My Favorite Advice For Losing Debt

I logged back into MyFitnessPal today. I haven't used it to keep track of my diet since May. I reread a blog post that I wrote entitled "My Favorite Advice for Losing Weight."

I was surprised at how perfectly the advice for losing weight also applied to losing debt. So, I'm posting the advice here.

1.   Be consistent. Set a plan and do the same smart actions over and over.

2.      Don’t be in a hurry. Focus on each day, not just the big goal. 

3.       Have fun with weight loss. See calorie-counting as a game. 

4.       Give your body and mind “rest days” – aka “cheat days” or “off days” or “high calorie day” 

5.       Visualize progress with graphs and pictures. 

6.       Start a lifestyle change – not a diet.  Don’t make changes you can’t stick with for a lifetime. 

7.       The best exercise program is the one you can enjoy and stick with.

8.       Don’t let yourself get hungry.

9.       Educate yourself about how weight loss happens. Read books and blogs. Learn about nutrition, reading labels, the science of exercise, and the philosophy behind any new habits you begin. 

10.   If you make plans now, you won’t have to make excuses later. Plan your meals.

11.   Decide which calories are worth it. 

12.   Measure (weight, waist, heart rate, food portions, steps)

13.   Eat what you like. Make sacrifices, but don’t live a deprived life.

14.   Be honest about how much you eat. Buy a food scale so you’ll know for sure. Eat accurately.  - Be honest about how I spend. Analyze my bank statements. Keep track of my expenses for a week. 

15.   Find or learn to cook nutritious foods you can enjoy as much as your old standbys. – Learn to enjoy things that I can afford on a small budget. I look forward to getting a $200 smartphone rather than the $600 one I was saving up for. I look forward to my next car being used, and getting a cheaper Android tablet than an Ipad.

16.   Alter the foods you already eat (grilled instead of fried, ground turkey substituted for ground beef, skim instead of whole milk, cook veggies less thoroughly).

17.   Try something, If it works, stick with it. If not, try something else.

18.   Look at what you can do now (touch your toes, walk farther, etc) – Look at how I feel now when I have savings, how I handle emergencies, how I feel when I know I have money in the bank.

19.   Keep a food and exercise journal and keep it up even when the data isn’t pretty. This is a way of being honest with self.