December tends to be the slowest month for Losefree.com traffic. And it’s not surprising – with holiday shopping, holiday cooking, and everything else – losing weight or staying in shape probably isn’t at the top of your priority list.

Recently I have been debating about switching to a gluten free diet however – and while discussing it with a friend decided that it would be silly to try and start it now, before the holidays.

But then I thought more and more about how sometimes I really do feel like I have a gluten intolerance (go down the checklist symptoms and I think I have almost all of them!) and as I looked around at the foods in my house I thought, if I can’t eat this stuff and it is causing my body distress, why wait?

And so, two weeks before Christmas, two weeks of holiday parties, family celebrations, and all that tasty food (resisting those appetizers is not easy!) I decided to start on the gluten free diet.

If I’ve been quiet around here it’s mostly because I’ve been doing a lot of research – not to mention completely learning how to cook again! Gluten intolerance means you can’t eat any wheat, barley, or rye – or anything made with these products – which means just about everything you’re used to no longer applies.

But I couldn’t wait to start the new diet. And I’m honestly so glad that I didn’t. I feel better than I did when I completely gave up sugar the first time – and while if you don’t have a gluten intolerance it likely won’t maje that significant of a difference for you – it does show that you shouldn’t wait to be more healthier.

If you’re waiting until next year to lose weight, or waiting until after xyz time – don’t. I know it’s hard to think about missing out on a lot of foods over the holidays – but you’re missing out on something much more important – your health.

Losefree.com is going to go through some big changes over the next few weeks and I will be completely updating my free ebook that so many of you have already read. While the common principles of combining foods together and cutting out sugar will still apply, I’ll be emphasizing some new things and nutritional discoveries I’ve made over the past few weeks that will hopefully make your weight loss journey an even more successful one!

I hope you all have a great holiday – and if you’re putting off losing weight or staying in shape, you don’t have to wait until next year – you can start right now to living a better and healthier life!

In just a few days the holidays will be kicking off…and this means a LOT of food everywhere for most of us. Whether it’s turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, cookies, cake, or whatever your holiday favorites may be, there’s a reason why everybody starts looking for ways to lose weight after the holidays and for the New Year – we eat too much constantly for almost a month and a half!

Now, I’m not saying you need to completely deprive yourself – but you’ve got to be careful, or you could easily start consuming an extra few thousand calories every time you go to a party!

If you want to try to lose or maintain weight during the holidays seasons and avoid over eating, here’s some tips:

Avoid Alcohol: I stopped drinking completely a few years ago when I started having kids. There’s a lot of empty calories in alcoholic beverages, and unfortunately many people have a hard time stopping at just one drink. So what I do is just avoid it all together.

Eat a Little of Everything: I can understand wanting to try a little bit of everything – but the key here is a “little”.  Take bite sized portions of everything. Want a piece of pie? That’s fine, but eat about 1/3 of a slice instead of a giant slice and skip the whipped cream (oh, okay, have about a 1/2 teaspoon of it!) By controlling the amount you eat you can still indulge a little without worrying about all the extra fat and calories.

Don’t Go Anywhere Hungry: If you’re hungry, it’s going to be very hard to resist the urge to eat just about everything in site and eat more than what is actually necessary.  Before going to a dinner party for example, have a very light dinner to help take some of the edge off before you get there.

Say No:  When I was a kid, my grandma was world renowned for making us eat, even when you couldn’t even move from eating so much. “Eat, Eat, Eat!” While it’s hard to tell someone you can’t possibly eat anymore, you can do it – just explain you’re leaving room for dessert or that it was so delicious, maybe you could take a little bit home with you.

Don’t Hang Out Where the Food Is: If you stand near a buffet table or sit in front of a plate of veggies, chances are you are going to just munch away without even realizing it. Make it a point to sit as far away as possible from all those foods so you’re not tempted to just snack away.

Chew Sugar Free Gum: When you feel full, have a stick of sugar free gum. Having something in your mouth will help you resist the urge to eat anything else.

Exercise: With so much temptation and great foods, the most important thing is to make sure you stick to your regular exercise routine. You may even want to try to adding in an extra day to workout or while hanging out at holiday gatherings get others around you involved in something that can help you burn calories – such as cleaning up the dishes, going for a walk, a game of family football, or getting the family to play Wii or something of the sort.

Don’t Give Up: If you do slip up, don’t get upset about it – just resolve to do better and get right back on track. One day of overeating isn’t going to ruin you for good – but if you do it everyday for a month it’s going to be harder to get back on track.

Have a great holiday!

Overcoming negativity when you are working to lose weight can be quite the challenge. There’s a lot of negative things out there that can greatly affect the way you feel about yourself and your motivation to keep on working to reach your goals.

If you’ve ever been “the fat kid” somewhere you probably know exactly what I’m talking about. In the fourth grade, I was the “fat quiet girl” that it seemed like nobody wanted to be friends with. I kept telling myself “looks aren’t important” and while of course I fully understand that to be true now – back then it was devastating. I was teased relentlessly all the way through fourth grade until high school.

We get all sorts of negative comments and looks – and while some people might in a sick twisted way think that will help someone who is overweight, it usually only achieves hurt and resentment.

Negative People are the kinds of people who don’t do you any good when you are trying to overcome an obstacle or reach a goal. They’re the ones who say “I don’t even know why you bother with that low-fat crap” or sarcastically snide “YOU workout?”

I wished for a long time that I could be one of those people with a snappy comeback. Unfortunately, I’m just not that good at thinking on my feet. I’m one of those types who hours later will think to myself, darn it, I should have replied .

Instead, I’ve learned a few other ways to deal with negativity in my life, and thought I’d share a few of those here with you.

Walk Away: So much easier said than done, sometimes ignoring it is the easiest solution. This one works especially well for those you don’t need to see or deal with on a constant basis, such as the sneering stranger who gives you dirty looks.

Ask Them to be Supportive: Sometimes people are just completely ignorant that what they are saying could be hurtful. If you are surrounded by negative family members that you’re stuck with, this could be a good option to try and help the situation. Often though if you explain what they are saying is making it worse and give them some suggestions on what will make everything better then you might just find it could make a difference.

Be Positive: When life hands you lemons? Make lemonade, right? Every problem has the ability to become an opportunity. To a caveman, having no light was a problem – but such a wonderful opportunity to create fire. When a negative thought enters your heard or someone says something negative to you about your weight or your goals, try to rephrase it positively.

Get Out and Exercise: I don’t know about you, but one of the best things I can do when I am angry is have a “work it all out”. That’s the equivalent to a workout, except while you’re exercising you’re also burning off that negativity. Put on some angry music or join a kickboxing class. Turn that negative energy into a way to burn calories!

It’s frustrating when people say and do hurtful things, especially when we are working so hard to change ourselves. I hope my tips above will help you with this hurdle in the battle to lose weight – and if you have any tips for overcoming negativity I’d love to hear your thoughts & suggestions in the comments below.

These weight loss motivational quotes are a great way to stay motivated and focused when trying to lose weight, diet, and exercise. Reading them from time to time or even posting them on your mirror, your refrigerator, or your desk will help you remember that losing those extra pounds doesn’t have to be boring or difficult! Sometimes all you need is a little reminder or inspiration to help you stay focused.

Here are some of our favorite quotes about dieting, exercise, and staying motivated to lose weight:

“Unless You Puke, Faint or Die, Keep Going!” – Jillian Michaels

“You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be.” -David Viscott

“The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph!” – Marvin Phillips

“Kites rise highest against the wind; not with it.” – Sir Winston Churchill

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt

“Extraordinary people survive under the most terrible circumstances and they become more extraordinary because of it.” – Robertson Davies

“It is better to wear out than to rust out.” – Richard Cumberland

“Obstacles are those things you see when you take your eyes off the goal.” -Hannah Moore

“The one way to get thin is to re-establish a purpose in life.” -Cyril Connolly

“There are only 2 choices; make progress or make excuses.” – Ellen Mikesell

“You only ever grow as a human being if you’re outside your comfort zone.” – Percy Cerutty

“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” – Beverly Sills

“Only he who can see the invisible can do the impossible.” – Frank L. Gaines

“The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work.” – Oprah Winfrey

“First you fuel the desire, then the desire will fuel you.” – Napoleon Hill

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Louis Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“There is no failure in running, or in life, as long as you keep moving. It is not about speed or gold medals. It is about refusing to be stopped.” -Ambry Burfoot

“If you haven’t got the time to do it right, when will you find the time to do it over?” – Jeffery J. Mayer

“If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it’s OK. But you’ve got to shoot for something. A lot of people don’t even shoot.” – Robert Townsend

“If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then begin by realizing that you are the author and everyday you have the opportunity to write a new page” – Mark Houlahan

“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” – Margaret Thatcher

“When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.” — Charles A Beard

Do you have any favorite weight loss motivational quotes for fitness and exercising? What helps you stay motivated? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

We’ve had a lot of new subscribers here at LoseFree and I want to thank all of you who have visited the site and taken the time to download and read the Lose Free Diet eBook. Because of this, I thought it would be good to write a post on weight loss motivation. I know that there are some people who have read the book and are doing everything to be healthier and more fit and are seeing results. Then I imagine there are also a few people who have read it and forgot about it and it goes in the pile of diets that didn’t work because the motivation wasn’t there to take the time to try it!

Finding the motivation to lose weight is probably the hardest thing to do. We are creatures of habit – we get used to our routines and our bad eating habits and it’s very difficult to break these habits. Losing weight is not about swallowing some magic diet pill or eating “super food”…it’s about changing your lifestyle. You’re not just dieting to lose weight for a couple of weeks – you’re doing this I hope because you want to be healthy and feeling good about yourself for life. Changing is difficult for all of us – and for many of us fighting to change can be a lifelong struggle without the right support and resources.

If you’re just starting to think about losing weight or maybe you tried losing weight for a little while and gave up, these 5 things you need for weight loss motivation might be helpful to get you off to a good start. It is never too late to start – even if you’ve stopped or fallen down a few times.

1. A Reason Why: There’s countless reasons why your doctor or the news and medical journals will say you should lose weight. I could list probably 10-15 reasons right off the top of my head. But none of the reasons matter unless it’s the reason why YOU want to lose weight. It’s not enough to just want to be skinnier or healthier. You need to be specific and be able to visualize that reason. Do you want to be able to fit into a certain size clothes? Do you want to be able to walk up a flight of stairs without losing your breath? Do you have kids or grand kids you want to be healthy for and be able to chase around? Your own personal reasons are going to be the biggest motivator that makes the difference between saying “Aw, I’ll workout tomorrow” or “I am going to drag myself out to exercise for 30 minutes today even if I am exhausted from working all day.” Your reasons why will make the difference between eating apple slices with no sugar added peanut butter and a huge slice of ooey-gooey-double chocolate fudge cake for a snack.

2. A Schedule: Let’s face it: Most of us have pretty busy lives. Whether you’ve got kids or a job or really anything else, it’s pretty easy to procrastinate or push off working out or eating healthy. If you’re one of those people who say “I don’t have time for breakfast” or “There’s no time to workout” or “I’m lucky if I have time to take a shower!” then you need a schedule. Take some time and make a plan of what time you will eat, what times you will exercise, etc. Not only will this help you change your routine, but it will also make a difference in how organized your life is and reduce stress as well. Treat eating right and exercising as important as any other appointment or meeting scheduled in your planner – it is.

3. Support: It’s not easy to do anything alone. Someone once said to me “You’re not the only one – you just think you are.” It’s a good saying to remember, because any time you feel hopeless or like you can’t do something or that nobody understands – it’s usually not the case. You can hopefully find support through family and friends, but if not there are great sites like meetup.org that can help you meet some like minded people near you or you can always join a group fitness class or other activities near you. Having someone who can cheer you on and help you reach your goals together with makes a huge difference.

4. Confidence: When you are overweight, it’s easy to feel a lack of confidence in yourself and your abilities. Maybe others have mistreated you or judged you because of your weight – maybe you have failed at diet after diet that you think you are the failure, not the diet. Whatever the reason is, you have to get that confidence back. Being able to say “I can do this” to yourself over and over again will make it much easier to stay motivated and on task than saying “I can’t do this.” Start off slow – you don’t need to run a marathon. Start off just by moving the different parts of your body. Raise your arms up in the air. Kick your legs. Walk for 5 minutes. Then the next day do just a little bit more. You want to keep pushing yourself – and each time you succeed at the small stuff you will start feeling more and more confident to continue making progress.

5. Progress Tracking: Making progress isn’t going to be evident in the first day or even the first few weeks. But if you keep working at it you will see progress and you will be amazed at how much you’ve accomplished. Our free printable exercise log will help you keep track of the progress you’ve made and gives some tips on using it to help you stay motivated. Rewarding yourself for every accomplishment is important – even if it is a small accomplishment. Maybe you went one entire day going sugar free – you could reward yourself with a relaxing bubble bath. The rewards or the accomplishments don’t have to be big – but by seeing the little changes you’ve made will help you stay focused on making the bigger ones.

If you want to lose weight, and you have all of the things listed above in combination with eating right and exercising, you WILL see results. Remember that nobody is perfect, and of course you will likely slip up a few times here and there. But don’t let that be what it takes to stop you – keep moving forward and before you know it you will look back at where you were and how far you’ve come along.

How are you doing with losing weight? Do you struggle with motivation? Need some help? Feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this post or email me and let me know how it’s going for you!