All I want for Christmas is healthy lifestyle tips!

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GPSHEALTHCOACHING
GPSHEALTHCOACHING Posts: 497 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Jlc1974 Merry Christmas Eve my fitness family! I weighed in this am and the scale tips at over 200 pounds. Guess I ate more than I thought on my cruise. :(. So I've decided to give MYSELF and my FAMILY the best Christmas gift I can... A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE!!! Yep, I'm starting tomorrow and NOT waiting until Jan 1st!

So please share with me your best HEALTHY LIFESTYLE TIPS AND STRATEGIES! Consider it your Christmas gift to me. :-)

Replies

  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
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    Merry (early) Christmas!

    My best advice, make a plan for yourself that you can follow everyday, if you can't get to a gym as often as you want then maybe get a few pieces of equipment that can be used in supplement for the days you cannot get to the gym. Also, shop for groceries more often, keep as little food on hand as possible, skip the junk and icecream isles and take your time in the meat and veggies isles. And the best one, don't be too hard on yourself, the harder you are on yourself the harder it is :)

    Have fun!
  • GPSHEALTHCOACHING
    GPSHEALTHCOACHING Posts: 497 Member
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    Bump
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
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    As my avatar says, Motivation doesn't last. Get yourself some sort of support on a daily basis that will last. Not just logging on here. Take classes, read fitness magazines, etc.
  • Hopelessone
    Hopelessone Posts: 270 Member
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    Look at it as a "Lifestyle Change", it has to be something that you can do for a very long time. As a great MFP friend told me, start with baby steps, it took awhile to gain this weight it will take time to lose it. You need to find foods and exercises that won't bore you or turn you off. One day at a time. You can do this! Congrats on starting tomorrow and not waiting for New Years, you are really dedicated to doing this. Feel free to add me, I don't have a lot of information but I do Kick butt when needed :laugh:

    Merry Christmas!!! Good luck on your journey!
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,215 Member
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    That's a terrific gift to yourself and your family!

    Here's what I'd suggest:

    1. Login to MFP everyday. It's a great system, but it doesn't work if you don't use it. My friends who are logging in everyday and are using the MFP tools and resources are losing weight.

    2. Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12 Know what your BMR and TDEE are.

    3. Find activities/exercises you like to do and do them. Can you imagine doing them 5 years from now? If not, it's not the right thing for you.

    4. Measure your caloric intake and expenditure as closely as you possibly can. A HRM, digital kitchen scale, and measuring cups are valuable tools. Most often, when someone complains that they haven't lost weight, either their food or exercise calories haven't been estimated correctly. It can be quite a shock when you realize what a portion size truly is. And you are not on a plateau if you haven't lost weight in two weeks. That's normal. Be patient.

    5. For many people (especially women) sodium is a real problem because it causes water retention and can therefore mask scale losses. For some people 2500 mg/day of sodium is still way too much. I aim for 1500 mg/day. This may or may not apply to you.

    6. Above all, be patient and stick with it. Losing weight is really tough, but it is achievable. The year I spent losing 45 pounds was filled with triumphs, setbacks, new insight into how my body works and how to make it even better, and a slew of new information. And an amazing circle of MFP friends!! I will be forever grateful to the MFP community. I wish you the same success!
  • ms_tris
    ms_tris Posts: 82 Member
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    I like this post! I'll tell you what I feel has worked for me:

    1. Don't get into the mindset of wanting a "quick fix" and try to eat too little so that you are miserable.
    2. Be consistent. Log in every day and log everything you eat (even when it's embarrassing--see my diary the past few days!)
    3. This has been key for me--move more. I have a fitbit and it keeps me moving. I realize that many people think working out once a day should be enough for weight loss, but if the other 15 hours of your waking time is spent sitting or barely moving around, the workout is just a tiny thing. You can fail to do a "formal" workout at all and just walk and be on your feet more all day and burn more calories than when you "workout."
    4. Try and eat real food as much as you can. I plan for the week on Sunday. I have a protein shake made with plain greek yogurt, almond milk, and pure protein pretty much every day (when working). I have either a turkey burger (patty only that I pre-cook on Sunday) and spinach or rotisserie chicken and salad pretty much every single day for lunch. My snacks are almost always an apple, string cheese, and some nuts. I eat chicken and broccoli so frequently for dinner that it isn't even funny. I do have a sweet potato many nights, too, cause I love them. Or oikos key lime greek yogurt with cool whip because it is freakin' delicious!! I don't deprive myself, but I do keep up with everything very carefully.
    5. Don't eat too little. I learned my lesson. I successfully lost about 30 lbs eating 1100 calories a day while working out, too. And I gained it all back. I was hungry all the time. This time, I eat at least 1450-1900 calories a day. I don't NET that amount, but I eat way more than I used to. And I am still losing at a consistent rate.
    6. Don't give up. This site has helped me so much. I have a few friends on here who never gave up on me, and that helps on the "bad" days.
    Merry Christmas! I hope this helps!
    tristi
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    Here's a great thread that offers simple, useful, helpful tips. Merry Christmas!:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
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    Moderation. Going to an the extreme, will only result in failure.
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
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    lifestyle change - NOT a diet.

    has to be maintainable or it won't last or work.

    work out - cardio & strength training NOW.
  • NeverGivesUp
    NeverGivesUp Posts: 960 Member
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    Merry Christmas. My biggest tip is learn to looooove fruits and veggies, as they are good for everything, especially your health and do wonders for your skin. They have amazing healing powers. Clean eating saved me. Also start replacing bad habits with good ones. Like when you are ravenously hungry, go work out in the gym instead of eating the house down. Timing is everything and it sounds like you are ready for it. :) Oh and find a lot of support from good people here. Quality friends are everything.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
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    Moderation. Going to an the extreme, will only result in failure.

    This.

    You don't have to make all of your changes at once. I cut back on soda for two weeks before I cut it out entirely. I counted calories for a month before I started exercising. I did Pilates for a week before I added cardio.

    And track your measurements! The inches will come off a lot quicker than the pounds do and will keep you much more motivated!
  • Spiritwarrior3000
    Spiritwarrior3000 Posts: 322 Member
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    I got a suger hang over all ready on christmas eve and junk food aint worth it. Im going back to a healthy life style on boxing day :) Junk food just aint worth it, its mostly just for a comfort eating. While im typing this my head is spinning with suger. :tongue:


    Merry christmas :drinker:
  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
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    Eat clean, Give up processed food and soda. Drink water. Get moving. Log everything.
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
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    Good for you! I, like you, decided last year to NOT be one of those people who started on Jan 1 (or 2nd) and then fail after 2 weeks or so. I started walking on Christmas Eve last year, and like Forrest Gump, I didn't stop. I've lost 40lbs and feel like I'm a completely different person, physically, and a lot different mentally, as in much happier! YOU CAN DO THIS, work out every day and you will see changes quickly. I did just after 2 weeks of walking only 30 minutes per day, then I started to log my food, changed some eating habits, worked out longer, etc.

    IMO, small changes that you keep for life is the best way to do it and the most successful way! YOU are worth the effort! Good luck and Merry Christmas!
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
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    Moderation. Going to an the extreme, will only result in failure.

    This.

    You don't have to make all of your changes at once. I cut back on soda for two weeks before I cut it out entirely. I counted calories for a month before I started exercising. I did Pilates for a week before I added cardio.

    And track your measurements! The inches will come off a lot quicker than the pounds do and will keep you much more motivated!

    ^ Another vote for this. And if you want your family's buy-in then don't start it on Christmas. If you take away their favorite Christmas treats, then you make everyone miserable and and you'll have a rebellion on your hands. Baby steps and proving to them that its not miserable = successful and happy family.
  • jcabbott06
    jcabbott06 Posts: 3
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    some things that have helped me so far have been:

    1. Pre plan healthy meals / shop the perimeter of the store
    2. If you go out to dinner have half of it pre boxed
    3. take time to really chew your food and enjoy it
    4. drink a glass of water before each meal

    Hope this helps and good luck :)

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