2/12/15

5 Tips To Help You Get Started





Do you ever feel like you are standing in front of a brick wall and don't know how to move past it?  That is the way I felt before I started on my journey.  As my weight loss has become more noticeable to others in my circles, people have began to ask the question, "What are you doing"?  So I figured I would share a few tips that have helped me to get started on my journey of weight loss.  Here we go...

1)  Just start!  Take that first step!  Jump all in!   What is stopping you?  I know for me, I was miserable for a LONG time.  I kept waiting for change to just happen.  I kept researching things and trying to learn how to change.  But NOTHING changed.  I prayed and prayed and prayed, waiting for God to answer my prayer.  Then one day He answered it.  It was crystal clear, I needed to take that first step.  I needed to just pick a strategy and go.  It didn't matter that I didn't have all the answers.  I just needed to START!  I needed to take that first step to change my life for good!

2)  Gather Your Posse!  Do you have someone to support you?  Do you have a friend that may want to start the same journey or one that has already started.  By surrounding yourself with love and support you are giving your self a better chance to succeed.  This one has been HUGE for me!  I shared my plan with family and friends!  Having them walk this journey with me has been amazing!  It has held me accountable.  I have been able to share my ups and my downs (because lets be honest, there WILL be downs). They have been there for me when I didn't think I could keep going.  When my Bootcamp ended for the Winter, one of my friends said, "come on to the gym, I'll help you"  Those words took all that fear of joining a gym away.  She has been amazing in helping me every step of the way!  I now get up every morning at 4:30 AM and workout and I love it!  She is even helping me train for my first 5K (post coming soon)!  Having my small group of people around me really has been the BIGGEST key to my success.  For so long I could only see how far I had to go.  They have helped me see how I far I have come.

3)  Pick a Strategy!  You have to know what you want to change and why it needs to be changed.  Maybe you eat healthy and just need to add exercise.  Maybe you love to exercise, but your diet needs a makeover.  Mine was both!  I decided to go Paleo or at least mostly Paleo (post coming soon).  It was a huge adjustment, but after a couple weeks I couldn't believe how different I felt!  I also made the decision to not start exercising right away. I wanted to make sure I focused a lot on my eating.  I then added in exercise 2 months later.  I think my strategy helped me really focus on how I needed to make a LIFESTYLE change.   This is what worked for me.  I think for you to truly be successful, you need to look at your life and see what needs to change.

4)  Set Goals!  What do you want to accomplish?  They don't even have to be weight loss goals.  They can be things like drinking your water for the day or walking further that you normally do.  I also have found that in the past I would set these HUGE goals!  But they were so huge, that I often became so discouraged I would quit, because it was too hard.  SO this time around I have made smaller goals.  My 1st one was to get to my pre-pregnancy weight (this was about a 7 lb loss).  It was so exciting to hit that number.  Then I set a little bit bigger goal...I wanted to get under 200 lbs (a 15 lb loss).  I worked SO hard and I hit it, right before we went to the Beach!  I was SO excited.  In the beginning of 2015 I sat down and set small goals in about 10 lbs increments and have small rewards in place.  I am getting ready to celebrate with a Starbucks this Saturday for FINALLY breaking through a plateau.

5)  Get the Tools of the Trade!  Checkout what you have and what you need not only in your closet, but in the kitchen too.  Are you going to track all your food?  One of my favorite apps on my phone is My Fitness Pal.  You can use this on your phone or computer.  You can also find friends and motivate each other!  Sign up for their emails too...I have found some great recipes, workouts and articles from them.  A few other items I use in the kitchen are a food scale, a good blender for my smoothies, and a great water bottle or two (here is my favorite water bottle...great if you use essential oils in your water).  Then stock your pantry and fridge with healthy food.  BONUS TIP:  After grocery shopping prep out some snacks, so when you are looking for something you can grab and go.  I don't always make healthy choices when I am hungry and have to make myself something!

Check out your shoes, make sure they offer great support.  Last but not least, do you have some comfy clothes to workout in?  Having a larger chest myself, I invested in some great, supportive bras (my favorite so far has been the Molded Underwire Sports Bra from Lane Bryant).  Some of my favorite workout clothing has been from Old Navy.  I try to hit up the sales and have slowly added pieces here and there.  BONUS TIP:  If you are like me and want to cover your booty, Old Navy online has a Tall section, so for some of my jackets that were not quiet long enough for my taste, I ordered a Tall (I'm 5'4" and the tall was perfect to give the booty coverage I wanted).  I live in Old Navy Compression pants.  My sister used to make fun of me, until she bought a pair.  Then she told my mom she knew why I always wore them...it is like you don't have any pants on at all!

That's it!  Not to bad is it?  Do you have any tips or secrets on how to get started?  Do you set small or BIG goals?  Do you reward yourself when you hit those goals?  I would love hear from you!  I am here if you need an accountability partner/cheerleader/motivator!  I would LOVE to help!

Here is some Pin-spiration...

Via Pinterest

Also seen on...

Be.YOU.tiful Link Up Party, Saturday Soiree Blog Party 
 photo signaturegrey.jpg

***Please note that by no means am I a professional. I have no formal training of any kind. I am just a girl writing about my own weight loss journey and sharing things that worked for me. Before starting any new life change, please consult your Dr.  I received no money from these links, they are my opinions only on products that I use and love.

5 comments:

  1. Starting really is the key to get going. Great and practical tips. Doable and straightforward.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good points! The first one is actually my hardest one to do. I think of so many things that need to be just right before I can start.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks Ladies! Rose, that was so where I was. I thought I had to have all the answers and I needed all these things to get started. I have been on this journey for almost a year and I am still learning new things and adjusting my diet and exercise when I hit a lull in my weight loss. It really is all about taking that first step and just getting started.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great tips! I think getting started is the hardest step! Once I do that, I'm fine but it's hard to make that initial move! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I totally agree, the hardest step is the first one. Then I tend to look back and wonder why it took me so long to start! Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete

Template designed by Rainy Day