If weight loss is your goal, people in Stamford, CT, say you should start by making lifestyle changes. You don’t have to make dramatic changes or do them all immediately. You can start by changing small things, like snacking on fresh fruit or vegetables and dip instead of candy bars or traditional high-calorie snacks. There’s no need for restrictive diets when you make cumulative small changes.
Dieting isn’t the way.
Diets are often restrictive. They have specific foods you can eat at each meal or for snacks. Sometimes, the ingredients are exotic, or the meals don’t suit your taste. When you make lifestyle changes, you don’t have restrictions. The concept is all about making smarter choices when you select food. Instead of eating white rice, substituting brown rice cuts calories and provides more nutrients, including fiber. Other substitutions you’ll barely notice include using unsweetened applesauce to replace some sugar or oil in baked goods.
Increasing your activity level also makes a difference.
You don’t have to add a traditional workout program to receive weight loss benefits. Changes to increase your physical effort can make a big difference, too. Increasing how much you walk is one of those things. If you have a short distance, walk instead of taking the car. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator is another way to increase exercise. Parking further from the store and walking more is another lifestyle change that can make a big difference. Create a short two or three-minute workout and do it. Instead of staring at the microwave when you’re heating food or just talking on the phone, do a few squats, jumping jacks, or lunges.
Drink more water and get more sleep.
Drinking more water can help you lose weight. Studies show that drinking a glass of water before a meal causes people to eat fewer calories. Getting more sleep also helps you shed extra pounds. If you burn the candle at both ends, you may be sabotaging your weight loss and health. When you lack sleep, the body makes more ghrelin—the hunger hormone. It also slows the production of leptin—the hormone that makes you feel full. Lack of sleep can cause you to eat more because you’ll be hungrier.
- If you are up for a challenge. Try giving up food with added sugar for two weeks. You’ll notice fruit tastes sweeter and your cravings for junk food diminish.
- Start every meal with a big salad. Make healthy salad dressing, like a balsamic-Dijon mustard dressing that uses five ingredients. Balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- If you make lifestyle changes, especially when you eat, you’ll lose weight and keep it from returning. Lifestyle changes last longer than dieting and include other benefits, like looking and feeling better from exercise.
- Switching to a healthier diet means you’ll never fail. You can eat a slice of cake occasionally or have a bowl of ice cream. Just make sure you use portion control and don’t make it a habit.
For more information, contact us today at Revolution Training