Weight Loss Tips

Image from www.scientificamerican.com

Disclaimer: I feel really funny writing this post because I'm not at all one of those gals that jogs 5 miles a day even while preggo and is uber-strong and lives for fitness. I also don't look like the picture above. And most people who know me well would tell you that I love chocolate, cooking, baking, eating good food, reading writing, and crafting, but that exercise isn't really a hobby for me. But I do want to write this post because there are other moms out there who will benefit from these tips. It's probably stuff you've all heard before, and probably many times, but maybe hearing my take on it will be fresh inspiration for this week or this month in your own fitness journey.

About 4 months ago I got on the bandwagon "Getting Serious About Losing the Baby Weight." A couple of my good friends in MN were on a weight loss kick and they were seeing amazing results. They really inspired me. One friend is on Weight Watchers online and one is just very disciplined about hitting the gym or the running trail! I was motivated by a desire to be more active and lose the 10-15 pounds hanging on after 3 kids.

In 12 weeks I ended up losing about 9 pounds and in 2 more pounds I will meet my first goal and treat myself to a professional haircut, something I haven't had in a few years! After that, if I can, I'd like to lose just 5 more pounds and then I will be at my "ideal weight" goal. But if I don't lose the final 5, I will be content to at least reach the first goal. I'm really happy with where I'm at. Everyone is so different! My "ideal weight" might be your 9-months-pregnant weight or your "ideal weight" might be 30 pounds more than me, but the important thing is that we are healthy for our own body type and that we are able to be active.

Here are the things that have helped me the most!

1. Accountability

Every Sunday one of my best friends and I have to write each other an e-mail detailing our goals for the week and listing our current weight. We write about our successes and failures in the weight-loss journey and encourage each other with excitement and praise when we've made our goal. Another good friend of mine who is a fitness guru and I chat in person every week about how we are doing in diet and exercise too. This is my NUMBER ONE tip for losing weight. Join a group, get into an online club, or have a friend keep you accountable.

2. Punishment and Rewards

Some people seem to work well with only rewards but I'm one of those types that needs hardcore punishment to get my rear in gear. So, if I tell my friend that I need to exercise 3 times during the next week, but only do it twice, I lose chocolate for a WEEK! A couple of time of losing chocolate, especially around the holidays, was a killer for me and with the threat of this punishment hanging over my head I had several nights where I was doing my work-out late at night, no matter how tired I was! (And no, I didn't have trouble sleeping after that. I can exercise before bed, no problem.) The hardcore punishment idea works so well for me that I came up with another one to help me reach my goal of going to bed earlier this year. If I don't get to bed by 11pm 6 nights of the week, the following day I lose the priviledge of being online at all. It's been great! It's also nice to have a reward to look forward to in addition to the punishments. So, I am excited to be able to change my hairstyle in a week or two when I lose those final 2 pounds. My friend's punishment is having to write to me about her failures and losing coffee for a week.

3. Small Goals

It can be daunting to try to lose when your goal is big. Start small. Tell your partner you'd like to be one pound less each week or to just maintain your weight over the holiday season instead of going up. Don't try to lose 5 or 10# in a week. It's unhealthy and you're more likely to give up and go back to your undesired weight than if you take baby steps towards losing weight.

4. Switcheroos

I absolutely love the book Eat This, Not That, as you regular blogreaders know! I even bought a couple of the various editions for gifts for family members for Christmas! This book helped me to realize that you don't have to give up everything to lose weight, you just have to make smarter choices in what you eat. I love dessert and love a little chocolate pick-me-up during the day but now I'm looking for the "best deal" nutritionally. We have some neat pottery mugs that hold about 20 ounces of liquid. Even when I would only fill it halfway, I'd still have to add 2-3 packets of hot cocoa mix for that rich, chocolatey taste. Now, I use the smaller Corelle mugs we have, fill it halfway (4 oz.) with skim milk and have one hot cocoa packet in it for the rich, chocolatey taste. I drink green tea a lot too and save hot cocoa for the super-strong-chocolate-cravings! One night I was really, really hungry for a donut or piece of chocolately cake. But I told myself "No!" Instead I pulled a blueberry muffin out of the freezer to satisfy the hunger. Instead of cheese crackers or similar salty snacks, I make popcorn in a brown paper lunch sack in the microwave and salt lightly. A yummy yogurt and fruit smoothie (no sugar or honey added) takes away the craving for something sweet. A small, dark chocolate truffle satisfies my chocolate craving better than an entire milk chocolate candy bar. When I do make desserts or goodies, I try to use ww flour, cut back on sugar, and use pumpkin or other purees to cut down on the oil.

Tomorrow I'll continue with my final 5 tips.......