Tip Of The Day (Add Yours!)

Hello Everyone!

As this community has always encouraged us to share our successes, journeys, and views, and as many people asked for help and tips in many other posts, I would like everyone to share their tips on weight loss/dietary lifestyle/excercise/healthy living/portion control/... etc with the rest of us so we can learn a new thing everyday, or at least remind ourselves with them!

All of you have different goals and perceptions, I believe this post will unite our thoughts and benifit the whole community :)

I will start with a few tips:
* Join an online support group! CC has done wonders!
* Read the Labels!
* Don't compare yourself to other people!
* Give your body time to adjust to any change!
* Water, water, and more water!


I Hope you will all take part in offering your tips ;)
Cheers!

My tips are

• Definitely find a buddy!  One that you can talk with everyday.  I find it helpful to update my buddy every morning how I did the night before. 
• Remember, the weight did not get put on overnight and it is definitely not going to come off over night either.  Be patient!
• For the teens:  Remember, your body is growing and with that it is taking on a new shape and size.  Accept it and embrace it making it you. 
• Just because you weighed that weight once before does not mean that you need to weigh it now.
• Be happy with who you are and what you look like now and the weightloss journey will be that much easier.
• If you have any questions or concerns, the best person to consult is your doctor. 
• THINK POSITIVE.  If you hit a plateau... Keep on trucking and change your diet and exercise up a bit and eventually you will see the results.  Don't give up and stay on track!
  
  

• change up your workout regimen; it's the best way to get off your plateau
• weight train!!! It is an amazing weight loss tool
• Think positive
• Don't let other people dictate your goals... you know your body

my tips are

• write everything down either here at cc or in a journal
• read back to the good weeks and see what you did if you begin to feel disheartened
• remember its a journey and sometimes we decided to take the scenic route - you will still get there
• dont be afraid to try new things or new ways to cook them and new recipes
• if you really dont like plain water try a slice of lemon or lime in it
  
• take your time and enjoy the journey - hopefully it is one we will all make only once :)
  

1. If you fall off the wagon, don't kick yourself, you only get bruises. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back on and try again.
2. Share with a buddy at least 2 -3 times a week.
3. Eat and drink "back to basics" Keep it simple, with fresh produce, lean meats, whole grains, green tea, and LOTS of water.
4. Eat three meals per day, and 2 - 3 snacks per day. (remember to keep it healthy)
   

1.  Remember it's a lifestyle change, not a quick fix, and not a prison sentence.

2.  Don't cut out certain types of foods completey (this is a big thing for me).  If you want something budget it into your calorie allowance/exercise, stop at a reasonable portion, and enjoy!

3.  Do it for YOU and not for anyone else.  I tried and succeeded losing weight once before, but when the person I actually lost weight for was out of my life the pounds moved back in..and they brought friends. 

4.  You are in control.  No one but you can decide what or how much you put in your mouth.  A cake cannot make you eat the whole thing.  You have to actually pick up the fork and make a conscious decision to put each and every bite in your mouth.  

5.  First bite tastes exactly the same as the last one.  When you know you're not hungry, you just want the taste, eat one bite and lay the fork down.  You've satisfied your taste buds and you've not sabotaged yourself.

Children/Teens that come here please visit

http://www.kidsnutrition.org/bodycomp/bmiz2.h tml

To get a more appropriate BMI/BMR estimate.

Drink lots and lots and lots of water. STOP drinking soda completely. It's awful stuff, even the diet soda.

Get upbeat music (like ipod) and head phones to get out of your head and stop neg back talk. ;-) also helps to get you moving

made huge difference for me

Mary  

My tips:

• WATER. duh, as everyone's said, for many reasons. Particularly for me because water and sugar seem to be the only things that keep my energy up, and it's helped me attack a lot of cravings head-on :)
• If you don't feel like doing your normal cardio workout, put some music on and dance! I love dancing to surf music hehe.
• Don't put yourself down. I've had a huge problem with this. You can be critical of yourself, but saying "I'm fat" isn't going to make you any skinnier.
• Don't beat yourself up! One day of binging isn't going to kill you. Or, probably, make you gain an ounce.
• EAT. enough. I've had to learn this the hard way ;o
• Don't weigh yourself daily. You're not gonna lose a pound a day [if you're doing it right], so weighing yourself every couple of weeks or so will keep you from being discouraged. (I only weigh myself every couple of months, apart from doctor visits.
• Don't deprive yourself of the things you love. It won't necessarily lead to binging, but you'll be miserable! Just enjoy in moderation [man, did I miss my mom's flour tortillas--now I have one a week and I'm satisfied].
• If you hate the sugarfree kind, quit buying it.
• To satisfy sweet cravings, try a piece of fruit! There are SO many to choose from [duh].
• Take pride in your health instead of striving for perfection.
• Do SOMETHING even if you're feeling totally lazy. Take a walk around the block, go to the mall with a friend, whatever. Staying active helps.
• Don't spend your workout time on CC. haha.

Hmm.. I think that's all I've got for now, but I'll share later if I can think of more!

i've stopped trying to be efficient and organized about stuff; the more steps i take, the better, so if i have to make seven trips from one end of the house to the other, that's better than doing it all in one trip.

*for the overeaters...like me*

The food will be there tomorrow, no one will steal it, you don't have to eat it all today. 

*noree really shares my thoughts.

*Water is my new best friend.

*I ask myself this question?  Would you eat that if you weren't on a "diet".  If I say yes then i say how can you eat that?  if it's ice cream
I eat 1/2 cup.  or one scoop.  Not a pint!   If it's fried I might eat that once a month and only a sample.  Not a weekly meal. 

Over all I want my calories to count no empty calories.  I'd rather have good food over junk anyway. 

I noticed two things I changed since joining cc.  I cut out deserts or have little amounts.  I also changed my breakfast from a large one to a smaller one.  That alone made my calories come down.  I already know how to eat healthy.  I continue with the healthy things and have X'd the bad or limit it to very small amounts. 

Also, I exercise.  I have found that I LOVE walking and my elliptical machine.  I look foward to both.  No pain either. 

I'm all about finding a life style not a diet.  I've proably been on more diets than anyone on the planet.  ?!

-For me, a lot of the weight loss has been mental. A mantra I heard once that has helped me is "the answer is not in the food." I repeat that a lot to myself b/c I tend to use food as a comfort. I also ask myself, is eating ice cream (or whatever) worth putting a dent in all of the hard work I have put myself through this week?

-I ask myself if I am truly hungry or just bored.

-Keep a food journal and count calories.

-Limit sodium/salt content.

-Keep moving.

Excellent TIPS!

Very helpful indeed!

Thank you all for contributing..

and I'm sure more is to come :)

Plan your new lifestyle, decide what it will take food-wise and activity-wise to get to your ultimate goal.

Everything in your plan needs to be something that you can live with, day in and day out, every day for the rest of your life. This is absolutely necessary for permanent change.

If I'm hungry (or think I'm hungry) I always drink water first.
If I'm still hungry after that, I'll chew a piece of gum while doing something else for 5 or 10 minutes.
If I'm still hungry after that, then I'll have a snack.
It keeps me from eating out of boredom or just to keep my mouth busy.

Kelly, I like your tip about nobody "stealing" your food lol....

My biggest tips would be to:

NEVER give up hope

NEVER say "I can't do this"

NEVER let anyone bring down your self esteem - they are only trying to make themselves feel better.

• Be healthy. Dont starve.
• get active! nothing is a better accomplished feeling than creating a lasting endurance!
• cheat ALITTLE. If you dont eat anything high in cals., you will find yourself binging.
• Discuss with a buddy. CC forums and private messaging is GREAT!
• Have fun! Do fun, active things. Things you enjoy doing. Playing with your kids, riding your bike. Taking a nice long stroll, swim, jump on the trampoline... etc. etc.

• i like some other people's tips about not paying attention to what other people say -- LISTEN TO YOUR BODY -- if other people are not eating, but you feel like you need a snack, have one.  if other people are eating and you're not hungry DON'T EAT.   
  
• Shake, shake, shake it up!  with your work out AND your diet.  eat a variety, change up your calories every couple of days, (known as zig-zagging), and do different kinds of exercise -- don't always do the same thing!!!!  (swim, run, dance, weights, walk, laugh, etc)

Water Tip: I used to have a really hard time getting enough water. After learning that I should be drinking 3 liters daily, I now buy my bottled water in 1 liter bottles. Then it is way easier to know how much water I have drank. I don't drink anythng but water any more throughout my day. If I have room for a few more calories at night and have had my 3 liters of water, then I have a glass of juice or wine.

Invest in a trainer: If you have ever considered the thought of hiring a personal trainer I say DO IT!!! That has been the best decision I have ever made for myself. I have learned so much more about nutrition and exercise then I had expected. My results have been slower than I wanted, but I am doing it right! And now, 3 months into it, I am suddenly seeing changes that are much better than I had expected.

These are just a few of the things that have made a big diference for me. I just love reading through the community section and learning and sharing with everone here. CC has made a huge diference for me also.

Thanks for all of your advice! Good luck to you all!