I have struggled with weight for a long time. If you're like me, you have tried everything to get the extra pounds off. Heaven knows there are thousands of options out there with all the diets, pills, exercise videos, etc. They all claim to miraculously melt the weight off, but if you haven't figured it out for yourself yet let me tell you to keep your money and forget about all that junk. The truth is you don't need any of that to lose weight, but there are some tools out there that can help make your weight loss easier.
If you want to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you consume. I know that you can make it more complicated than that, but that's how I lost over 50 pounds. I didn't take any special pills or follow any diet. I just became more aware of what I ate and how many calories I was burning.
Here are some of my top recommended tools to lose weight and keep it off:
- Record Keeper. You have to keep track of the calories you eat. Not for the rest of your life, but even just a week or two will help you see exactly how many calories you consume. You can just jot down the calories in a notebook or you can use a calorie counter app. There are a ton of apps out there, but if you don't want to search through them all I would recommend MyFitnessPal.com.
- Measuring Cups. One of the biggest wake up calls for me was when I started actually measuring my food out. I realized very quickly that my serving size was typically two or three times as much as what it actually should have been. Those low calorie chips weren't so low cal when I realized I ate half the bag and 600 calories.
- Scale. I know this is the enemy. I used to do anything to avoid stepping on one, because I was too scared to face the truth. Unfortunately, you have to step up on one and face your truth. You won't know if you are cutting enough calories if you never step on one. Just make it a routine and step on it once a week to see if what you are doing is working.
- Measuring Tape. There are times when you will go weeks without losing any weight. I started taking my measurements and often found that even when the scale was stubbornly sticking in one place my measurements were shrinking. It helps so much to see results, if not on a scale then in the size of your thigh. ;)
- Pedometer. You need to know how many calories you are burning. There are all types of pedometers out there. I personally use a Fitbit. I love it. It's become an accessory I never take off. It keeps track of my steps, calories burnt and even sleep (or lack there of). You need to know how many calories you are burning to get an idea of how many calories you can consume.
These are just five of my top tools I personally use. They worked for me, and hopefully they will work for you too.
