You work so hard to exercise and eat right to lose that extra weight that you have been carrying around. For some people it is easier to keep the weight off than it is for others. This is why yo-yo dieting has become such a problem. People do these crazy fad diets to drop the weight really fast but can't keep up the crazy diet and so the weight comes back on and often times they put even more back on than they lost in the first place. From my own experience of losing 85 pounds through healthy diet and exercise and keeping it off for the past 7 years I know that it isn't easy. But I have learned that if you lose the weight by adopting a healthy lifestyle and make changes that you can keep up you will have long term success. Regardless of where you are on your weight loss journey, whether you are just starting out or you have reached your goal, here are some strategies to help you reach your goals and keep that weight off for good. Because we all know how hard it is to lose all of that extra weight the first time and we don't want to have to lose it all over again!
Get moving and stay moving. Being active is not only great for keeping the weight off but it also helps cholesterol ratios, reduces blood pressure, improves mood and well-being and strengthens your heart. Find something you love and that will help you to stick with it. Whether it is dancing, walking, running, biking or playing sports, shoot for at least three days of cardiovascular exercise a week and two days of resistance training. Each of your workouts should be 20 to 30 minutes and your heart rate up to 60 percent to 85 percent of its max.
Journal. There have been many studies that show that people who track the foods they eat lose more weight and keep it off for the long haul. Whether it is keeping track in a small notebook or using one of the many apps that you can put on your phone, keep track of every single thing that you put in your mouth. You will probably be surprised to see what you really are eating every day!
Eat the foods you love. If you love cheesecake and chocolate but you are on a diet that restricts you from ever eating them, the chances are pretty great that you will feel deprived. And being deprived for the rest of your life isn't going to work. To truly have a healthy lifestyle you should include small treats in your diet. There are so many recipes out there that take your favorite treats and make them healthier, yet still taste delicious. Just remember, all things in moderation. If your most favorite thing is Snickers candy bars, buy the bite size ones and hide them in your freezer. Then when a craving strikes you can pull out one bite size bar and enjoy that rather than downing an entire king size bar!
Drink enough H2O. If you talk to anyone who has lost weight and kept it off I can guarantee that they do one thing--drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Water helps support your metabolism, aids in removing fat from the body and can help cravings and it is just so good for your body and your body needs it! Often times when you feel hungry and it is not a mealtime you really are just dehydrated. Try drinking an entire glass of water and wait ten minutes. If you still feel hungry, go ahead with a healthy snack, but chances are you won't feel hungry anymore.
Get support. Whether it is a friend, family member or an online support group, having a support system is critical. Someone to ask how you are doing and be your own personal cheerleader to encourage you will help more than you can even imagine.
Keep challengingg yourself. Even if you have already reached your goal weight, never stop setting smart goals. It can be adding more weight to your strength training routine, walking or running a little faster, eating more fruits and vegetables or steering clearing of seconds on dinner and dessert. Setting big and small goals will keep you focused and challenged. And make sure to reward yourself (go see a movie, get a pedicure, enjoy a massage, buy new workout clothes) with good stuff when you reach your goals!
Switch things up. Every month try something new. A new exercise class, a change in your workout, a different recipe or food, changing things will keep it fun. Let's be honest, no one likes the same workout or meal day after day after day.
Remind yourself. Take a photo of yourself at your heaviest and keep it somewhere you can see it. You don't need to look at it every single day but look at if every once in a while to remind yourself of where you were and how far you have come.
Track your weight. It can be helpful to track your weight but you have to remember that muscle weighs more than fat. So as you are building up muscle and losing those pounds of fat you may see the number on the scale not changing yet your clothes will start to get looser and your body will start to feel more firm. Whether it is the scale, measuring body fat, making sure you can fit in a certain pair of jeans or using a measuring tape, track your size regularly.
Embrace the lifestyle. After a few weeks of eating better and working out you will notice that you feel better! You will have more energy and just feel great. Losing weight isn't about restricting yourself, it is about improving your life. Stay positive and embrace those healthy choices you are making every day. You made the choice to be healthy and happy so enjoy it!
Good luck, you can do it. I know it is hard but it is SO worth it!
Some info taken from sparkpeople.com
Showing posts with label losing weight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label losing weight. Show all posts
11.19.2012
Say No To Holiday Weight Gain
The holidays are upon us! Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years can be a nightmare on your goals of healthy eating and losing/maintaining weight. But there are a lot of things that you can do to be able to still enjoy the holidays and not pack on the pounds. People tend to gain an average of 15 pounds during this time of year but here are some tips to help you to not gain any weight...it can be done!
1. Weigh yourself twice a week: That's often enough to make sure you stay on track, but not so often that you take all the fun out of holiday noshing, says Michael Dansinger, MD, an assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. Step on the scale first thing in the morning when your stomach is empty.
2. Start your day with a bang: Exercising in the morning can help ensure better behavior all day long, according to a study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.
Using brain scans, researchers found that when women worked out in the a.m., they not only moved more the rest of the day, but they also responded less to pictures of tempting food compared with the days they didn't do a morning workout. The upshot: fewer cravings for high-fat fare.
3. Be picky, picky, picky: Peruse the buffet before you load your plate to avoid foods you don't really want, suggests obesity expert Tim Church, MD, a professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University. If, for instance, you could take or leave sushi but adore sliders, don't start with the tuna rolls hoping to be able to resist the two-bite burger.
"If you pick the stuff you really want and have it in moderation," Dr. Church notes, "you'll stave off those cravings that can get you in trouble later on."
1. Weigh yourself twice a week: That's often enough to make sure you stay on track, but not so often that you take all the fun out of holiday noshing, says Michael Dansinger, MD, an assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. Step on the scale first thing in the morning when your stomach is empty.
2. Start your day with a bang: Exercising in the morning can help ensure better behavior all day long, according to a study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.
Using brain scans, researchers found that when women worked out in the a.m., they not only moved more the rest of the day, but they also responded less to pictures of tempting food compared with the days they didn't do a morning workout. The upshot: fewer cravings for high-fat fare.
3. Be picky, picky, picky: Peruse the buffet before you load your plate to avoid foods you don't really want, suggests obesity expert Tim Church, MD, a professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University. If, for instance, you could take or leave sushi but adore sliders, don't start with the tuna rolls hoping to be able to resist the two-bite burger.
"If you pick the stuff you really want and have it in moderation," Dr. Church notes, "you'll stave off those cravings that can get you in trouble later on."
1.28.2010
Appetite and Metabolism --- Part 2
Adequate nutrition combined with moderate physical activity automatically keeps our bodies at a healthy set point,a predetermined body fat ratio within a 10-15 pound weight range. Your metabolism is designed to vigorously defend your set point by speeding up or slowing down if its thresholds are threatened.
Hunger is one way your body signals that it needs or wants food. These are very susceptible to stress. Hunger hormones are part of a larger feedback system that tells your body through almost every major body function that it needs to eat. Our fat cells are metabolically active tissue that help us sense "fullness" and regulate our body heat and weight.
How much you eat and when are governed by your brain, your fat cells, and central nervous system which can be highly influenced by your environment. How well you digest your food and rid your body of toxins relies on the helath of your GI tract and other organs. These include your liver, kidneys, and lymphatic system. How efficiently the cells in your body convert food into energy is affected by the health of your respiratory, musculoskeletal, endocrine, and immune systmes.
The reality is, that losing weight really means shifting your point of view away from calories and fat in, calories and fat out, toward a more holistic approach. Our way of life today has confused our biochemistry into accepting what is essentially an "abnormal" state: being unhealthy and overweight.
To permanently lose weight, your body has to feel safe enough to just let go. This means getting all your major systems in your body healthy, for your body relies on these chemical messengers, your hormones, as these regulate metabolism.
Hunger is one way your body signals that it needs or wants food. These are very susceptible to stress. Hunger hormones are part of a larger feedback system that tells your body through almost every major body function that it needs to eat. Our fat cells are metabolically active tissue that help us sense "fullness" and regulate our body heat and weight.
How much you eat and when are governed by your brain, your fat cells, and central nervous system which can be highly influenced by your environment. How well you digest your food and rid your body of toxins relies on the helath of your GI tract and other organs. These include your liver, kidneys, and lymphatic system. How efficiently the cells in your body convert food into energy is affected by the health of your respiratory, musculoskeletal, endocrine, and immune systmes.
The reality is, that losing weight really means shifting your point of view away from calories and fat in, calories and fat out, toward a more holistic approach. Our way of life today has confused our biochemistry into accepting what is essentially an "abnormal" state: being unhealthy and overweight.
To permanently lose weight, your body has to feel safe enough to just let go. This means getting all your major systems in your body healthy, for your body relies on these chemical messengers, your hormones, as these regulate metabolism.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)