Day -9 ....Tips & Tricks

Well, I asked for it and I got it.....but welcome more advice from you as you think of it....I'm storing these tips up for my big start next Thursday, January 7th - that is my "weigh in" day (and hopefully yours too!)!

For those that want to start their weight loss program in 2010, I hope some of these tips help you as well....here are a few for today...

When you get up in the morning, drink a BIG glass of water before you eat anything. Wait 10 minutes. Then have a piece of fruit. Wait another 10 minutes before you eat anything else to let the fruit digest...

Drink a large glass of water right before every meal, wait 10 minutes before you eat, and then don't drink anything with your meals.

Drink 20 gallons of water every day.....OKAY, maybe not 20 gallons :), but LOTS, as much as you can drink without hooking a hose to your desk.

Workout on an empty stomach in the morning.

Keep a food journal and write down everything that goes in the PIE HOLE! I'm going to have to change that name, brings back too many good memories...

Let's face it, there are thousands of tips out there to help us lose weight......but we have to do more than just read them...YIKES, that was a painful realization for me! It would be so easy to just read it and be successful, wouldn't it? Adding some links/tips below to some interesting but age old reminders on just how to get started and keep it going....

http://chris.pirillo.com/50-weight-loss-tips/

Here's a list from another site: (I've added my comments in (CAPS)

There are hundreds of simple steps you can take to increase your weight loss success. Here are 58 of the best ways to get turn your body from flab to fab without selling your soul to the Gym.

Make sure you're getting your rest days,
Wait 20 minutes before taking a second helping of dinner, (WHY NOT CUT OUT 2NDS?)
Start doing 50 squats, 3 times a day, to increase your fat burning and tighten your booty, (OKAY, START WITH 10, BUT JUST START!)
Train for a reason - try a 5k fun run, (HOW COME THEY CALL IT A "FUN" RUN?)
Reduce your alcohol intake - better yet, don't drink alcohol, (MAY NEED A LITTLE TO GET THROUGH THIS!)
Cut cheese out of your diet , (LAUGHING COW IS A GREAT, LOW FAT SUBSTITUTE!)
Join the gym (and use it), (TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO REALIZE THAT JUST JOINING THE GYM DOESN'T WORK!)
Take a 30 minute walk every day,
Increase your walk by 10 minutes,
Walk up a hill,
Ditch the remote control, (LIKE THE OLDEN DAYS)
Add nuts to your diet,
Drink more water,
Don't over train, (FAT CHANCE OF THIS HAPPENING! WAIT, FAT CHANCE, I GET IT NOW! FAT CHANCES HAPPEN WHEN YOU DON'T TRAIN!)
Switch your cardio for weight training,
Work out with a friend,
Add chilli powder to your meals, (NOW THIS IS INTERESTING, WHAT HAPPENS? A BIT SCARY! DO YOU JUST START SWEATING YOUR FOOD AWAY???)
Drink green tea instead of coffee,
Snack on carrots and celery instead of a muesli bar or fruit, (I KNEW IT WOULD COME TO THIS, EAT CARROTS UNTIL YOU TURN ORANGE!)
When eating out, have an entrée instead of a main,
Change from full fat milk to 2% or fat free,
Take up a new sport, (IS DIETING A SPORT?)
Eat with your mouth closed and chew slowly,
Never eat while rushing about or while doing anything else (reading, walking, talking), (THIS ONE IS AN EYE OPENER FOR ME, I HAVE EATEN HALF OF MY MEALS ON THE RUN!)
Make sure you're getting your daily intake or fibre , (WARNING - FIBER IS GOOD, BUT KNOW YOUR LIMITS....NOT SAYING ANYTHING ELSE HERE....)
Get support,
Get educated about your diet,
See your doctor, make sure you are healthy,
Treat yourself kindly, (COME ON, WE SHOULD ALWAYS DO THIS!)
Wean yourself off sugar in your coffee,
Plan your meals in advance,
Stick to your daily calorie allowance,
Eat fish 3 times a week,
Eat more vegetables,
Eat with friends,
Serve your meals on smaller plates,
Choose tomato based sauces over cheese/ cream sauces,
Ask for salad dressing on the side,
Drink coffee & tea without adding milk,
Have avocado instead of butter on sandwiches,
Eat slowly,
Remember to rest - your body needs recovery time,
Switch the TV off when you eat, (NO MORE ICE CREAM WHILE WATCHING BIGGEST LOSER)
Eat wholegrains wherever possible,
Have 2 servings of fruit every day,
Use good quality oils when cooking,
Use an oil spray instead of a free pour,
Swap deep fried potato chips for home made, oven cooked potato chips,
Eat an apple 20 minutes before your lunch or dinner, (THIS ONE REALLY WORKS, MY FRIEND LIZ TOLD ME THIS AND SHE ALSO HAS AN APPLE ON THE DRIVE HOME WHEN YOU ARE REALLY HUNGRY AND CAN'T WAIT TO EAT! TAKES THE EDGE OFF - TRY IT!)
Never hurry to eat a meal,
Join a team, (WE ARE A TEAM HERE!)
Keep a diary of everything you eat, (GRAB A NOTEBOOK TODAY AND START PRACTICING THE DAILY LOGGING!)
Use an online diet program
Write down your goals, (IT REALLY ISN'T JUST ABOUT THE POUNDS LOST, BUT RATHER THE LIFE WE CHANGE!)
Review your goals daily,
Visualise yourself at your ideal weight, (OR FOR ME, JUST GET OUT SOME OLD PIX! I CAN STILL SEE THE THINNER VERSION OF ME, EVEN WITH THE BELL BOTTOMS ON :))
Relax! Take up meditation or yoga to combat daily stresses,
Eat more natural food and avoid processed foods. (SHOP THE PERIMETER OF THE GROCERY STORE)



WHEW! That's a lot of advice.....but just taking 1 of these things and incorporating it into your diet every few days may really get us jumpstarted! That's it for now....more tomorrow... in the meantime, share your ideas and get excited, we are just a little over a week away from starting....let's make this "prep" time work!
And oh yeah, start unloading those holiday goodies......