Lately I have been spending a lot of time at the gym and have changed a lot of my eating habits in order to lose weight and have a healthy lifestyle. So far I have lost 1st 1lb since November, I was naughty over Christmas but ever since New Year I have carried on with the health and fitness regime. It's not easy to get over old habits that made me put on weight in the first place but I've been getting there, so here are my top tips to get yourself started:
1) Find motivation, let's face it you're not going to want to make all these changes if you don't really see a point to it. I think the fact I've lost weight since New Year is purely coincidental, it has more to do with the fact that my sister is getting married in July this year and I'm going to be Maid of Honour and the image I have in my head of wearing a bridesmaid dress at a smaller dress size keeps me going. I want to look my best for my sister's big day. After that my next motivation to carry on and keep weight off will be for my graduation that'll be in 2014.
2) Take up a sport or activity that you really enjoy. I have taken up karate after one of my oldest and best friends convinced me to come along to a lesson, she has been doing it for years and she looks better than ever so I decided to give it a go. I absolutely loved it so I've carried on and since I've joined I have passed my first grading and I am a yellow tip and hoping to get my full yellow belt soon. Of course, you don't have to do a martial art it could be any physical activity whether it's dancing, tennis, squash, swimming etc, there's so much to choose from. If you enjoy it then you're more likely to keep it up.
3) Start changing the way you eat. I joined Slimming World Online and so far I've really enjoyed the plan, I'd seriously recommend giving it a go. It's not a silly fad diet that'll leave you starving but just a whole new way of eating and you never go hungry and there are three plans to choose from (Original, Green and Extra Easy). It may be better to join meetings but I do it online because I'm all over the place due to work, study & travel so I do it online. If you don't want to join a group just make simple changes like doing all the home cooking so you know what goes into your food, eat low fat alternatives of your favourite foods, add as many fruit and veg to your meals, avoid foods that come in a wrapper, write down everything you eat to keep an eye on your food intake and add more lean protein to meals to make them more filling.
4) Try to do at least 150 minutes of exercise a week, try to make it as intense as possible and increase the intensity as you get fitter. You may have to plan it in advance around your everyday routine (for example 30 minutes 5 days a week). You may want to join a gym, but if you do this make sure you look around and it's a gym that'll you enjoy going to, even if that means paying a bit extra. I love the gym I go to because I can spend a good amount of time there, I can do my workout, a swim, use the jacuzzi and steam room before getting a bite to eat in their cafe. If you cannot stand gyms, you could always try brisk walking, jogging or walking outside as well as exercise DVDs and Wii Fit. It's completely up to you, everyone is different so do what is best for you!
5) Drink more water - I know this one is pretty obvious but it's so important! Drinking 2 litres of water a day will make you less bloated, keep your skin looking clear, keep you feeling fuller and stop you from eating when you're not actually hungry. A lot of us don't drink enough water, so it's good thing to remember to do!
Remember, it's all about healthy living and weight loss is great but getting slimmer is just one great side effect, others include feeling more energised, healthy and happier! This is my progress so far:
It's not much but the left is my "before" and right is my "so far" (I'm not at the "after" stage yet). I mostly notice the difference around my face, thighs and waist. I am keeping photos to keep me motivated (see tip 1).
Even if you have no weight to lose it's always a great idea to live a healthy lifestyle, it'll still make you feel great.
I hope you enjoyed my 2nd blog post. I will keep you up to date on my progress.
Lots of Hugs 'n' Stuff
Lindsay xxx
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