This post is basically inspired by the back of an Aussie bottle I was reading whilst in the shower (soz for the awks visual) and is aimed at people who are a bit daunted at making that whole ‘lifestyle’ change and have no clue where to start.
It’s also a little reminder to me that I don’t have to be
doing everything all at once and that I need to stop beating myself when I’m
not being ST. Weight Watcher 24/7 ‘cause I’ve come a long way and need to
actually live my life too; right?
So yeah, here are my thoughts on the nine little changes you
can make to help you to lose weight.
Although, it’s not rocket science really,
however it is nice to remind yourself every now and again.
Move things out of
reach
Tempted by the treat tin every night/ hour of the? Picking
at little pieces whilst you’re cooking dinner? Move these items out of the way
a little. Last year I moved a load of my treat stuff into a box on top of my parent’s
wardrobe and do you know what? After a while I kind of forgot they existed.
Whilst it may sound a bit drastic, having things out the way can make them seem
less tempting, but it’s better than ridding your house of them completely. I
find if I have absolutely nothing in the house and cravings take over, that’s
when the problems arise, so keeping your treats, but making them harder to grab
is a win/win situation.
Swap a meal
It’s so easy to fall into the habit of eating the same meals
day in and day out, and that’s where boredom sets in and Pizza Hut or the local
curry house gets a phone call and what do you know, half an hour later you’re
in a food coma with the button of your trousers undone rolling yourself to bed
that night. Each week, take the time to flip through a recipe magazine, spend
some time on Pinterest or dig
out an old cook book. Find a recipe that excites you that you’ve never tried
before and get your cook on. You never know, you might find a new favourite, or
at the least you’re not having the same meal again. After all, if you always eat what you’ve always ate, you’ll
always weigh what you’ve always weighed, right? (I feel my grammar in the
sentence is appalling, but you get the idea, right?) *cough* you could try a recipe from
your favourite blogger… winky face!
Get up ten minutes
earlier
Are you one of those people constantly looking for more time
in the day to get things done? Whether that’s to exercise, tidy a space in the
house, get dinner cooked, here’s your chance. Whilst ten minutes may not seem
that much, you can actually achieve a lot in that time. Plus it’s much easier
to set your alarm for ten minutes earlier, than it is to promise yourself that
you’re going to get up an hour earlier to fit in that amazing workout – which let’s
face it never happens and you end up feeling guilty. Yes I am a morning person,
but I honestly believe that everyone
can make getting up ten minutes earlier a possibility. Just think of what you
can do with that extra time in the day. You can prep your dinner for the
evening, you can have time to eat a proper breakfast, you can go on a little
walk. The world is your oyster baby.
Move more
We all know that exercise is part and parcel of this whole
weight loss malarkey, but for many it can seem daunting and kind of hard to get
into. So, instead of signing up for the gym, going once and then seeing £30 go
out of your bank every single month and having a little sob, start by perhaps
going for a walk around the block before/after work? Or maybe park your car
further away than you need to, take things upstairs one by one, look at quick
ten minute workouts on YouTube. Just do a little more than you did before. Don’t
go out having never run and try to run a marathon, take baby steps.
Plan your meals
Going back to one of my previous points about trying a new
meal, a great way to help you decide when to have that meal is to plan it in.
Having your meals planned for the week allows you to see what you can eat, and
when you’re going to eat it. It stops the ‘oh what should I have for tea
tonight, let’s order a takeaway’ chat you have with yourself and also puts you
in control. It’s much easier to avoid eating food you shouldn’t when you have a
plan and know about all the great stuff you will be eating. I bought a cute
meal planner from KiKKi.K however you
could easily make yourself up one on word and print it out and make it all
personalised and shiz, but whatever you do, having a plan makes things a lot
easier. As Daddy Biscuit always say, ‘Preparation prevents poor performance!’
Celebrate the little
things
A lot of people feel like they have a long way to go when
they first start trying to lose weight, and often that can be the thing that
puts you off working toward something, because you see how far you have to go,
rather than how far you’ve actually come. So every time something happens, no
matter how small, celebrate it. Passed up on a free chocolate bar? Celebrate!
Done an extra 1,000 steps today? You go girlfriend! Noticed your jeans are a
little looser? All the high fives for you my friend! You should be doing this
whether you’ve just started or you’ve already lost five stone. It’s always good
to celebrate, and of course, treat yourself.
Set goals
Your end goal may be to lose ten stone, but that’s not going
to happen in the next ten days, or even ten months realistically. So instead of
having that as your only goal, set yourself some small ones that will get you
through the weeks and months leading up to that. For example, perhaps you have
a pair of jeans you want to fit into, or maybe you’d like to be able to run 5K
over the next month. Or maybe you just want to give up chocolate for a week.
Why not set yourself a mini goal for this week and then give yourself a little
(non-food related) treat.
Drink more water
Everyone should be drinking plenty of water, we all know
that (I’ve actually been told I drink too much, but that’s a different story
really) so why not try adding an extra glass to your daily routine. Once you’re
happy with that, add another glass, and so on and so forth until you hit the
recommend intake for your height/weight.
Break one bad habit
at a time
Trying to stop eating chocolate, drinking alcohol and giving
up the fags all in one go, probably isn’t going to work for everyone – if anyone.
But, giving up one bad habit at a time can help you break them once and for
all. Just like with the small goals, break down you bad habit and see if you
can give it up slowly, rather than all at once – it will make it seem more
achievable. Why not try swapping your coffee for herbal tea, or just drinking
one cup less a day?
So these are some of my thoughts on the small changes you
can make to help you lose weight. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
