10 pieces of advice you would have told the old you ?

cuterbee

At 21: Don't marry that guy.
At 27: Get rid of the guy you married at 21, and don't stop dancing!
At 32: Get rid of the guy you married at 21, take the kids and keep going to the park, and the zoo, and bicycling!
At 40: Move in with your parents instead of trying to do it all yourself. It's OK to ask for help.
At 45: Get back to dancing and take the kids with you!

From about 18 on:

If you want to get something done, you're going to have to do it.
If a boyfriend thinks they are the boss of you, run away.
If you're unhappy, change something, anything, but don't just carry on with the same old stuff.
It's OK to be angry.
Buy stock in Apple early on, send that fan letter to Tolkien, and see the Beatles before they break up.

kwilliams386

1) Stop putting other people's needs first. Just because someone in your life is upset and you want to comfort them with food doesn't mean you have to join them.
1a) Stop comforting people with food - seriously. Just sit and have a nice talk with them and/or go for a walk with them.

2) You don't need to do any extreme diets or take pills or kill yourself in the gym or even give up pizza and chocolate! Just learn to live with less and make some better choices and you'll succeed.

3) Stop sitting on the couch and move!

4) Yes, you can run!

5) Sweat is gross and you get overheated easier than others seem to and it's really uncomfortable sometimes but that doesn't mean you shouldn't exercise.

6) The right kind of sneakers do make a difference

7) Who CARES what other people think?!

8) You will regret not starting sooner x # of years down the road. Trust me on this. (I'd look so much better naked now if I hadn't waited so long! LOL!)

9) Put as much effort/energy into loving and caring for yourself as you love and care for others

10) Go ahead and say yes the first time he asks you to marry him - you'll still be crazy about him years later.

THIS - minus 10- maybe one day.
add:
the gym is not evil!
strength training is awesome!
NOTHING is as good as HEALTHY feels.
It isn't for anyone else else - do it for you! No matter what you do - you have to live without the results the rest of your life.

bcattoes

1) Stop sitting so much!
2) Get up and MOVE!
3) Don't you remember that you enjoy exercise?
4) You need to earn that wine - exercise first!
5) Stop sitting so much!
6) You will never be fit unless you get up and move.
7) Thinking about exercising does not burn calories.
8) Stop sitting so much!
9) Get up and MOVE already!!
10) Get some exercise, dammit!!

thisbe12go

BUMP!

Scarlett_S

1. Lift heavy, all of the time.
2. Mark Rippetoe and Stuart McRobert assume you suck at life. Avoid their training plans like the plague.
3. Liquid Coffee creamer is the ****ing devil.
4. Smoking will make you a wheezing wuss when deadlifting.
5. Pure hatred will get the plates off of the ground.
6. Stop eating your family's food.
7. Sriracha is the nectar of the gods.
8. Push harder, you're not dead yet.
9. "If you think partial reps will give you partial results, you're partially retarded."
10. Your shrugs should be even heavier than your deadlift.

And Srirachi tastes good on pretty much EVERYTHING!

lachesissss

Just one piece of advice for my old me. What you are doing now, losing weight and becoming the person you alway saw yourself as being, do it sooner, be not afraid of anything, because if you start, and see it through, the ending is worth it. You'll thank me for this.

NewLIFEstyle4ME

1) Stop sitting so much!
2) Get up and MOVE!
3) Don't you remember that you enjoy exercise?
4) You need to earn that wine - exercise first!
5) Stop sitting so much!
6) You will never be fit unless you get up and move.
7) Thinking about exercising does not burn calories.
8) Stop sitting so much!
9) Get up and MOVE already!!
10) Get some exercise, dammit!!

:drinker::laugh:

llkilgore

Just one piece of advice, really: Start as you mean to continue. If you can't see yourself living without pasta for the rest of your life, then eat pasta. Just make sure it fits into your calorie budget and that you always eat standard, full sized servings - not super-sized, no seconds. I can't overemphasize the importance to your long term success of retraining your eyes and your stomach to accept standard servings as normal. That's very hard to do if you don't continue to eat the full range of foods you hope to eat for the rest of your life.

The same principle applies to exercise. If you can't see yourself spending 2 or 3 hours a day in the gym 5 years from now, then don't do it now. The sooner you settle in to a diet and exercise routine that you can sustain for the long term, the more likely you are to stick with the program long enough to reach your goals. And and easier and more secure the transition to maintenance will be.

CJ_Holmes

I am still hoping some of these will sink in...

1. Learn to say "no." Being too busy seriously undermines your health.
2. Hire movers. Chiropractic and massage will cost far more in the long run.
3. Get out of mediocre relationships sooner. No, the way you feel will not change, you're wasting time.
4. Stretching is not a waste of time. Get more flexible- it only gets worse!
5. Log your food! You'll stop being mystified by weight fluctuations.
6. Sleep more. make it a priority.
7. You're capable of a lot more than you think. Be bolder.
8. Don't hang around with losers. Find friends you want to be like.
9. Get off the elliptical and do more strength training.
10. Buy a good epilator.

Zomoniac

1: MTFU.
2-10: See 1.

jennipooh82

1. Tomorrow, you will wish you would have started TODAY

2. Your children are not an EXCUSE to not spend time on yourself. They are the REASON to spend time on yourself.--I wish I would have been told this 7 years ago before my first was born.

3. Learn from people who look like you want to look like in the future. Do not try to learn from people who look like you do currently. (Someone here posted it in another way-"If I wanted to look like you, I'd workout/eat like you")

4. Greek yogurt is really good with agave nectar

5. Strength train when you are training for distance running. I HEAVILY regret stopping for several months to train for a 1/2 marathon. I should have just kept doing BOTH.

6. DON'T LIVE IN PANTS WITH ELASTIC WAISTS!!!

7. Weight is a number, measurements are numbers, clothing sizes are numbers. Pick which number matters most to you and base your progress off of that.

8. Take pictures more often.

9. Repeat mantra: "I do not quit when I'm tired, I quit when I'm DONE."

10. Schedule your workouts like they are the most important appointments of the week.

BRAVO!!!

That was awesomely stated... and very good advise. Thanks for sharing~!

stewartcarden

-5 redbulls a day isnt good for you , stop kidding yourself

- It wont happen overnight

- Gimmicky diets and fancy protein shakes powders and acids dont work. Working hard does

- You are accountable. Not your MFP friends , real life friends , family , personal trainer. You.

- Inside you know that the cake/doughnut/crisps/fries/kebab/fizzy drink is bad for you, dont justify or accept it.

- You will have ups and you will have downs. Persevere.

- Dont obsess over it, youre changingy our life to live better, so live life too (:

- Train in a way you love, if you hate the gym dont go. Find something else. Same to eating , if it tastes bad dont ****ing eat it (:

- Always push your limits

- Dont curl in the squat rack.!

TRexMex

Here goes:

1) Take responsibility for being fat and stop making excuses. Life is not perfect and neither are you. You just have to suck it up and do it. No one else can do it for you.

2) Get your vitamin D levels checked. Most likely you are deficient and this can contribute greatly to depression, fatigue, and aches.

3) Dieting is hard. Exercising is hard. Being overweight is hard. Choose your hard.

4) Join a gym and take classes where you will be surrounded by people who are supportive and motivating. It's important to be a part of a community that prioritizes health and fitness. Join MFP. You will make new friends and find out that you are not alone. People will understand and emphasize with your struggles.

5) While exercise is really important, place an even greater focus on eating healthy and sticking within calorie limits. Cut out the junk. You will actually feel less hungry throughout the day and will not have the cravings for sugar and salt.

6) Try non-fat greek yogurt! Mix it up with some fresh or frozen fruit.

7) Be patient. It took a while to gain the weight. It's going to take a while to lose it. It's going to take a lifetime to maintain it. Make a commitment to a new way of life.

8) Forgive yourself. Everyone has their struggles. Just because your struggle is weight doesn't make you any less of a person or weaker than anyone else.

9) Don't give up. It's not too late. You can do it. Even if you are not convinced that you can...start telling yourself everyday that you can do it and you are worth the effort. Eventually, you will begin to believe it.

10) Baby steps are okay. When you are overweight, exercise is more difficult than when you are lighter in weight. You don't have to run. It's okay to just walk, because that is the same energy output that running is for a thinner person. Purchase a heart rate monitor so that you can see how hard you are working. You don't have to hold extra weights when you are doing squats. You are already carrying more weight on your body.

I love your list...you REALLY spoke to me. Thanks.

minkakross

1. Your eyes lie to you, measure your food.
2. Carbs are not your friend, you are insulin resistant.
3. Yes, exercise will hurt until your joints get stronger but eventually that too shall pass and you can start in a pool.
4. Couch to 5K is amazing.
5. Your not just going to be more healthy, you can put your diagnosed condidtions into remission.
6. You think you like yourself now but wait until you are a size 4 you'll almost be vain.
7. Take more pictures of yourself.
8. Your husband will be overheard describing you as hot.
9. You will have a lust for adventure again, trying new things, going new places and just having spontanious fun.
10. You will learn to laugh anew when you outlast the kids at play and they put a straw on you to suck out your energy.

dramallamaduck

1. In matters of love and health NEVER SETTLE
2. Ellie will make a good accountability buddy, talk to her.
3. Start drinking your green tea in the morning instead of the Coke Zero. Trust me.
4. Don't get the chopped salad at Subway with steak... It looks like dog food and the view will likely make you gag.
5. Don't restrict yourself. That's why you keep giving up. You give into cravings, hate yourself for it, and say SCREW IT! Don't.
6. Running isn't as scary as it sounds. Give it a try and don't give up.
7. Save money for a calorie monitor and new running shoes. Your feet will thank you later.
8. Put down those cheese tots and toaster sammich... That meal is about 1000 cals... And not worth it. Your *kitten* will be hungry later.
9. You can't do this for anyone other than yourself. You have to decide that it's for you.
10. Move more. Seriously. Get up off your *kitten* and move.

conniemaxwell5

Your beauty has nothing to do with your body
Your value has nothing to do with your body
Your contribution has nothing to do with your body
Your physical well being is more important than a number on a scale or a clothing size
You can do anything if it's important enough to you
Start now
Start small
Try a little harder every day
When you fall down, get right back up
Failure is an option, but you don't have to choose it

Rose_bee

1) Don't sit back and blame your genetics. The only thing preventing you from being a healthy weight is you.

2) Exercise isn't an all or nothing game. Get out and do what you can, when you can. You and then build & improve upon your new habits.

3) Get a good food scale. And lots of measuring cups.

4) Avoid soda & fancy espresso drinks.

5) Counting calories isn't as hard as you think.

6) Find an exercise you like, and then find a way to make that easier to do. Spending a grand on a machine to keep at home is a worthwhile investment if it makes exercise easier.

7) See your asthma dr. There's no reason for that to be holding you back.

8) Fruits & veggies are good for you. Eat them. Lots more of them.

9) Simple carbs are screw with your blood sugar & your hypoglycemia. Avoid them.

10) Keep this up! You want to be fit & healthy & active in your life for as long as possible.

osualex

1. Stop drinking so much. Alcohol has calories!
2. Working out does not cancel out the food you eat.
3. Eating a medium pizza in an 8 hour shift is not a good idea even if it is cheap.
4. Just because you eat healthy "most of the time" does not mean you will lose weight.
5. Count calories.
6. Weigh yourself. I can fit the same size clothes in a range of weights, I can't go by how my clothes fit.
7. Your 16 year old, swims for 2 hours a day metabolism is several thousand calories higher than your 18 year old, drinks a six pack a night and is mostly sedentary metabolism.
8. People DO notice your weight gain.
9. Stop dieting and learn how to eat.
10. Be patient. Those stories you read where people turn their bodies around in six months? Well, it will take you two years. It is still worth it.

Mexicanbigfoot

BUMP

Donna_Houghton

Great thread! Here goes...

1, You need water to live so drink up - drink it just the way it is, you don't breathe flavoured air so why flavour your water?
2, Chocolate tastes so much better when it's eaten as a treat and not every day
3, Sometimes you can do everything right and the scale doesn't move. Don't worry, it will soon!
4, You need calories to stay alive. They aren't the enemy!
5, You'll never regret having the light option in a resteraunt but you'll regret having the fattiest.
6, Don't freak out if you mess up. Just breathe and restart.
7, Don't be scared of being a little out of breath when exercising, once you push past that stage it gets easier
8, Love your body, however it looks - it's the only one you have so be kind to it.
9, You have to live as well as lose weight. It's better to lose slowly and still go out with friends and family than to lose quickly but become a hermit in the process.
10, Motivation is what starts you off, but routine is what keeps you going. Repeat the good days again and again and again...

Good luck to everyone!