Oh and remember moderation. You can still have beer but in less quantities.
For example, I can easily drink a 6 pack in a night. I've cut down to no more than 2 / night on 3 nights of the week. Weekends are out the window. Lol. I blame bottomless mimosas brunches.
If Class pass isn't available check out community rec center or colleges for some fun easy classes. Or maybe Meetup. Or a sports league.
I'm much more likely to workout if it's something I enjoy vs something I *have* to do.
If it's in an office, you could consider getting a nice lunchbox. I have found that being able to pack my lunch in a visually appealing way really helps me look forward to eating the lunch I packed instead of wanting to buy something.
I have a bento box with four inserts, two small and two large. I fill one large one with vegetables and one large one with fruit. I then fill one small one with protein and the other small one with starch (I might sub the starch for a sweet treat some weeks in the future). I've done a lot of salami and cheese with carrot sticks. This week is salami and cheese in a small sections, crackers in a small section, halved grape tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and salt in a large section, and diced summer fruit in another large section. Next week is going to be grilled sausage, potato salad, green bean salad, and sliced peaches and/or strawberries. I plan to attempt to recreate a bento box I had at a restaurant this winter. It's colorful and visually appealing, and there's a lot more variety than just a sandwich and carrot sticks. I actually really look forward to my lunch now!
You don't necessarily have to do the bento box thing, but perhaps making your lunch visually appealing will help.
(Also, I plan to go out for one lunch most weeks. I either go out with my coworkers to a nearby Asian place or meet my husband for a sandwich or a salad. It's a small splurge without going nuts, and one break during the week helps keep me from getting too bored with my packed lunch.)
For me, it's being able to meal plan. I figure out a 1 week or 2 week eating schedule/meal plan and buy everything at one trip and then prep on Sundays. That way, I don't have to figure out what I'm eating that day and I can do as much prep as I can so it takes less time during the week.
As for exercise, again, plan ahead. Schedule it into your day/week. I bring my gym clothes with me to work and go there directly as soon as I'm out of the office. I work out 3-4 days a week but need to do better over the weekends. I've found that I need to have a group atmosphere and a coach/trainer to push me. for some folks (like by BF) want to work out on their own. Try different things to figure out what you like and what works for your body.
Also, try not to focus on your total number of pounds you need to lose. Break it up into chunks if you have a lot to lose. If you're not a scale person, go by a favorite item of clothing that you want to fit into again or a goal of, say, not dying when you walk up the stairs.
If it's in an office, you could consider getting a nice lunchbox. I have found that being able to pack my lunch in a visually appealing way really helps me look forward to eating the lunch I packed instead of wanting to buy something.
I have a bento box with four inserts, two small and two large. I fill one large one with vegetables and one large one with fruit. I then fill one small one with protein and the other small one with starch (I might sub the starch for a sweet treat some weeks in the future). I've done a lot of salami and cheese with carrot sticks. This week is salami and cheese in a small sections, crackers in a small section, halved grape tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and salt in a large section, and diced summer fruit in another large section. Next week is going to be grilled sausage, potato salad, green bean salad, and sliced peaches and/or strawberries. I plan to attempt to recreate a bento box I had at a restaurant this winter. It's colorful and visually appealing, and there's a lot more variety than just a sandwich and carrot sticks. I actually really look forward to my lunch now!
You don't necessarily have to do the bento box thing, but perhaps making your lunch visually appealing will help.
(Also, I plan to go out for one lunch most weeks. I either go out with my coworkers to a nearby Asian place or meet my husband for a sandwich or a salad. It's a small splurge without going nuts, and one break during the week helps keep me from getting too bored with my packed lunch.)
This is a great idea! Do you have a particular bento box you like?
If it's in an office, you could consider getting a nice lunchbox. I have found that being able to pack my lunch in a visually appealing way really helps me look forward to eating the lunch I packed instead of wanting to buy something.
I have a bento box with four inserts, two small and two large. I fill one large one with vegetables and one large one with fruit. I then fill one small one with protein and the other small one with starch (I might sub the starch for a sweet treat some weeks in the future). I've done a lot of salami and cheese with carrot sticks. This week is salami and cheese in a small sections, crackers in a small section, halved grape tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and salt in a large section, and diced summer fruit in another large section. Next week is going to be grilled sausage, potato salad, green bean salad, and sliced peaches and/or strawberries. I plan to attempt to recreate a bento box I had at a restaurant this winter. It's colorful and visually appealing, and there's a lot more variety than just a sandwich and carrot sticks. I actually really look forward to my lunch now!
You don't necessarily have to do the bento box thing, but perhaps making your lunch visually appealing will help.
(Also, I plan to go out for one lunch most weeks. I either go out with my coworkers to a nearby Asian place or meet my husband for a sandwich or a salad. It's a small splurge without going nuts, and one break during the week helps keep me from getting too bored with my packed lunch.)
This is a great idea! Do you have a particular bento box you like?
I bought a monbento from Amazon, and I bought two sets of the food cups so that I have four total compartments. I have seen a lot of people use Laptop Lunches, too. There are tons of options if you look around.
You know what doesn't encourage me to not eat my feelings and binge drink? Getting bitched out by a VP of operations. Fan fucking tastic. At least I can make somebody else respond to her.
Lots of good tips in this thread. I've been checking it all day!
I will say another thing that helps me (and I have a long way to go before I could say I'm an expert or anything) is to build in the things that I really want to eat, or at least not swear them off. I will not give up alcohol. But I can (mostly) give it up during the work week and just do planned drinking on the weekends (though my plan to have 2 beers often dissolves into 4 or 5...). I may not get takeout Chinese today, but I can get it another time. That actually really helped me quit smoking years ago. I told myself I wasn't going to NEVER have another cigarette, I just wasn't going to have one RIGHT NOW. I have, in fact, had a handful of cigarettes since then and I'll never say never that I might have another one someday - but knowing that I have that option somehow made it easier for me to wait. I'm finding that translates to food pretty well for me too. You'll have to pull alcohol out of my cold dead hands but it's no big deal that I won't have any tonight. I'll make up for it on Saturday
Post by wanderlustmom on Sept 10, 2015 16:41:36 GMT -5
All great suggestions! I never worked out until I had my kids and I finally found two things I love (after lots of things I hated). I love to run and plan two half marathons a year so I have the races to keep me accountable. And I go to barre classes. Those (3/4 days a week) have really toned my body and put me in a different size. I also try to make small changes with eating. It's so hard!