Advice From People Smarter Than Me

I try to parcel out weight-loss and fitness advice every now and then, but it’s hard for me to do with a straight face all the time.

I really have to fight off the natural urge to say something along the lines of “If you don’t think you can manage a low-carb diet, start off with a low-crab diet and go from there.”

Luckily, I have friends that are way smarter than me and willing to share their wisdom over here. I asked them to boil down their best advice in a super-concentrated burst of extra-potent perspicacity.

Here’s what they have to say…

• “As I journeyed to lose 158 pounds, I learned that it’s important to learn to say ‘no’. Saying ‘yes’ to cakes and pies is easy, but learning to say ‘no’ to foods you don’t want or need is very freeing and empowering.” –Diane from Fit to the Finish

• “If you keep going on & off a ‘diet’ (which by the way is NOT a lifestyle change for life), you’ll never learn to ‘listen’ or understand your body and how it reacts to certain food choices AND exercise. I have been able to keep this up so long and keep it off because I LISTEN TO MY BODY AND MAKE CHANGES BASED ON WHAT MY BODY AND LIFE ARE TELLING ME. Each choice I’ve made is one I know I can live with lifelong or until my bod tells me otherwise.” – Jody from Truth2BeingFit

• “Pick your ‘perfect’.” – Tony from The Anti-Jared

• “If I could pass along one ‘here’s the answer to all the fitness/healthy living stuff that ails ya’ tip, it would be simply one word: CONSISTENCY. The key for both losing and maintaining is moving. Consistently. Every day. Day in day out. Year in year out. People consistently ask me how many hours I workout a day and seem not to want to believe how little exercise I do (30 minutes pretty much every day, ranging from traditional exercise to vigorous dance parties with my daughter). I am simply consistent and that, in my opinion, is the key. I move every day. In some fashion. No matter how busy I am. No matter what else is happening in my life. No matter what silly form my movement may need to take to squeeze it in. Day in day out. Year in year out. Consistently.”– Carla from MizFit

• “Do it out of love, not punishment.”–Foodie McBody from Food Food Body Body

• “The two most important elements for success? Self-honesty and consistency. You have to be very real with yourself and your habits. You have to accept responsibilty for every choice you make. Understanding the power of a choice is so critical---when you realize this, get super honest with yourself---and protect your journey by giving it a super high importance level---and realize consitency is key. Well, how can you fail? You can't. Success is yours for the taking!” – Sean Anderson from The Daily Diary of a Winning Loser

• “Here's what I've learned about myself that seems to help others: Focus on fun, integrate lifestyle changes into your daily routine and team up with others; hence, the acronym: FIT.” –Carole L. Carson, Coach/Author, From Fat to Fit: Turn Yourself into a Weapon of Mass Reduction

• “I have tons of advice but it would start by "eating clean," which basically is combining complex carbs/proteins and eating six times a day. This keeps the metabolism from crashing, prevents hunger, & provides fuel for the body. When the body is working at it's peak, you want it to utilize the fat for energy and not muscle. Also, especially for women they need to add weight training at least 2x a week along with cardio into their exercise program.”–Shannon from Shannigans

• “Find an activity you love and know you will stick with. If you hate running on a treadmill, you won't do it. Love dancing? Enroll in a dance class. Boxing? Go to a boxing ring. Fitness is creative and FUN!” –Alison Foster from Foster Fitness

• “I discovered the sure path to permanent weight loss is to find out why you eat and solve that. Otherwise, that wicked "why" comes back to haunt you like bad Halloween candy hiding in your sock drawer. Once solved, that "why" will leave your life and take the bad candy with it.” –Pat Barone, "America's Weight Loss Catalyst"

• “Typical NY resolution: massive changes and maybe a cleanse diet. Embrace logic instead: make small changes that you can live with forever” –David Kirchhoff, President & CEO, Weight Watchers Intl (and a Lifetime Member), plus a little blogging at Man Meets Scale

You would probably have figured it out on your own, but this is a wonderful collection of health and fitness resources, people who regularly provide insightful information and informational insights. I strongly encourage you to follow the links and check them out for yourself.

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