Weight Loss Tips #1: Starting Out

Weight Loss Tips #1

 

Sometimes the hardest part of losing weight is starting out.  We, as humans, have ways to justify everything.  If I eat three candy bars at midnight, there's no way I'll gain weight.  Or, I have been the same weight for years, even if in reality you've been gaining fifteen pounds every year for the last ten years! 

 

So, here are some tips to get yourself motivated to lose weight. I am not a weight loss expert, but this is what I did, and I've lost over fifty pounds now, so it may work for you, as well.

• Start telling yourself you CAN lose the weight.  Believing you can do something is half the battle.  I think we tend to be our worse critic, and sometimes as women (and men), we look in the mirror and say to ourselves, "I've gained too much weight. There's no way I can lose this."  But, that's the wrong mentality.  If you tell yourself you CAN, then you'll start doing something about it, and you'll be surprised at how a simple change in mentality can help you motivate yourself.
• Start with one diet change.  If you're drinking 5 sodas a day, then start by cutting it down to 3 sodas a day (or even better, no sodas per day).  If you start making one change at a time, then the whole process is less overwhelming.  I started by cutting my portion sizes down to a salad plate, and then allowing myself to have limited seconds if I wanted.  This helped me cut my portion size drastically, and it also made me realize how much I was really overeating.
• Have a long term goal, but enact it with short term goals.  My long term goal is to be a size 8 and to lose 65 pounds.  A short term goal would be something that helps you achieve your long term goal, i.e, lose one pound this week or exercise two days this week.

Check out my before and after post, so you can see the results!