HomeSpunHealers

I am going to give it to you straight. I have never liked to exercise. Alright, maybe when I was a child I was amused by hide-and-seek, but past that I was never happy to sweat. I dislike the feeling of sweating. Even if I know it is healthy, I don’t want to step on a treadmill and walk for an hour while I am busy wiping sweat and growing redder by the minute. This makes getting movement into my days a bit of a challenge. So, I’ve learned to get creative.

Spring Cleaning

Housework can give you a decent workout on a regular day, but what about those days when you decide to do some deep cleaning. Why not choose one thing each day and commit to working at it until the task is done? It could be cleaning out that hall closet that is about to explode. Or, what about those bathtubs that need a good scrubbing? Steady activity is what you are looking for and cleaning house can work muscles you didn’t even know you had sometimes.

Musical Chairs

I don’t literally mean for you to put on some music and run around some chairs. Well, unless that sounds fun to you! If you spend a lot of time sitting at a desk or on the sofa, make a point to get up and move at least once every hour. If you are watching tv, get up and move to another chair. Walk around the living room a few times and sit back down. Get up from your computer and walk up and down the stairs a few times and sit back down. It isn’t 30 minutes of steady movement, but it is movement and it will get you in the proper mindset. You’ll feel good about knowing you are doing something, even if it doesn’t make you break out the water bottle and sweat towel.

Park and Walk

This one is tough for me because I have to battle my mind to get it done, but it does help to park a little further from the store and walk inside. Resist the urge to be dropped at the door! Think of it as some of the quickest exercise you’ll ever manage to do. Make it a bit of a game if you feel inclined. Park one spot further out each time. Do something to make it work for you.

That’s the key to moving. Find something that makes any movement work for you. And, try to stay away from the all or nothing mentality. Some movement is better than none on any day!

The weight loss industry makes a fortune off of neat packaging and heavenly promises, but you don’t have to break the bank to lose weight. There are a few things I’ve found to be helpful in reducing the costs of making healthier choices.

Fresh is Best

If you can find them and the season is right, grab your vegetables and fruit from farmers markets. Depending on where you live, you may even have access to road side stands that offer a nice supply of tasty choices. The price is often better than the supermarket and you can’t beat the freshness.

Bag It

Those cute lil bags of chips and cookies that are so convenient and make calorie counting easy are anything but easy on the pocketbook. Buy bigger bags of pretzels and low calorie snacks and place them in small zipper bags. If you think this will be a trigger for you to overeat (while counting) have a friend or family member help with the project. Toss the bags into a decorative basket or stash them in a cabinet. Either way, enjoy your savings by bagging the snacks yourself.

Drink It Up

Instead of buying bottled water, choose to install a cost effective tap filter. Alternately, you can purchase water in gallon containers that are much better values. Keep a few clean bottles handy and fill them up ahead of time to make grabbing one on the go easy.

With a little planning and well spent time, you can save money and make positive choices on your way to weight loss success.

* Got a budget friendly tip to share? Take a few minutes to jot it down in a comment. Would love to hear yours.

If it were easy to lose weight the diet industry would be a much different place. Making lasting lifestyle changes takes takes time and determination. There are a few tips that can help you find success along the way of your own weight loss adventure.

Creative Switches

One of the hardest things to tackle are those cravings for things that we’ve marked with a big x-mark. Some people try to stay away from salty foods. Some people make chocolate off limits. Cravings are powerful and merciless, however, and they can weaken even the most firm resolve. Make it a personal challenge to find creative switches that satisfy your cravings without compromising your efforts. Hot chocolate happens to be one of mine. When I am fighting off the chocolate beast, I turn to a small cup of hot chocolate. It satisfies my craving for chocolate without being overdone.

Just Say, “Yes!”

When you can’t get the thought of salty chips out of your mind, have one or two. When the thought of cheesecake is pushing you to the edge, have a few bites. Resisting the urge may make you feel noble, but it can also make you feel punished. In some cases, this feeling leads to an eventual binge because we keep eating in order to satisfy a craving that isn’t being met. I’ve heard people exclaim that they can’t just have one or a little. If this is the case, be firm about your portion and put the rest away. Don’t grab the bag of chips and start nibbling. Pull a few chips from the bag and put the rest away. Slice a small piece of cake and put the rest out of sight.

Be Assertive

One of the best things you can do is determine what you need to succeed at your goals, but the ultimate success tool is learning to speak on behalf of yourself and those goals. People who step in your path and offer resistance should be shown the stop sign. If someone who knows about your weight loss efforts but continues to bring you tempting treats, don’t be afraid to confront them. If you need more support from your family, let them know. This won’t always bring about a show of support off the bat, but at least there will be no question as to your motives and goals. Besides, if you don’t stand up for the importance of your life… who will?

Losing weight is a process that can often take many months and sometimes even years to accomplish. Even the most strong willed person is going to need a working support system in place for that adventure. But, where does one find the needed support?

Be open and honest with your family. They are most likely the ones you spend the most time with on a regular basis. If they know your plan of action, they can be there when things get tough. Having their support is important, but it is equally as important to have their understanding. As you begin to lose weight spouses and other family members may begin to feel insecure with the changes. Communicating with them openly will lessen their need to sabotage your success. Don’t be afraid to let them know what you need from them in order to succeed.

Your friends and coworkers can often be great forms of support. Many of them may have their own weight loss adventures to navigate. Grab a buddy or two and kick start your support system with a plan to walk together or be accountable to each other for food intake. Having that one person you can call, no matter the time, can save you from unplanned eating and other behaviors that might slow your success.

Look online for support groups that meet your needs. If you have the time for more involved support groups, then by all means participate, but be careful not to get so wrapped up in a group that all you do is sit for hours and talk about weight loss. You are trying to actively remove weight. Sitting around talking about it isn’t going to make it happen. Consider the amount of time you are willing to invest before you go looking.

There may be support groups that meet in your area. Check local listings and keep an ear open for word about such groups. It may be a little intimidating at first, but meeting people who understand your ups and downs can be valuable. Don’t forget the gym when looking for support. You’ll often find very helpful people using the treadmill right beside you on any given day, and the staff can be helpful when you have nutrition or exercise questions.

Much of our weight loss adventure is a personal one full of inner searching and our own battle of will. No one can make the tough choices for us, but we can create a net of support that is helpful when we fall. Landing in that net offers us the chance to bounce back more quickly than we would if we just hit the ground.