Getting Started With Weight Loss

I have posted a lot so far about what I am currently doing as far of my lifestyle but I don't feel I've posted too much about how I got started with it. And getting started and keeping everything going is probably the hardest part of changing your lifestyle. Also, these are the kind of things that I keep telling people when they ask me for advice to lose weight. I wouldn't usually recommend that someone jump in very quickly to a huge lifestyle change (i.e. extreme diet and workout change) unless you have an unusual amount of willpower or are in a "camp/retreat" environment. So here are some of the things that I think were really helpful to me in kind of a stream-of-consciousness way:

• Know the nutritional value of everything that you eat. Get in a habit of reading every label and at least take a mental note of your intake throughout the day. Most nutritionist s and diet plans will have you start out with a food diary in order to help you with this and this can be a great tool, especially if you don't have the greatest memory. This can also be a hassle...so the bottom line is know what you are eating.
• Piggy-backing on the last point, don't just count calories. Make sure you are limiting your carbs and fats as well. And try to get as much protein and fiber as possible because this will help you stay more full for longer.
• Try to eliminate all white carbs. This includes: rice, bread, potatoes, pasta, etc. If you are going to eat carbs, limit the amount and make sure it's a whole wheat option. A good way to limit your bread intake on something like a  is to get the smaller slices of bread. Again, pay attention to your serving sizes and nutritional values on the labels.
• Eat as many green vegetables as possible. Broccoli, spinach, green beans, etc. are all very low calories and high in nutrients. You can literally eat as much of these as you want; fill up on this stuff so you want be hungry for other less healthy options.
• Never drink your calories. If you are still drinking regular sodas and sweet tea and want to lose weight then stop now. Water is always the best choice but I'm not really one to talk, I drink a lot of Coke Zero during the week and I definitely have my fill of beer here and there. One thing I have done with beer though is cut out the random beer throughout the week. I would never drink a beer at home now and really only drink 2-3 nights per week. I know that if a cut back on these empty calories I would certainly drop some more weight. 
• Pay attention to portion sizing. This is why it's hard to eat out on a diet. If you are eating out, order wisely and then eat slow so you can recognize when your full and save the rest for later. At home, I usually give my self a set portion to eat and if I am still hungry afterwards then I will eat more. Don't just eat everything on your plate because it's there.
• Try to do activities (exercise) that you like to do. If you are solely relying on your gym membership, then you probably won't keep up with your plan. I play soccer, I ride my bikes, I run with friends; find something that you enjoy doing.
• Walking is a perfect starting place for being more active. Walking 1 mile burns about 100 calories and pretty much everyone can do it...a mile a day (basically 20 minutes) gives 700 extra calories per week. And I know it's played out, but use the stairs and walk for your transportation; it's easy and it makes a difference.
• Pick attainable goals. If you  are losing 1-2 pounds to week and you are reasonably normal body weight then you are doing great. Shows like Biggest Loser are great, but they are in an isolated environment where their diet and exercise are being monitored constantly and the people are usually very obese; this is really the only type of environment where you would see a "double-digit" weight loss in one week.

So that is a good start; I will post any more as I think of them. As I have said constantly, diet is much more important than exercise for weight loss. Your body is very efficient with calorie-use. Exercise is always helpful and will boost results but you can definitely lose weight by changing your diet. Weight Watchers, NutriSystem... all these things can work, the big thing that they have to worry about is people not following their plan correctly or following it for awhile and quitting. So do what you can, don't get discouraged and quit all together if you fall off the wagon a little bit. Find what works for you and follow some of these ideas and you will see results.