If you have a goal in mind such as getting a bikini ready body, looking great in an evening dress for a holiday party or you just want to lose weight to feel healthier, then you’ve probably Googled “getting skinny fast”, scoured the Internet for weight loss tips from the last celebrity who lost 10 pounds fast or you’ve tried a Master Cleanse or other juice fast diet. If instead of following the latest weight loss craze you committed to finding a method that works for your lifestyle and personal preferences than you would start to become your own weight loss success story. While the tips below aren’t “The Best Way To Lose Weight Fast” hopefully they will give you some ideas that you can incorporate into your own life to help you reach your weight loss and health goals.
- Eat more meals, not fewer. Instead of skipping breakfast and sipping a cup of soup for lunch only to be famished by dinner which tends to give you license to have a “treat” since you ate so well all day, try eating five to six small meals throughout the day. Figure out your ideal calorie intake and divide that out between breakfast, lunch, dinner and two to three snacks.
- If you can’t do a long workout on a particular day, then aim to increase the intensity.
- Increase the intensity of your regular workouts in short spurts. Do your normal pace for five minutes, then a slightly increased pace for one minute, then back to your normal pace, then an even more slightly increased pace for one minute. Continue this patter until you’ve completed your workout.
- Look for fun ways to work out. If you’re social, trade your weekly dinner with a friend for a long walk & coffee; if you’re competitive, join a team; if you love the outdoors, scrap your gym workout for a hike – well you get the idea. If you’re having fun working out, then you’ll stick with it, maybe even adding more workouts to your week. Wouldn’t that be lovely!
- If you find it difficult to not have an after dinner snack then aim to make it a fresh fruit or veggie.
- Don’t avoid carbs – you need them for energy. Just make sure they are good-for-you carbs such as whole grains, beans, fresh vegetables and fruit.
- Omega 3 fatty acids are very important for your body – don’t eliminate fats completely, just make sure that the fats and oils you consume are of the healthy variety.
- Protein will fill you up and give you energy, so don’t avoid it, just be smart about it. Choose lean proteins and serve them with lots of veggies.
- Flavor your water with a healthy drink powder or fresh citrus juices such as lemon, lime or grapefruit. Not only will this help to keep you hydrated, it will give you something to do with your hands and mouth if you tend to eat when you’re bored, but also lemon juice helps your digestion to perform more effeciently, eliminating waste more quickly and can even relieve constipation.
- Add strength training to your workout routine. You’ll feel better, look better, and burn more calories throughout your day just resting.
- When weight training, make sure to give your body a day of rest in between workouts. If you want to workout every day you can choose to do upper body one day and lower body the following day.
- Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Many times when you think you’re hungry you’re actually thirsty. Next time you’re hit with a craving or feel like you’re starving drink a large glass of water first and see if that takes care of things.
- Think of your diet as a lifestyle change, not as a temporary thing. If something isn’t working for you, rather than tough it out, look for other things that will work for you that you can live with.
- If you can eliminate alcohol entirely, more power to you, but for those who enjoy a drink now and then, make sure that one or two drinks aren’t the calorie equivelent of an entire meal. Look for low calorie substitutes for your favorite alcohol drinks.
- Make sure to eat a nutritionally balanced diet or your body can rebel causing you to crave the things its not getting. Thirst can feel like hunger (drink more water), a craving for fat can point you towards a cheesecake binge …
- Avoid empty calories in sugary drinks like soda & juice. Substitute plain water, flavored water and diet drinks for these sugared beverages whenever possible.
- If motivation is a problem for you then look for ways to support your weight loss efforts such as a walking club, a friend you meet at the gym, joining a sports team …
- Look for low calorie or healthier substitutes for your favorite high calorie foods.
- When you find yourself turning to food for comfort, out of boredom or for reasons that have nothing to do with being hungry, pay attention. Stop. Ask yourself why you’re eating and if anything else will help other than food. Now to be realistic, you may not be able to to do this in the moment, but later, stop and take a look at your choices and see if you can substitute healthier behaviors than eating yourself away from your goal.
- Look for ways to add calorie burners to your day. We all know the basics, park further away from your destination, take the stairs instead of the elevator but here are some ideas you may not have thought of:
- walk to your co-workers desk instead of sending an email or using the inter-office mail service
- when at the park with your kids keep moving, either playing with them or walking the perimeter of the play area or bring stretch tubing and do a strength training session
- do leg lifts while brushing your teeth or blow drying your hair
- do squats over the toilet instead of sitting down
- walk in place or around the room while talking on the phone
- when driving, pull your navel towards your spine and/or clench your buttocks
- use a back pack or bicycle saddlebags so that you can do errands on your bicycle instead of in your car
- use a bicycle sidecar to take your little one to school or on errands with you