Hello all!
I figured we might have an influx of new people on here with the new year. I was in your shoes last year. I felt like all my questions were stupid questions, I was intimated by other users flair and progress but ultimately this community kept me going all year and I'm down about 95lbs (Christmas might have put me up a little bit but I'm back to the gym today!)
I know every one has their own journey but I'd like to share some thing I learned over the last year to maybe help you.
It all started with diet. January and February I stuck to my diet perfectly. No cheating, everything was perfect. Then around March I started having diet soda and cheat days here and there but I always made sure to make up for it by taking an extra walk.
I started with yoga. I did yoga for about a month before I even tried going on long walks or walking to work. It wasn't to burn calories but it got my endorphins running and it was motivation to get more flexible.
Then I started taking long walks on Saturdays. I included taking pictures for my instagram and would some times get a nice lunch, I would try not to eat back ALL my calories but I was so over weight and so out of shape that I was burning far more then most would when doing the same amount of activity.
Then I started going for walks around my neighbourhood at night but I wanted to get home to just relax and I was getting frustrated at how long it was taking me to get back when I wanted to just watch TV, so I started running. Slowly at first. I would dress to run and then I would walk for a mile or so and then set a goal "I'm going to run till that lamp post" and then I would sprint. It slowly turned into jogging and keeping a steady pace for longer periods of time. This was about May/June.
Then we had this horrible heat wave other the summer and I knew my limits. I couldn't run in the heat, I just wasn't there. So I joined a gym on a week pass. I wanted to see how I liked it. I went at times that weren't super busy and I just walked on the treadmill at first. Then I slowly picked up the pace. I even starting doing couch to 5K to keep my mind busy. I found I really liked going to the gym.
So my tips:
- Take progress pictures
- Start slowly I used to in the past decide to start dieting and promising to go to the gym 5 days a week. Then I'd be hungry and tired and in pain.
- If you're comfortable share on social media your new hobbies and activities. Even a simple facebook status "Can't wait for the gym after work today!"
- Know your limits. If you plan on doing a 5K and you're not in a good place and have to walk that last 1k, do it. Don't force yourself.
- Buy cheap clothing, you will shrink and you will be upset. Also keep your jeans you fit into right now. I went from US 22 to US 10, it's so funny putting on the old jeans and having to hold them up like in those weight loss ads
- Don't call it a diet, it's a lifestyle change. And I know this is something everyone tells you but seriously. I didn't say "Oh I only eat healthy now!" I said "I only eat what I feel is worth it." Sometimes I would treat myself to a piece of cake at work. I'd take one bite and it wouldn't really be worth it to me to finish the cake because it wasn't tasty enough to eat the calories.
- Write a letter to yourself 1 year from now. I read mine from last year and it was so sweet, I was so kind to my future self. "It's okay if you didn't lose the weight, it's really hard, but I bet you tried."
- Don't compare yourself to others. You take your own path and do things at your own speed. This is your journey.
- Read something that will inspire you. Even if it's not a weight loss book. I read Wild by Cheryl Strayed. I really liked her story of not having any idea what she was doing but was going to do it anyway. And even if there was a hiccup in the plan, she found a way around it and continued. (this can also be movies, tv shows, podcast, youtube videos, documentaries..)
- Visit this subreddit. SV and NSV are great. Sometimes it's nice to brag about them here. My friends and family kind of got tired of me after a while.
- Don't eat back your calories every time but if you want a treat, try and make it up by some extra gym time.
Hope I've helped at least some one! :) Thanks for reading!
[link] [comments]
from loseit - Lose the Fat http://bit.ly/2F67PAe
No comments:
Post a Comment