Dieting is hard to do! Tip #2: Portion Control

For those of you who think I must be some awesome dieter because I've lost so much weight...you can think again.  I have a VERY hard time watching what I eat; I'll get obsessed and drive myself crazy (or worse) if I think too much about it. 

The reason it took me so long to lose the weight is because instead of living off of veggies and protein to get fast results and cutting out all carbs, candy and McDonald's, I learned to be smart about my portion sizes.  I did cut out french fries and sodas until I reached at least my first goal weight, and then I learned to get a small fry (sometimes a medium) and a fresh cooked Angus burger with no seasoning or cheese when I wanted my McDonald's fix; I grab one serving of mini Reese's and put the bag far out of reach to resist getting more, and I drink a lot of water (use no calorie Crystal Light if you just can't do the water thing).  I learned that watching my portions shrunk my stomach and now helps me keep up with my lifestyle change.

About Tip #1: Rent Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown from your local library to give it shot if you have reservations about buying it, but I know you'll love it!  You may not SEE a big physical change in your body but if you put in the effort and push yourself, you'll FEEL yourself getting stronger as your stamina increases. (And believe me, it's amazing when you accomplish those chaturonga push-ups without stopping! Remember that it's the little accomplishments that count, because that's how you reach the big ones.)

A bonus is even aerobic yoga gives you a satisfying relaxing 30 minutes that can lead to a satisfying relaxing day or night.

Tip #1: Get up-close-and-personal with your TV

{This post has been edited since it's original publication.)

Two words, One person: Jillian Michaels.

I have done almost every DVD this crazy woman has released, and I am 100% sure that my increased upper body strength, my ripped legs, and of course, my weight loss has all come from pushing myself during her work-outs.  Jillian has various different types of work-outs to chose from, but if you're new to working out, I would start with Jillian Michael's For Beginners.

However, if you're looking to jump right into getting ripped, Jillian Michaels: Yoga Meltdown is where I started.  Start with Level 1 five to six days a week (ALWAYS TAKE ONE DAY OF REST!) for 3 weeks and progress for Level 2 five to six days a week for 3 weeks.  Each work-out is only 30 minutes long so you can do them during your child's nap-time (my personal favorite, but I know isn't always possible for those of you who are full-time working moms).  You can also get up 30 minutes early, or start the work-out as soon as you lay your child down for bed at night.

Now, I know it can be hard to get motivated so I won't lie: I have help.  Thirty-minutes before I want to work out, I take VPX Meltdown, which you can get at Walmart for $20.  I don't know whether the fat-burning part of their story is true, but it surely gets my hart going and makes me so antsy I WANT to work-out and I push myself harder just to get the jitters out.  This is a take-only-in-the-morning supplement, but if you don't have time time to work out in the morning, I take a pill around 2 if I know I am going to work out in the evening that day.

Every morning pick a time that you want to work out and stick with it!  Even if that means putting Barney on in the living room and sticking your kid in their playpen for 30 minutes...trust me, getting into shape benefits you both in the long run!