@chinnyco
Looking good has never been as important as
now in the days of twitter, instagram and facebook. There’s a lot of
pressure to stay fit.
Food Routine To Stay Fit:
The path to sustainable weight loss is not an
easy one. Following a sensible exercise and food routine will help you
to lose weight without punishing your body.
1. Breakfast:
Start your day with a healthy breakfast. The last meal was the
previous night’s dinner and the body needs some fuel to kick start the
day. Without sufficient food, the body and mind won’t perform
efficiently. If you’re rushed and don’t have time, carry a breakfast
smoothie to go. Even if you’re running late,
never skip breakfast. Skipping breakfast puts the body in starvation mode which in turn makes you overeat through the day.
2. Packed Lunch:
Research shows that a home cooked lunch is
more nutritious and contains fewer calories than all those fancy
executive lunches. Pack a healthy and nutritious lunch. If you are
pressed for time in the morning, make some basic preparation the night
before. Wake up 10 minutes early and make a quick sandwich in the
morning or rustle up a simple salad. The extra time you spend on cooking
and packing a lunch will be justified when you realize that you have
not only kept a check on your weight gain but also saved money by not
eating out.
3. Early Dinner:
An early dinner is a sure shot way to weight
loss. Eat your last meal for the day between 7.30 to 8 pm. You might
need some extra will power to not reach out for chocolates or a sugary
treat afterwards. To avoid temptation, brush your teeth immediately
after dinner and tell yourself that the kitchen is officially shut for
the day. Try this for a few days and see the visible difference in your
waistline. We need to eat at least 2 hours before going to bed.
Activities and tasks around the house like putting dishes away or
folding clothes or just walking from one room to the other doing random
things aids digestion. Eating a heavy dinner and crashing immediately
leads to bloating and disturbed sleep.
4. Avoid Temptation:
If you do not want to eat certain foods,
don’t buy them. When you’re starving, chances are higher that you will
reach out for candy and not for carrots. Avoid buying chocolates, candy,
chips, pretzels and the usual suspects. If you crave something in
particular, buy and eat it once in a while to get it out of your system.
Do not stock up on unhealthy food. A kitchen that stocks on only
healthy and good food is the secret to weight loss.
5. Replace Dessert:
If you have a sweet tooth and absolutely need
to eat something sweet after a meal, at least make healthier choices.
Raisins and dates make a yummy after-meal dessert. You could also try
some homemade fruit yoghurt. Blend or mash a fruit in yoghurt and freeze. Devour when you feel the need to eat something sweet.
6. Fad Diets:
Juice diets and salad diets deprive your body
of vital nutrients. As much as possible, eat regular food. According to
the food pyramid, your body needs protein as well as carbs. A little
bit of fat in the form of butter and oil is also essential. Over the
past few years, diets that help drastic weight loss have become popular.
This kind of weight loss isn’t sustainable and the weight will slowly
creep back and cause you more anguish and frustration. Also avoid
packaged diet food as they cause more harm than good. Eating normal food
in moderation will help sustainable weight loss.
7. Processed Food:
Packaged juices, processed soups, frozen food
and canned food contain salt, sugar and preservatives. Although some
juices and soups are advertised as healthy, nothing that goes into a can
or bottle to be consumed much later can be healthy. Processed food has
little or no nutrients and is best avoided. Additionally, the flavor and
wholesomeness of freshly squeezed juice and piping hot homemade soup
cannot be replaced by store bought counterparts.
8. Food Journal:
If you are one of those emotional eaters, try
to maintain a food journal. Write everything down from that seemingly
innocent granola bar to that extra snack you are indulging in every
evening. Seeing it on paper just helps you figure out what you are doing
right or wrong. It also helps you gauge a pattern or a trigger for
emotional overeating.
9. Fresh Food:
As far as possible eat freshly cooked food.
Leftovers have no nutrition and you are only consuming empty calories by
finishing that bake from two days ago.
10. Green Tea:
Considered as a fat buster, green tea apart
from aiding digestion also speeds up metabolism. It contains EGCC, a
proponent that burns fat. Drinking green tea also helps one feel full
and can be used to suppress pangs of hunger between meals.
11. Alcohol:
Beer and wine have gotten a bad rap from
fitness enthusiasts but in reality any kind of alcohol will cause weight
gain. All kinds of alcoholic drinks are fattening. If you must imbibe,
do it occasionally or even socially.
12. Healthy Snacks:
When hunger strikes, opt for snacks that are filling. Carrots, yoghurt, fruits, and popcorns are snacks you can munch on without feeling guilty or piling on weight.
13. Homemade Junk Food Trap:
Do not delude yourself that homemade cakes,
cookies and fries do not contain fat. A lot of people think it is less
fattening to eat homemade fried food and baked goodies. This may be true
to a certain extent but you will realize that one tends to overeat
homemade goodies more than store bought ones. Wolfing down on 5
chocolate chip cookies even if your loving mom baked them cannot be good
for your health.
14. Visit A Dietician:
If you want to approach weight loss more
holistically, you can visit a dietician who will customize a diet plan
for you taking into consideration your activities, job and health.
Sticking to the plan, however, is entirely up to you. A proper diet plan
will focus on the essential nutrients you need. It will help you eat on
time and also monitor the quantity of food you consume.
15. Cheat Days:
If you have an intense craving for something
fried, cheesy or sugary, give in to your body once in a while. If you
keep depriving your body of occasional treats, not you will be crabby
all the time, you may probably think of food all day. Indulge once in a
while but make it a point to walk back home that day or take the stairs
instead of the elevator. Eat whatever your heart desires but in
moderation and once a week. However, it’s important not to go overboard.
Cheat days are a great way to give yourself a break. Also, if you know
that you are eating something sinful over the weekend, you won’t mind
slugging it out with simple and nutritious home cooked meals through the
week.
16. Exercise Routine To Stay Fit:
Watching what you eat is half the battle won.
The other half is following an exercise regime. A good workout program
not only aids weight loss but has several other benefits. Research shows
that regular exercisers are typically those people who seem to have
their life in control. Regular exercise makes your skin glow and
improves posture. Additionally, the regular release of endorphins helps
you feel good through the day.
-Enjoyable Exercise Routine:
Pick an exercise routine you enjoy. If you
like tennis, play for half an hour before or after work. If swimming is
your thing, then swim those calories away. If you genuinely enjoy doing
weights, join a gym. If you find yourself getting bored, mix it up a
little. You could also try hula hooping or a dance class. If you enjoy
your workout, you will look forward to it every day and the chances of
you skipping your workout are minimized.
17. Fitness For You:
Incorporate a fitness routine that fits in
your day. Just because your friend does pilates for an hour and a half,
does not mean it may be for you. Figure out how much time you can devote
to exercise on a regular basis. If you have only 30 minutes in the
morning, you may find even the idea of getting ready for gym exhausting.
In that case, a simple 30 minute walk or bicycle ride may seem doable.
18.Workout Gear:
Looking good always makes you feel good. Buy
nice workout clothes to feel good inside to motivate yourself to indulge
in regular exercise.
19. Have A Goal:
It could be losing weight for your birthday
party or just wanting to fit into your old jeans again. No goal is too
shallow if it helps you wake up every morning.
20. Regular Moderate Workout Vs Intense Sporadic Workout:
You start losing weight only after 20 minutes
of exercise. Therefore, whatever your form of exercise, do it regularly
for 30 minutes for best results. Not running for two weeks and running
10 miles like a crazy person. It definitely won’t help weight loss.
Understand that regular exercise for 30 minutes is better than
sporadically working out for an hour once a week.
21. Cardio And Weights:
Cardio AND Lifting weights
Cardiovascular exercises, such as walking,
running, swimming and cycling help you lose fat. However, when you train
with weights, you can build muscle. Do not rely on only cardio or
weights as you need a combination of both to lose weight. If you are a
beginner, start with cardio and then move on to a combination of both
weight training and cardio.
22. Workout Time:
Figure out a time that works best for you. If
you start your work day very early, try working out in the evening
after you’re back. Some work places now have a gym in the office. You
can skip the idle chit chat near the coffee machine and save some
precious time and workout in the afternoon. Some people prefer to get
exercise out of their way first thing in the morning. It has been proven
that people who work out in the morning tend to stick to their exercise
routines. Choose whatever time suits you best.
23. Small Tricks:
Over a period of time, you will realize that
small tricks will help you stick to your exercise goal. It could be a
new playlist or a super cool water bottle. A new tee shirt or even a
wristband will help you break the monotony of a regular workout.
24. Workout Buddy:
Having a workout buddy will help you stay
motivated. Also, some gossip on the tread mill can’t be all that bad. If
you workout with someone, it does not seem as tedious. Try to work out
with your spouse, friend or colleague and see the difference in your
level of motivation.
25. Realistic Goals:
Losing more than one kilo a week is not only
unhealthy but also unrealistic. Do not beat yourself up and feel bad
about losing weight gradually. Also, everyone has a certain body type.
If you are big boned, you can certainly lose weight and tone up but
looking petite may be a little unrealistic. Realistic goals will help
you avoid frustration.
P.s Weight loss cannot happen overnight and
sustained weight loss requires several lifestyle changes. Good eating
habits and a regular exercise regime with occasional indulgences will
help you lose weight and keep it off.
