Helping vs. Hurting

When it comes to weight loss you have to try something in order to know what works for you. What works for a friend may not work for you and vice versa. In order for me to know what would work for me I had to try some new things out. Today's post will be about things that have helped me and things that haven't helped me on this journey (as time progresses I will update it with more information). All opinions are my own.

Things that didn't work:

• Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred : the only reason this didn't work out is because I went in with higher expectation than I should have. I had started with the Ripped In 30 and loved it so I thought this would be just as enjoyable but I should have started it with a clear mind and not a mind already formulated with opinions. Although this didn't work now, it may work in the future when I have a better mindset about the program. 
• Trying to abandon carbs all at once: I am not sure why I thought this would be a good idea. But when I tried to abandon carbs all together, it soon hit me that I needed to slowly release them from my diet. Therefore over the course of two weeks I have been able to limit myself to one carb per meal (if that, some meals I don't have any carbs which I am perfectly fine with). 
• Eating a meal before the gym: again, I am not sure why I thought this was a good idea

Things that did work:

• Fitbit Zip: I am so thankful that I purchased this handy device back in January. It has inspired me to move more just so I can get in some more steps. Moving more helps me burn more calories which benefits me in the long run. 
• Camelbak Eddy (1 Liter): believe it or not, cool water bottles help me drink more water. I am not sure what it is about it but I want to look at the bottle more and figure out how it works which then inspires me to drink more water. 
• Eating after the gym: a much better idea. If I feel hungry before the gym (which is very rare because I am going early in the morning) I will drink about 5 ounces of a fruit smoothie. 
• Planning meals out ahead of time: this helps me get a better idea of what I am eating and what items fill me up quicker than most. 

As for this month, these are the things that have worked and have not worked for me; of course, all things are subject to change.