Tips for Staying on Track

So you've decided that you want to lose weight, get in shape for summer (or hopefully for the rest of your life!) and eat healthier?  GOOD FOR YOU!!!  Now, to stay on track... that's not always an easy task!  Seems it is fairly easy for us all to have a good day or a good week when we can eat all the right foods, exercise a few times that week and make some progress, right?!  But then inevitably, we are faced with some sort of challenge... and by challenge, I mean, a Chocolate Thunder from Down Under or maybe a Molten Lava Chocolate Cake, etc!  :)

This is when you need to dig down as deep as you possibly can and find your SELF CONTROL!!!  I have it, you have it, we all have it... it's just a matter of wanting something bad enough to find it!!!  Trust me when I tell you that along my path I didn't always dig deep enough to find it and I ate things that I really shouldn't have or didn't get off my butt when I should have and make it to the gym.  BUT the days where I DID find my self control quickly began to outweigh the days that I didn't!

Here are some tips to keep in mind if you are having "one of those days" when your motivation and/or self control seem to have jumped on the closest bus and headed for a vacation in Florida!!! 

• DRINK WATER: (I'm relentless about this, I know!) When you get the urge to grab a bag of chips, drink a big bottle of cold water instead!  As I have said in the past, many times you confuse thirst with hunger.  You will avoid hundreds of extra calories if you drink the water first!  If you are still hungry afterwards, find a healthier snack alternative such as almonds!
• WEIGH YOURSELF ONCE A WEEK:  Once a week is best, not daily since every one's weight fluctuates from day to day.  People who weigh themselves and keep track of their weight weekly tend to have better weight loss success.  Make sure you weigh yourself at the same time of the day, on the same day of the week, on the same scale and in the same type of clothing for the most accurate results.
• GET ENOUGH SLEEP:  When you are sleep deprived, your body overproduces appetite-stimulating hormones but under-produces the hormone leptin which tells you that you are full.  (Tricky little body!)  Getting enough sleep may make you feel rested and full and keep you from doing unnecessary snacking.
• UNDERSTAND PORTIONS:  I cannot stress the importance of measuring and/or weighing your foods for accurate portions, especially when you first start out!  We have no real clue what an appropriate portion size is because we are "super sizing" all of our meals!  Use kitchen scales, measuring cups and spoons to measure your foods for the first few weeks until you get a good idea of what the portion looks like on the plate.  Also, use smaller plates to trick your mind into thinking that you are eating a lot of food.  Restaurant portions are typically large enough for two people to share.  Make sure you portion out your snacks too rather than eating them directly from a large bag.
• EAT FRUITS AND VEGGIES FIRST:  Besides drinking water before a meal, you should start your meal out with your fruits, vegetables or a salad.  This will help fill you up with nutrient rich foods that are high in fiber, thus giving you a feeling of being full quicker.  You will eat smaller portions of the rest of your meal.
• KEEP A FOOD DIARY:  (Again, relentless, I know!)  Studies have shown that writing down what you eat and drink tend to make you more aware of what, when and how much you are consuming -- this will lead you to take in less calories.  People who keep a food diary six days a week lost about twice as much as those who only kept the diary once or twice a week or not at all! 
• RECRUIT SUPPORT:  Getting support can help you reach your weight loss goals.  Tell your family and friends about your efforts to lead a healthier lifestyle.  You will be surprised at how many of them want to do the same! When you feel like giving up or you are having a difficult day, they'll help you, keep you honest and cheer you on - making your whole experience much easier!
• HANG YOUR SEXY OUTFIT OUT IN PLAIN SIGHT:  You remember the commercial where the woman took out the tiny bikini and hung it on her wall to help motivate her to lose weight?  DO IT!  Take out an outfit, whether it is a bikini, dress, pair of jeans, whatever and hang it somewhere that you will see it every day!  This will serve as your visual reminder of the goal you are trying to accomplish! 
• JOIN A CLASS:  Sign up for an aerobics class, spin class, Zumba - something!  Start making friends at the first class.  The more people you know, the better.  Find them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter if they have an account.  Your class mates will help hold you accountable when you don't show up for a session! 
• LIFT THE WEIGHT YOU LOSE:   A good way to keep yourself from falling off the wagon is to use dumbbells that correspond to the number of pounds you have already dropped!  It will be difficult to forget how far you've come when you are doing triceps kickbacks with the 10 pound weight!  Feel how hard it is to lift that???  It used to be on your butt!!! 

I won't promise it will always be easy but I will promise that it will always be worth it!!!  You will feel amazing as the scale drops lower and lower and the measuring tape reads smaller numbers!  Don't beat yourself up if you "mess up" just make it right for the rest of the day or for the next meal!  It took you 30+ years to get your body to where it is right now, so don't expect to be able to reverse those changes in a few weeks.  In order to get on track and experience long term weight loss and KEEP IT OFF, you have to re-train your body and your mind!!

OH, one last thing... do what I did and find a gift for yourself at the beginning of your program.  Set a goal, when you obtain the goal (something realistic like losing 5 pounds) buy yourself the gift!  The higher you set your goals, the more extravagant gift you should purchase yourself (within reason, of course!)