The right advice can be all you need to get yourself motivated to achieve your weight loss goals. Your health is one of the most important things you have in life and keeping your weight balanced is a factor that cannot be overlooked. Add these ideas to your toolbox and build that better you.
A sedentary life leads to health problems, one of those being weight gain. Our bodies were not meant to sit for hours, yet most of us have desk jobs that make us sit for most of the day. Sitting for that long can also lead to back problems. So every hour, stand up and move around for a few minutes. Go get a drink of water, use the restroom or talk to a coworker. It will help you boost your metabolism. Your body will thank you for it.
Drinking water is essential to losing weight and becoming healthy, but it’s hard to drink enough each day. Carry a water bottle, either disposable or refillable, with you every where you go and you can take a sip of water whenever you feel thirsty or feel the first pangs of hunger.
During your weight loss program if you get off track and eat something unhealthy or fattening do not punish yourself. Sometimes during holidays or special occasions you may consume foods that are not part of your plan. This is fine as long as you do not beat yourself up about it and move on. Punishing yourself will lead to falling back into old patterns of eating. Pick yourself up and keep a positive attitude when you make a bad food choice. Make better choices the next day or the next meal.
Simply turning down the temperature on your thermostat can have a big impact on your overall weight loss. Studies have shown that people who go to sleep in a cooler environment (not exceeding 70 degrees) burn an extra 100 to 200 calories per day. This is due to a process called non-shivering thermogenesis.
Reduce the amount of carbohydrates that you eat throughout the day. Also do not eat any carbohydrates late in the afternoon or in the evening. You can increase the amount of good fat and protein that you eat to compensate for your lost calories when you cut out the carbohydrates.
Go nuts! The combination of high protein and fiber found in most nuts make them a great snack for keeping hunger under control. Eat them as part of a healthy diet, and you could see significant slimming, fat reduction, and possibly healthier levels of cholesterol. Remember that nuts do contain fat and calories, though, so keep your portions reasonable.
Many people associate weight loss with eating less. It’s time to associate weight loss with eating more! More fruits and veggies, that is. Identify your favorite fruits and make sure you stock up on them. Love salads or baby carrots? Whatever your veggie of choice is, indulge in it!
Stay away from fast food restaurants as much as you can. They are cheap alternatives for eating out, but most of their food comes with significant negative effects. They are usually packed with calories, sodium and fat enough for the day or longer. Choose items approved by the American Heart Association as they are healthier than others.
If for some reason you cannot remove all the junk food from your home, store it in an opaque container. Researchers at Cornell University determined that people ate 70 percent more candy when it was stored in a see-through container. By keeping those high-calorie foods out of your sight, you can keep them out of your mouth.
One tip that you can follow when you go to the grocery store is to set a time limit to get all of the foods that you need. This will reduce your chance of purchasing junk food on a whim, as you will simply purchase the foods that are on your list.
When you are trying to lose weight, avoid mindless eating. Slow down and pay attention to what you are doing when you have something to eat. Do not just sit in front of the TV eating directly out of the package and barely tasting what you are eating. You will consume much less food if you are careful to really think about it first.
It is a good idea to make weight loss goals that are easily attainable. This makes you more motivated when you reach those goals and will prompt you to stick with the program with the hopes of losing more weight. You can even buy yourself some sort of treat as a reward for reaching your goal.
You can see that it is not rocket science when it comes to losing weight. It is a matter of how you approach your journey and strive to succeed. Advice is great and useful, however, it is up to you to use it wisely and keep your goals in front of you. Success starts with your first step.