😳 I needed to get out of my own way

​ ​ Hey there reader, The other day someone asked what's the first thing I did when I finally decided to lose weight. 🤔 I thought for a minute, and a few different habits popped into my head. But everything I wanted to say led back to one thing - I finally decided to get out of my own way. What do I mean by that? Until then, I blamed everything else for my weight issues. That diet didn't work. I don't have time. My kids are little. I work full time. I don't feel well. It's too hot. It's too cold; the list goes on. However, once I realized I was in control I got out of my way and started to make significant changes. So, what does getting out of our own way look like? Instead of mindless eating, I track the food I eat. Before losing weight, I thought I ate healthy foods and couldn't figure out why I struggled so much to get the pounds off. I wasn't a regular at Mcdonalds or other fast food joints, and to me, that should've been enough. Well, it wasn't. Because over ten years, I put on 60lbs, and it wasn't from too much broccoli. Unfortunately, many foods beyond fast food can sabotage our efforts to eat healthier. The day I started to track portions and calories, it became crystal clear why I packed on the pounds over the years - I consumed over 3000 calories without even trying. Most of those calories came from coffee drinks, salad dressing, cheese, and my kids' leftover dinner scraps. I was shocked and embarrassed when I figured this out. However, looking back, this knowledge also made me feel liberated and grateful because it allowed me to get out of my own way and start making healthier food choices. Instead of guessing what I'll eat daily, I put together a weekly menu plan and then prepped food for the week. I say this a lot, but I will repeat it. If there's one piece of advice I can give someone who wants to eat healthier, it'd be to plan out meals and then do some meal prep. It's so much easier to eat healthier when healthy food is available. Not to mention having food ready to eat reduces stress, adds more time into your day, and makes for an easier week - it's a win all around. I know meal planning can be a pain, but there are ways to simplify it. For one, you can create a 3-4 week rotating meal plan. This means you use the same meal plan every 3-4 weeks and don't have to continuously make a brand new one. Second, you can stock the freezer with healthy meals once a month to reduce meal prep time on Sundays. Check out my Freezer to Flourish Bundle.​ Instead of relying on willpower, I keep trigger foods out of the house. Before losing weight, I would bring foods into my home that I couldn't say no to. I thought I could, but these foods would call my name all day until I finally caved and ate every last bite. I call these trigger foods. Even today, I think I'm stronger than my trigger food, only to discover I am not. Therefore, I've learned to keep trigger foods out of my home. These foods include cheese puffs, pretzels, sharp cheddar cheese, and crackers. I can't stay away from these foods no matter how hard I try, so it's best I don't have them in the house. I truly believe our home should be set up to support our weight loss efforts, NOT sabotage them. Instead of trying to order healthy food at restaurants, I limit dining out to twice a month. This piggybacks off the last one. I have zero willpower at restaurants. No matter how strong I feel, more often than not, I order fries instead of the healthier option. I've tried my absolute best to change this, but I don't have the willpower. Therefore, I decided only to dine out once or twice a month. This lets me enjoy going to restaurants without sabotaging my weight loss efforts. Also, it saves us money! Instead of trying to find the time, I make the time. When I first started my weight loss journey, life was chaotic! My girls were little, and I worked 40+ hours a week outside the home. I felt busy, overwhelmed, and exhausted. However, I realized if I waited until I "had the time," I'd never make changes. 👉 Once I started making changes, I learned that living a healthier lifestyle truly doesn't take as much time as we'd like to think. Sometimes we make the beast bigger than it is. Once I started to meal plan and prep, I relieved a lot of stress and got more time during the week. Instead of sitting on the couch for 45 minutes drinking coffee in the morning, I went into my basement, dusted off my treadmill, and exercised. I went for walks during my lunch break instead of sitting at my desk. I used a calendar and started telling my time where to go instead of letting it slip away every day. Of course, I'm not saying I'm perfect and never fall off track. I wish; I still have my moments - trust me! However, instead of relying on the weight loss gods or fad diets, I created healthy habits and routines to keep me focused and on track with my healthy lifestyle year after year. Have a great rest of the week! Tammy Overhoff Organize Yourself Skinny ​ ​ Ps. Hey, have you checked out my shop, Reset & Flourish? If not, let me tell you all about it! At Reset & Flourish, you can find many helpful resources to help you fit a healthier lifestyle into your busy schedule. From freezer prep guides to 10-day challenges and eBooks, there's something for everyone. And that's not all! I'm also creating workshops and courses that will make healthy living more manageable. I'm constantly adding new resources to my shop, so check back often. Check out the Reset & Flourish Shop!

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