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| Need to stay active? Try a bicycle ride! |
People are constantly coming up with new ways to lose weight and get healthier. But the reality of it is, everyone expects to see results as soon as they begin a new diet or workout regimen. When that inevitably doesn’t happen right away, they get discouraged and give up all together. There are thousands of diets out there, but, the truth is, most diets are only temporary. Instead of only being concerned with losing weight, make your ultimate goal to become healthier, rather than skinnier, and the rest will follow. These steps might sound simple—and even absurd—but they are more helpful than a trend diet that'll eventually run its course.
Remember, it takes four weeks for you to notice your body changing, eight weeks for your friends and 12 weeks for the rest of the world, so don’t quit!
5. Don’t starve, then gorge. I've heard so many young women talking about skipping meals or only eating one large meal a day. This is not helpful and won't make the pounds drop. After a few days of this, your body will recognize that you’re starving it and it will actually start storing fat for when you're malnourishing it by not eating. It may feel as though you’re eating less, and you might be, but in the long run, this type of dieting never works. You’ve heard it hundreds of times, but snacking throughout the day is truly the best alternative. Healthy snacking actually makes you more inclined to eat less and boost your metabolism as well. Eating snack-sized portions makes it easier for your body to burn fat and keep working all day long!
4. Do not eat after 8:00 p.m. No matter how bad you want that late-night ice cream, just say no! Late-night snacking is one of the worst possible things to do to your body. Obviously you don’t burn nearly as many calories when you are sleeping than when you are awake and active, so that food literally sits in your stomach until you give your body enough energy to work it off. Of course, some late-night trips to the kitchen are inevitable, but making it a habit is not ideal. Not only do you sleep a lot worse with a full stomach but eating late actually causes you to be hungrier when you wake up in the morning. It's really a lose-lose situation.
3. Try eating with your non-dominant hand. I know it sounds silly but if you use a utensil with your non-dominant hand, you are forced to eat much slower and actually enjoy your food. Eating shouldn't be something we do in a hurry. In general, the slower you eat, the less you consume. It is actually easier said than done because society has taught us to eat fast, and in big quantities. If you’re a right-handed, use your left hand the WHOLE time (no cheating) and you will be amazed at how much less you eat. Your body really does need time to realize its full, so if you eat quickly, your brain will not register your fullness until after you've already overeaten.
2. Stay active. I’m not going to tell you a certain workout regimen that's a guaranteed success for everyone because people are stimulated by different types of activities. If you’re not a gym person, that’s okay, just make sure that isn’t prohibiting you from getting any exercise at all. Staying active actually helps regulate hunger, and of course helps regulate weight gain as well. Even running up and down the stairs in your house 20 times, doing 100 jumping jacks or Hula-Hooping are great ways to get your blood flowing. Regular activity is essential for your body to be the best it can be!
1. Drink more water. Ah, so simple, yet people still don’t drink eight glasses a day! Trust me, this is honestly one of the best and healthiest things you can do for your body. The first reason I love drinking water is because if you fill up your tummy with water, you’ll feel fuller faster without consuming calories. Who doesn’t love that? Water is a key ingredient in flushing out toxins that potentially cause us to gain weight. Water keeps us healthy and hydrated, making it easier to go about our normal routines with more oomph. Try switching out water for soda, juice and anything else your drink regularly and it won’t take long to notice a huge difference in the way you feel. Water really is magical. It makes your skin glow, keeps you energized and prevents you from eating as much.
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