I understand your frustration because i've been there. Some weeks I will lose, others I will plateau. Here is my advice...
First of all, limit the amount of times you step onto that scale.. Make it once a week, no more than that. This way you won't be discouraged by the numbers that appear and will work harder during that week for your next weigh in.
Second, how much are you working out? Diet is very important but to lose weight and keep it off it is absolutely necessary that you are getting enough exercise. Start off small and add more to your workout each time. Shoot for several times a week of cardio AS WELL as strength training. If you can't make it to the gym every day of the week, don't worry, walk around your neighborhood, youtube exercises that you can do at home. There are so many different things you can do to exercise without equipment, just using your own body weight for resistance.
First of all, limit the amount of times you step onto that scale.. Make it once a week, no more than that. This way you won't be discouraged by the numbers that appear and will work harder during that week for your next weigh in.
Second, how much are you working out? Diet is very important but to lose weight and keep it off it is absolutely necessary that you are getting enough exercise. Start off small and add more to your workout each time. Shoot for several times a week of cardio AS WELL as strength training. If you can't make it to the gym every day of the week, don't worry, walk around your neighborhood, youtube exercises that you can do at home. There are so many different things you can do to exercise without equipment, just using your own body weight for resistance.
Third, I have found using myfitnesspal to record food to be EXTREMELY beneficial. It is important to record your food as you eat / prepare it though. Make sure you are recording down EVERYTHING. If you make a sandwich make sure you are writing down everything in it and the amounts. Ex: 2 slices bread, 1 teaspoon butter, 2 oz chicken breast.... What about your drinks? If you make coffee in the morning make sure you are including whatever you add to it, sugar, creamer etc.
Recording food isn't going to help you if you aren't eating the right foods. Tip... When you go to the grocery store focus on selecting foods that are on the outside perimeter of the store.... Most of everything in the middle, on the shelves and in the freezers are BAD for you. You want to make sure you are eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. A good rule of thumb is to eat two more vegetables than you do fruit each day. Shoot for 5 veggies, 3 fruits. Ideally you should even be eating more veggies than that but I have found it is quite difficult to accomplish this.
Eat whole wheat and whole grain breads. You DO need carbs. Make sure its the right kind though. You want to read ingredient labels, make sure it DOESNT say "enriched" anywhere on it. This means that the nutrients have been stripped from the product. Avoid high fructose corn syrup!
Instead of eating three times a day, eat smaller meals more often. Eat snacks throughout the day. Each night I try to pack a bag of food for the whole of my next day. I prepare baggies of celery, cucumber and carrot sticks as well as baggies of fruit. By eating more often your glucose levels do not drastically change and your metabolism stays more active.
Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. 70 ounces at least!
And finally, you asked for motivation ideas.... I suggest creating a blog, even if it is anonymous.. Knowing that there are people reading and following your weight loss is some great motivation. I know this for a fact. Its important that you want the weight loss for yourself. Think about how great you will feel once you have lost a few pant sizes / inches... I know that was one of the best feelings ever for me. The more you start to lose the more motivation you will get to keep going. Losing weight and keeping it off really is a whole lifestyle change. Its a change in mindset, you really have to dedicate yourself to it.
Another suggestion, find a friend that will do this with you. Check in with each other on a regular basis and keep each other in check by looking over each others food diaries. Work out together. Working out with a friend makes my workouts so much easier as the majority of the time we are just blabbing away.
Last but not least, stay positive. If you mess up one day or don't have as big of a loss as you are hoping for, don't get discouraged. Each day is a new day. You can do this! It gets easier and easier, I PROMISE!
**I am no professional, my advice is solely based on my own personal experience**
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