Need motivation

[payrollqween]

Hello community members, I need some tips on how to "get back into the game" of exercising and eating right... I have made up in my mind that I need to change but where do I start? Thanks for your input!!

[WendyB]

Welcome to the forums!

Start by planning out your meals. I sit down weekly and figure what I'm making for dinners. I search sites for recipes and also have several cookbooks. My breakfasts and lunches are pretty much the same thing

I use these sites all have really good recipes

Drizzle me Skinny
Skinny Taste
The Lemon Bowl

Make sure to log your food as well. Many places to log but I use Fitbit

Exercise, You need to find what you like to do so you stick with it. If you dont enjoy it you wont keep up with it

I walk, use Leslie Sansone when I cant get outside to walk . I use DVD's on YouTube for weights and stomach exercises. I also have some disc at home for these so I have a varierty

Mainly just start and dont put it off. Jump right in!

[WendyB]

Also measure your food. Most people do not know what a serving size is. I didn't when I started. You wont have to do it for ever. Once you get a feel for it you will know.

[Baltoscott]

I really like @WendyB's tip of planning meals and 'making dinner.'  If you don't already cook most of your meals yourself, starting that habit will likely provide the biggest bang for your healthy lifestyle 'buck.'  Mostly because when you think about it ahead of time, instead of when you are starving, you almost always make healthier choices. 

In my house my wife was usually in charge of making dinner, and when she had not planned out a few meals at the beginning of the week or when the day got away from her we would usually wind up going out to eat, picking up something prepared at the grocery or fast food, or pulling something like a frozen pizza out of the freezer. And that happened a lot.  I started to pick up the slack a little bit when I lost some weight a couple of years ago, but I really stepped it up this year when I decided to take an on-line cooking class.  Now I'm planning 2 or 3 dinners a week (or more) and my wife almost always has the other days figured out.  Because we are thinking about it ahead of time, it is rarely high calorie junk.  True, we still eat out a fair amount on the weekends, but even then there tends to be lots of leftovers.    

On the exercise front, don't forget you've got a Fitbit.  Take a look at your daily steps.  If you are getting less than 10-15K/day, you can probably gradually up your count to that level without too much effort just by trying to stay in motion throughout the day ... carry fewer things as you do your chores around the house so that you have to make more trips ... if you drive, park blocks away from your destination instead as looking for the closest parking space ... if were you are going is less than a mile away ditch the car altogether once and a while.  Although none of these things will necessarily replace some dedicated daily exercise session (where you get your HR up and move some weight around), they will go a long way in keeping you mobile and healthier for the rest of your life. 

[emili]

@payrollqween hey there. The key to your success in addition to the tips already given is to make this an important part of your life. It can't come third or second to work, family, home chores.. it has to be your focus. Be selfish for the time that it will take for your changes to become habit, once they do, there is no going back. Good luck to you in your journey.. 

[payrollqween]

Emili,

Thanks for the feedback.. It's been about a week since I wrote this post and I took your advice. I am on track and I plan on staying there!! I am putting me first (for a change) and concentrating on me..  It's all about lifestyle changes and I plan on sticking to it!!!! THANK U!!!!

WendyB,

Thank you for the great advice on the food measuring, it has made a world of difference. It was hard to get used to it at first but it has gotten a LOT easier!! THANK U AGAIN...

Baltoscott,

Thanks for all the great tips!!! They really have helped me in my journey. I wrote this post less than a week ago and WOW things have really turned around!! If I ever feel like I'm about to "fall off the wagon", I will refer back to your post! Thanks again!!!!

Moderator edit: merged replies

[JuanJoFitbit]

Hi guys! In my case, my motivation is that I don't want my blood pressure to go up again. I hated how I felt when my blood pressure was high. I was recommended by my doctor to go out and run at least for 30 minutes at day and after following his advice, I started to feel better and better. Besides wearing the clothes I want, my biggest motivation is to feel healthy and alive.