Biggest Loser 2015

Our school's Biggest Loser competition has commenced!  While I'm excited to get motivated to lose the rest of this baby weight, I know that it will be a true challenge.  You see in the past, I wasn't a mom (obviously) so I had lots of free-time (LOTS of FREE time).  I'm talking for-real free time to work out and stay fit; I combined my exercise regime with working out at Planet Fitness and taking classes at Sassy Girl Fitness.  Each day I dedicated 3 HOURS to working out - this was FULL, HARDCORE lifting, cardio, and core training.  I know that I will not be able to dedicate this amount of time now to exercising that I'm a mom.  However, I refuse to let being a mom become an excuse to not work out and live a healthy lifestyle.

The Fantastic Five are five tips that I give to my Biggest Loser Participants each week when we head off our competitions.  I thought I would share them in case you too are in need of some beginning of the year motivation :)

1.  Set Small Attainable Goals
Starting off a weight loss competition with the idea that you're going to cut out sugar, soda, caffeine, and processed foods is a map to Quitsville.  If you haven't cut these foods out before, trying to cut them all out at once will drive you insane.  Start with a small goal, like cutting out soda for a week, once you attain that goal then you can ADD to it.  

 
2.  Motivate Yourself
Sometimes we just need a visual of what our end goal is.  Going on a trip?  Take a picture of your destination and put it on your bathroom mirror and refrigerator door!  Can't squeeze into that favorite pair of jeans anymore?  Hang them on your bathroom door!  Seeing your goal every day will help keep you motivated.  

 
3.  Adopt the motto "after 8 is too late" for snacks after dinner. 
Snacking late has lots of negative effects.  First of all, when snacking late we tend to choose less healthy food option (chips, popcorn, candy, etc).  Secondly, at night our body is in rest mode, so our metabolism is resting and we are not as active as we were earlier in the day. This causes our snack to settle and we are not burning the calories that we are taking in.
Check out this article on tips for breaking the late night snacking habit!

 

4.  Meal Planning - Weekly
 Oh how I LOVE meal planning - Sunday night my husband and I talk about what dinners we will be making over the next week.  We are foodies so this is fun for us.  Not everything on the menu has to be perfectly healthy, but having our meals planned keeps us from making rash, unhealthy decisions when we get home from work.  It also helps us avoid the annoying "what do you want for dinner" conversation. 

5.  Stay on Track
Get a fitness/calorie counter app (like MyFitnessPal)and use it every single day.  If you're keeping up with every morsel you eat, you will be more aware of the foods you're eating and you begin to eat/snack less.  I mean really, who wants to spend 3 minutes logging in one hershey's kiss?  I'd rather just pass!
Other fitness/calorie trackers that are pretty popular:
FitBit
Calorie Count App
Health App (available on Apple iPhone 5s and 6)

Disclaimer: I am not a fitness trainer or doctor.  I am not affiliated with Biggest Loser in any way.  This is a friendly competition that my co-workers and I use to help us get motivated and lose weight.  The advice and information contained on this website may not be appropriate for all individuals. I accept no responsibility for and exclude all liability in connection with browsing this Web site, use of information or downloading any materials from it, including but not limited to any liability for errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or misleading or defamatory statements.