Simple Tips For Getting Fit (19 pics)

1

"Make your couch a no-eating zone. I found that when I sat in my overused, sunken-in spot in the couch with food, it turned into a mindless binge-fest. Sitting at a table or kitchen bar with a plate and silverware made me more mindful and present when I ate, which in turn helped me to listen to my satiety cues and stop eating when I was full. Lost over 100 pounds in a little over a year."

2

"Don't try to ignore your cravings — just find healthier ways to satisfy them. I will never be the girl who says no to pizza or bread. Embracing it and not hating myself for it was the first step. Then I was able to find ways to satisfy those needs in a better way. For example, Cauliflower pizza crust pretty much satisfies my need for pizza. (I know, it doesn't sound believable but it's true!)"

3

"Give up delivery and start preparing your own meals instead."

4

"Swap "boredom eating" with other mindless (or productive) tasks. [I stopped] snacking when I was bored, became more aware of what I was doing, and I soon realized I wasn't actually hungry. I was just restless and wanted something to do while I relaxed. So I replaced snacking with painting my nails. It's also become kind of a fun thing I do for myself. When I'm at the store and trying to make healthy decisions, I will reward myself with a new color. Essie has become my preferred reward, as opposed to a 'cheat meal'!"

5

"Just doing something in the gym every day is better than nothing. This advice helped me so much. It really reinforces that this is a lifestyle change by forcing you to just go be active every day. It also helps just in the sense it's objectively true doing 10-15 minutes on the treadmill is better than nothing if you really aren't motivated at all. The biggest way it helps though is on the days you are unmotivated, once you start you will often just do your full workout."

6

"Start taking your coffee black. Started drinking black coffee instead of having it with cream and sugar or the flavored creamers."

7

"Skip escalators and elevators. I took the stairs EVERYWHERE! I worked on the sixth floor when I started this endeavor. I had to start getting to work earlier than normal just to make sure I'd make it up in time without being disgustingly sweaty. I lost 40 pounds in the first eight months and now I'm running half marathons multiple times per year!"

8

"Ditch the soda, seriously. I decided to give up soda for Lent since I had one almost every day at lunch. After the first two weeks I lost 10 pounds! When it was over I honestly didn't even crave it all at anymore. That was years ago and now the taste of soda is always too much sweetness in a drink for me."

9

"Ditch friends who sabotage you or try to keep you from progressing on your goal. If you're 180 pounds of fat and they say you're getting too skinny they're not trying to help you."

10

"Water is your friend."

11

"Buy smaller plates. I don't hear this one too often, but it's basically an aide to the common "Eat smaller portions" advice. Willing yourself to eat smaller portions can be difficult, but a smaller plate can look full with less food on it, and that can have a very real psychological effect. You still get that "I cleaned my whole plate" satisfaction, but you've eaten less to get it."

12

"Meal Prepping. You would be surprised how much control you give yourself over your calories when you plan ahead. It also saves a lot of time and money."

13

"Walking. It's so underrated. Anyone can do it, can be done anywhere and it's free. What I've been doing is leaving early for my bus to work and walking 30 mins along the route before catching my bus. On the way home I'll get off early and walk 30 mins home again. Adds an hour of walking a day with very little disruption to my daily routine. That plus eating better and I've lost a stone in about 5/6 weeks."

14

"Cut down on sugar. "Trying to eat healthier foods" is good to do, but it's also vague. For example, I've seen people go on strict low-carb diets and drink insane amounts of Gatorade. There are tons of things you wouldn't expect to have a lot of sugar in them, too- it's not always the obvious stuff like cookies."

15

"Patience. Losing weight (especially a significant amount of weight) takes a considerable amount of time. I lost 60 pounds, but it took upwards of 16 months of constant work. It was a shade under a pound a week."

16

"Stop forcing yourself to go to the gym if you hate it, and find an exercise you actually enjoy. I gave up trying to enjoy the gym and found things I actually like doing! What a difference! I've lost 30 pounds simply by finding exercise I enjoy, such as hiking, biking, yoga, swimming, snowshoeing, and kayaking, among other things. Now I crave exercise and can't wait for my next workout session, because nothing feels like a workout anymore!"

17

"The 70% rule. Eat 70% of the meal. Take a break and talk for a while drink some water and enjoy the moment for a bit. You'll find that the majority of the time the food will settle in your stomach and you won't be hungry anymore. Get a to-go box and take it home."

18

"Don't drink calories."