We’ve heard it so many times: I’ll get into the gym and lose some weight in the New Year. Or, I’ll get fit on January 1st. I say if you’re waiting till the New Year, then you’re already behind schedule. Why wait to conquer weight loss? We all know that the desire for weight loss is an affliction that plagues many of us. So why not stay ahead of the curve and reduce or eliminate doctors’ bills before they start mounting and eating away at your savings? Let’s start with these six sneaky weight loss tips and watch the pounds fall right off your body.
What To Do For Weight Loss
Water: Drink a minimum of 3.5 liters of water a day. Why?
It helps make you feel full
It prevents dehydration, which can be mistaken for hunger
Boston Lettuce: Eat a bowl of Boston lettuce before each meal. What in the world does this have to do with weight loss?
It fills up the stomach
The fibers help break down the fats that you are taking into your body. Fibers are non-digestible.They help in aiding digestion but are not absorbed as calories
Eat 6 small meals a day rather than 2 or 3 large meals.
This helps regulate blood sugar. If your blood sugar goes high whatever you eat is going to convert into fat. And that does nothing to help you lose weight or fat
Prevents over eating and junk food attacks
Choose Low Glycemic Index foods (go to the Glycemic index list online). Foods like peanuts and broccoli make the list. Choosing foods high on the glycemic index, will cause your blood sugar to rise and stay up, which leaves a greater chance for converting the foods you eat into fats later
Concentrate on the quality of your food
Eat organic, high-nutrient foods. One huge issue is that a lot of food nowadays is devoid of nutrients (fast food) and our bodies are not satisfied nutritionally.This is mistaken for hunger and is huge in the battle for weight loss
Exercise every day for at least a half hour
Exercise is NOT: walking, gardening, cleaning, cooking (these are normal activities)
Exercise IS: activity that sustains your heart rate above 130 BPM (this will vary based on age, weight, individual factors, etc): continually walking the stairs, jogging/running, lifting weights or weight training, biking, wood chopping, active tennis, moderate speed swimming
Keep in mind that an official workout or training session should be a minimum of 2 times a week for permanent weight loss and by training session I mean resistance or weight training
Chew sugarless gum and/or brush your teeth right after you eat. This will prevent you from unnecessary snacking and overindulging
Research shows that chewing gum can trick the brain into believing that you are eating something. Therefore, making your body believe that it has eaten and is satisfied.
Brushing your teeth prevents unnecessary snacking because of the taste (and it promotes good hygiene).
The Don’ts
“Just one bite” or “I’ll just have little” (the psychology of influence)- This is a slippery slope. Savvy marketers are praying that you just take one bite because they know once you have 1 you most likely will have another and another and then the cycle begins. Don’t even keep it in the house.
The same goes for the “nice try” foods such as salads that include bacon bits, eggs and thick, creamy dressings. Then you justify it by saying “I had a salad!” My response? Nice try!
Drinking all your calories:you can consume massive amounts of calories through drinking. Lay off large amounts of orange juice and other juices. When you do have juice, only have the real fruit juice, without added sugar. And here’s the kicker: alcohol is a huge enemy in the fight for weight loss.
It makes you crave fatty and fried food, reduces your awareness, willpower to resist, spikes your blood sugar and can throw off your hormones (another reason why water is key).
It suppresses your nervous system, which is responsible for your metabolism, an appetite stimulant.
