sparkpeople
Inspiration,  Weight Loss

Top Ways to Start Losing Weight

Recently I started the journey towards a new, healthy me. I had heard it all, over the years. How to lose weight.  Every thing from the cabbage diet to pills to shakes, etc. You know the drill, we are pounded with quick, easy solutions that really don’t have any lasting effect. We also all know the best results happen the right way. What we need is a healthy diet and exercise which are the true keys to a lasting lifestyle change. It’s not about trying this or that. It’s about changing the way you eat forever. You don’t have to deny yourself and eat foods you don’t like either.

What is working for me?

sparkpeople

1.  Track your food intake. I am using Sparkpeople.com and I started tracking my food immediately. I was amazed at how many calories some of my favorite food had. I had never thought about everything single thing I ate in a day, now I know exactly where I am at.

2.  If you do not have a full set of measuring spoons and cups, get some.  Measuring absolutely everything, you will be amazed at how many servings you really eat. This way you can know exactly how many calories etc. you are eating per day.

3.  Buy a food scale.  I bought a digital one on Amazon for under $20, I love it.  You can change the units and it is also a timer. Weigh your food, just like measuring, do it to everything you eat.

4.  Compromise. I love cheese. I love bread. I did not want to completely give them up so I found an alternative. I started buying low-fat cheese and 45 calorie bread. I also started eating lowfat yogurt. I recommend Fage greek yogurt 2%, its is delicious, creamy, low-fat, GMO free and contains no “junk”.

5.  Get a mileage tracker. I have a FITBIT ONE and I am addicted to it! I love it. It tracks my steps, flights, miles and calories burned and my sleep. I had no clue how little activity I was getting before I started wearing it. Now it keeps me on my toes. If my mileage is low for the day I take a walk around or throw on Just Dance on the Wii. My current goal is 6k steps a day although I am considering bumping it up to 7k. Ultimately I want to be at 10k a day, the daily recommended amount for a healthy adult.

This is my Fitbit Dashboard, you can also track your  food and sync up with SparkPeople too!

fitbit_dashboard

6.  Work out!  Get active. I am going to the gym 5x week and I am loving it. I finally passed the hump of making myself go, now I want to go.  Great investment for our family!  Start slow, work your way up.

Start now! You can do it! You really, really can!

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