Perhaps you want to lose weight, but you do not want to go to the effort of counting calories or spend time planning out low-fat meals. Maybe you do not have much time to devote to a daily exercise routine. Fortunately, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight really depends most heavily on simply living a healthier lifestyle. This can be accomplished without "going on a diet" at all. Here are some simple steps you can take that can begin to make a difference in your health and in your waistline.
Drink plenty of water. Carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go. Keep a glass of water on your desk or on the coffee table at all times. You can begin to lose weight by just increasing your daily fluid intake. There are several reasons for this, not the least of which is that it makes you feel full and satisfies that feeling of hunger that may arise. Drinking lots of water also helps to flush your system of impurities, and thus improves your overall health.
Replace your junk food snacks with healthier ones. Instead of reaching for chips and dip, grab some celery or carrots and hummus. Eat a piece of fruit instead of a slice of pie. Have a handful of nuts in place of the candy bar that is calling your name. Each time you substitute a healthier snack for junk food, you are saving calories and feeding your body the nutrition it really needs.
Eat five or six "mini meals" throughout the day instead of two or three larger ones. Spreading your food intake over several smaller sessions of eating aids weight loss in a number of ways. This keeps your blood sugar more stable, thus reducing mid-afternoon and late-night cravings. Eating smaller portions more often also reduces the load on your pancreas and makes it easier for your body to process the carbs a little bit at a time. This reduces your insulin resistance and makes weight loss easier.
Tweak your protein intake. You do not necessarily need to eat more protein, but you may need to change which kind you eat and when you eat it. Whenever you eat any carbs, make sure you have some protein along with it. This will slow down the carbohydrate absorption and lead to less weight gain. Also, when you do eat protein, make sure that you choose leaner portions of meats and add more beans and legumes to your diet.
Sneak exercise into your daily routine. Although you may not have a half-hour or more to devote solely to exercise each day, there are surely ways you can move more as you go through your day-to-day activities. Park farther away from the door, so you have to walk a little more when you run errands or go to work. Use the steps instead of the elevator. Get up and move around during every commercial break when you are watching TV. Go for a 15-minute walk after dinner each night. Look at your daily schedule and figure out little ways you can add some more movement into the things you already do.
You do not have to follow a strict diet or count calories in order to begin losing weight and feeling better. There are lots of simple, easy changes you can make that will start to make a difference right away. If you follow these few tips, you will find that you can improve your health and lose weight even though you are a "lazy dieter."
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