The Friday Five: Get Fit!

This week I read an article about Binghamton's obesity rating second highest in the nation. I found this pretty disturbing but this article inspired today's post. A little over a year ago I decided to finally get in shape again. I was by no means obese but I wanted to feel healthy and comfortable in my own skin. I think pills and fad diets are for the birds so there was no way I was buying into that. I've managed to lose a significant amount of weight the healthy way and have kept it off by continuing to eat right and exercise. Losing weight isn't about starving yourself and depriving yourself of treats, you just need to be conscious of what you are putting into your body and what type of activity you are doing. I wanted to share a few tips that worked for me in jump starting my healthy lifestyle.

1. No soda! I have given up drinking soda on a regular basis but I will drink it at special occasions.
2. Drink lots of water! When I'm feeling a little hungry between meals I just continue to drink water (and maybe chew some gum!) If I know I'm going to eat soon, theres no need to load up on extra calories.
3. Don't eat just to eat! I stopped eating when I was bored! Make sure you're eating when you're hungry. I often stop and ask myself "Am I actually hungry or am I just bored?" I'm usually just bored...
4. Moderation is key! Ever hear the expression "Your eyes are bigger than your stomach"? When putting food on your plate, put smaller portions first. If you're still hungry after eating that portion and waiting about 15 minutes then consider getting seconds. If you load your plate up, you're more likely to force yourself to eat it even though your body was satisfied quite a few calories ago...
5. The most important thing...EXERCISE! Start simple with at least one hour workouts 3 times a week and REALLY work up a sweat! There's 168 hours in a week...what's 3 hours of hard work?!

I'm not a personal trainer or a nutritionist! These are just some things that worked for me during my journey! Feel free to email me your tips! Good Luck!