Secrets of Success

Maintaining!

If you want to maintain, stay with The Spark. especially stay with a Spark team, messaging, taking and giving support.

Keeping Up With All Your Friend's Activities!

I have a lot of active friends and was struggling to keep up with all their activities so I could cheer them on, until I discovered, on the Start page, a link called Friend Feed. There it lists all the activities of your friends for the day, not just the current ones you see on the side of the page

Clean Vs. Not Exactly Clean Clothes

If I wear something for just a little while and don't want to throw it in the laundry, I hang the hanger backwards in my closet. Then, I can tell that piece of clothing didn't just come out of the laundry, but it is still clean enough to wear.

Getting out the door...

It is easier to get out that door for a morning walk when I lay all my exercise clothing and shoes out the night before, get to bed early and set that alarm. I am out the door in about 5-6 minutes. I start with stretching and easy walking then kick into high gear. I have no excuses... LOL

Tea

I drink a lot of herbal tea to make sure that I get at least eight cups of water a day. I can't usually stand to just drink plain water, so tea is a great alternative.

Small Goals Offer HUGE Rewards

It's easy to look at the final project, but it's important to make sure you allow yourself to have many small victories along the way. A special treat if you exercise a certain amount per week, or lose a pound or two. Always reward EVERY accomplishment, and the big picture will be the grand prize!

you're not alone

aside from the support you receive in everyday life, you have a giant support system and accountability partner in sparkpeople. recording all of your workout and nutrition info for the day is a great way to stay on track and see your progress. it's motivating to see where you've come from.

breakfast

I like oatmeal in the morning. It seems to stick with me.

Write it Out as to WHY?

I wrote myself a letter about why I decided to lose weight and the reason why it's important to me. I eliminated all the reasons from other people, my doctor, my dear spouse, my mother etc and left only those reason that I came up with.

I posted the letter in the kitchen and carried a copy.

Promotional

I joined a gym for a discount because they want to use me to advertise! Now I'm accountable to a gym for my weight loss and exercise! I have to go a minimum of three times a week to stay in the contract. Talk about motivation!