What "little" things do you do to help with your health/weight/fitness goals? (vegetables, Alli)
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What are some of the "little" things that you do to help with all the big and major stuff that you already do to help with your weight loss/fitness improvement?
I got to thinking about this today when instead of waiting with a bunch of other folks at the elevator in the parking garage, I took the stairs. When I arrived on the 4th floor the elevator of folks opened and one dude was like "See, you could just waited and you wouldnt have had to walk those stairs" I said "I enjoy walking the stairs it keeps me sharp and under 200 pounds instead of a fat boy like you are".
Some of the little things I do are:
Take the stairs whenever possible instead of elevator or escalator.
Park my car near the outskirts of the parking lot instead of trying to find a close spot.
Order small no whip mocha from Starbucks instead of med or venti w/whip.
Have my Starbucks only once or twice per month.
Use half teaspoon of sugar or NO sugar in my coffee.
Never snack on sugary foods or fruit (fruit is not a free food because of the sugar content).
Never buy or keep soft drinks in the house. I drink water with all my meals.
I never participate in office potlucks. Im a bit of a germaphobe and dont want to eat other peoples cooking.
Do something physical before going to bed each night. Stretch, yoga, sex, situps, squats, etc. I always do something/anything.
This thread is going to sound like an article from Woman's Day . . .
Anyway, back when I was healthier I had a few easy things I did. Starting to take them more seriously now that I'm softening up a bit:
-Eat a small dinner. If I'm still hungry, a second helping of whatever vegetables I'm eating did the trick. Usually it was something steamed and delicious. No second helpings of my protein or my carb.
-Always eat dessert after dinner!! It's gotta be a small healthy one though. I used to eat pineapple cottage cheese with frozen berries. Another good one was a smoothie made with cottage cheese, a little milk, some chocolate instant pudding powder, and frozen berries. Top with some chocolate chips and it doesn't taste nearly as healthy as it is.
-When I got home from work, I would stay standing until after I went to gym. As soon as I sat down I would tend to lose motivation. No TV, no computer, nothing until after I get back from the gym.
-Avoid gym rush hour at all costs. An overcrowded gym is my definition of hell on Earth.
-Thinking about how good I feel after a good cardio session can be enough to get my motivation up. It also helps me to make it a competition against myself.
I'm sure I have more somewhere in my head, just gotta dig'em out.
*I always take the stairs if it's an option. (If I'm dressed to the nines and I have to walk 10 flights in heels, then it might be another story as I don't want to get all sweaty.) I worked in a health care facility and it always drove me nuts that the employees waited and took the elevator...for one flight of stairs!!!
*I drink water or protein shakes (with ice/water, not milk).
*I tend to park further away from the stores, even if I'm with my kids, rain or shine. I enjoy the walk, plus I feel it's safer to unload/load my little ones...less chaos from shoppers & cars.
*I've stopped asking my husband for assistance with heavy objects. It became too easy to ask him because he's mega-strong and as a result, I got weak.
*wear fitted (not necessarily tight) clothes. It helps me focus on my posture and to remember to watch what I eat so I can keep that girlish figure in check. It also helps when guys check me out. It reminds me that what I'm doing must be working.
I got to thinking about this today when instead of waiting with a bunch of other folks at the elevator in the parking garage, I took the stairs. When I arrived on the 4th floor the elevator of folks opened and one dude was like "See, you could just waited and you wouldnt have had to walk those stairs" I said "I enjoy walking the stairs it keeps me sharp and under 200 pounds instead of a fat boy like you are".
I avoid poisonous and rude people as much as possible to relieve stress.
I got to thinking about this today when instead of waiting with a bunch of other folks at the elevator in the parking garage, I took the stairs. When I arrived on the 4th floor the elevator of folks opened and one dude was like "See, you could just waited and you wouldnt have had to walk those stairs" I said "I enjoy walking the stairs it keeps me sharp and under 200 pounds instead of a fat boy like you are".
Lao, do you really say these things to people? I just have a hard time believing someone would say such things.
Lao, do you really say these things to people? I just have a hard time believing someone would say such things.
It wasnt a stranger. It as a guy who works for my co. He's a big dude and I call him Fat Boy all the time. No big deal because he knows he's fat. Plus, he's a former NFL player and is a big boy so he's not all super sensitive about things. I wouldnt necessarily call a stranger that.
I weigh myself daily - keeps me mindful of my goals. Also, I wear a pedometer to track activity. With hip arthritis, it's easy to let myself sit too much.
Other than the usual stuff ... I tend to be very unorganized on purpose with housecleaning, making multiple trips up and down stairs instead of piling everything up and carrying it all up at once, or running from room to room again ... and again ...
When I play with the cats, I get into it just about as much as they do, running from room to room, putting everything I have into throwing the balls and toy mice.
Even if I'm sitting still, at work or at home, I'm moving around -- flexing and pointing my ankles, stretching my back and shoulders, etc.
And when I am at work, I walk around a lot. The distance from my desk to the front door is exactly 0.12 miles. Five or six brisk trips a day around the office helps keep my mind from turning to mush at my desk. Sometimes I just walk the perimeter of the building if I'm falling asleep, or have writer's block, or my boss is annoying me ...
When I get home from work, I don't sit down! The mail and the newspaper can wait. I change immediately into workout clothes and get in a half-hour of cardio or yoga, and then get out into the garden and mow the lawn, weed the vegetables, turn the compost heap, etc. Even in the dead of winter there's something I can be doing outside, and unless it's pouring down rain, I spend at least a half hour or so every day tending the south 40.
Dietwise: Protein with every meal, avoid sugar and white carbs, stay out of the office kitchen when I know there are goodies in there, take my time when I eat, and drink plenty of water or herbal tea.
Quote:
Originally Posted by texan2yankee
I avoid poisonous and rude people as much as possible to relieve stress.
You got that right. Relaxation and dealing positively with stress are as key to good health as anything else. Avoiding negative people goes a long way toward easing stress.
Not calling people petty and insulting names helps, too; it boosts my self-esteem to know that I'm better than that. Since poor self-esteem is often a reason why people overeat, I figure I'm helping myself maintain my 140-pound weight loss (9 years!) in the process.
-When I got home from work, I would stay standing until after I went to gym. As soon as I sat down I would tend to lose motivation. No TV, no computer, nothing until after I get back from the gym.
I really like this. Thanks to you and Ohiogirl81 for sharing this because I think I'd like to adapt this to my regular "irregular" routine.
I was talking to a couple of chicks in the breakroom here at work and they asked me about training and diet and saying how difficult it is for them to lose weight. I told them to look for ways and daily opportunities where they can cut back on bad stuff and start developing habits that will help them with their weight loss. I saw them both put two cubes of sugar in their coffee and said why not just do one cube? I could see the light bulb go on over their heads and they poured it out and made new cups with one cube.
Its the little things like this I am talking about.
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It also helps when guys check me out. It reminds me that what I'm doing must be working. 
I just have a hard time believing someone would say such things.
