These days we hear so much about what to eat, a pill to take, or a shake to drink in order to lose weight. After hearing about all of these different “miracle cures,” each claiming to be the silver bullet that burns fat and keeps it off for good, it’s only natural to ask:
Is there a single, easy way to lose fat?
The short answer is: no. The truth is there is no magic food, pill, drink, trick, or single food item that will melt fat off your body. But with a little work and sticking to a holistically healthy diet, you can do it!
Fiber is important to your diet. You should add plenty of leafy greens, whole grains, nut, and beans to your menu. Prunes are a super way to get fiber, too. Look for ways to add fiber to your diet with foods you actually enjoy eating.
Almost all diets tell you to limit the saturated fats that you add to your diet. Keep your portions of foods with these oils small. Make a habit of checking nutrition labels to see how many calories of fat are in the product. Check for foods that contain oils that are better for you, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel.
Exercise helps burn off fat too. Some of you will be happy to know that research shows a few quick bursts of high-intensity exercise may be as effective as pounding the pavement for an hour. This type of exercise is much easier to fit into a busy weekly schedule. You can also add bursts of higher intensity to any workout. Just speed up or work harder for a brief time, then drop back to a mellower pace and repeat.
Your sleep schedule is important to your weight loss program as well. Try getting 6-8 hours of sleep each day. Less than 5 can lead to more health problems than just weight gain, but more than 8 is unhealthy as well. If you have a hard time getting 6-8 hours of sleep, try going to bed a little earlier, learn to relax before bedtime, keep your bedroom cool, and put up the electronics at least half an hour before bedtime. A smart phone at bedtime can keep you up well past the time you intended to go to sleep.
Lifestyle changes are extremely important to your weight loss as well. Cosmetic surgery is temporary for anyone who hasn’t made changes to lead a healthy lifestyle. You can have that “tummy tuck,” but if you continue to eat unhealthy food and avoid exercise, it won’t be long before you will be needing another procedure.
Are you stressed out? Stress and anxiety can make you eat more fat and sugar, which in turn unleashes the “stress hormone” cortisol, which can boost belly fat. Stress can make you sleep less, exercise less, and drink more alcohol — which can add belly fat (hence the term “beer belly”). Find ways to help “de-stress” such as meditation, exercise, listening to music you love, or finding other healthy ways to unwind and relax.
Train yourself to go for water as your drink of choice. With water, you never need to worry about calories, unlike lattes, sodas, beer, wine, juice, etc. You may enjoy an alcoholic drink before dinner, but it may also cause you to throw your willpower out the window when you order your meal.
All this may sound simple, but many people have a hard time planning and tracking their diet and exercise. We have good news for those people: Weigh To Wellness is the place to go for the help you need! The health care professionals here want to help you with everything you need in order to lose weight and become a healthier person. We’ll help you set your goals, plan your meals and snack, and set up an exercise plan suited to your personal needs and lifestyle. Call us today to start your program. You’ll be glad you did!
Phone: 205-994-2393