In 2011, I decided that enough was enough. I needed to lose weight. I started going to a trainer 2x a week on top of keeping track of my caloric intake. I made sure that I made it to the gym after work every other day. My hard work paid off as I lost about 10 pounds that summer. Go head, right?
Well, until I started dating this guy. We were constantly going out to eat and I traded in my time at the gym for more time with him. Well, less than two months later, I had gained all the weight I lost back. Since then, I have stayed within a 15 pound range that continues to fluctuate. And though I’m no workout guru, I’ve found the following tips helped me keep my weight in a controllable range:
Walks in the park
Not only is this a great cheap date idea, walking for thirty minutes every day is good for you. And if you can’t make it to walk in the park, use your lunch break to walk around the perimeter of your building (with caution, though).
Make your boo your accountability partner
Let him know that you’re serious about your fitness goals. You’ll need someone to help you stay on track and can keep you in positive spirits, not one who will sabotage your journey. Though he may be fine with how you look, he needs to know that it’s serious because you believe it is. It’ll be harder for you to fall off the wagon if someone is encouraging you along the way.
Keep a gym outfit and sneakers with you
If you’ve committed to a regular work out pattern, don’t let anything distract you from that. So this means if you spent the night over #his place, go to the apartment gym or exercise in his neighborhood. The same goes if you’re on vacation—opt for walking back to the room instead of taking the hotel shuttle. Or go to the gym on the way to or from work. That way, it’s out of your way and you don’t have to worry about getting comfortable after a long day at work. It’s really the little things that go a long way.
Losing weight is no joke. It’s especially hard when you don’t have a great support system and feel like there isn’t enough time in the day. However, use your boo to your advantage. They should be able to reach your goal and maintain it. Congrats for taking the first step and good luck!