"I've been trying to lose weight for so long. How do you stay motivated?"
"Girl I'm trying to get like you. Help a Sista out"
Those statement above are all too familiar to me. I spend a lot of time a week reaching out to individuals to help them on their weight loss journey. I know it's hard! So I'm dedicating this blog to all of you. Below I have listed 10 things that I do to help me along this journey. They are in no specific order. All are extremely important to my success.
10. A walk a day keeps the doctors away.
Get up and walk!!! Try to dedicate 30 minutes of your day to strictly walking. I promise you will feel so much better. You can maintain a healthy weight, prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, strengthen your bones and improve your balance and coordination. And did I mention that you will FEEL BETTER!!! Start slow. Losing weight doesn't need to be a fast process. Give your body time to adjust.
9. Change your way of thinking.
Getting healthy should be a lifestyle change. I stray away from using words like diet, because to me it implies that it's temporary. So I don't go on diets. I just change my lifestyle into something I can do for the rest of my life. 
8. Make it fun! Have a Blast!
Do something that you enjoy!!! I love to go running so getting up and doing it is easy and fun for me. And guess what?...I lose a lot of weight doing it. Find what makes you happy and go for it!
7. Get your friends involved.
It's always fun when friends are involved. Have friendly competitions from time to time. Me and my girl friends got together and challenged each other to run/jog 10miles a week. It was hard but it was fun! So bring your friends along on this journey with you. 
(As you can see I'm slacking lol)
6. Cook! Meal Prep! Water!
This is one of the most important steps that I take. Take the time out to cook and meal prep for an entire week. It keeps you from last minute stops at McDonalds or Burger King and you're able to scale out exactly how much you're eating. Limit your sweets and bread intake. More fruit and veggies. Remember that what you eat is a LARGE portion of your weight loss journey. Also, Drink PLENTY of water each day. I keep water in my car at all times so I can just drink a bottle at any given moment. Even if it's hot. I was told 64oz is a good amount each day. So start there.
5. I Cheat...
Enjoy a nice cheat day or just a cheat meal from time to time. It's ok to slip up every once in a while. Just don't make "slipping up" a habit.
4. Oh how I love free apps!!!
Anything from My Fitness Pal, Nike+, and Calorie Counter helps to monitor your progress and weight loss. And did I mention they are FREE! My favorite word. ☺️
3. Get some Zzzzzzs Baby!!!
Rest is extremely important for your physical and mental health. This is an area that I struggle with, but I'm working hard at. At least 8 hours folks. Rest your beautiful body and wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take over the world!
2. Tell the World!!!
Sharing my progress with the world keeps me on my toes. Keeps me from backtracking too much because I know that there is someone, either waiting on me to fail or wanting to go through this journey with me because they see my progress and know they can too do the same. While becoming healthier is definitely something I'm doing for myself, I'm also doing it for the ones who believed they couldn't.
1. Believe in You!
I have to admit that I doubted myself a lot in the beginning. I had tried so many times before to lose weight and it just wasn't happening. I would start then stop. Then start. Then stop. But time was different. I had a plan in place and I believed 100% in myself and that I could and WOULD get healthier. It all started there. If I didn't believe in myself I wouldn't have made the I progress that I have made. So believe in yourself. You can do anything you set you mind to. As cliche as that sounds, it is 100% true. 
(started at 213 and is currently 175)
So what now? What's next? GET UP AND MOVE!!! YOU GOT THIS!!! YOU CAN AND WILL DO IT! I believe in you! Any question please comment below. I'm here to help!
With Love,
Bridge 💋
