If it were easy to lose weight, we would all be doing it without help, unfortunately that is not the case. I think the concept of DietBet is a really good one because it combines the idea of a competition for those who are competitive, community for those who need social support, and money is on the line. This way, there's something for almost everyone. At the end of the day, we need to want to make the change or none of this will matter.
I've been thinking about this process and how I only have 4 weeks to lose 8 pounds. This motivates me to actually stick to what I'm trying to do because 1. I want to be at a healthy weight 2. There is money on the line and 3. There are people in this community that will hold me accountable.
It seems that I just need to reframe the way I approach things. I’ve done this with success before, but then I would mess up and that mess up would lead to another and I would be back where I started if not worse. With DietBet, I will be motivated to continue. Some of the ways I would reframe the situation is instead of saying I CAN'T HAVE carbs, sugars, pizza, cheese etc. , I will change it to I NEED TO drink 64oz of lemon water, 3 cups of green tea, eat 5 servings of vegetables etc. a day. That reframing changes it so that I don't feel deprived, which ironically ends up making me eat even more than I originally would have. Another thing I feel that helps with food cravings is finding a healthy substitution that works for you. For example, if you really like to eat chips and dip maybe you can switch to baked flatbread and hummus dip. Personally, I really like ranch dressing (I think I actually used to be addicted because I would slather it on literally every inch of everything) I recently mixed a ranch packet in with Greek yogurt and it was a good, healthier substitution. Speaking of Greek yogurt, it’s a really good substitution for sour cream in my opinion, especially if you squeeze some lemon juice in there.
I am going to cook more meals at home as opposed to eating out like I often do. This way, I know what is going into my food and I can add more vegetables- which have more nutritional value for fewer calories and as an added bonus I get to clear out my fridge and save some money! Can't be mad at that.
As far as exercising goes, I will try to do some form of exercise at least 6 days a week. This can be anything from walking to insanity workouts (I've only done the fit test and boy was that tough!). The thing that works best for me is trying to sneak it in throughout the day. I will take the stairs instead of the elevator, while I wait for my water bottle to fill up I will do 10 pushups on the counter, every time I used the restroom I will do 10 air squats. You know what they say, "little by little becomes a lot".
I'm trying to stay focused and tell myself that it is mind over matter and that I can do this. This is for my future self; I think she deserves to be fit and healthy while she's still young.
Good luck to everyone out there! You can do it!
START STRONG AND FINISH STRONG!