How I Did It - General Advice

My biggest piece of advice is a) start small and b) figure out what works for you.

Start Small

Can you trade soda for sparkling water? Can you change your brand of bread from white to multigrain/seed? Can you start walking to work? Some of the best advice I received during my year was “you’re not just trying to lose weight, you’re working towards a new lifestyle.” The changes you make (for the most part, but especially at the beginning) should be things you can stick with for the rest of your life.

Figure out what works for you

Here’s an example for you - If I have snack things (chips, chocolate, ice cream, block cheese, etc) in my house, I will eat them. I have no will power around snacks, they are my kryptonite. But I also hate leaving the house if I’m already comfy (or if it’s late, or cold, or hot…I’m good at making excuses.) So - I don’t buy snacks when grocery shopping (or if I do it’s a single serving) which pretty much eliminates any chance of unnecessary/unhealthy snacking because I’m not about to leave the house in search of snacks when it’s freezing outside at 11pm. But I have a friend who is the complete opposite. Her cupboards at home are full of snacks…and they stay full because she has all the will power in the world and is capable of eating a single serving of Cheetos from a family size bag. (Sometimes I wonder if she’s actually robot…) But when she doesn’t have snacks around to responsibly snack on – she’ll go out and (by her own admission) make some really bad food choices. Her system would be a disaster for me, but my system would end terribly for her - it’s all about what works for you! (Some soul searching and harsh truths must be endured to find a lot of this stuff out.)

Here’s another example:

I am not a morning person in general but I’m REALLY not a morning workout person. I tried to be because so many people swear by it, but not only does planning a morning workout decrease my chances of doing it, but even if I make it to the gym I’m going to be cranky as hell AND I don’t perform as well – I can’t run as fast and I can’t lift as much. Workouts for me are more than just about being physically healthy, they’re my number one source of stress relief. I’m a very chill and generally happy person in the morning – the world hasn’t had time to get me down and so I don’t have a day’s worth of stress to pour into a workout. I’m basically the Hulk – I’m only strong when I’m angry.

Note: I’m a single, childless, mostly-introvert that usually has no week night obligations so evening workouts are very easy for me to do. People with life obligations may have to work out at a time that isn’t best for them physically, but is best for their schedule AND THAT’S OKAY. Whatever is going to help you get the workout done is what you should do.

Everyone’s body is different as well and will respond to both food and exercise differently – if something isn’t working for you, do some research and find another option. (Also, make sure you’re being 100% truthful with yourself about whether you’re wholly committing to whatever it is.)