Weight loss the healthy way
It’s no secret that many of us would like to lose a few, or more than a few pounds. Unfortunately, many people start out with good intentions for weight loss, but get caught up in unhealthy...
March 17, 2015
We are living in an era in which everyone is conscious about their appearance. People are spending large amount of their earnings on gym, diet food & dieticians due to their desire to lose weight but for many these activities may be hard to afford. When it comes to weight loss we usually overlook little things and focus on lifestyle overhaul.
Here are number of healthy activities which can be of great help in reducing weight.
Morning Exercise: Late meeting, evening events and so many things at home gets in the way of evening workouts for everyone but if you make an effort to become a morning exerciser, it will guaranteed that you fit in before your day got carried away and excuse popped up. Whether you like running in the park or follow a workout DVD in demand, ensure that you are getting enough exercise. It stimulates the body and triggers it to dissolve the fat deposits but exercise alone cannot help you loose those extra pounds. First few mornings will be hard, but eventually it will become a regular part of your routine. Research suggests that people who workout in the morning stick with the programs more successfully than those who don’t.
Drink up: Losing weight can be as easy as drinking water, literally. Not only will the 10-12 glasses a day give you glowing skin but drinking water can also suppress feelings of hunger by making the body feel full and therefore reduce our calorie intake so the next time you feel like eating a cookie, drink a glass of water first and see if you still gets the craving.
If you’re working then packing your lunch to work is a great idea along with a bunch of snacks to keep you satisfied all day. Here’s a list of food helps in achieving your desire weight.
Nutritional Low-Cal Snacks: A combination of almonds and raisins is considered healthy. Walnuts are widely known as brain foods, it’s a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. All of these three will help in keeping you full and therefore, makes for a good snack. Mix it all in a proportion 1:2 and carry it along. Oats in the form bars and sugar free cookies are another healthy snack. It’s high in fibre and will keep you fuller for longer.
Fruits: Fresh fruits are also very good for your health. Simply munch on an apple, some melons, strawberries or an orange and you are good for the day.
Green Tea: It’s a great source of an antioxidant. Its speeds up your metabolism and contains fat burning agents. A cup or two of green tea a day will also help lower your levels of bad cholesterol.
Lemon: Vitamins C in lemon boosts metabolism, thus keeping you slim. Fresh lemon juice also cures acidity and helps keep chronic diseases at bay.
Cottage Cheese: Low fat cottage cheese is another healthy source of protein. It’s also a good source of calcium. The calcium helps you burn fat, resulting in a leaner you.
Eggs: Eggs are healthy source of protein. A medium size egg contains only 70 calories. Egg contains amino acid that aids fat loss. They also help to stabilise blood sugar and maintain lean muscle tissue.
Yoghurt: Yoghurt is also a good source of protein and calcium that helps you burn fat.
Sweet Potatoes: This is one side dish you can eat for a meal with a low glycamic index, they can easily satiate your sweet craving if you have a sweet tooth. They are also loaded with fibre that fills you up without making you feel sluggish.
Fish: Fish can also be called heart food as they are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids increase insulin sensitivity which increases muscle mass that in return increases your ability to burn fat.
Broccoli: Broccoli is a great source of vitamin A, C and calcium too. Add it to whole wheat pasta for a wholesome low cal meal.
Sprouts & Pulses: Eating sprouted pulses, mung beans (moong daal), black chick peas, kidney beans also keeps you fuller for longer. They are also a good source of protein, essential vitamins and minerals too.
Note your food record: Write down your food intake daily makes you more aware of what you are eating and how many calories you are consuming. Having this information infront of you can make it easier to implement changes, but also makes it harder to deny that you are eating too much or the wrong food.
Say no to fad diets and starving: Everyone’s believes that by giving up carbs and fats their weight will be reduce fast. But believe me none of them are manageable long-term and they wreak havoc with your metabolism. Because you are either starving yourself or you’re cutting out major food groups from your diet therefore after completion of diet when you started eating carbs and fat you again go back into weight gain mode which is even worse, because your body got adjusted to all that crazy fad stuff.
Eating out: If you go to a restaurant or a party, look for healthy choices salads, grilled meat (fish or chicken) with steamed veggies or some black beans or lentil soup would be a correct pick. Besides you can eat a small & healthy meal first before going out to eat, that way you won’t be starving and won’t need to eat a huge amount of unhealthy food and can also enjoy the fun hour with your friends and loved ones.
The 80/20 Rule: In order to achieve your targeted weight in a fun way stick to 80/20 rule. It’s “80 percent you eat healthy, 20 percent you can eat without thinking which is fine”. Start by eating healthily from Monday till Friday night. Saturdays and Sundays then become treat days during which you may choose to indulge in food that makes you happy. Many people just can’t eat as much as they did at weekend after they follow the 80/20 rule for a month or two- the five days rule start to extend into the weekend out of choice.
Weight loss tips can only work if you are motivated and not castigated for your weight issues. Therefore, if you have problems with your weight, do not get demoralised. Instead, egg on so that you achieve your desired weight. Combine all these tips with adequate exercise and avoid fried, processed, unhealthy food with preservatives for a leaner and fitter you.
