1. Don't go for those fad diets (like skipping carbohydrates as much as possible or eliminating certain food groups from your intake). It's virtually impossible to stay on those diets for the rest of your life. Instead, go for the entire life-style change. Do a makeover of your eating habits.
2. Write down every time you eat, what you eat, and the feelings you have as you eat. Check for patterns. Do you go for the chocolate once you are depressed? Find another way to fill that void.
3. Set up a weight loss schedule and reward yourself every time you reach one of your goals. NEVER reward yourself with food. Instead, reward yourself with a nice pair of earrings, a nice long bath, or some free time devoted to just pampering yourself.
4. If possible, find a work-out partner. You don't have to go for the heavy duty weight lifting and all of that stuff. Walking for an hour can increase your metabolism, boost your self-confidence, and help you fight the food cravings (ever notice that after you work out, you aren't as hungry as you were before you started working out?). A work-out partner can help motivate you and keep you on schedule.
5. Pray. Ask God for strength, will power, and determination.
6. Don't give up! Even if you fall back into your old habits for a day, don't deem the whole thing hopeless and resume your old eating patterns. If you fall, remember that tomorrow is a new day in which you can start over again.
7. If you are absolutely dying for a piece of chocolate, eat one! Just get a small piece and savor it! The same goes for candy, sweets, or fast food. If you crave pizza, take a bite or two, enjoy it, and then put it away!
8. Remember that you CAN do it. We can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).
9. Don't get discouraged if you don't lose weight right away. Many times you will GAIN weight once you start exercising because you are gaining muscle, which is much more dense than fat. Instead, focus on inches. Measure yourself before you start your diet and compare yourself to those measurements once in a while.
10. Keep a journal to write down your thoughts, feelings, weaknesses, etc.
11. Do NOT weigh yourself (or measure yourself) every day. A woman's body fluctuates in weight, especially around "that time of the month." I only weighed myself once a month, and was delighted to discover that I lost 20 pounds in that one month.
12. Find an exercise routine that is fun. I got a membership to a local family fitness center that has a track, a heated swimming pool open year round, and an exercise room. There's variety and fun. If you get tired of jogging, go for a swim. If you are tired of just walking the track, check out the exercise room. If you tire of the treadmill, try walking the track with hand weights.
13. Remember that outward beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised (Proverbs 31:30). Remember that your quiet, gentle spirit is what makes you beautiful (1 Peter 3:3-5). Remember that men may look on the inside, but God looks at your heart (1 Samuel 16:9). And above all, remember that God loves you just the way you are.
14. I started a website to keep track of my weight loss. I went to webshots.com and signed up for a free photo gallery, then created a photo album that I marked private. No one can see it unless I invite them to it (I plan on making it public once I lose a lot more weight!). Every month, I would take a picture with my digital camera of me, and record my measurements and weight. I would keep adding these photos to the site and it didn't take long for me to notice a huge change! If you don't want to put this on the web, make a photo scrapbook of your weight loss journey.
15. Lastly, set a specific goal for yourself. Be realistic. I know that I have wide shoulders and I will always have full hips because I am naturally built that way and all of the women in my family are the same way. I am the "hourglass" figure (which I think is very attractive). Anyways, buy a dress in a smaller size than you currently are. Hang it up in your room, in your exercise room, kitchen, wherever. Any time you are tempted to eat that extra brownie or break your diet, look at that dress and remember what you are striving for. Believe me, it really does work. I have the following dress hanging on my bedroom wall. One of these days, I will wear that dress, and when I do, I will look dang fine! ;) I'll make sure to post a picture of me in it when I get to that size again!
