20 Ways to Slim Down (5-1)
Here are the final five tips of 20 ways to slim down countdown...
#5 - Dine Out, Order Right
It's hard to balance making good choices with not being making unrealistic requests while dining out. Who wants to bore everyone at the table with specific instructions on how to prepare meals or grill waiters on what exactly is the cream in the cream sauce.
There are a few standard tips that can help. When choosing alcohol, go for red wine. Not only is it low in calorie, 89, it's good for the heart. Make the appetizer your main dish and add a salad to it. Avoid anything fried, go for baked, broiled or grilled.
#4 - No Time...No Excuses
The biggest excuse most people give for not working out is they don't have the time. 30 minutes a day is enough to get in and get going. .Take a walk on your lunch break. At work, take the stairs instead of the elevator. And by all means join a gym that is close by.
#3 - Beauty Counts
Appearing slimmer can be done with hair and make up tricks. Don't deprive yourself of beauty. Get a good hair cut with layers. Do your eyebrows. Wear minimal makeup. When you look beautiful, it can help you stay motivated.
#2 - Go Ahead and Cheat
The key to cheating is moderation. Beware of binging. Cheat days are okay if you plan ahead and eat a bit less to save calories for the cheat day. When you forbid a certain food, you want it that much more. Allow yourself to enjoy what you really want to eat. The key word is portion. Buy a slice of cake or a cup cake vs. the entire cake.
The only quibble I have with this tip is the use of the word cheat. It implies something negative and a feeling of guilt. I read a good point from Katherine McPhee (American Idol hopeful) who recently got help for bulimia.
She said for years she'd crave Snickers and deprive herself. When she went to the clinic, they forced her to eat one every day so she ended up not wanting it as much. If there is a cake that you really want to eat, you are more likely to eat the entire thin in one sitting if you've spent all week saying how much you cant or shouldn't have it. Instead dice it up into 30 small pieces and have one each night after dinner.
And the final tip!
#1 - Love Yourself
This is the most important step. If you don't love yourself, how can you take care of yourself? Loving yourself is the building block to making a lifestyle change. Loving yourself makes it less likely that you will destroy your progress.
Right this moment, make a list of all your positive qualities that have nothing to do with your personal appearance or how much you weigh. You'll realize you are far more than your weight and clothing size.
I know the list of 20 seem daunting. Don't have an all or nothing approach. Pick the things you struggle the most with, or pick one thing a month to work on.
If you can do nothing else, at least do these 5:
Tip #16 - Shop smart, shop healthy
Tip #18 - Get your head in the gam
Tip #7 – Drink your water
Tip #20 - Get of your butt
Tip #1 - Love Yourself!
And finally, this year, don't just lose weight for vanity's sake. Do it in such a way you can stick to it for the rest of your life. Remember 2006? Did you make plans to lose 25-50-75lbs by the say, Summer? And February came along and you quit the gym long ago or the first week you "only" lost 2lbs and those people on the Biggest Loser lose double digits each week so why bother?
Had you, or I for that matter, stuck to the "puny" 2lbs, by the end of the year we'd have lost 104lbs. If we tapered off after the first week and lost 1lb and stuck with it, we'd have been 50lbs lighter by December 2006.
Resolve to improve your life this year.
Resolve to say no to quick fixes.
Resolve to stick with it this year, NO MATTER WHAT.
If you lost a teeny amount of weight the first week of this year, multiply it by 50 and see if it's worth it to keep losing that amount.
Rather than make losing weight be about what you take away or deprive, make it about enhancing your overall life.
Next entry: Start!
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4 Comments
01.12.07 | Michelle commented: I especially believe #1 and #3! You absolutely need to love yourself and glam up a bit every day! When you look like a million bucks, you feel like one! 
And thank you very much for the "Christmas gift" of Yogi teas! I got mine yesterday - I'm drinking the zesty lemon and ginger tea right now. Very yummy! I also have the Calming Tea and Peach DeTox - but I'll wait for a day home to try the DeTox tea
Have a wonderful day Renee! You deserve it!
01.15.07 | jwash commented: These tips are absolutely awesome and I am happy to see others giving out information and tips like I do. Keep it up!
01.21.07 | andrew commented: Thanks for the great dieting tips! I like your tips for dinning out. When I order an entree, even if it is healthy and wholesome, it is usually way more than I would eat at home. I am going to try the appetizer and salad suggesion.
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Sounds like a system I could stick to!!!! I will add it to my routine!