Shrinking Natalie

My success would not be possible if I was doing this alone. During my journey I have sought and found so much help both online and in my everyday life.  Here are my Top Ten favorite web based resources:

1. Weight Watchers - My saving grace, Weight Watchers has given me the tools, support, and motivation necessary to keep at this very long process of relearning my daily habits so I can become a healthier me. I highly recommend both the online program and the in-person meetings.
2. Calorie King - This is a wonderful website where you can find extensive nutritional information for both restaurants and store bought food.
3. Hungry Girl - A useful blog and daily newsletter which gives a multitude of recipe redos so you can still eat your favorite foods. Be careful, though, Hungry Girl likes to use a lot of processed food, so only partake of her recipes in moderation!
4. Subway - More of a plug, but this is the place to get fresh, healthy food fast. I ♥ Subway!
5. Emotional Eating - A great article from WebMd about emotional eating. Not everyone who is overweight is an emotional eater, but I am.  This makes losing weight all that more difficult, because food is an addiction for me.  Food is my drug of choice to numb emotions, just as some people might use alcohol.
6. The Scale - Anyone trying to lose weight knows that stepping on the scale can cause excessive amounts of fear.  During my journey I realized I was becoming obsessed with the scale, weighing myself multiple times per day.  I found this article and it help put things in perspective. I know usually weigh on Mondays at home to see if I am on-track, then again on Thursdays at my Weight Watchers meeting.
7. Cooking Light Online Recipes - great database of delicious recipes to try out!
8. WebMd - WebMd's online Health & Diet Center has a huge range of articles and tools to assist in your journey to become a healthier person. 
9. Yoga Poses - I started yoga early on in my journey to help me tone and lose weight, but quickly discovered its a stress buster, too. I prefer to do yoga at home instead of in a class, so About.com's yoga portal has tons of free poses complete with instructions & pictures.
10. Couch to 5k - When I started Weight Watchers I couldn't run 3 blocks let alone 3 miles. Now, I have completed a 5k, 5 miler, and 10k - and am in training for a Half Marathon (13.1 miles).  The Couch to 5k Plan is a great way to get moving and ease into running. If running outside, I suggest you use the free resource www.mapmyrun.com so you can determine your route & distance!