1.
Know that 60% of your weight loss success will come not from the exercise you
do, but from the eating plan you follow.
This
means, even though you do aerobic exercise regularly, if you do not change you
eating habits, you will not see it in the scales; Weight-lost has to be a
two-prong approach with focused attention on your eating plan. It does not mean
you should starve yourself. But it does mean you should make smart eating
choices and keep your portions small.
2.
Build exercise into your day, preferably in the morning.
If
you exercise first thing in the morning, ideally before breakfast, you get it
“out of the way” and you get your metabolism revved throughout of the day. If
time is a problem, get up earlier and build it in. Once you get into habit of a
30 minutes jog or brisk walk first thing in the morning, it will be easy.
3.
Eat a large breakfast, a moderately sized lunch and a light dinner, placing two
healthy snacks in between.
Breakfast
is your most important meal because it gets your metabolism going. Do not skip
it as it will only cause you to overeat later. The idea is to put the bulk of
your nutrition and food intake in the daytime when you are up and running
around, and make dinner your lightest meal, ideally early in the morning. Try
not to eat after eight, so that your body can burn stored fat.
4.
Do not dismiss the importance of physical activity during the day, apart from
your early morning workout.
Our
ancestors were not sedentary people, but that is what we’ve become. With cars,
taxis, elevators, and escalators, it is very possible to get through a day with
minimal walking. Sitting at your desk does not burn calories. So get up and get
moving. Take walks Schedule walking-working meetings with colleagues. Walk to
lunch instead of taking a taxi. Climb the stairs.
5.
Buy a pedometer that you can use to track your physical activity.
A
pedometer is a device you can wear that will help you keep track of how much
physical activity you can get it. Ideally, you should try to aim for 10,000
steps a day. If you are doing this, apart from a regular aerobic workout
3-4times a week, you’ll soon be in good shape, literally. Build in walks and
you’ll move more. Ask our pharmacists about pedometer options.
6.
Cut out the Cs – cake, cookies, chips & soda (cola)
You
grab at the Cs because they are there. But this kind of food is bad for you,
and has no nutritional value. If you are craving sugar or salt, there are a
number of healthy snacks to choose that should sate your taste buds. Dried
fruit and nuts can be substituted for you chocolate bar. Roasted chickpeas can
replace chips. It’s all a matter of being prepared and being open to new snack
options. If plain water is not something you can get used to, try diluting some
fruit juice with water and drink that instead. Green tea, even the sweetened
version, is still better than sugary soda.
7.
Make sure you do resistance-training work with weights twice a week.
Too
many women trying to lose weight devote their exercise routine to pure aerobic
activity. But working out with weights- even just for two 20-30 minute sessions
a week can give you a great inch-loss boost. Hit the gym and ask someone to
teach you to use the weights, especially for your large muscles in the thighs.
Making those muscles work in exercises like squats and lunges gets your heart
working and the fat burning – especially the fat in your belly.
8.
Eat less red meat and more fish and limit your starchy carbohydrates (rice,
pasta, breads) to one serving a day at lunch
Red
meat is higher in fat than fish. What’s more, fish have omeha-3 fatty acids
good fats that reduce your risk for heart disease. Salmon, for example, has the
highest levels of the two most beneficial omega-3 fats. Target eating two six
ounce servings of salmon per week, instead of your usual beef, lamb or pork.
9.
Prepare cut fresh vegetables and fruit and packages of unsalted nuts so that
you do not reach for sweet or salty empty calories.
What
thwarts most dieters is lack of preparation. When you do not plan out your
meals for the day, you get caught unaware and will reach for the quickest
easiest thing – which is not going to be healthy. Eating more fresh vegetables
nuts and seed is healthy. Be sure as well that your snacks include healthy
protein, for example, a handful of walnuts, a piece of low-fat mozzarella
string cheese, a hardboiled egg. Protein keeps you feeling satisfied longer.
10.
Dup diet soda and your daily-sweetened coffee drinks.
You
feel like you’re eating right, but the weight is not coming off. The problem
with diet soda is the artificial sweetener. Even though that can is 0 calories,
the sweetener in it makes you want to eat again, fairly soon after lunch. In
the same way, the innocent coffee you get is actually gives you too many
calories.
