Do you ever find yourself in a position where you are desperately trying to physically keep up with your friends but are just not able to?
Every activity that you do seems a hundred times harder now than it did before. And when you look you see that they’re doing the same task without a sigh or complain.
If all of this is you then you may want to get into gear and start to focus on your health. These symptoms are pointers for an unfit body. An unfit body will only do you more harm than good so now is the time for de-chunktifying yourself!
And weight loss is the ticket to a healthier you.
If you truly want to bring about a change in the way you look and feel about yourself all you have to do follow these 6 easy steps:
1. Start With a Plan
Just thinking about losing weight is not going to get you anywhere. What you really need is a step-by-step plan to keep you on track without any risk of falling off the wagon.
For example, have a plan that incorporates healthy food and moderate exercise. Your plan can also include a support system, or buddy system to hold yourself accountable to sticking with a plan.
2. Have Realistic Goals
Try not to have unrealistic expectations when you start your trip to a healthier you. You might want to lose 40 lbs., but if this is highly unrealistic, then it will be that much harder to achieve your goal.
Make sure that your weight loss plan is approved by a doctor so that you can lose weight in a healthy manner.
3. Eat Whole Foods
The simplest and quickest way to reduce excess weight is to follow a healthy diet plan that incorporates:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Water
- Lean protein
- Healthy fats such as coconut oil and avacado oil
These will wash away the toxic that has been nesting in your body over the years and normalize your system. It’s also a good idea to always have quick and healthy snacks in case you are feeling hungry.
4. Keep Track of What You Eat
Another simple technique to losing weight is by counting the number of calories you consume in a day. The general rule of thumb is that women must consume a minimum of 1200 calories and men must consume a minimum of 1800. But, don’t feel like you have to stick to eating a certain amount of calories every day.
It’s better to eat whole foods and eat until you are full, than to only eat a bagel with cream cheese because anything more will exceed your caloric intake.
5. Move Your Body
Exercise is the key to weight loss. When you stretch your body and raise your heart rate, it helps with losing any extra weight that’s hanging around. The only thing you should keep in mind while exercising is to avoid putting too much of a strain on your muscles.
A great way to stretch your body while minimized strain on your muscles is yoga. Yoga is relaxing but is a great way to strengthen your core muscles, letting you be fit enough for moderate exercise like biking or swimming.
6. Stay Hydrated
Throughout your weight loss period it is important to keep your body hydrated. Without sufficient water your body may not be able to break down the food you eat. This in turn will affect your energy levels to drop.
Drinking water can be difficult for some people, especially if you rely on sodas and coffee to get you by. Here are some tips to increase your water intake:
- Drink cold water. Cold water is more refreshing and helps quenches your thirst after a big workout.
- Put sliced cucumber in your water. This adds a hint of flavor without making it taste like your drinking cucumbers.
- Drink decaffeinated weak tea. Make some tea (fruit inspired kind), but only steep it for a minute. This can help introduce you to drinking more water.
Are you ready for a healthier you?
For most people just the idea of losing weight sets them into a frenzy and wanting to try extravagant weight loss programs. These programs may seem attractive and worthwhile in the short run but in the long run they will do more harm than good.
So if you ever want to get started on shaping up your health for the better then the first thing you need to do is find a modest weight loss plan that works in your favor. Once this is done everything else will take care of itself and before you know it you will find yourself competing with the same people who seemed out of your league before!
