Here are some great Tips!

I love to read weight loss success stories as you all know from previous postings. Yesterday I was reading more weight loss success stories, and as I was reading through them all, I decided to write down the different tips that they all had. They are all very helpful for me, and I wanted share them with you all. Here they are:

1. Use workout DVDs when not able to go to the gym.
2. Find healthy food alternatives. Example would be to use Fat-Free Yogurt instead of High-Fat Sour Cream. Etc.
3. Be self-competitive when you workout. That will propel you to strive to do better then when you last worked out. Example: The last time you did push ups and you were able to do 10 push ups, this time try to do 20. So on and so forth.
4. Get rig of clothes that don't fit. That way you're more likely to NOT give yourself permission to gain weight again. Affirm that you never will!
5. Become a fan of salad and veggies. They're low in POINTS values, and they keep you feeling full.
6. Appreciate the changes in your body, even if you don't see the changes in the numbers on the scale.
7. Surround yourself with like-minded positive people. That is critical. You will find amazing inspiration and encouragement that way.
8. Commit to increasing your activity throughout the day. Examples: Run in place, do sit ups or push ups or whatever during the commercials, etc...
9. Use smaller plates when you eat breakfast lunch and dinner. It's an easy way to trick your brain into thinking that you're getting a lot of food. An exception to the rule when eating fruit and veggies. Use a big dinner plate to load up on all that great healthy food!
10. Listen carefully to your body's hunger signals. If you think you're hungry, you may just be bored, or you may just need to drink some water to quench that feeling of hunger.
11. Take pictures of your progress. It'll be VERY motivating to watch your progress in pictures!
12. Weigh your food and measure it. Sometimes it's too easy to over-estimate how much a portion size is. Some times you need to go back to basics and measure to make sure portion sizes are correct.
13. Track EVERY bite or taste. Every little bit counts. Even if something is 0 POINTS values, you need to record it in your food journal.
14. Your past doesn't matter. Focus on the present and what can happen in the future.
15. Love and respect yourself more, celebrate achievements, and find rewards other then food.
16. Think of food in this way, if you eat garbage food that's unhealthy then you'll feel like garbage, you'll feel tired, and sluggish. If you eat healthy nutritious food then you'll feel healthy and vibrant and full of energy. Which one will you choose?!
17. Figure out some challenges for yourself. Some examples might be: 1) Assume the role of a leaner healthier person. That way you're in the mindset to eat healthy and get activity into your daily life. 2) Figure out what your next physical challenge will be? Try to do better then the last time etc...
18. Eat veggies and fruit. Avoid refined food.
19. If a sweet tooth flares up, eat fruit or a low-calorie treat. If you feel like having the real thing instead of a low-calorie treat, then have a bite and then get rid of the rest. And remember these words: PORTION CONTROL!
20. Chart your progress along the way. No matter how you do it, be sure to record the details so that you can see your progress in black and white.
21. Get off the side lines and get into the game! Be more proactive and get some exercise instead of just watching others.
22. Take baby steps. That way you won't become overwhelmed and give up on yourself.
23. Challenge yourself physically. You'll be amazed at how motivating that is to make yourself to WANT to be better!
24. Live the Weight Watchers plan. NEVER DIET!
25. Find support and encouragement from others. It's priceless!
26. Drink your water. Your body needs it.
27. Don't find an excuse to not exercise. If you truly want to change then you WILL find the time to get it done.
28. You need to eat to lose weight. It may sound counter-intuitive but when you deny your body nutrition by not eating, your metabolism slows down, making it harder to lose the weight.
29. Don't set a time frame for your weight loss. It can be a recipe for disaster.
30. Be realistic about your weight loss. Rapid weight loss is not sustainable.
31. Change happens slowly, by the culmination of small changes. Take one step at a time and it will add up.
32. Learn how to eat foods you enjoy. It will be much more manageable then eating "diet" foods.
33. Practice "Portion Control". Remember, food is always served WAY more then 1 portion size at a time.
34. Try running. Unless you have a specific training goal, don't run faster than the pace at which you can have a conversation, or at least be able to speak in short sentences.
35. Shop the outside of the grocery store. The freshest foods are all around the outside of the store. There are very few things that you NEED to eat in the inner ailes.
36. Attend the Weight Watchers meetings, or go to the Message Boards on Weight Watchers dot com. There is a lot of help to gain from those resources.

And Last but not least .....

37. Analyze why you want to lose weight and the method you will use to take it off. Don't do this to impress others. Do it for yourself! You're worth it! Also, understand that there is no magic pill or cure-all. Those are simply facades. True results are found in hard work.