Living a healthy lifestyle is easy. Say no to very low calorie fad diets which make you nutrient deficient and drastically make you lose weight through water weight loss. These type of diets are not sustainable and you will easily regain your weight. The key to successfully losing those unwanted pounds and maintaining a healthy weight range is through LIFESTYLE CHANGE which includes a well balanced diet, increased physical activity and behavior modification.
Here are 5 ways to living a healthy lifestyle and shedding those unwanted pounds:
1. Hydrate your body:
The body is made up of 70% water. Water plays a vital role in the body’s metabolism. To protect your body from dehydration, drink 8 to 12 cups of water everyday. Drinking cold water is beneficial because it will use up more energy to neutralize the temperature inside the body. Drinking a glass of water before every meal will make you feel fuller and consume less calories. Adding a slice of lemon will not only perk up your senses but can help combat food cravings. While salty and sweet flavors tend to increase appetite, sour and bitter flavors help lessen food cravings. Next time you crave for sweets and salty snacks, try to drink a glass of lemon water instead.
2. Add color and cleanse:
Fiber is nature’s wonder broom. Insoluble fiber cleanses the gut by facilitating elimination of wastes. Functional, or commonly known as soluble fiber, reduces fat and cholesterol in the blood. It helps regulate blood sugar levels too. Fiber works best with water to prevent constipation. It expands in the stomach to make you feel fuller and consume less calories. Add color to your meal to consume your daily fiber allowance. Colorful foods like fruits and vegetables are good sources of fiber. It is recommended that you eat 1 to 2 servings of fruits and 2 to 3 servings of vegetables in a day. Brown and red rice contain more fiber than white rice even though they have the same caloric content. You’ll get twice as much fiber in a serving of whole wheat bread compared to white bread.
3. Go lean:
Fat cannot be 100% eliminated from the diet. It is readily available in most protein foods like meats, poultry, dairy products and seafood. The body needs a small amount of protein for cell regeneration and fat to absorb fat
soluble vitamins. The secret to getting the right amount of protein and eating less fat is to choose lean meats and fish. Trim off excess visible fats. Choose foods prepared with less fat such as grilled, steamed, baked, roasted and boiled. Fish, especially fatty ones like salmon and tuna, contain omega 3 which helps keep cholesterol levels down . Go for low fat or fat free milk and dairy products which are healthy and high in calcium. If egg is part of your regular diet, it should be eaten not more than 3 times in a week. Limit consumption of processed and canned meats because they have high fat content.
4 .Portion control:
Serving portions are bigger now compared to 10 years ago while healthy weight ranges remain the same. It is important to keep track of serving portion sizes when eating to prevent weight gain. Try to visualize your plate as 50% vegetables and fruits, 25% grains or other carbohydrates and 25% protein dish. If you can’t resist a high calorie burger, order a single patty instead of double. Sweets are tempting and who says you can’t have it? Yes you can, but it would be better to eat less than the usual slice once in a while.
Condition yourself to eat less than the amount that you usually consume to start losing weight. Sharing a serving of food with someone will not only make you feel better but will make you consume less calories.
5.Get moving:
To lose 1 pound of body fat, you need to burn 3500 calories. In order to lose weight, the body must burn more calories than it consumes through increased physical activity. If you live in a world of hectic schedules and can’t seem to find time to workout in the gym, you can still burn those stored fats.
Keep walking! Brisk walking for 20 to 30 minutes everyday will boost your body’s metabolism and will make your body burn energy more efficiently. Take the stairs instead of elevators. Invest in various video exercises which you can do at home whenever convenient. A good to 30 to 60 minutes of exercise on most days of the week will be beneficial to lose weight and staying fit.
Incorporate these 5 ways in your lifestyle and you’re on your way to a healthier you!
