I want to lose weight! - Where to start

A lot of people say, that making the decision is the hardest part of the changing process. I don't really agree with it, I remember deciding several times, that I am going to change my lifestyle, but after a couple of weeks I always gave up. Making the decision is still there tho, when you finally start the changes. So here is my list, what helps you to stick with your decision, and get you started.

1. Buy a scale

Yes, weight is not everything, and your body still can transform without losing (or even gaining) any weight. But still, when you have quite a few pounds to lose, it is nice to track your progress. I never owned a scale before, just bought my first one at the age of 27. But hey, gotta start somewhere. I bought a digital one, which shows not just the kilograms but the decimals as well, because you won't really lose a whole kg a day. Also...

2. Weight yourself every day

This is an other thing, that fitness magazines tell you not to do. Because there can be oedema somewhere in your body, yada yada yada. But it helps me, because I can track the effects of my meals from the previous day. And you can discover things, like: if you don't sleep or drink enough, no matter how healthy you ate the previous day, your body won't be able to lose weight properly. I work 12 hour shifts, and when I am working 4 days in a row, I still eat healthy, I bring food in with me, but just because I am on my feet all day and can't drink enough (not to mention the 6 hours of sleep instead of the 9 I usually need), I just don't lose weight as I would expect it. The second I have my day off and have a proper sleep, I see the difference on the scale in the morning. Oh yes, of course, weight yourself the same time every day. I keep my scale in the bathroom, and every morning, right after getting up and running for a pee, I stand on it. Also, make sure you don't have heavy clothes on. I usually just have my underwear on, because your jammies can trick you and make you think you didn't lose any weight, but in fairness you are just wearing your big fluffy heavy Christmas onesie in the middle of June which weighs a ton (happened to a friend, not me of course). 

3. Buy a pretty journal

You can use one of your many unused notebooks if you want to, but it always motivates me, when I buy new stationary. 

I bought mine in Paperchase, and I love it. Every day I record my morning weight, and the meals I have. Even the smallest bites of anything. I also add whether I worked or not, and the workouts as well. I mark those days of the month as well, since your body works differently during your period. In my case I can just grab this journal and bring it to the doctor when I am having an appointment, so I can show her my progress. 

I know, that there are many apps, that you can use instead of writing, but I prefer having this little thing, it is prettier to look at, and I quite enjoy writing, so it works for me. :)

4. Get rid of all the non-healthy food

It is quite a logical saying: if you don't have bad food in your house, you won't eat bad food. Get rid of the chocolate stash, the sugary drinks, everything that you consider not good for your diet. You don't have to bin them, you can give them to a chocolate lover friend, or if you have a lots of ingredients, you can donate them. 

5. Set a reasonable (!) goal

If you have a long way ahead of you, don't start putting pictures up on your inspirational board of models and skinny minnies. Yes, you might end up there at the end of the road, but you should focus on something that is going to come sooner, not in 2 years. It is too far away, won't be motivational enough. Set a goal with your weight, for example: I want to be under 100 kilos by the end of June/winter/whatever. I want to buy size 16 trousers in August. I want to be able to run for 3 minutes straight in 5 weeks. Something you can reach, and you can celebrate soon. Celebrate every good day (not with cake!), if you did well. Pat your shoulders, and keep on doing it. Don't think it as like a long period of torture. You are getting better and better at it day by day, and if you are being consistent, you will reach your goals. All of them.

6. Use social media

Nowadays it is in our everyday life. Why not use it to find motivation? I mostly use instagram for this purpose, I don't like spamming on facebook, but I am happy to post pictures of my meals, and look at others for inspiration, motivation and ideas. Also, Pinterest! That is heaven for everything. honestly. 

7. Take a picture of yourself 

You don't have to show it to anyone, if you feel embarrassed. But weeks later you will think: oh, I wish I had one, so I can see the progress. It is going to feel amazing to see the results of your hard work. 

Two more important things you should keep in mind: Do not bash your bigger self. I hate when I see people posting pictures about themselves, saying: I am such a fat pig, disgusting. It is still you. You have feelings. Don't hurt yourself. Yes, you are healthier and fitter than you used to be, but you still should respect yourself. Also. You are not getting prettier and more beautiful. You are pretty and beautiful. You are just getting healthier. Keep this in mind. Very important.

Same me, new habits

I do apologize for the looong break. I did not really have the motivation to write posts, and I didn't want to start blabbering about random stupid things. :) But now I feel like I am motivated again, and I am going to try and post regularly.

The following part might seem like a bit TMI, but I always used to be like this, I don't mind speaking about topics others might find inappropriate. 2 months ago I was diagnosed with PCOS. For those who don't know what it is: my ovaries are basically not functioning properly, every time it is time for an ovulation, it won't happen, and they end up having dozens of cysts in them. This condition is not curable at the moment, but one can try and make it better. The happy news is, that I don't have insulin resistance, which commonly walks hand in hand with the cysts. The main thing is, that I needed to change a lot in my life. We would like to start a family in the next 2 years, and the most important thing is for that is to have functioning ovaries of course. 

So after a couple of very emotional days I came out of my puddle of depression and tears, and decided to take action and be positive about it. I always procrastinated healthy eating and working out. At first I always said, oh I am getting into shape when I am preparing for my wedding, but I felt good in my skin anyway, and didn't want to make extreme changes for the big day. I think my problem was, that my weight never really stopped me from doing anything I wanted, so I was just relaxed and fine, there was no motivation for the big change. Now I know, that if I want to have kids in the future, I HAVE TO change. This was a kick up my ass, and got me motivated. I have a pretty good reason to change. So here it goes. 

I started eating healthy about 2 months ago. And by healthy I do not mean that I became a health freak idiot, who hates all processed food and everyone who goes in to McDonald's every month or so. I do think, that if you want to change your whole way of living, you cannot just exclude everything that is considered bad. I am a hedonist, I like my food, and I am not going to give up chocolate, or the occasional pudding. So what I do, I just think twice before eating. I eat a bit of a chocolate once a month or so, if I feel like I need it. I am not going to say no to ice cream, I am just having one scoop, not 3. I am eating hamburgers, but I try and make it bunless, or choose the healthiest option. I do go to Burger King once or twice a month, but I order a salad or the veggie wrap. I add salad as a side next to everything. I always reach for my small plates, so every meal my plate looks full, tricking my mind I have a full big meal, but I have half of the portion I used to eat earlier. Pizza is fine, 2 slices, with a massive amount of salad. Yada yada yada, I could go on for ages, but hopefully you get what I mean. 

Oh and also, I started running 2 weeks ago. I did home exercises before, but I never really liked jumping up and down like an idiot in front of the telly, and the dog always tried to hump me while I was on the ground. :D I tried running years ago, before our wedding, but I just jumped at it, without thinking, an of course it was a failure. Now I started running with the NHS app Couch to 5K, which tells you when to run and walk, so you slowly, week by week run a bit more, and walk a bit less, reaching your goal without pushing too hard. I can say that I started enjoying running, tho it is still not my favourite, but I prefer it over the home jumping. 

So yes, this is happening now, and I am going to try and post regularly, about my progress, recipes maybe, motivation and stuff. Tell me if there is a topic you want me to write more about, and I'll try my best to deliver. :)