Ten Favorite Weight Loss Tips & Tricks

Hello!  I decided to link up with one of my FAVE blogs, and share some of my weight loss tips and tricks! Please realize, not all of these are in practice right now... as I am a giant pregnant woman.  However, I do plan to reinstate them all as soon as this kid gets here!

In no particular order...my weight loss tips & tricks

1. Plan your meals ahead of time.  I don't think it matters if you use Weight Watchers, Fitness Pal, or just count your own calories.  If you plan what you're eating for the entire day, then there is always less room for a fudge up.
2. Portion out dinner before you even eat it.  I do this all the time.  If I make a huge pot of spaghetti, or soup, or a casserole, or whatever, I go ahead a get my Glad containers ready.  I portion it up, give my husband and I the first 2, and then I immediately put all of the leftovers in separate containers.  This way, there are pre-portioned lunches ready to go, I don't have to guess how many points are in each one, and I don't have a large tub of spaghetti hanging out in my fridge waiting for me to wolf it down.
3. Allow yourself a cheat meal, or a cheat bite, or whatever it takes. If I deprive myself of something I want, there is not doubt that eventually I will end up in a corner surrounded by candy wrappers and stuffing my face with cool ranch doritos.  In order to prevent this, I allow myself something that I  really want at least one meal a week.  Also, if my husband orders something with fries, I'm going to eat one or two.  I get to taste them, but I don't have the guilt that comes with eating a full plate of them.  My mom always said, "The first bite tastes exactly the same as the last bite."
4. Drink with your meals.  I would say drink water, but I love my iced tea and diet coke.  I have found that if I make an effort to drink as I'm eating I get full faster. I know this isn't a huge revelation, but it works.
5. Exercise.  Sometimes I hate it, sometimes I love it...regardless...It's the only thing that gets the weight off fast, keeps it off, and helps your body not look like a balloon filled with jello.
6. Let your friends and family know that you're trying to lose weight.  I lost the most weight when my college roommate and I were doing Weight Watchers together.  We held each other accountable, there wasn't a lot of crap in the house, and we encouraged each other.  Even if your friends and family aren't losing weight with you, it's nice to have that support group and some accountability while you're losing weight.
7. DWLZ!  Dottie's Weight Loss Zone.  I learned about this website in a WW meetinga long time ago, and it has helped me ever since.  There are TONS of restaurants listed here with WW points and calories for TONS of items.  I rarely go to a restaurant and don't pull this up.  There's also a .99 app.
8. Get dressed and put some makeup up on, girl!  I feel waaaaaay better about myself if I'm dressed in something that fits me (no matter the size) and I have my makeup and hair done.  For some reason, if I lay around in sweat pants all day I am definitely more likely to veg on the couch and eat too much.
9. The WW scanner app.  It's awesome.  If you're walking around the grocery store and wondering how many points are in that frozen breakfast sandwich, just bust out your iPhone and scan that puppy.  I usually scan at least 10-20 things while I'm shopping!
10. Talk nice to yourself.  This one may seem weird, but whatevs.  I used to be mean to me....like REALLY mean.  If I messed up a meal, or didn't like what I saw in the mirror I would give myself hell about it.  One day I realized that I had to stop this. I wouldn't tolerate anyone else talking to me the way I talked to myself.  I decided to be nicer to myself.  If I did great at dinner and didn't eat the whole bread basket, I gave myself a pat on the back.  If I only lost .2 pounds that week, I congratulate myself...I respond to myself better when I'm nice to me :)

Cant' wait to read everyone else's!