Tag Archives: weight loss

5 Lifestyle Changes To Help You Lose Weight

18 Oct

We all have them, those extra few pounds we’ve been trying to drop. Whether it’s post pregnancy weight (like I had) or extra pounds that snuck up on you over the years (which I also had).

I gained a lot of weight when I was pregnant, sixty pounds with Cameron and sixty-two with Logan. It took a lot of work to get rid of that extra weight and it’s something that has become like a work in progress. After Logan was born I did find a way to lose fifty pounds though.

Dieting is not the answer here folks, you have to make a conscious decision to change your lifestyle. You don’t have to make drastic changes, in fact you’d be surprised how effective just a few small changes can be.

I thought I’d share with you my top five tips. They’re five simple lifestyle changes you can make that will help drop some of that unwanted weight. The added bonus? You’ll start feeling more energized too.

Mommyland

1. Drink plenty of water. If you’re dehydrated you might end up reaching for more food, it’s kind of your body’s way of seeking fluids when you’re not drinking enough. Water will also help you feel fuller longer. You’ll probably need to pee a lot at first but your body will get used to the water eventually and learn how to process it. My goal is a gallon (more on running days) a day.

Reach for water before you reach for a sugary soda. Even diet soda can aid in keeping those extra pounds. Flavor your water with fresh fruit instead.

 Mommyland

2. Get enough sleep. There are a number of studies that have linked weight loss with sleep but let’s just look at the most basic part of it. If you’re awake you’re more likely to be (mindlessly) snacking. There are actual chemical imbalances that are caused by not getting enough sleep and they have been proven to help you GAIN weight. So get those Zzzz’s. Aim for seven to eight hours a night.

Mommyland

3. Move. It’s not always easy if you’re stuck at a desk all day but get up and moving as much as you can during the day. Park a little further at work or out shopping. Take the stairs whenever you can. When you do laundry take it one small stack at a time to put away. Those extra steps really do add up. I wear an activity tracker (fancy name for a pedometer) and my goal is at least 10,000 steps a day.

4. Think ahead when you eat out. When I know I’m going to be eating out I visit the restaurant’s website to look at their nutritional information. Sometimes what you think is going to be a healthy option is far from healthy. I try to always have my meal picked out ahead of time. If I can’t check things out before hand, I’ll use my phone to narrow down what the best options are for me once we get there.

Mommyland

5. Don’t deprive yourself. If you like junk food don’t completely cut it out of your life. You’ll be cranky and when you do indulge in it you’re likely to overindulge. Instead eat in moderation. Instead of sitting on the couch with a bag of chips, put a small portion on a plate for your snack. Same with the cookies, take a few out of the package and put the rest away. You’re actually less likely to go back for more if they’re put away than if the package is sitting on your lap. Go figure.

Just these few things will have you seeing results.

What lifestyle changes have you made to become healthier and drop a few extra pounds?

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Setting Small Goals To Accomplish Big Things

4 Sep

My Life In Mommyland

I know that I’ll never meet any goal I set for myself if I try to tackle it all at once. I need to break it down into manageable little pieces so that I can feel like I’m accomplishing something along the way.

This summer I got a little out of control with the eating habits. Ice cream straight out of the carton at ten o’clock at night. Half a box of cereal for breakfast. My lunches consisted of grazing through the pantry eating right out of boxes and bags. Soda instead of water. Really, it’s gotten pretty shameful.

Bad choices all day long.

So my goal is get back on track. Start making better choices. Start being more active. Start getting rid of those extra pounds.

This time I’m going to try a new goal each week and continue adding up the goals until I’m back where I need to be.

I started this little project two weeks ago and so far so good. I am definitely feeling better even though the scale isn’t moving the way I want to see it move…yet.

My Little Goals

Week one: Drink more water. I got myself a Camelbak Eddy water bottle (because it was on sale at Target) and made it my goal to drink at least three a day. It turns out that I’ve been drinking more like five or six a day (125-150 ounces). Before you jump on me and say I’m going to kill myself from water intoxication, I assure you I am fine. I drink water throughout the day as I feel I need it. In the two weeks I’ve been drinking (and tracking) my water I’ve seen a difference in my skin. Before it was dry and ashy and now it’t soft and supple.

Week two: Build a better breakfast. I said before that I’d easily eat half a box of cereal every morning and that’s no exaggeration. Even eating something healthy like Cheerios, the calories add up fast. Not to mention it made me sluggish in the morning and I was starving by midmorning and the grazing would commence. Last week I set out to eat a more balanced breakfast, while being mindful of portion size (which is something I struggle with). I’ve been staying satisfied longer and had more energy to get things done in the morning, which is necessary with school starting back up.

Week three: This week my goal is to not eat after 8pm. We go to bed fairly early around here and if I’m eating after eight it usually means either eating in bed or eating and then going to bed. The things I tend to eat at night are not really healthy choices so if I can avoid eating them before bed I’m sure I’ll see some positive changes.

My goals in the coming weeks will be to build a better lunch and not eat snack foods out of the container. I also would like to start tracking my food again, and be more consistent with getting those 10,000 steps in each day. Eventually maybe I’ll shoot to get some actual exercise in.

Do you have any goals to get your healthy back? Do you tackle them all at once or try and ease into things?

 

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