How to LOSE the weight and KEEP IT OFF!

 

Losing the Weight & 

KEEPING IT OFF!

Over two years later, from the beginning of my weight loss journey, and overall, I have KEPT the better part of 50 lbs off. Have there been fluctuations? YES. Have there been challenges? ABSOLUTELY.  Do I feel like there are days or weeks where I cannot bring myself to do anything? YUP! However, when I look back on how far I have come and how much better I feel, this life change that I have made motivates me to stay where I am, or, be better than I used to be. 

There are some critical decisions that I have made to keep me in this mode of living to be my best self and to keep the weight off. 

1. I Give Myself Some Grace

I have anxiety and have difficulty giving myself grace when I gain a few extra pounds or miss a workout (or five...). One major thing that I have to make a conscious effort about is to repeat this thought, "Today is not the best day, but tomorrow will be better." or "Today sucks, you destroyed your diet. But tomorrow is a new day to start over." I may say these things five days in a row, but at some point, it sticks, and I get back on track. 

2. Run Out the Stress

Y'all, I cannot tell you enough how running saved me. When I am having the absolute crappiest time, running makes it suitable. I saw a quote one time on Pinterest about how each step you take erases something terrible in your day. That is absolutely true. I feel with each press of my shoe to the pavement part of the bad, the stress, the anxiety is being melted away. 

3. Keep Promises to Me

I would never just leave a friend hanging that I was supposed to have dinner with, and I would never break a promise to my child, so why would I break a promise to myself. If I said to myself, "I am going to run for 1 hour today", then I darn well am going to run/walk for one hour. Since I am the one that has to live with myself, I need to make sure that I am keeping promises to MYSELF.

4. I do Not Drink Soda

Of course, every ONCE in a while, I take a sip from my husband's glass. However, I can honestly say I have not drunk more than five sodas in the last two and a half years. Why? Because soda is an unnecessary calorie, and there is literally NOTHING in a soda that is beneficial to my health in any way. Also, carbonated beverages ultimately make you feel more hungry. So, in a nutshell, I steer clear of sodas and order water. 

5. I Meal Prep (most of the time)

I am just like any typical busy mother, wife, career person, and I am so freaking busy I would lose my ass if it wasn't attached. However, I do make a conscious effort to meal prep in SOME WAY when I can. Whether that be making sure I have what I need for the week to be successful in grabbing out of the door or doing full-blown pre-made meals (lunches) for the entire week. This way, making an effort helps keep the weight off simply because it is difficult to justify spending money to go out and eat (which is A LOT MORE CALORIES) than just to grab lunch I know I have ready to go. 

6. I Order Groceries Online...FROM A LIST

Going into a grocery store hungry is like asking to grow your waist. I have discovered that when I make my grocery list/meal plan ahead of time and then do the online grocery order, not only do I save myself a lot of money and time, but I also save from buying snacks I do not need. I am a grazer, so if I have a lot of snacks in the panty that are tasty but not necessarily good for me, I will eat them. So remove that temptation, and you will keep your waist slimmer. 

7. Have a Support System

I have a couple of friends that are always supporting me and I them in our fitness journeys. When one of us falls off the wagon, the other one is there to push. When a wheel falls off the wagon entirely, the other is there to put the wheel back on. We are not all healthy ALL the time. However, we strive to be better and just support the other with whatever they are going through. Eventually, we all wind up back on the wagon together. 

8. Mind What you "Like" or "Pin"

Here is the deal, what we see the most of is what resides in our minds. If I click on "pins" that are a ton of unhealthy recipes, then I will eventually want to make those...and then DO make those. If I repeatedly look for ideas like healthy recipes, exercises, and so on, then that is what I will see the most. Recognizing that social media and what we see numerous times a day plays a role in our decision-making and thought processes is essential! So if you are struggling with dieting or changing eating habits, change your feed! Think about it this way, it is called a "feed" for a reason...