and also my skin and hair look healthier! And that's a plus! This sugar decrease has helped me a lot! before i stared myfitness i weighed 207, then when i did start myfitness-as recommendation of my nutritionist i weighed 200, and now at this moment i weigh 198 so in total i've lost 9 pounds and will keep moving forward! Extra Info: I lost 9 lbs. in 14 days.

Spayrroe

I agree! This site has been fantastic for helping me see what I'm taking in and putting out to the point where I more often than not decide that cupcake isn't worth the two hours of cardio to bring myself back on track. I also think it's great to keep in mind that 'dieting' doesn't work, changing the way you eat for a permanent benefit does, so you have to look for ways to substitute or work in things that you can't live without. I.e. I ice cream (even in the winter!), and generally it's pretty terrible for you. I've found this fantastic fat free fro-yo (Kemps brand) that's only 90 cal per serving. Soooooo much better for you than most regular ice cream, but it satisfies the need i have for ice cream.
I do need to work on my water intake though. It's a great way to cut out empty calories from drinking soda and sweetened iced tea. One of my goals is over the next two weeks, cut down to only one 'sweetened beverage' per day. Then two weeks after that, I hope to be entirely free of them (except for the occasional fat free iced caramel latte from starbucks ).

rebecca916

One choice at a time. One day at a time (:

CricketKate

A small step: Put on your workout clothes (or at least good walking shoes). Some days, when I just don't want to workout, I tell myself that all I have to do is put on my exercise clothes, then I can do something else. But if I have the right clothes on, the workout soon follows.:happy:

P.S. Wearing good walking shoes all day inspires me to move more, even if it is just a 10 minutes walk around my kitchen island.