- Start slow: You can start as small as eating healthier once or twice a week or incorporating a workout into your routine. Walk, take the stairs more at work instead of the elevator. These little things can make an impact. Do not overdue it at first, you have to give your body time to adjust to exercising. Make the exercise more fun by adding music to keep you moving.
- Keep a Journal: This can vary from writing down how you feel, to what you ate or how long you exercised and what you did. Writing for me is a great way to get my emotions down on paper and to go back and reflect on the day. It helps me to sleep better at night and to have a better day.
- Stick to a routine: Plan out your days and when you plan to exercise. Try to exercise around the same time everyday. You can increase the amount of time you exercise as you go. I used my calendar to plan out my workouts and how long I was planning on working out. It felt good to check it off after I did it.
- Weigh yourself occasionally: If you weigh yourself everyday and you don’t see results, it will discourage you from wanting to keep at it. Weigh yourself every couple of weeks and you will see a change. Remember that this is a slow process don’t get discouraged when you only lose a couple of pounds, the little victories are just as important as the big ones. If you feel good, you look good!
- Invest in comfortable workout clothes: Working out in something that barely fits doesn’t help. I found tops and shorts that were comfortable to move in and that I felt good in. OldNavy sells a wide variety of comfortable and affordable workout clothes that I love.
- Schedule Rest Days: Plan out at least one or two days a week that are for resting. These are important for your muscles to be able to rest. You don’t want to get hurt. Drink plenty of water, take a warm bath or shower and rest up for the next day.
- Hydrate: Make sure you drink enough water while working out and while resting. Invest in a refillable cup. Drinking enough water is essential and very important.
- Prep your meals: Buying your food in advance and making it are important. Portion out your food and make enough for you to eat. I found that it was so much easier when my meals were done and prepared for me. I also started to cook more which added to the fun.
- Make an Album to track your progress: I made an album on Facebook to capture all of my milestones. It is so cool to look back to see how far you have come since you started.
- Support Systems are the best: Tell people what you are doing. Have people that you can talk to about what you are going through. It is important to have someone to talk to especially when it gets hard.
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Photo by 
Photo by 
Photo by 
Photo by 
people sitting on chair in front of computer
all stars lol GIF by Lifetime
two women talking while looking at laptop computerPhoto by 
shallow focus photography of two boys doing wacky facesPhoto by 
happy birthday balloons with happy birthday textPhoto by 
itty-bitty living space." | The Genie shows Aladdin how… | Flickr
shallow focus photography of dog and catPhoto by 
yellow Volkswagen van on roadPhoto by 
orange i have a crush on you neon light signagePhoto by 
5 Tattoos Artist That Will Make You Want A Tattoo
woman biting pencil while sitting on chair in front of computer during daytimePhoto by 
a scrabbled wooden block spelling the word prizePhoto by 
StableDiffusion
StableDiffusion
StableDiffusion
women sitting on rock near body of waterPhoto by 
