A New Year, A New Me: Week Seven

As we continue on this journey, here are some things I've learned:

10 Lessons I Am Learning About Weight Loss

1. Be Prepared - It isn't easy. Especially if you are a busy working mom who is over 40 and diabetic. (Or whatever your situation is).
2. No Excuses - There are no excuses for not getting healthier. (Including those in #1).
3. Start Off Active - Morning workouts are the best, in my humble opinion, because they start the calorie burn early in the day. It also helps me to not feel like I have to catch up late in the day, resulting in an angry treadmill march at 11:30 p.m. Start early and get it done!
4. There Are Consequences - A day "off" of the program tends to show up "on" the scale.
5. Patience is Required - The scale NEVER moves down as quickly as I want it to. 
6. Eat More, Move More - It is that simple, but the food has to be balanced between good carbs, protein and fat. My program at The Fitness Pursuit in Grayslake focuses on tracking food and calories burned, to result in a daily calorie deficit. I dropped another 0.6 pounds last week, and nearly 10 pounds in the first half of the program, even with two family birthday parties thrown in this week. Overall, the class members at TFP have already lost a total of over 100 pounds. It works.
7. Consistency is Key - There is no shortcut, no magic pill. You have to burn more than you ingest. Every day. 
8. Foster New Habits - I am thinking about food in a new way, looking for the best choices to give me the most energy for the least amount of calories. Exhibit A - Greek yogurt and blueberries for breakfast! Yum! Filling, tasty and satisfying. Daily exercise (sometimes multiple sessions) has become part of what I do.
9. Focus on the Positive - It is very easy to get discouraged when you hit a plateau, or experience a gain. It is also easy to only see what you did wrong this week. Don't do that. Shift your focus to the positive. Instead of beating yourself up for two missed days of workouts, tell yourself, "I worked out five days in a row. Good job!" Not that it is all sunshine and rainbows, but for me, I am much more motivated to continue on the weight loss marathon if I acknowledge the good things I've done, instead of obsessing about my many shortcomings.
10. A Little Help From My Friends - Support makes all the difference. This journey is not easy (see #1). Having people who believe in you and encourage you to keep going makes it so much more fun.

Until next time...