64 Tips For Working Out and Eating Well While Grieving

www.whatsyourgrief.com

Let's be honest, grief and exercise are usually a tough combo. Grief often sucks us into the couch, usually with a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. So today we have 64 tips for keeping yourself inspired to eat well and get moving!

1. Remember, the measure is how you feel, not the number on the scale.
2. Find a gym that works for you -- consider location, class offerings, costs, etc.
3. Watch Extreme Weight Loss. Holy crap, do they work out hard on that show!
4. Get some workout clothes you actually like.
5. Learn about grief and overeating. Throw away the junk food in your house: out of sight out of mind!
6. Put on your gym clothes before you leave the office. It is just embarrassing to drive home in your gym clothes and not actually stop at the gym.
7. Practice mindful eating, to learn to be thoughtful about the savor food.
8. Go for a walk, even if it is just around the block.
9. Get a Fitbit One Wireless Activity Plus Sleep Tracker, Black and challenge yourself to a daily step goal.
10. If your excuse is you don't have time, get up an hour earlier to workout.
11. Splurge on expensive healthy foods that you like, instead of going out to eat.
12. When you have no motivation, tell yourself you only have to move for 10 minutes. Chances are once you start you'll keep going!
13. Eat small meals and/or healthy snacks regularly, so you're less likely to binge when you eat.
14. Take the dog for a walk.
15. Keep a workout DVD in the DVD player, so it is easy to press play and do it.
16. Write down all your excuses and a response to them, so you will be ready to respond to yourself when you are talking yourself out of working out. For example:
17. If you think you don't have time, remind yourself 10 minutes is better than nothing!
18. If you think you don't have time, tell yourself you can get up 30 minutes earlier or stay 30 minutes later.
19. If you think you don't have time, make a list of all the times you could exercise that you may not have thought of (during your lunch break, during your kid's practice, while watching TV, etc).
20. If you think you can't afford to join a gym, think of all the freeways to exercise (take a walk, go for a hike, do a workout DVD, run up and down your stairs, take a bike ride, etc).
21. If you think you can't afford a gym, review your debit card statement. Was there enough spent in coffee, eating out, or other purchases that could be re-allocated to a gym membership?
22. Always carry healthy snacks with you.
23. When going out to eat, check the menu online first to decide on a healthy option.
24. Check pinterest for some great workout motivation.
25. Keep your goals in your fridge and pantry, to give you pause when you are mindlessly grabbing a snack.
26. Cut back on your alcohol - it is better for you, and will help you feel better in the morning to get up and workout.
27. Stop paying the kid down the street to mow the lawn - mow it yourself. It is a great workout and it has to be done!
28. Think for a few minutes about things being limited poor health, then put those gym shoes on!
29. Post or tweet about your lack of motivation to work out on Twitter and seek some encouragement.
30. Find a workout buddy. It's an old cliche, but that is because it works!
31. Make a workout mix full of motivating music. Put it on to get you pumped up on days you are struggling with motivation.
32. Just go! Stop letting being tried be an excuse. Just get yourself to the gym and chances are, once you're there, you'll feel better.
33. Stop drinking soda, juice, sweet tea, etc. Stick with water!
34. If you don't love water, get a soda stream so you can do seltzer water whenever you want.
35. If you don't love water or seltzer water, add lemon, lime, fruit slices, mint, cucumber, or basil to your water to add some flavor.
36. Remember why you started working out in the first place, and how much better you feel now that you did before.
37. Put your workout clothes right next to the bed. Put them on as soon as you wake up if your plan is to work out in the morning. 
38. Do something light, like an easy/beginner yoga class or DVD.
39. Call a friend to get some encouragement and motivation to get moving.
40. Join a walking/running/biking group or club - that group accountability works!
41. Schedule some sessions with a personal trainer. Though it may be costly, they can help you get the most out of your work out and help with accountability.
42. Check out a list of the 100 most motivating workout songs.
43. Take it one day at a time -- don't worry about working out every day. Just worry about getting a workout in today!
44. Take it one meal at a time -- don't worry about eating perfectly for every meal, just worry about eating well for THIS meal.
45. Don't let one slip up ruin your efforts. If you slip up and eat poorly, just get back on track for your next meal. Don't fall into the "I'll start again tomorrow trap".
46. Reward yourself - set goals with rewards if you hit them. Get a message, a manicure, buy some new workout clothes, or whatever other rewards work for you.
47. Find a friend to keep you accountable. Even if they aren't working out with you, find a friend who will check in with you every few days for a report on how you have been doing and will keep you motivated.
48. Don't go to the grocery store when you are hungry -- you will inevitably buy junk food that you don't need!
49. Use an online food and exercise tracking tool, like fitday.com. It can be an eye-opener as to how many calories you are eating.
50. If you don't have time to cook healthy meals, look into pre-made healthy meal options like diet-to-go.
51. Think about those who don't have the opportunity to workout, due to health or other limitations, and appreciate that you can by getting moving!
52. Don't let yourself go to bed without doing something, even if it is just walking up and down the stairs 10 times.
53. If you have a Fitbit, or another step tracker, don't let yourself go to bed until you have hit your step goal, even if you have to walk around the block a few times until you hit it.
54. Workout during all your favorite TV shows -- either watch them at the gym, or get a rebounder, stair stepper, or treadmill at the house that you always use when your favorite shows are on.
55. Keep variety in your healthy meals. If you stick to the same options they get boring and you may be more likely to splurge on something unhealthy.
56. Everything in moderation -- don't deprive yourself of all your favorite foods, or you will be more likely to binge. Allow yourself the foods you love in moderation, every now and them.
57. Expect setbacks. No one is perfect. You will miss days at the gym, you will splurge now and again. Don't beat yourself up about it.
58. Put on music and dance!
59. Keep some motivational quotes on your phone, fridge, desk, mirror or anywhere else that may inspire you!
60. Check out your local farmers market and explore new fruits, vegetables, and healthy foods that you may not have tried before.
61. Stick to the outside of the grocery store, not the middle aisles. This is where you will find whole foods, rather than those with chemicals, preservatives, sugar and other such junk!
62. Remember that you can't take care of other people if you don't take care of yourself.
63. Park in the very back of every parking lot.
64. Enjoy the last days of summer with some water sports -- go swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, etc.