Are you having trouble losing weight? Would you like to have a sculpted mid-section? Eating better and making lifestyle changes will help you lose weight, plus you have to find an exercise you can commit to and enjoy. It can be done! Here are some tips to help you stay on track with your weight loss goals.
1. Take it one step at a time - if you are someone that skips breakfast or meals in general, then let’s start there. Make sure you are having mini-meals every 3-4 hours that include good quality protein and fibrous carbohydrates for energy. Do not skip breakfast. Jumpstart your day with an egg white omelet and vegetables or whip up a protein smoothie and take it with you if you are in a hurry.
2. Keep a food journal for one week - you may be amazed when you actually read what you are eating. A journal will help you identify any ‘triggers’ that cause you to overeat. For example, do you automatically snack while you are watching TV? Is dinner your biggest meal of the day?
3. Find a workout partner - this will help keep each of you accountable because usually one person does not want to disappoint the other by not showing up for a scheduled workout.
4. Drink water - before and after your meals as this will keep you full, flush out toxins, and help shrink the size of your fat cells.
5. Set short-term goals - it is much easier to set a goal of losing 5 pounds this month verses 20 pounds over the next 6 months. Losing 5 pounds is attainable, more satisfying, and will allow you to set another goal of 5 more pounds, and so on and so on.
6. Be realistic - you may never have the figure you had in high school, however, if you lose just 10 pounds, you will look and feel so much better.
7. Cheat once a week - make a point of having a high-fat meal or enjoying your favorite foods once a week. This way you will not feel deprived and I bet you will notice a difference in how you feel after eating ‘clean’ all week.
8. Forgive yourself - if you eat ice cream or down those french fries, forgive yourself and make a promise to do better at your next meal or the next day.
9. Eat fibrous foods at every meal - they will keep you full longer and help you eat less calories. Fiber prevents the body from absorbing calories by speeding up the digestive process of food before it is stored as fat. Good choices include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans and whole grains. This does not mean eat fruit all day - in fact, you should limit your fruit intake to 2 servings per day. Aim for 25-35 grams of fiber daily.
10. Weight train - you will increase your body’s ability to burn fat by having more muscle. Muscle burns 20 times more calories than body fat does. In fact, each pound of muscle burns 35-50 calories more per day compared to 2 calories burned by each pound of body fat.
These tips will help you burn body fat around the clock. Begin by making simple changes, increase your fiber intake and maximize your calorie-burning efforts with more muscle. You can do it!
Learn more lose weight with Sherry!