So a friend makes a post about how she wants to drop from one weight to another weight. In total, she wants to drop 155 pounds in 7 months. Here was my reply to her as well as to anyone else who is thinking about doing some extremes this year on the Weight Resulution.
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well, that is a lot of weight to drop in just a short time. If you were able to drop it that quickly, you'd end up too weak to go to the convention and then all your work would be for naught. Instead, focus on loosing 2-5 pounds a week as recommended by physicians. Also, try to keep in mind that weight loss is a simple mathematic equation: you subtract more calories than you add. In other words, you have to burn off more calories than you take in.
The ideal caloric intake for Americans is 2,000 calories a day. Before you jump in and start cutting back every way you can, make a list of EVERYTHING you have eaten for the past 5 days to the best of your abilities. Then, look up their calories per serving and judge how much of a serving (or how many, be careful with those fruit drinks! they're 2 servings a bottle or more!) and do the math accordingly. This will give you an idea as to WHAT to cut out and how.
If going to the gym isn't an option, simply do some simple work outs at home! Mines (when the weather is good and i'm not in pain or sick) is walking half a mile. For me, its easy to pinpoint EXACTLY half a mile, it the walk down to the stop sign at the bottom of my hill and back to the house. Take note of your surroundings and pick out a point along an easy route where you can walk to it, tag it (You HAVE to tag your point! I tag the stop sign all the time!) and then walk back to your apartment. If you live on a higher floor, use the stairs. A simple walk down to the bottom floor then up again provides EXCELLENT cardio which is the Best way to burn off calories. It also strengthens the heart muscles which, for women, is the best thing you can do since the number one killer of women is (SURPRISE!) heart disease.
You can still drink sodas as long as they are diet and caffeine free. However, instead of buying the liters, buy a twelve pack and limit yourself to, say, 2 a day. An easy way to remember this is to put two in the fridge every day. Save them to have one can at lunch and the other at dinner and you'll learn to appreciate them a whole lot more.
As far as the water, find a jug that is easy to fill and carry around. You need about 3 liters of water a day for a healthy body and amazing skin. I carry around a 1/2 gallon jug i found at Walmart about a year ago. I fill it up every day and I know that as long as I drain that jug, I only need a little more water to finish my daily intake needs. Don't try to drink your water all at once! If you drink it too fast or too much (as in more than 3 liters a day) you risk diluting the electrolytes in your blood or even drowning in your own body!!
WATCH OUT: Gatoraide is Terrible for dieters!! Yes, a gatoraide is a lovely drink to have after a particularly hard workout but remember this: unless you buy the form called G2, you have to mix the gatoraide with equal parts water. Here is an easy cheat i use all the time: buy the OMG size bundle pack of the small gatoraides. When you are ready to use one, pour the drink into a large cup and then fill the remaining bottle with water and add that to the cup as well. Instant Mix! Just stick a straw in there and sip away while you cool down!!
Always make sure you stretch before you do any sort of workout, even if its just walking. By stretching, you wake up sleeping muscles and prevent aches and pains the next day! Another fun way to work out that has helped so many people is DDR or the Wii Fit and Wii Sports. All involve you getting up and moving around and most DDR games (esp. by Konami) have a workout mode where you can see how many calories you've burned and what your workout equals to (I.E.: thirty minutes of jumping rope). Its easy and fun and the whole family can get involved!!
One last little note: Focusing on a number for your weight goal is dangerous. Instead of relying only on the scale, pull out a measuring tape like what is used for measuring for clothes. Wrap it around your waist and/or other areas you want to trim and write down the measurements of those areas. Then, every couple of weeks, measure the same areas again and keep them on the same list. That way, when the scale numbers start to go UP from muscles (which weigh a lot more than fat) you can look at your shrinking numbers and say, "Hey, I'm still going down!" Also, keep in mind that some ppl build muscle faster than others, such as myself. Due to my build, I can develop muscles at about the same rate as a man so I always have to remind myself of all the activity I have done lately so I don't flip out on the scale when I lose my tape (having ADD sucks sometimes). However, I can also build fat ridiculously fast like most women.
Another tip for goals: Head over to the local second hand store and buy a pair of jeans that are a size you want to fit in to. Be realistic when you buy them and ask yourself, "By doing what I'm doing, how long will it take for me to fit into these things?" I suggest buying a jean size that is only about three sizes smaller than what you currently wear. Each jean size represents 20 pounds and if you stick to a new lifestyle every day and never give up, you'll lose the 60 pounds in no time. Once you have bought your Next Goal Jeans, hang them in your room where you will see them every day when you wake up and every time you enter your room. It will be a daily reminding of your Next Goal.
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Yet another tip: keep a diary of everything you eat and everything you've done. Have someone else read it and hold you accountable for everything in it or, as my friend Tony is doing, post it up on your journal here on Myspace or Facebook! That way, everything is there where everyone can see if and you have no choice but to upgrade and change yourself and the diary! He's also using photos to show his progression which I think is a great idea.
Good luck and I am more than happy to talk about it all with you as I am going to start cracking down on myself. I've gotten out of my healthy habits since getting out of Alabama Adventure and I need to get back in to them. The good thing is that my dad has pretty much decided that he's not going to be so demanding that I eat what he eats now that he knows that there are some foods that I just don't have a care for. He's learning that I prefer fruits and veggies to meats and he's learning to not hold that against me. Its actually really nice!! Just include your family in your goals and watch them change for the better, too!!!! *huggles*
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