What is the most effective way to stick to a diet or excercise routine?

Question

I have a 7 month old daughter. It is time to lose the baby weight...but I am having trouble sticking to any kind of exercise routine or healthy eating plan. I very much crave sweets. Especially chocolate and cookies/brownies. I don't have anyone to work out with (I know that in the past that has worked for me) and I can't afford a gym membership or personal trainer. I'd like to get back into shape for not only my health and confidence, but for my daughter and boyfriend as well.

Answer 1

Set up your camera and tripod. Set the timer, take off your clothes, and take a picture of you naked.

Now keep that picture with you, and look at it when you want a snack, or a greasy pizza. LOL, seriously, remind yourself of how you do not like the way you look, and that should be all the motivation you need. Good luck!

Answer 2

I've been exercising and dieting religiously for the past month or so, a personal record. I work out about 6 days a week. My motivation comes from the fact that I ordered my wedding dress a size too small to lose the weight I gained in nursing school! I don't have a choice. BUT, I've found that taking on a whole new routine and way of life is far more rewarding than I expected. I've matured and become more responsible for myself. I realize how important my health is aside from losing weight.

The only way I've been able to stick to it is by not depriving myself! I make sure I take in enough calories to support my workouts but still lose weight. I eat something tasty, chocolate is my favorite too, in a small amount every day- a couple of bites. Also, you can replace a meal with a dessert as long as fat and calories are comparable. Not the healthiest thing, but it staves off binging. For me, it's been about striking a balance so I don't notice that I'm on a diet so much; kidding my mind into thinking I do this naturally. Keep expectations low too for a while so you don't get disappointed looking at the scale. There's no short cut! If you do it the right way you'll lose it and actually keep it off. "It's not that you don't have time to work out. It's that you don't have time to not work out!" - some doctor on discovery health channel:)

Good luck and congrats on your new baby!

Answer 3

As far as the exercise, the best thing is going to sound weird, but it's great. Start out by only doing a few minutes of exercise a day- and I mean a FEW. Five or less. Do this every day when you watch TV or while the baby naps or when you first get up- but whenever you do it, just get into the habit of doing it.

Obviously 5 minutes a day isn't going to be enough of a program, but what this does is gets you easily into an exercise routine. Within a few weeks you will look forward to your exercise time and at that time you can start adding more minutes to your routine.

If you ever get to a point where you don't feel like doing your exercise, do LESS. This keeps you understanding that it is possible and that it's not that big of a deal. Whenever you really find yourself resisting your routine, go back to five minutes daily, and just give yourself permission to do that.

There's a book that explains this concept and it's really great. It's called One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way, by Maurer.

Answer 4

Find someone to work out with! Seriously, I never want to go to the gym alone. But if you're doing home workouts, just set a time of day, and don't allow yourself something if you forget or can't do it a certain day.

Make a plan!! Stick to it. Not in your head, write it down. Write down exactly what and when you're going to eat, make sure it's realistic, and how much exercise, and when, you plan to do it. Punish yourself, if you forget or didn't do it. Not anything severe haha, just something like, you can't watch your favorite show or something. You don't have to cut out sweets, just make sure that if you're having sweets, they're in small portions, and you're not over doing it. The key to losing weight, really, is burning more calories than you consume on a daily basis.

If you're tight on time, take your daughter for a walk in the stroller, around the block, or in the morning, if you can get someone to watch her, go for a light jog. I find jogging in the morning, the best thing in the world. It's beautiful in the morning, and it's very relaxing to jog and listen to my iPod.

Answer 5

congratulations!
you've earned the changes in your body. they aren't on the magazine covers, but they are normal and natural. you can't make changes for someone else. you can only change for yourself.
start by eating a healthy diet and make it a lifestyle choice. you can anything you want in moderation. balance your diet by eating some chocolate and chasing it down w/a few pieces of ham or chicken. one protein and one sugar. a cup of yogurt and a few chips!
forget the gym -especially if you can't afford it. get a stroller or backpack and work out w/the kid. look at parenting magazines for ideas on how to incorporate a workout w/your daughter. yoga is great for strengthening and toning up, too.
buy a new mirror! as long as you know your BMI (look it up online) and you are below 25, you should be fine.
instead of trying to squeeze into the pre-pregnancy clothes, buy a few new ones. you've got more T&A now. flaunt it! forget the muffin top look. revel in your curves. clothes that fit and flatter will give you a more positive body image.
stress less about what you should look like and realize that your beauty is really more than skin deep.

Answer 6

Hmmm... I reduces 20 Kgs by just changing my eating habits... I will recommend you to give it a try... Its a slow process but it works and it is natural..

Have breakfast regularly dont miss breadfasts. then have heavy lunch. and at dinner time prefer eating light food.. preferably fruits. the point is that you should be feeling hungry when you sleep.... its difficult to do so but you will get used to it in a few days time.... Also by heavy lunch i mean that if you have a desire of eating three burgers restrict your self to only 2 .....

so the two points to note are
* NEVER LET YOUR STOMACH BE OVER FULL
* YOU SHOULD BE FEELING HUNGRY WHEN YOU SLEEP

but as you have a little baby please cosult some doctor before following this plan.... I am a male and lost 20 Kgs in 4 months time .... without any exercise

Answer 7

My sister and I started our own weight watchers meeting. We are using the weight watchers point system and a few of us friends are getting together to talk about weight loss tips and for a weigh in once a week. So this may work for you as well and the bonus is it is free. Keep in mind losing weight is hard no matter what you decide. Find what works best for you

Answer 8

after having a child it can take up to a year to get yr body back into shape. be patient and be determined to do it.
Read tips & articles on different types of diets, exercise programs, yoga & much more....

All about weight loss, weight watchers, Tea diets, easy home exercises to name a few

Answer 9

hey! I have merely became 20 and characteristic purely merely chanced on out a thanks to devour correct and workout suited after yo-yoing for years, so i wish i can bypass on some expertise to you! initially, nutrition plan and workout are 2 sides of a similar coin - you would possibly want to do both! in words of ingesting, what I have chanced on works maximum suitable is little and many times. I many times devour each 3 hours, so probable about 5-6 situations an afternoon. For breaskfast I devour porridge. i might want to point a complicated (healthful, no longer sugary) carbohydrate with some protein contained in the morning. this may also be your greatest meal because it instruments you up for the day. perhaps an egg-white ommlette and vegetables, or some organic yoghurt, fruit and cereal... alongside those lines! For lunch I have a tendency to have a salad with lean protein. i'm vegetarian yet some ideas might want to be lean rooster, turkey, tuna, something like that. in case you do not fancy the salad perhaps try a sweet potato (or a jacket potato - i'm highly strict with my nutrition plan, so do no longer sense you would possibly want to be as insane as me!) and vegetables and some lean protein. hand-crafted soups are continually sturdy :) Dinner I have a tendency to have a smaller component and probable no carb, yet you do not might want to be that strict. Brown pasta or rice might want to be sturdy! I snack in between on fruit or nuts etc. With flat tummy and thighs you want fat-loss, so a fat-buring programme on the treadmill might want to help. that is period preparation typically - slower then swifter. Say, 7mph for 2 minutes then 9mph for one again and again for a minimum of 20 minutes. you also want some tone. I have a tendency to apply weights, besides the undeniable fact that it sounds that they don't seem accessible to you. try some squats, lunges, such issues as that... your legs will clearly start up to tone with operating and stuff, yet you do benefit definition faster with bodybuilding/weights. Abs - I do crunches, indirect crunches, planks, and such issues as that! in case you opt for anymore options, sense free to ask (in case you don't know what different workout advise etc) and with somewhat of luck i'd be able to assist! sturdy luck!