In case you haven't been reading closely enough, I have lost some weight since 2011. I wish I could say that it was easy peasy, but really, it wasn't. The decision to lose weight was easy, but doing it? Yeah, no.
Luckily, I was able to find resources that greatly helped -- and continue to help me -- lose weight and stay healthy. I've compiled this list for you -- aren't you excited?
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1. MyFitnessPal (http://www.myfitnesspal.com)
Without a doubt, this website and its corresponding app is the reason why I was able to drop the weight. It's a great, great website with all of the tools one needs to be successful in losing weight and being healthy. It's a great community with like-minded folks; the forums are helpful for getting motivation and for finding lowfat recipes as well. The biggest help is the website's calorie counter, which is calculated based on how much weight you want to lose, your current weight now, and how much you exercise. It's frickin' eye-opening how many calories you take in versus how much you think you take in. I give this website a lot of credit for my weight loss.
2. Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor Watch (buy from Amazon)
This is quite possibly the coolest. thing. ever.
Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but it is pretty damn cool.
It's a heart rate monitor watch and if you're serious about losing weight, I suggest you buy one, especially if you're relying on the machines at the gym. This little baby tells you exactly how many calories you've burned, thus giving you a much more accurate sense of how your weight loss is going. Those machines aren't always accurate, which means you may be going over your calories, which would then explain why you're not losing weight like you want.
There are newer versions of this watch, but I bought the one pictured (the FT4) for about $70 on Amazon. Trust me, once you start using it, you'll wonder how you've gone out without it so far.
3. iPhone 3Gs
When my other phone decided to take a nice fall off of my television in early 2011, I made the decision to jump on the iPhone bandwagon. I got my 3GS for only $50 from AT&T, which is a great deal, if you ask me. It wasn't as fancy as the newer ones out there, but it got the job done.
Without this little guy, I would not have the easy access to the MyFitnessPal app. I can log food and exercise on the go, and the information from the app syncs directly to the website. I've also started using this over my iPod to listen to music on-the-go. Plus, there are a plethora of exercise apps that one can download onto the phone to help with fitness! My favorites are Endomondo, Couch to 5K (free), and Period Tracker (Lite).
4. Spibelt (buy from Amazon)
I am lucky to live near a multi-use trail that is next to Lake Michigan. When I first started walking/jogging on it, I had to find creative ways to store my keys and phone. I'd clip my keys to the waistband of my shorts and then stick my iPhone inside the waistband. Doing that really limited my movement. I started looking around at others, wondering, "Where the heck do you put all of your stuff?"
That's when I noticed fannypacks. Not the gaudy ones we had in the early 90's -- but fannypacks for runners. Some had holsters for water, others were barely noticeable. I hopped onto Amazon (by far, my preferred way to shop) and found this neat little thing -- a Spibelt! It looks like it doesn't fit much, but from what I've read, it can fit quite a bit. I usually keep my keys and iPhone in it, and I wear the belt around my waist with the pouch in the back. It takes some getting used to but it's hardly noticeable once you've got it on.
5. Jillian Michaels
This woman is nuts ... in a good way. I currently own three of her DVDs (30 Day Shred, Ripped in 30 and Kickbox FastFix, the latter being my favorite) and though I didn't really complete 30DS or Ri30, they helped to keep me motivated and moving. Ms. Michaels is one tough trainer, and I admit that there have been moments where I've cursed at her or wanted to cry because I felt like she wanted to kill me. However, she is truly inspiring, and even when I am not using her programs, her voice is shouting, "Don't phone it in!" and I huff and puff through whatever workout I'm doing.
6. Shakeology
This is what I drank for my cleanse, and what I drink in place of lunch some days. It tastes delicious, honestly. Even for a chocoholic like me, though, it can be a little too chocolatey! I usually have to dilute it with quite a bit of water, otherwise it's hard for me to stomach. But I love the stuff; I don't use it everyday, but I definitely use it. I like to mix in some Speculoos Cookie Butter from Trader Joe's, but that's about as unhealthy as I get with it. I had a great idea of mixing Oreos with it, but that would defeat the purpose. ;)
Plus, it has a lot of really good stuff in it. That's always a good thing. I admit that I'm not a huge fan of vegetables, so getting my required nutrients from something that tastes like chocolate is what I need. If you're interested in it, let me know and I can give you more information on how to get it!
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So, there you have it -- a list of my favorite things thus far. What are some of your favorite things that help you stay healthy?
Have a great rest of the week!
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