Ditch all-or-nothing thinking. Every time that Sandra Wadsworth, 41, attempted weight loss, she'd quit at the first slipup. "But I finally lost 20 pounds when Weight Watchers helped me see that I wasn't a bad person. Everyone makes mistakes. The key is to learn from them." {I have a big problem with this one.}
Seize your strength. "I stopped telling myself that I was destined to be overweight forever," says Adrienne Sussman, 52. "I accepted that whatever was broken, I had the power to fix." To get comfortable with yourself, stand in front of a mirror completely naked every couple of weeks. Find one body part that you like--even if it's your elbows! When Adrienne stopped berating herself, she shed 30 pounds. {Okay, God is really laying this on me thick! I have read it in four posts today alone... I love my feet! And my legs looked HOT in that skirt!}
Make a dream book. "Before I could change my body, I had to change my thinking," recalls Sonia Turner, 43. "To build my confidence, I created a scrapbook of people exercising and overcoming adversity. I included a photo of my husband's company Christmas party. I'd always stayed home because I was embarrassed, but I announced, 'Next year, we're going.'" When the holidays rolled around, Sonia had lost 135 pounds. She and her husband danced the night away. {My psychologist says DH and I should do this for who we want to become. I can make one for my attitude and my body as well.}
Be flexible. Kris Roberts's schedule didn't allow her to set up a rigid exercise routine. So Kris, 37, took a different approach. "I did whatever was most convenient. My only goal was to do something to raise my heart rate and work up a sweat every day-even if only for 5 minutes." Her flexibility kept Kris motivated to exercise and enjoy it. She's maintained her 50-pound weight loss for 10 years. {So, so true with a cruiser learning to walk in the house!}
Use a symbol. Dinah Burnette, 38, hung an expensive black dress on her closet door. At 245 pounds, she couldn't even pull it over her hips. "I tried it on every 4 weeks. When I eventually got in it, the buttons were 4 feet apart!" she laughs. One year later and 100 pounds lighter, she fit into the size 12 with room to spare. Ten years later, Dinah still keeps her size 24 dress in the closet as a reminder. {I have some jeans from HS that I would like to fit back into. Each month I'll try them on until they fit.}
Fill up. A 50-year battle of the bulge ended when Helen Stein, 73, admitted her love of eating. Instead of cutting down, she eats large salads, big pink grapefruits, whole cantaloupes, and big chunks of watermelon. These make her feel full without the fat or calories piling up. And Helen hasn't regained an ounce of the 38 pounds that she lost 15 years ago.
Breathe, don't gasp. LisaKay Wojcik, 33, was so overweight and out of shape that 2 minutes' worth of low-impact aerobics left her so breathless that she called 911. A doctor at the hospital told her that she was breathing incorrectly. "He told me to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth while exercising, and to exhale harder to force a deeper inhale. This sends more oxygen to the muscles." Two years later, LisaKay had lost 215 pounds and gone from a size 36 to a size 2.
Stretch out. At 220 pounds, Melissa MacKinnon, 33, decided to try yoga. "It looked so relaxing and easy, so perfect for my imperfect body," she says. Melissa's energy level soared, and as she became more attuned to her body, she began to crave vegetables, not chocolate. She replaced refined sugars with whole grains. "As yoga rewired my mind, I learned to take better care of my body," she says. Melissa's held to her 60-pound weight loss for 7 years. {I think I'd really like to try this. I found a great site to help me: Minimalist Yoga.}
Get out. Sharon Evans, 38, got involved in orienteering (a sport where you find your way using only a compass and a map) to improve her navigational skills for backpacking. Being out in the fresh air replaced eating in front of the TV. As her orienteering skills grew, her waistline shrank. Pounds lost: 20. {DH would love to do this one. Workout and date, perfect! And yes, that photo is really where we live. We are so lucky!}
Turn a La-Z-Boy into a Busy-Boy. Lynn Oatman, 48, doesn't relax when she sits down. She hoists a pair of dumbbells up and down for about half an hour while watching TV. "I've gone from somebody who could barely lift a 10-pound bag of potatoes to bench-pressing 75 pounds. It makes me feel powerful," she boasts. Lynn has dropped 60 pounds in 2 years. {Yay for working out while blogging. I've thought about getting a bike footrest to workout with while relaxing on the couch.}
Feel what's gone. Whenever Pat Beyer, 41, gets the urge to splurge, she picks up a 5-pound bag of sugar. "I've taken off the equivalent of five bags of sugar in weight, and I don't want them back," she proclaims. {I am so going to do this one!}
Turn in instead of giving in. Cheryl Lachenmayer's weight loss resolve dissolved each evening. To beat her cravings, the 39-year-old went to bed, sometimes as early as 9:00. She also went from 170 pounds to a slim 130. {More sleep wouldn't hurt.}
Grab a magazine. When the fridge calls Cynthia Herrmann, 48, she picks up a magazine or newspaper. "If I still feel hungry after reading for 15 minutes, I eat. But I often get so absorbed that 30 minutes fly by, and the craving's gone," she says. Pounds lost: 90. {Or blog... lol}
Celebrate every victory. Susan DeFusco ultimately managed to shed 100 pounds, but day-to-day, she focused on losing just the next 5. Each time she accomplished one of those baby steps, she would reward herself with a bubble bath or an exercise tape. "You need to look at each 5-pound loss as something worth celebrating," advises the 38-year-old. 20 pounds. {So so true. We all need to celebrate reasonably and appropriately... ie not having the biggest brownie in the world for losing 5lbs.}
Oringally published here:
An entire year's worth of personal, winning weight loss, and keep-it-off tips from Prevention readers
By Anne Alexander , Anne Alexander is the author of Win the Fat War (Rodale, 2000).
Found here:
http://healthylivingsurvivalguide.blogspot.com/Lauren is a wellness expert with some really amazing tips on her blog. You should go check her out. like. now!
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