Many times we look at losing weight as a fight, a battle, a never ending story of bland food and uncomfortable exercise we are not used to. But what if it wasn’t so hard. What if losing weight came naturally and with just a little discipline and willpower we were able to shed pounds easily.
Well, we can divide our lives and schedules into a few slices of a pie. A huge slice of that pie is work where we dedicate most of our time. Other things that fill our day are grocery shopping, gym – if we have time, cooking, housework, looking after the kids, going out for drinks with the girls or guys and weekends where sleep consumes many hours and debauchery of some sort is sometimes favored.
Diet
So how do we have healthy lives where we don’t miss out on anything? Let’s look at habits. According to these coffee consumption statistics the average American drinks 3.2 cups of coffee per day. Depending on the kind of coffee you drink that’s a lot of milk and sugar you are pouring into your system. In a whole month that’s 96 cups of coffee, roughly 1,152 cups a year! Now coffee is a great wake me up and has an exceptionally alluring taste and aroma but is not the healthiest beverage you can choose.
In Short: Of course, don’t deny yourself, go ahead, drink coffee – but leave it to one cup during the day.
Other delicious alternatives are teas which come in a huge range of herbal blends both with caffeinated and non-caffeinated options. One great example is Green Tea which contains antioxidant qualities, and has many beneficial properties which are good for your body – it also can help with weight loss.
In Short: Make sure you drink a quality Green Tea for optimum benefits.
Chocolate is addictive – and delicious! But leave it to the healthy kind – dark, with a higher percentage of cacao – 70% and up is the most healthy. Monitor your consumption by eating only one or two pieces a day and leave them for times of the day when you reward yourself like after slogging it for eight hours at work.
In Short: Everything in moderation, even chocolate!
Pasta is a safe food. Yes, you read right! Pasta is completely fine provided it is served in a tomato based sauce like Napolitana. Just add salt, pepper and fresh and dry herbs like basil. If you feel like a pizza do so – but tell them to put very little cheese on it and add extra vegetables and you are good to go!
In Short: Pasta is a convenient, cost effective food that is great for both lunch and dinner.
When it comes to nights out with boys/girls order your favorite drinks but keep calorie consumption in mind. According to WebMD, great low-calorie drinks to have are the classic spirits. That’s whiskey, tequila, vodka, rum and gin. Great whiskey choices are by Jameson, Jim Beam and Jack Daniel’s. For a smooth tequila look to Don Julio or Patron. For rum look to Plantation and Mount Gay and finally for gin look to Hendrick’s Gin and Few Spirits American Gin.
In Short: The warning – ‘Drink Sensibly’ has never been more apparent. Be drink aware.
When it comes to meat choices know that turkey breast is one of the leanest forms of poultry around. With regards to red meat avoid liver and lamb which is full of fat. Stick to sirloin steak and try not to consume it every day.
In Short: If you are a meat eater, choose top quality cuts with little fat.
Exercise
When it comes to exercise there are so many excuses to skirt around the issue of actually getting yourself to the gym, park or wherever you enjoy working out. Exercise really requires time, effort and discipline. But how do we tackle exercise by exercising without even thinking about it.
- Wake up half an hour early every day. Dawn hasn’t broken and it’s still dark outside. It’s peaceful and quiet. Take the time to do some stretching, yoga or any other exercise to ease into the day.
- When making your way to work try not to take escalators or lifts and choose stairs instead.
- Buy a bicycle or walk where you can instead of taking a car.
- If you have a dog take it for 30 minute walks every day – your dog will love you for this!
- Do you love to dance? Join dance classes.
- Is it unbearably hot? Go swimming and try conquer 20 to 30 laps.
The list is endless, there are so many options available when it comes to exercise, you just have to find what you enjoy and what fits with your lifestyle. Remember, our bodies are designed for movement. The more you incorporate movement into your everyday lifestyle, the more calories you will burn and the fitter you will become.
In Conclusion
Losing weight shouldn’t be a chore or something you dread. If you incorporate healthy alternatives into your lifestyle the pounds will shed off without you even trying hard. It may not happen overnight and that is the key because the longer the body takes to healthily lose weight the more difficult it will be to suddenly put on weight again. You can always also look to supplements that help burn fat quicker, boost your metabolism and put an end to excessive cravings. Check out this Research Verified review for some great ideas.
Enjoy a healthier lifestyle with small, easy changes. Start today! – you won’t regret it!