TRICKS!

karebear22776

So I thought I would start a thread where we can post tricks we have for staying on track and maybe we can pick up a few things from each other to help us out.

To start us off I'll post a few of mine:

1. If I think I'm having a lazy feeling day when I wake up in the morning I will enter in my exercise in MFP first thing in the morning...that way I feel like I have to do it because I already said I did...then I have no choice but to get it over with and fit it in.

2. I work crazy hours and have 2 kids under 3 years old so there was never time to work out....since New Years I've been doing 2 workouts a day of 30 minutes each which I find is way easier to get an hour in...I get up at 5:30 do 30 minutes and then another 30 when the kids are in bed. Its been great.

3. If I feel like I'm having a craving type of day I will brush my teeth after meals...less likely to eat garbage after that.

Any other tricks people have. Please share. This group is off to a great start.

dellmech

I don't know if I have any "tricks" but I have a few things that help me.

* I get on the treadmill every night for 30 minutes. Time goes by sloooooow. But my kids love to go downstairs as well and they like to turn on their KIDS music and dance...this passes the time watching them and laughing with them while I workout.

* My weak point of the day is between 1:30-4:00 (I crave food and battle my brain to stay away from swiping candy off people's desks at work). I inserted a snack at 2:00 and also a walk around my building to distract me.

* I also find that if I have "projects" at home to work on, it works great. 1) I don't sit around 2) I'm exercising doing those projects 3) I'm actually getting something done. Time seems to pass and you look at the clock and say "Oh, I was suppose to eat" (That is a good feeling)

* I drag my breakfast out a little bit if I can. I like to bring an english muffin/jelly and water in the car with me to work for my 20 minute drive. I feel relaxed listening to music and slowly eating breakfast instead of eating quickly and rushing out the door.

* At supper, usually it is a dish made so it is easy to go back for seconds. I put 1 portion on my plate and either talk to the kids (if they aren't watching TV at the table) or bring my computer. I find if I'm looking at my favorite websites on the internet...I tend to eat slower (which is the goal)

* I keep water with me at all times (with ice). One of my favorite exercises in the past was bringing my hand to my mouth with something...might as well be water.

* Finally, this is my first time being in a "group". I've always done MFP alone. I have found, up to this point, that it is helping me with accountability, motivation and dedication which is what I needed.

jc1231

This is a great idea. A few tips that I find help are:

1. Don't wait too long between meals. Don't wait until you are starving. I try to eat smaller meals and have breakfast around 8:30 am, then a snack around 10 - 10:30, lunch at 12 - 12:30, snack around 2, and then dinner around 5:30 - 6. I find if I am not starving, I tend to eat less.

2. I crave sweets at night when I am relaxing on the couch. I find if I have a cup of sweetened tea, it takes a while for me to drink it and then the craving usually subsides.

3. I have been trying to get up to work out in the morning. When the alarm goes off and I don't want to get out of bed, I ask myself, "will I feel that much more rested if I sleep another 30 minutes?" The answer is usually no. I may not want to get out of bed, but I am always happier when I do. Let's see if I can get out of bed tomorrow morning.

4. I also sleep in my workout clothes. That way I am already to workout in the morning and I am more likely to get up.

5. We have a wedding to go to in April and I have the save the date invitation attached to the fridge door. This is a reminder when I go into the fridge. You can take picture and put it on the door handle as a reminder.

I love this group and the motivation is great. I hope it continues and we all reach our goals!

jreuter79

If I know I am going out to dinner I will research the menu on the internet before we go just to have an idea of the calorie counts of items before I get there. It also helps to log the food before you go just so you know what you are in for.

I also find that log before I even eat anything for breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks helps me stay on track and in line with my calories for the day.

.If ever there is a day I may go over at parties or unexpected surprises etc.... I always make sure there is time to exercise that day to make sure to burn away those extra calories.

lkenn67

Things that help me:
1- I plan my food the night before. I write out my day in pencil in a little note book, that way I know what I planned on eating for my meals and snacks. Even if I eat something else I will know how many calories I had planned for that meal.
2-I keep a calendar. Each day I can get a star for staying in cal range, getting exercise, drinking my water. At the end of the month I reward myself if I have earned a certain number of stars.
3-log your food no matter how bad it is. Otherwise I will just throw in the towel for the rest of the day...sometimes it ends up spiraling out of control. So always log it and move forward.
4-focus on the positive no matter how small. Don't stress over the mistakes. Life goes on enjoy all of it.

Wraiythe

I always try to get up early in the morning to exercise...this is sometimes a problem, because if the night is bad (either I'm having trouble sleeping or the little one is having a nightmare night) I will at some point change the clock to get an extra hour of sleep in. *slaps hand* I need to work more on that.

I always try to keep a bottle of cold water near me so that if I get a craving or a little before lunch I will drink some water and that either helps the craving or keeps me from eating too much for lunch. I try to do the 5-6 small meals a day thing but right now with my extern that is almost impossible to do.)

At night I keep a bottle of water or a cup of orange hibiscus herbal tea near at hand.

Try to keep raisins or dehydrated fruits around if you HAVE to put something in your mouth.

My biggest problem is trying to fit in exercise. The minute I start it is the minute that everyone needs me for something. Even if I try to get in 10 mins several times a day it's still interruption time the minute I start. Any suggestions other than going somewhere by myself? LOL

DterMined2012

This is a great idea. A few tips that I find help are:

1. Don't wait too long between meals. Don't wait until you are starving. I try to eat smaller meals and have breakfast around 8:30 am, then a snack around 10 - 10:30, lunch at 12 - 12:30, snack around 2, and then dinner around 5:30 - 6. I find if I am not starving, I tend to eat less.

2. I crave sweets at night when I am relaxing on the couch. I find if I have a cup of sweetened tea, it takes a while for me to drink it and then the craving usually subsides.

3. I have been trying to get up to work out in the morning. When the alarm goes off and I don't want to get out of bed, I ask myself, "will I feel that much more rested if I sleep another 30 minutes?" The answer is usually no. I may not want to get out of bed, but I am always happier when I do. Let's see if I can get out of bed tomorrow morning.

4. I also sleep in my workout clothes. That way I am already to workout in the morning and I am more likely to get up.

5. We have a wedding to go to in April and I have the save the date invitation attached to the fridge door. This is a reminder when I go into the fridge. You can take picture and put it on the door handle as a reminder.

I love this group and the motivation is great. I hope it continues and we all reach our goals!

love your "tricks" esp the one sleeping in your work out clothers
I too love this group and hope we stick together :happy:

tinatatertoes

You guys have posted some fantastic tips and tricks. I'm definitely going to steal some of them!

Planning helps me a lot.

I plan out my meals in advance, make a grocery list, and stick to it while shopping. If I don't have junk food in the house, I won't eat it. I don't plan my snacks, but I plan for them by making sure that I have healthy snacks on hand and breaking them down into individual servings if needed.

I also put my meals in mpf at the beginning of the day so that I make myself stick to what I have planned. I add my snacks and anything extra I consumed at the end of the day before submitting the log.

Having a workout buddy to go to the gym with is also helpful. It can be a pain in the butt if they want to cancel or reschedule the time or work out for longer or less time than I do, but it at least motivates me to actually go there.

cubbie_girl

I don't have a lot of tips that would really be helpful for anyone outside my unique situation, but I can try to apply them to the civilian side, or think of what I did at home...

-I have to report my exercise every week to my commander, which can relate to keeping track of your workouts and having a buddy look at them each week. Except my buddy is my boss and if I don't work out at least 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week I can be given paperwork. (And in a military that is finding any and every excuse to kick people or not let them re-enlist, that's a pretty good motivator!)

-I check the menu every meal before going in the chow hall. If they don't have grilled chicken or anything light on the main line, I go straight to the salad/sandwich bar. I don't always have the most healthy sandwich, but it's better than grilled cheese and chili cheese fries from the fast line. For the civilian side, that's like checking a menu before going out to eat.

-We can't go outside alone after dark, especially without our weapon, which makes going to the gym VERY difficult for me. I get three days a week I leave work early specifically for PT and have about 1.5 hours before sun down, and I have my day off when I can go at any time. Getting that 5th for sure day required me to get a workout buddy and she's a PTL (Physical Training Leader) back home - so we always get that 5th day. (PTL = she runs the PT program back home and makes sure everyone is there and really participating - she doesn't let me skimp or skip.)

-At home, I have a treadmill in my garage and after I pick my daughter up from preschool we go out there and she plays while I run. She has a floor puzzle that she either takes apart and puts back together or she sits on it and colors, reads, eats a snack, etc. She also loves that I play my music out there so she can dance too. We usually have a little dance party after I'm done and then she "helps" me do my sit-ups and push-ups. Knowing that she sees me exercising and being healthy and that she wants to do it too motivates me to keep going.

WestCoastMom

Sometimes I chew gum. It's something to chew on, helps ride out a craving and is basically calorie free!