Melissa Morley from Mayo, Republic of Ireland, decided to make a change as after her degree. She was out-of-shape woman, going from a size 16-8 to a size 8-10.
Melissa, shared the fun little things she did to loose weight and keeping it off two years after shedding 4.7 stone in her final year of college.
The Kiltimagh woman now inspires thousands with her Morley’s Motivation fitness blog and Irish population is going to change in 2016, Melissa has shared her ten golden rules to weight loss.
1. Mind over matter
Melissa says the secret to any successful health journey is your mental attitude. She says if you are not mentally ready to change your lifestyle then you wont be able to physically change it. Thus mental attitude is must.
2. Take photographs of your weight loss journey
Place your old photos everywhere, on the screensaver on the phone, fridge, wall, everywhere and as the weeks goes on take the new ones and put them alongside the old one to prove it was working.
Look back at how far you’ve come and keep going until you have a progress photo you’re proud of.
3. Set mini goals
‘you didn’t put that weight on in a day so you won’t lose it in a day’. So you need to set out small goals and reach them, and when you reach all your small goals the bigger goal will take care of itself.
4. Healthy food swaps
Start swapping some bad habits for new ones – you will want to ease yourself into a new lifestyle and not completely shock the system. By doing so your body will get used to a nice gradual change and you won’t feel like you’re missing out on any of your favourite foods!
5. Meal preparation
Prepare the food in advance, two or three days before you need them so that when you’re starving, you have something to hand that just takes minutes to cook.
Stock up on good Tupperware and keep snacks at the ready whether it be fruit, vegetables or a yogurt – get organised in the kitchen and it will pay off.
6. Grab a buddy
Grab someone else like any of the girls, your sister, a work buddy and set a time to meet.
Starting off with walking you can always build it up to a light jog or run after a few weeks.
7. Pick a sport or workout you enjoy
Look for any clubs or groups in the area where you find your passion – you’ll meet similar people and make new friends.
8. Don’t starve yourself
Stick to six small meals a day with healthy carbohydrates, protein and good fats.
This will keep your blood sugar levels stable and will help those pounds melt away without being deprived.
9. Drink more water
Drink at least two litres of water a day.
Always keep a bottle handy and keep drinking water throughout the day – so many times hunger can be disguised as thirst without us even knowing – so stay hydrated.
10. Enjoy it
It might take six months, it might take a year but don’t stop.
Enjoy the feeling of being back in control of your body, being able to wear what you like and having more energy.
Become comfortable with your body and realise it’s your friend and not your enemy – come to terms with the fact that we are all different, we all have different shapes and different strengths so embrace your differences and enjoy the journey.