sticking to it!

what are your fave tips for sticking to a healthy lifestyle?

mine are:

sticky note reminders 

food journals 

cut veggies always in the fridge

For the longest time I stuck to it with stickies and dry erase board reminders, but then those started to blend into the background on my walls and such cause they were always there.   Getting back into tracking food is a definite thing needed to stick with the loss though... Personally, I had a month of not sticking to it at all, but am working my way back and trying to remember how I stuck with it so well before.

I find scheduled workouts help - I used to be in the running club at university and I volunteered to be the team leader for one of the groups (as it was split into different abilities) - so then I was literally under obligation to work out every week - if I didn't turn up, the group would have no leader! I found that really made me stick to it.

Now I try and do similar things - signing up for a course of exercise classes at the gym and paying for them in advance helps, or just writing work outs in my diary so I am reminded to do it and remember to schedule them into my day.

I set my mobile phone with a task or the alarm clock when I need to have a snack (something I always forget). Also a written out plan works fine for me. Having fruit in front of me on my computer is a reminder.

Jolanda

I'm kind of dorky but I sometimes picture the body I want (usually a celebrity!!!) when I want to eat extra food.  My mom used to write "You are FAT" on the fridge to get her to stop snacking, but it didn't work because my dad would just go and add, "No you're not!" to the bottom of it.  XDDDD

I like your cut veggies always in the fridge I think I will try that.

My faves are:

google calendar reminders (I guess I am too much of a geek for sticky notes)

plan meals and buy groceries every week, buy lots of fresh fruits and vegetables

light ice cream

Make goals often

optimism

Food journals. They are a life saver. I am a snacker, so I never eat a lot, just a little bit a lot of different times. Before I never realized how fast those calories add up, now I'm starting to notice and make changes in my diet.

Cut up veggies help too. That way I can just grab them and throw them in my lunch box and not have to do any prep in the mornings.

Food journals as well~!

Having water within reach as well as fruit within reach. 

Since I live in the dorm I am able to control what foods I have there, so I keep out the candies (except hard ones because I like 'em) but I don' t keep processed snacks.  For those I go out for them, but don't keep them in.

Warm drinks like tea, cider, coffee (not often) and other flavored warm things.

Letting myself have something I crave once in a while.

Great idea for a post, and some good answers!  I am pretty good at staying with my food, but not the time I eat it.  Also when I am going over to a friends to visit, I take my own food, most refrigerators and cupboards are not my friend.  I like the alarm idea. 

I am better with morning exercise, so I don't have time to talk myself out of it.  The devil sits on one sholdier and angel on the other and it gets pretty noisy some times.

I like to shop once a week, I enjoy lots of fresh food and finding the fresh bargains.  That's almost as much fun as buying them.

Reading CC for the tips and motivation every day.  Also looking at my Real Age versus my true age on Dr. OZ's site.