Staying MotivatedCategory: Weekly UpdatesApril 24th 2008Whatever path you choose to become a healthier person needs to be one you can picture yourself doing now, a week from now, a month from now and 20 years down the road…The key to maintaining a healthier lifestyle and/or change in weight is to make one small change at a time. Once you have made that change part of your lifestyle, then make another small change and keep at it until it becomes second nature.
You can lose every unwanted pound if you follow proven and healthy techniques (unfortunately, there’s no quick fix!), you just need to think in terms of long-term solutions and changes that are do-able! The key is to incorporate changes slowly, and nix the ones that don’t fit into your lifestyle because you won’t stick to anything that makes you feel miserable, but try everything and you may find some surprises...who knew you’d fall in love with brussel sprouts!
Following are several suggestions for healthy habits that can help you reach your weight-loss and/or healthy lifestyle goals.
Eat more fiber.
Fiber gives you a satiated feeling and slows the rate that sugar is adsorbed into the bloodstream, helping you to curb food cravings. It also keeps your colon healthy and aids in proper digestion. Incorporate ground flax seed in smoothies, oatmeal, cereal, and your favorite baked treats to up your fiber intake. Fresh fruits and veggies are also an ideal source of natural fiber.
Ditch low-fat and processed food products.
Typically the low-fat, processed foods in grocery stores are high in carbs and loaded with sugar, salt, artificial sweeteners, and/or manufactured fat substitutes. Many of these ingredients have been shown to cause weight gain, rather than reduce it. Eat more “real” whole foods that will help your body to become aware of its natural fullness cues (“real” foods generally don’t come with a label listing ingredients…think fruit, veggies, meat, nuts, beans, grains, etc)
Add healthy fats to your diet.
Olive, avocado, virgin coconut and nut oils (almond, sesame, etc…) can help stabilize blood sugar levels and aid in weight loss. Add a few teaspoons when cooking veggies and sautéed meats. Additionally, avocados, nuts and seeds make great snacks and are yummy additions to spruce up a salad.
STOP drinking all your calories!
High-sugared soft drinks and frappuccino-styled coffee beverages are a waste of calories. They don’t tell your body it’s full even though you’ve had a meals worth of calories! Furthermore, soft drinks are void of nutrients. Load up on water instead. If you’re absolutely craving a sweet drink, try some diluted fruit juice or coconut water, which has nutrients and electrolytes your body can use (you can find coconut water, derived from young coconuts in the health food store, it’s delicious and only 60 calories per serving).
Don’t skip breakfast!
You’ve heard this a million times, right? That’s because research shows that people who are successful at losing weight – and, more importantly, keeping it off – eat breakfast every day. Fuel your body first thing in the a.m. and you’ll likely start to eat less throughout the day.
Eat frequent meals.
Eating five to six small meals throughout the day helps speed up your metabolism, whereas eating large meals only once or twice a day will slow down your metabolism. Aim for 3 meals (about 400 calories each) and 2 snacks (150-200 calories each).*The amount of calories will depend on your daily intake needs, look up your daily needs to make sure your staying within your range).
You can lose every unwanted pound if you follow proven and healthy techniques (unfortunately, there’s no quick fix!), you just need to think in terms of long-term solutions and changes that are do-able! The key is to incorporate changes slowly, and nix the ones that don’t fit into your lifestyle because you won’t stick to anything that makes you feel miserable, but try everything and you may find some surprises...who knew you’d fall in love with brussel sprouts!
Following are several suggestions for healthy habits that can help you reach your weight-loss and/or healthy lifestyle goals.
Eat more fiber.
Fiber gives you a satiated feeling and slows the rate that sugar is adsorbed into the bloodstream, helping you to curb food cravings. It also keeps your colon healthy and aids in proper digestion. Incorporate ground flax seed in smoothies, oatmeal, cereal, and your favorite baked treats to up your fiber intake. Fresh fruits and veggies are also an ideal source of natural fiber.
Ditch low-fat and processed food products.
Typically the low-fat, processed foods in grocery stores are high in carbs and loaded with sugar, salt, artificial sweeteners, and/or manufactured fat substitutes. Many of these ingredients have been shown to cause weight gain, rather than reduce it. Eat more “real” whole foods that will help your body to become aware of its natural fullness cues (“real” foods generally don’t come with a label listing ingredients…think fruit, veggies, meat, nuts, beans, grains, etc)
Add healthy fats to your diet.
Olive, avocado, virgin coconut and nut oils (almond, sesame, etc…) can help stabilize blood sugar levels and aid in weight loss. Add a few teaspoons when cooking veggies and sautéed meats. Additionally, avocados, nuts and seeds make great snacks and are yummy additions to spruce up a salad.
STOP drinking all your calories!
High-sugared soft drinks and frappuccino-styled coffee beverages are a waste of calories. They don’t tell your body it’s full even though you’ve had a meals worth of calories! Furthermore, soft drinks are void of nutrients. Load up on water instead. If you’re absolutely craving a sweet drink, try some diluted fruit juice or coconut water, which has nutrients and electrolytes your body can use (you can find coconut water, derived from young coconuts in the health food store, it’s delicious and only 60 calories per serving).
Don’t skip breakfast!
You’ve heard this a million times, right? That’s because research shows that people who are successful at losing weight – and, more importantly, keeping it off – eat breakfast every day. Fuel your body first thing in the a.m. and you’ll likely start to eat less throughout the day.
Eat frequent meals.
Eating five to six small meals throughout the day helps speed up your metabolism, whereas eating large meals only once or twice a day will slow down your metabolism. Aim for 3 meals (about 400 calories each) and 2 snacks (150-200 calories each).*The amount of calories will depend on your daily intake needs, look up your daily needs to make sure your staying within your range).
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