10 Changes I Made to Lose Weight.

So I've had 3 kids.  And during the summer of 2009 when Kady was only a few months old I made a promise to myself that I would get back to my "pre-baby" weight.  Not just "pre-Kady"  but ALL babies.  You see I happened to walk passed a store on Ottawa Street and saw some girl in the window and turned around because it looked like she was walking prettttttttty close to me.  When I turned and saw no one, and realized that chunky girl was ME...that's when I made that promise to myself.
I realize you can't just diet and lose weight, it doesn't work.  You really do have to change the way you are ~ your lifestyle, otherwise the weight will just come back.
I am more active now than I have been since high school :)
So here are 10 things that I've changed in my life that have helped me lost 29lbs! :)  And the list doesn't include spending a fortune on a gym membership by the way!

1. Eat breakfast.  Yes I used to preach about how it's the most important meal of the day, but there were so many days where I just didn't bother.  Really, eat it!  Some mornings I even just have a great big bowl of sugary cereal with the kids!!  (it's whole grain you know!)
2. Walk - walk - walk.  Some people don't realize just how lazy we've all become.  Driving your car should be a luxury.  If your destination is a 5 minute drive...MAYBE you should resist plunking your butt down in that car and walk there!  Unless it's miserably raining or too cold for me to breathe, I walk the kids to school and go on at least 1 walk a day with Kady in her stroller.
3. Find a Friend!  Odds are if you have someone to be active WITH you will stick with it longer than if you do it alone!
4. Control your portions.  It's hard.  It's REALLLLLY hard sometimes.  I find this one to be one of the harder changes because I really love food.  Sometimes I fail completely ~ like the other night when Dave brought me a cheesecake because I was ...well PMS-ing.  Kady and I shared the entire thing :(  Which brings me to my next change:
5. Don't Give Up.  If you eat an entire bag of M&M's or a whole cheesecake it's NOT the end of the world.  It's ONE meal out of ONE day.  There's 6 more of them in the week you know ;)  I used to fail for this reason a lot.  Eat a big feast one day and think "Screw it, I already messed up"  and then I'd pig out for a week!  Just get passed the fact and continue eating healthy!
6. Shop the Outside Aisles of the Grocery Store!!  Or at least focus 99% of your attention there!  They keep all the processed and convenience food on the inside aisles.  I still DO buy boxed and processed things, but nowhere NEAR the amount that I used to!  Cooking takes a bit more effort, but it's usually a lot tastier, and healthier too!
7. Take Advantage of Parks.  I have seen people do this on "Bulging Brides" or "Last 10 lbs Boot Camp"  Now I don't use PARKS really, but I definitely take advantage of living very close to the Niagara Escarpment!  I go up and down the stairs on them at least 3-4 times a week! You don't have to be a pro-star, you don't have to run.  Just MOVE :) 
8. Drink lots of water.  Not only is it good for your skin, and helps you digest your food better, but a lot of people are unaware that what they "think" is hunger is actually thirst!!  If you want a snack at 3pm grab a big glass of water first and then see if you're still "hungry" 10 minutes later :)
9. Play! (if you have kids this is much easier) Run around and play with your kids.  Enjoy them while they are little and still want you around!  Your dishes will be there after they go to bed!  Run and jump and take them swimming!  It makes you feel young again!
10. Don't Eat Like Your Husband!  Men are physically able to burn fat more easily than women.  Therefore when your hubby is wolfing down a bag of Doritos before bed, resist the urge and don't eat a bag yourself!

I heard someone on TV say "I'd rather be fat and happy than dieting and miserable"  And I realized that .... I'm not happy when I'm overweight. I'm not comfortable with myself.  I get embarrassed to wear my bathing suit or even tank tops and shorts sometimes.  And I want to be able to run around and be active with my kids for years, and THEIR kids too.  So I thought of my future.  I've had problems with my heart after I had Jeremy, and horrible asthma that's not well controlled... so for me it's a matter of health and quality of life to get and stay in shape :)

There are lots of other little things that we have changed as a family to be healthier, but we are always looking for more ideas.
How do you stay healthy and in shape?