Notice a difference?

2012 was the first time as an adult that I was able to make my health a priority.  I've

struggled with weight for so long.  I know how hard it can be.  I also know that  you CAN succeed.  You CAN get healthier, leaner, fitter, and with it comes improved mental clarity and health.  I've lost almost 25% of my body weight in the past year.  I can now get on a treadmill for an hour and do 5-8 miles and after feel ready to do another 5-8.  I have a ton more energy.  I feel good and I still have a ways to go.  If you are looking to lose weight or just get in better shape, here are some things I would suggest:

• Keep track of everything you eat.  There's a great app called MY FITNESS PAL for phones.  It is free.  If you don't have a smart phone, there's a great site called FITDAY.com.  You can also go old school and keep a journal by hand.  When I first started keeping track, I realized I was regularly eating 3,000 or 4,000 calories a day....way too much...and I still felt hungry!
• Intake.  Know how many calories your body naturally burns.  You can find that number here.  Once you have that number, figure out what a healthy deficit for you is.  A 500 calorie deficit per day will let you lose 1 pound per week.  A 1,000 calorie deficit per day will let you lose 2 pounds per week.  I wouldn't aim for more than that.  Some weeks you'll lose more and others you'll lose less.  Sometimes you'll lose nothing.  Don't let it frustrate you.  Fight on!
• Moderation is key, in everything.  I was eating TONS of carbs, followed by lots of fat, and very little protein.  Try and eat 1/3 carbs, 1/3 fats, and 1/3 lean protein (chicken, turkey, fish).  Fats and protein make you feel full longer.  When you eat foods high in carbs and sugars your blood sugar spikes and you feel hungry again a short time after.
•  Supplement.  Hit up WalMart and find a protein shake that you like.  A good protein shake will be about 90% protein with a couple of carbs and fat.  Get a couple of good shakers and mix 2 scoops and 16 ounces of water.  This will be about 250 calories.  Use this to replace a meal a day.  You'll feel full for a couple of hours.  Also, invest in a box of protein bars.  A good protein bar will be about 50% protein, 35% carbs, and 15% fat.  Again, you can use this to replace a meal or as a healthy snack. 
• Veggies.  Eat them.  Avoid starchy carbs like potatoes, corn, and rice.  Look for green beans, lettuce, broccoli, celeri, etc.
• Water.  Drink lots of water and make it cold.  Drink at least 8 ounces 10 times a day.  It will help fill you up.  If cold, it'll also require your body more calories to process.  Yes, you will have to go to the bathroom very often.  Get used to it.  It's a good thing :)
• Exercise.  Just do it.  Find something that you enjoy doing and do it.  I love basketball.  I started with that.  Then I got my ass on a treadmill.  I didn't like that too much, but I forced myself to do it.  Now doing 60-90 minutes on a treadmill is nothing.  For each mile you walk or run, you will burn 100-150 calories.  The actual burn depends on your body weight.  Get 60 minutes of exercise at least every other day.  Find a way to make it routine. At first the cardio and calorie burn is super important.  After a while it's good to transition to a mix of cardio and strength training.  Do 30 and 30.  Check out MY FITNESS BUDDY.  It's an iPhone app that costs $1.99 and will show you how to do exercises with illustrations and design a plan for you.
• Reward yourself.  It goes along with moderation above.  If you do well, cheat.  Just don't go crazy cheating.  If your goal intake is 2,000 calories have 1-2 days a week where you do 2,500 and enjoy some ice cream, chips, or whatever your favorite foods are. 
• Do NOT starve yourself.  That will slow your metabolism down. 

Helpful sites

• fitsugar.com
• menshealth.com
• fitnessmagazine.com
• mensfitness.com
• shape.com
• fitness.gov 

If you've had success getting fit, please leave a comment below with a tip.  If you find this blog post helpful, please share with a friend.

Good luck and let me know if I can help - JB Wilde