Useful Apps to Help You Get Fitter | Healthy little Changes

Something which has really been helping me with my weight loss, has been finding a few really great apps! So I thought I would share them with you.

MyFitnessPal - Calorie Counter

I am pretty sure this app is the most popular one out of all the ones I mention. I have been using MyFitnessPal for just over a year now, (it helped me lose weight this time last year) and if I were to pick one app out of all of these to recommend you use it would be this one! 

You set up a profile based on how fast you want to lose/gain and how active you are, then it calculates a daily calorie allowance for you. The idea behind this app is that you LOG EVERYTHING, anything you put in your mouth and any time you workout you need to log it. Doing it this way really opened my eyes to how bad some of the foods I would usually eat were, and motivated me to research better options! There is also a barcode scanning feature which is handy when logging your food on the go. As long as you weigh everything correctly and stick to the nutritional goals (fat/protein/carbs) set for you, you will see changes on the scales. 

There is also a large social aspect to this app, not only can you add your friends from Facebook, but you can also interact with others through the forum section, there are forums where and possible question you could have, has been answered by others using the app. You can post new questions yourself, or engage the others within existing posts. I have made loads of friends through reading and commenting on the forums, once you have become friends with someone, you receive updates of how they are doing on your news feed. If they workout, complete their diary for the day or even if they have lost weight at their recent weigh in, you can like and comment on these updates and you also get likes and comments on your own! 

The website quite a few additional features, I use the reports section of the website quite often, you can look at the trends of the changes in your body over a period of time. I like to see how my weight loss changes within the month for example, through looking at the chart I can see that I tend to maintain the week before my TOM (Sorry if that TMI!). You can also chart how your measurements are changing as well. 

There are loads more I could say about this app but I don't want to go on, honestly just download it and give it a go yourself! My username is kk2aa, feel free to add me as a friend!

Pump Up

This app is basically Instagram with a focus on heath/fitness, the people who use this app have their own goals towards becoming healthier. Some are trying to lose weight, some gain weight, there are others who just are aiming to tone up what they already have. I love this app because it's not all really fit people showing off their super toned bodies, there are plenty of people just like me who are just trying to reduce the flab! 

Everyone is really supportive, there is also a recent posts feed so whatever you post goes directly onto there and you get loads of likes in minutes! I don't know about you but I get all proud of myself if I get quite a few likes on something, it motivates me to keep sharing the experience/journey.There are pre-made workouts for you to use, I found these really helpful when I was first starting out and you can also post when your weight has changed. I have started posting on Pump Up almost every day so feel free to add me if you would like to! My Username is kk2aa

Daily Water

This is a really simple app, its helped me to increase the amount of water I drink on a daily basis. You enter your weight and it tells you how much water you should be drinking in a day. You can choose the capacity of the container you usually drink your water in and then each time you finish a full container you click it in the app and it logs that you've drank it. As you log more and more water throughout the day, a sunflower grows on the main screen, if you complete your goal for the day you are left with a fully grown sunflower. I don't know what it is but something about wanting have fully grown sunflowers at the end of the day, want to meet my goal and it's really helped me get into the habit of drinking more!

I'm pretty sure this particular app is only available on Google Play Store, but any water logging app will work the same way and help you to drink more water throughout the day! You just might miss out on the sunflower growing!

Step Tracker - FitBit

Obviously, I know that not everyone has access to an activity tracker like a FitBit, and I will be doing a review based solely on the FitBit in the future. But I just wanted to highlight how helpful I've found using a step tracker in general! It has encouraged me to be more active and reach my step goal each day. I find myself getting off the bus five stops early on my way to work so that I can walk the rest of the way, I go out for an hour walk in my lunch hour and now it would be weird if I didn't! It's just got me moving loads more, and isn't that the main basis for weight loss eating less and moving more?

I didn't always have a FitBit, so I used an app called Accupedo which is a simple app which also allows you to set a step goal for the day and I found it to be quite accurate! I know there are many phones which have a step tracker built in now and many more apps which will do it so have a look around on your app store and take a wack at it!

YouTube

Last month I completed Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred (review to come!) and I was lucky enough to find the complete DVD on YouTube so I didn't have to pay a penny! Sorry Jillian I'm cheap. But after I finished the shred, I went on to discover that YouTube offers a wide array of fitness videos which are completely free, many require zero equipment and the best part... you can do them in your living room! 

I love all of Blogilates videos she is so upbeat! Although sometimes I marvel at her, shouting 'how is she doing that!' at the TV when she makes a really difficult pilates move look ridiculously easy. The FitnessBlender videos are good too because there is so much variety, there are videos of all lengths so you can choose one depending on how much time you have, and you can focus on a specific area of the body or just do a full body workout if you want to. The FitnessBlender videos are also good because they tell you how many calories you've burned, this makes logging the calories on MyFitnessPal loads easier.

Getting fitter doesn't require a gym membership, in fact I have been in the gym less since starting this journey 8 weeks ago because I enjoy working out at home so much!

Staying Motivated When Trying To Lose Weight | Healthy little Changes

Trying to make changes to your lifestyle, is never easy. It's staying motivated which is one of the most difficult aspects of the journey. You go through times of being upbeat and confident in yourself, but you also go through times where you feel like you are never going to reach your goal! It's very easy at times like these to give up and return to the bad habits you had before. But before you eat that giant piece of chocolate cake, yes you....put in down! I thought I'd write a list of tips, which have helped me to stay motivated over the past 8 weeks or so. I hope it helps!

1. Create a schedule.

I find that healthy eating is easier if I keep to a set schedule. Make sure you don't leave to much time between meals by setting specific times for the main meals of the day and even snack times! For example, I have breakfast at 10, lunch at 2 and dinner around 6ish. I usually have a snack around 4 in the afternoon as its the biggest break between meals. Splitting up the day likes this prevents you from getting too hungry between meals, as well as from skipping meals. Once I skipped lunch and came home and was so hungry I couldn't wait to cook food so I quickly reheated Lewis's pizza from the night before and devoured it all!

2. Create a workout regime to suit you.

Make time where you can to exercise, and figure out when you are most enthusiastic to workout. I tend to enjoy working out in the mornings because it gets it out of the way for the day, but I know others who love working out in the evening or even really late at night! On work days I don't have time to workout in the morning, so I have been utilising my lunch hour by walking for the full hour. I get home and do an half hour YouTube workout while the dinner is cooking. Try not to convince yourself that you don't have time to workout, even a 20 minute workout 5 times a week can really help! 

3. Research low calorie/healthy food choices.

I have been using the calorie counting technique to lose my unwanted weight, as a result I don't have many calories to play with on a given day. So researching low calorie meals and even low calorie snacks has really helped me! There are websites like this one, which lists loads foods which come in under 100 calories. Doing a little bit of research helps to make you more aware of which foods are high calories and which are low. I've filled my cupboards with an array of different low calorie snacks. So now when I get the munchies, instead of chomping on a whole pack of chocolate digestives (I have the biggest craving for these right now) I only have low calorie choices to pick from! I don't have that feeling of guilt that comes after eating something you shouldn't have, you know you didn't need to eat all of those digestives! Researching for meals also helps you to create different options for each meal of the day, its easy to stick to the same meals because you know they are safe, I am really guilty of this, but mixing it up helps keep things more interesting!

4. Make new friends.

Finding others who have similar interests/goals to you has really helped me! I mainly use apps (MyFitnessPal and Pump Up) which are social but also fitness centred. Everyone is working towards their own individual goals on there and I found that many are really encouraging and lovely. It also allows you to interact with people who have succeeded in reaching their goals already! I have even made a friend through Pump Up who has already lost six stone in just over a year, she did it completely through healthy eating and working out (which she did at home with a set of dumbbells and an exercise mat!) and she is such a motivation for me! Having a support like this is invaluable when you feel like you're losing enthusiasm. 

5. Don't deprive yourself.

Allow yourself a treat every now and again. Yes...I don't have a treat everyday like I used to but I have limited myself to only eating chocolate on Sundays and making sure it still within my calorie allowance. The important thing to take into account is that you are making a lifestyle change, you need to create a lifestyle which is sustainable for you. You shouldn't deprive yourself of the things you enjoy, you just need to make sure you eat them in moderation. This works differently for different people, I like to save my treat for the end of the week and the day that I weigh myself because it prevents me from straying within the week. Also, if I've lost weight that day, which after all is the plan right, I feel like I'm treating myself for doing well!

6. Don't let turn down social invitations.

Since I started calorie counting, I know that I have been a little apprehensive about going out to restaurants with family/friends because I may not have have access to the nutritional information. But if you say no to going out because of this, you could start to resent the decision to eat healthier. You can make healthy choices when eating out, choose a smaller portion or even something from the lunch menu, swap chips for a jacket potato or ask for no dressing. Many restaurants do print the calories of their meals on the menu itself or even on their website. But nevertheless, one meal won't ruin your weight loss in the long run or undo all the work you have done so far. Enjoy it while you're there and start the next day a fresh, try not to let one day where you over-ate morph into a week! 

7. Try not to weigh yourself everyday.

Some people are obsessed with weighing themselves when they are trying to lose weight and I used to be one of those people! Weighing yourself every morning and sometimes twice a day hoping to see a loss. But, I found that by doing this my mood and motivation would depend on the scales. The fact is though, your weight doesn't always stay exactly the same and it fluctuates throughout the week/day. So, this time around I have stuck to weekly weigh ins. I chose Sundays because it keeps me motivated throughout the week, and I can start a fresh each Monday. Once, I have reached my goal I hope to focus more on losing inches rather than pounds so I will be weighing myself less often then.

8. Compliment yourself.

Honestly, this is one of the most important tips I can give you. 'Be your own motivation' its a very well used expression but its so true, no-one will reach your goals for you, only you can! Try your hardest and compliment yourself when your clothes start to feel different, when you've worked out really hard that day, or you choose a healthier option when something really unhealthy/tasty is offered to you! It's also important that you're not too hard on yourself when you maybe don't make the best choice or you can't get to workout as much as you wanted to. It's a journey that you're on and you need to accept that you will have days like that but don't let those days turn into weeks, start each day a positive!

I really hope these tips helped! If you have any of your own I would really appreciate it if you posted them in the comments below! Lets all help motivate one another!

Where My Motivation For Losing Weight Came From! | Healthy little Changes

In the past I have always wanted to eat better and lose weight but I have never committed to it completely. I would stick to it for maybe, a week, and then I'd go out for a meal with friends or something and over eat. I would let this one slip up demotivate me from carrying on, I would think 'Oh  well...you've ruined it now' and I would let the over/unhealthy eating continue for weeks/months. Or, something upsetting would happen to me and I would let it consume me and the goals I had set for myself. I'd make myself feel better by eating something I knew I shouldn't or by skipping a workout. If I'm completely honest there has also been times where I just couldn't be bothered to do it any more and I would just give up as pathetic as it sounds I'm sure we have all done that!

This time around the origin of my motivation came from the same place it always does, wanting to feel more comfortable in my clothes and wanting to gain my confidence back. You are always really determined and itching to do it at first, I wizzed around the the supermarket only buying foods which would aid in my new diet, I walked everywhere I could and I bought new workout clothes!

But, after that initial burst of enthusiasm wears off, how do you keep motivated? All I can say is that something just clicked for me, others call it a 'breaking point'. All the doubts you've had in the past, you just don't have, you know you can do it and nothing is going to stop you. It is this feeling that stops you from blowing your calorie allowance on a meal with your friends, instead you choose something from the 'light bites' section of the menu. You search for people on social media with similar goals to yours and you realise that you're not the only one trying to do this, in fact there are loads of people who have succeeded in reaching their weight loss goals who started out much heavier than you. If they can do it so can you! 

I made being healthy my main focus, but more importantly I put myself first! If you are not doing this completely for yourself and if you don't commit yourself to it entirely, you will always struggle with motivating yourself. Love yourself and do it for you and before you know it you'll be there achieving your goals!

There are a few ways I have been able to continue to feel motivated, if you're interested look for a link on Wednesday on my Facebook for 8 tips to staying motivated for weight loss!

My Past Attempts at Losing Weight & My Current Goals | Healthy little Changes

This isn't my first attempt at trying to achieve a healthier lifestyle, I have tried umpteen times to eat better, lose weight and become stronger through exercise. Last year, I even achieved a stone weight loss before I allowed a stressful time in my life to get in the way and distract me from my goals. At that time, I gave up on myself and the goals which are so important to me, because life was getting out of control. I had just finished University and I was so terrified of the fact that I was without education for the first time in my life and I didn't know what was coming next that I gave up on everything, other than what was easy. 

By the end of March this year, I had gained back the stone I had lost! But, I am in a much better place now and I have the motivation to reach my goals again, but this time I won't be giving up. There are a few things which have aided my new found determination, apps I have found and people I have talked to but I will talk all about those things in a separate post. 

First, I want to show you my before photos from early April. Although I have already lost some weight since then, its important to me that I start at the beginning. I will provide progress pictures throughout the series and all will be dated until we catch up! (Please excuse my moody face on these pictures, I wasn't loving being this exposed and having my picture taken but I guess that's the whole point isn't it!)

I started out at 13 stone (182lbs), but here I had already lost around 7lb, unfortunately these are the first pictures I took of myself. I was just about to start working out 6 times a week here so I took these pictures in order to compare my progress, so I'm sure you'll see them again!

I hope to get down to 10 stone (140lbs) eventually. I do have target dates for getting to certain weights and the knowing that I have those targets, helps me stay more motivated towards achieving my goals. It is important that you are realistic when setting yourself time targets because if you don't give yourself enough time you are much more likely to get overwhelmed and give up all together. 

My Goals

- Have more energy.
- Be more positive.
- Explore new foods and try new recipes.
- Develop a better relationship with exercise. 
- Feel stronger.
- Have more confidence in my appearance and with myself in general.
- Drink more water (I hear its great for the skin! Bye spots!)
- Lose 40lbs to get back down to my weight before college.
- Make new friends who share in my interest in becoming healthier.

I will explain my reasons for setting these specific goals within further posts, my aim with this blog post was just to provide you with an outline of my main aspirations for myself! 

If any of you also share some of my goals, or maybe you've written your own, feel free to share them in the comments below! 

little note: It took a lot of courage for me to post these pictures, I would really appreciate it if any comments could remain positive. Lets all encourage one another not bring each other down.

Making little Changes....Introducing A New Lifestyle Series!

Let's face it we all have things about ourselves that we would love to change, I'm not talking about not loving the shape of your nose or the fact that your feet are a size bigger than you would like. I mean, that we all would love to change aspects of our lifestyle for example by socialising more or making more of an effort to learn new things. 

In my case, I have wanted for the longest time to improve my relationship with both food and exercise and adopt a healthier lifestyle. That sounds like a very simple task doesn't when I word it like that wrapped up in a cute little sentence, in reality any attempt to make a significant change to our lives is extremely difficult! 

Nevertheless, I am attempting it and I wanted to bring you along for the ride! So I'm starting a new series of blog posts through which I share every aspect of the journey, from my goals and why I'm doing this to the tools I have found helpful to keep me on the right track. The series is called 'Healthy little Changes' and I will be posting at least once a week, the first of which is scheduled for tomorrow evening! I hope that through this series, I will be able to not only keep myself accountable but I hope that some of the tips I find along the way can help some of you who have similar goals to realise them!