Weight Loss: 10 Tips to Help You Stay in Shape

me • health & fitness • lifestyle • health-wellness

by Mom It Forward on November 19th, 2011 | 1 Comment »

It's fair to say that the benefits of being in shape are pretty clear: less risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic and difficult health conditions; better self-image; more energy, etc. It's also safe to say that the wonders and attractions of the very foods that make it difficult for some of us to be in shape are made pretty obvious through many of the same mediums that shout about the risks of consuming them.

To get or stay fit, it's important to be knowledgeable about what foods you consume, what you need to start, stop, or continue doing to be fit; and what your personal roadblocks are to achieving that goal. And it's important to get that knowledge from trusted sources.

10 Tips to Help You Reach Your Weight Loss Goals

At a MomItForward Twitter Girls' Night Out party last week sponsored by CoolScuplting, tweeters discussed reliable things that have worked for them, both in terms of helping their mindset (which is half the battle), and helping their actions. Here are the top 10 most effective things:

Start somewhere. Do not think you have to run a marathon or stop eating entirely to get to your goal weight. @JennieBaird said, "I started running when I was 37. Ten minutes at first and gradually increasing. That was 6 years ago." Pick one small thing, and do it one day, then one week, then a month, and grow it from there. @JoyceHarrellRN calls that taking "Kaizen steps." It doesn't matter if they're baby steps if they're consistent and they grow.
Get support. For some, that's a husband or close friend. For others, it's online. @pizzalogger says, "Ive been doing really well the past week. I started a new diet with support from @mamavation." Mamavation is an online docudrama and weight loss support group for moms in social media. Other oft-tweeted support sites were SparkPeople and WeightWatchers.
Log your meals. @fitcoachMJ says, "Seeing what you eat may disgust you enough to change." Various tweeters recommended the free site MyFitnessPal, because it lets users log meals online, link to their friends for support, and provides apps that sync with the site.
Follow blogs or Tweeters that provide healthy recipes or motivational ideas, like StayMotivatedWithMe.blogspot.com, @markhymanmd, or @inspiredrd.
Create a chain reaction for yourself, says @coolsculpting. The basic truth Louisa May Alcott put forth that "exercise develops wholesome appetites" still applies today: start to exercise, and healthier eating should follow.

To build and maintain a positive mindset, think about these things:

"What can I add to my health, not what should I take away?" from @JoyceHarrellRN
“Hope is a very thin diet.” quoted from Thomas Shadwell.
"What three things did I do well today?" @TroyPattee says this is "amazingly effective."
"Who are five people I admire, and why?" This tip, and others to help you focus on your inner beauty first, were shared by Amy Harman, of BecomingaBetterWoman.com, through @jylmomIF, in this post.
"'Diet' is a four letter word," says @pinkprincess928, adding: "I prefer to call it practicing moderation."