I have been getting a lot of questions regarding loosing weight and getting back into shape. With summer approaching, everyone wants to be “beach body” ready, so I thought I would give some tips that should help you lose that last stubborn 5-10 pounds, get toned and fit or stay toned and fit. It’s going to take a little bit of effort, but I think you’ll be surprised at how it easy it’ll be to make these secrets new habits.
Remember we can’t all be stick thin, nor should we want to be. Every body is different and curves are something to be proud of. What we should aim for is a healthier lifestyle and a healthier self image. Some of us may need to lose some extra pounds, well others just want to maintain their fitness. Whatever it is, always make sure you love your body every step of the way. Never beat yourself up!!
Secrets for a healthier, skinnier you:
- Eat more fruits and veggies: Fruits and vegetables are packed full of fiber, important vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants. Fiber keeps you full longer, and fruits can help curb those sweet cravings. Your plate should have more veggies than anything else on it. There’s weight loss benefits of eating more fruits and veggies. You can add protein, such as chicken, beans, salmon, nuts, chia seeds, and feta to salads. You might be surprised at how satisfying just a big salad is over time. Veggies are something you can’t overeat on, so eat as much as you like. I recommend 3-4 servings of fruit only, just because of the sugar (even though it’s healthier sugar). It may take some time to get used to, but every day add more fruits and veggies to the mix, and less and less of other foods. Click here for more reasons why veggies rock.
- Beat cravings & Drink up: Water that Is!! Water is important and the more active we are the more water we need. First thing you drink when you get up should be water. It flushes toxins from the body, and gets your body ready for digesting breakfast. When you feel a sweet craving or think you need a snack, drink a full glass of water first. You’ll be surprised how it beats your sweet craving and you forget you were hungry. So before you indulge in that extra cookie or donut you’re going to regret eating, drink a glass a water first!! Then see how you feel.
- Eat more ground flaxseed: I say “A teaspoon of flax a day keeps the fat away.” Flaxseed is full of essential fatty acids and fiber, with some protein. It has many health benefits. It aids in weight loss as it is high in dietary fat (healthy fat), which curbs your appetite, keeping you full longer. It’s fiber content also helps to promote satiety and manage blood sugar levels. Add it to smoothies, salads, pasta dishes, soups, cookies, muffins, baked breads, etc. You can’t even taste it’s there. I used to add it to my dad’s spaghetti sauce and he never knew!!
- Use cinnamon and cayenne pepper: Both these spices rev up your metabolism. Cinnamon helps to curb sugar cravings by regulating blood sugar, and stimulates your metabolism. It also helps to reduce body fat percentage. Cayenne pepper helps to burn fat and decrease caloric intake. Add cinnamon to smoothies, oatmeal, toast, and yogurt. Cayenne can be used to spice up Mexican dishes, lasagna, soups, quinoa salads, and even omelets.
- Sweat it out: You thought you could avoid this one, well think again. Cardio not only is good for your heart and protects against cardiovascular disease, it also helps to shed those last unwanted pounds. 30 minutes of cardio a day is optimal, such as biking, running, walking, swimming, etc. You can break those 30 minutes up if you need too, with three 10 minute cardio sessions or two 15 minute cardio sessions. If you have time for 45 minutes – 1 hour of cardio go for it!!
- Pump some iron: Building muscle helps to give your definition and tones your body. It is also great for getting rid of unwanted fat. You don’t need a gym to build muscle, so no excuses!! Pushups are effective. Buy some dumbbells and do arm and leg exercises. Here you can find some strength building exercises.
- Tone your Tummy: There’s many ways to build a strong core, you can find some exercises here. A toned midsection doesn’t only look great, but it is also healthier for you. Excess weight in your midsection can increase your risk of heart disease. A strong core helps you achieve optimal fitness in running, biking, swimming, and yoga.
- Get some shut eye time: Sleep is important. We need on average 7-9 hours of sleep. Many studies have shown that inadequate sleep can cause weight gain over time for various reasons. One being those late night binges on unhealthy snacks. Also, your metabolism doesn’t function properly when sleep isn’t adequate.
- Go for healthy snacks: Snacking isn’t bad when it’s done correctly. In fact, it helps to curb our appetite, and helps us not to overeat at our next meal. Healthy snacks include veggies with humus, fruits, nuts, trail mix, yogurt w/ chia seeds, hard boiled egg, rice cake with peanut butter or almond butter topped with honey, etc. You can find healthy homemade recipes for snacks here. Making your own granola bars for snacks is healthier and cheaper than buying store bought granola bars.
- Ditch the junk: Processed, sugar laden food needs to be avoided. There’s no nutritional value to high fat, processed foods. Chips, crackers, some granola bars, pastries, packaged cookies and treats, fast good, packaged dinners etc., offer us nothing but chemicals, preservatives, excess sodium, and trans fat. Stop buying them, and if you can’t keep from reaching for them in the cupboards throw them out. These foods only cause weight gain and our detrimental to your health. The less your food is processed the better it is for you.
- Eat Breakfast: You’ve heard it time and time again, but it’s worth repeating: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It’s the meal that quick starts your day, and there’s nothing worse than feeling starved by mid morning. Ever wonder why it’s called break-fast? It’s the first meal that breaks your fast from food while you were sleeping. We typically don’t eat for 12 hours from the time of our last meal, so it’s not wonder you body needs to break the fast. It’s been noted that breakfast promotes weight loss, while those who don’t eat breakfast increase their risk for weight gain.
- Practice love: Positive self talk is effective at staying healthy and keeping healthy habits. Being negative only sets you up for failure. Don’t beat yourself up if you had a bad day and splurged, it happens to all of us. Just continue eating healthy tomorrow and don’t make it a habit!! Diet should be a lifestyle choice anyways, not a quick fix. Every morning tell yourself: “I am beautiful. My body is beautiful. I love my body. I am a healthy, fit and loved. I don’t eat processed junk, but I do love to eat whole foods. I will make time for myself today” or something to that affect. It creates a loving environment and our words and thoughts are powerful. We need to treat ourselves with respect and love who we are, and believe we can do anything we are dedicated to, because WE CAN!!
For more health tips click here!!
Now get moving!! And let me know how it goes I want to hear about your new “sexy” and more importantly, healthier you!!