Effective weight loss tools

So the last time I started my weight loss journey, I did very well, I did everything I was supposed to do and then some, and It had paid off; I lost 85 pounds in about 1 year.

However, since I had lost all that weight I took a little break from the whole keeping a food diary and exercising 3 to 4 times a week.  I thought to myself that I deserved a break after all the hard work I put in for the last year.  Unfortunately, the break was extended for a bit too long, and low and behold, some weight crept back on.   I also injured my back at one point and was not able to workout at all for a few months so that really didn't help.  Thank fully, I noticed the weight gain  and stopped it before it got out of hand, but I still managed to gain 25 pounds in about a year, which is shocking to me!  It never ceases to amaze me how hard it is to lose weight, yet it takes no time at all to put it back on!

But now, I am definitely back on track, and have begun yet another weight loss journey to get rid of those 25 pounds and keep them off for good.  The indispensable tool I use this time around is a website called the Daily Burn and it's great!  I track all my food intake, my workouts as well as my weight.  It is so helpful to have this tool at my disposal, because it really helps me stay on track with my calorie intake as well as my calories burned with my workouts.  Not only that, but they have an iPhone app as well, so I can use it even when I'm not at home on the computer!
Another great tool is books...Yes, those old things!  In this electronic age, people seem to forget the old classic method of reading a book.  A great place to start is to get yourself some cookbooks.  There are tons of them on the market that have low fat, low cholesterol, low calorie recipes, and you can get them at your local bookstore such as Chapters or Indigo if you live in the Montreal area.  Not only do they have a vast selection, but you can get books in French and in English, which is awesome.  A great cookbook that I bought is the Weight Watchers New Complete cookbook, there are some amazing recipes in there, and all usually fall within the right calorie range if you are counting calories.

I try to find inspiration and motivation wherever I can get it.  I watch a lot of those weight loss shows like The Biggest loser which is one of my favorites, I watch it pretty much religiously every Tuesday!  You can also find inspiration from the trainers Bob & Jillian's books, which will have tons of great information to help you along the way of your weight loss journey.  Another show I am totally addicted to is The Last 10 pounds Bootcamp.  I love that one too, because they address both the exercise issue, and the nutrition issue, and they both go hand in hand in any weight loss journey.  The fact that the host of that show is disturbingly hot helps a little too...He can come help me shed my last 20 lbs any day!  But regardless of that, I have incorporated a lot of the exercises from the show into my routine, and I've taken some their tips from the nutrition plans they built for people and used them in my own nutrition plan.

So once again, my weight loss journey continues, I am happy to say though, that It is starting to pay off;  I've lost 6 lbs, and I am starting to see more definition in my abdominal area and my thigh and butt area, which is where I need the most toning!  Hopefully by the time I go to Florida in February, I'll have lost a lot more weight and will see a significant difference in my toning...Gotta look good in that bathing suit!!