It's the small things!

OK so in this blog I am going to talk about all the small things that make such a huge difference in weight loss.
1:) DON'T DRINK YOUR CALORIES!!!!  I cant tell you how huge this one difference is. The average soda has 150-250 calories, if you cut that alone and replace it with H20, diet soda or crystal light you can drop 10-15 lbs in a year easy.  Something else to note is that if you are a coffee drinker and you cut out your 2 spoon fulls of sugar and cream every cup you can also lose 10 lbs in a yr. if you can go with black coffee like me replace real sugar with splenda. (I know its not healthy but you can cut it out later when  your body is at a healthy weight and you aren't at risk of heart probs or diabetes or other health problem's)
2.) This is a multi part thing, If you order a salad get your dressing on the side, also try to go with low cal dressing or use Mustard, or (mustard with splenda in it which gives a honey mustard taste) instead of dressing. If you order your dressing on the side and dip your fork in it with each bite you typically use about 1/2 as much. Also This is Texas and I know we are huge Ranch people here ( I use to put it on everything from salad, to pizza to fries) but sadly 2 TBSP of most ranch dressings have the same amount of fat and cal as 1 piece of fried chicken, and I know I use to use way more then 2 tbsp per meal/salad.
3.) Set goals and have then in writing, posted where you are forced to look at them each day. By setting a written goal rather then just having one in your head you are more likely to achieve it. If you are looking at it especially daily then when you are facing a tough choice you are more likely to choose the healthy option because you will remember your goal and will be holding yourself accountable.
4.) Speaking of accountability, find a friend, family member, coworker etc... that you can share your goal with who wants you to succeed that will hold you accountable. Often sharing your goal with someone who isn't struggling with the same issue if helpful. Don't get me wrong it's great to have a workout partner, and someone you are dieting with. This does make the process a little easier, however if you are both having a week moment or day you may be more likely to cheat on your healthy lifestyle, or skip the workout. If your accountability partner can help you threw those moments it makes a huge difference.
5.) Do not completely deprive yourself of the tasty fun stuff, it is OK to splurge once a month, or to have 1 bite of a candy bar or 1 slice of pizza every now and then. What is not OK is making a day of it, or week of it. Have one day a week or a month where you choose one meal to eat whatever(keep portions reasonable) but when that meal is over the rest of the day you eat like you would on any other day of the diet. If your really craving candy try dome skinny cow candy(lower cal) or opt for 1 square of chocolate or 1 or 2 bites of a candy bar rather then the entire thing. If you completely deprive yourself of the things you love you WILL FAIL!!!! you will eventually fall and you will fall hard. I am not saying any of this to be mean I am saying it because I have been there and done that time and time again.
6.) Take on one major change at a time!  Let me explain don't set your goals too high, don't plan to lose 25-50- or 100lbs this year, get your body toned, quit smoking, quit drinking and give up caffeine, and get that promotion at work all in one year. (these are just some extreme examples) Rather sit down put them in order of importance to you. Once you have them ranked choose the 1st one, the most important one. If the above list were mine I would say OK I'm going to tackle my weight 1st. Then I would set a small weight loss goal. Say I have 100 lbs to lose I am going to focus on getting 10% of my 100lbs off in 2 months, once I hit that goal I would go on to the next and so on and so forth until I completed that goal. Then I would set out to tackle my 2nd goal. Taking on to many projects or goals at once tends to put too much stress on us and we usually fail and just make matters worse for ourselves.


In conclusion I want to remind you that you didn't gain all your weight over night and you should not expect to lose it quickly. Do not listen to people who are cheating themselves and their bodies by using harmful diet pills, shots, and starvation plans to lose the weight. They are only harming their body, diet pills are just legalized speed, the shots are basically the same, or worse and starvation wrecks your metabolism, for life in some cases. Losing weight and getting healthy is NOT EASY, FUN OR QUICK!!!! It is however, Hard work, it takes commitment, dedication, exercise and determination. There are no quick fixes and you cant cheat your body or the consequences will be severe, in alot of "quick fix cases" the person gains it all back and in most cases plus some. I urge you don't fall victim to this Garbage and people who push it. I lost 92 lbs over 3 years using good old fashion portion control, watching calories, and adding in exercise. That is how to make it a lifestyle change and that is how to make your weight loss permanent!
Side note: if you cant exercise at 1st then just watch portions, calories, and the types of food you are putting in your body. After a few weeks of that when  your finally getting the hang of it add in walking 30 min, take the stairs rather then the elevator,light weights, or something else. Eventually you can make it harder or add in more. Small changes, small goals and baby steps are KEY to changing your life!