The human body needs water, food, rest and stimulation to function properly and when faced with a lack of any of these basic needs it will do everything possible in order to survive. When there is a dramatic decrease in the intake of food, the body senses a possible famine and starts to store reserves of fat to deal with the potential crisis.
If you are eating a sensible calorie controlled diet and are exercising effectively but still struggling to lose those stubborn pounds, these simple metabolism-boosting tips could help.
Eat breakfast. If you sleep through the night and then deprive the body of food in the morning, it senses a potential famine and then holds onto stored body fat to keep you alive. Remember, calories from food represent energy. Use that energy to rev your metabolism.
Increase your meal frequency. Eat more often, but be careful not to increase your calorie intake. For example, if you eat three times per day, break those three meals into five to six smaller meals and eat every three hours. Used strategically, food can actually help burn body fat.
Drink a lot of water. Muscles and other tissues are made up of approximately 80-percent water. If you limit your water intake, the body will retain water and this in turn will make you feel bloated and uncomfortable. It doesn't take much for this to happen. Staying hydrated stops your body retaining fluids, retained fluid adds to weight. Drinking water before and with every meal helps to prevent overeating.
Break up your workout. With family responsibilities, work, financial pressures, etc., the thought of exercise is an extra stress for many people. However, research has proven that two short bouts of exercise per day will actually stimulate the metabolism more than one longer bout. Go for a brisk 15-minute walk first thing in the morning before work and then another one at lunch time. Do this for five days per week and you will see definite progress after just a few weeks.
Calorie Boost. If you are losing weight on a calorie controlled diet but need to give your weight loss a little kick, why not try doing it with a calorie boost. It works on a four day cycle. For three days, regulate your food intake at your minimum calorie requirement (based on your height, weight and goals.) Then, on day number four, increase your calorie intake by an additional 400. For example, if you're losing fat by consuming 1,200 calories per day, simply raise your calories to 1,600 on day number four. This widely used technique claims to increase metabolism and stimulate additional fat loss. It is important to remember that the additional calories should come from good sources of protein, carbohydrates and fats, and not from pizza, chips and cake.
Remember, at the end of the day, the best way to lose
weight is to eat less calories than you use in energy.
*Eliminate Sodas and Diet Soda completely – Drink water or unsweetened tea.
*Don’t eat and then go straight to bed. Allow a minimum of 2 to 3 hours between meal and bed time.
*Find new recipes online or in magazines, look for one new healthy food item each shopping trip, try a new exercise class or pick up a new healthy hobby. Any and all of these suggestions will reinforce your new healthy lifestyle.
Healthy Tips for Eating Out
It takes effort and commitment to fully change your eating lifestyle. One of the more difficult obstacles is eating out. However, with the right mind set, and a little planning ahead, a trip to a restaurant does not have to de-rail your eating plan. Below are some suggestions that should help take some of the guesswork out of ordering at a restaurant.
General Tips
• Substitute fried foods for steamed, grilled, baked, or broiled.
• Order side dishes that are free of butter and cream sauces. Be especially careful when ordering vegetables. Most restaurants will serve them drenched in butter unless otherwise noted.
• Ask for butter, sour cream, salad dressings, and any other unhealthy toppings to be served on the side. This way, you can control how much you put on.
• Ask the server what healthy choices he/she may suggest.
• Rather than ordering an appetizer, order a broth based soup. The reality is, there are very few healthy choices as an appetizer.
• Remove any skin or visible fat from meat.
Suggestions
• Chinese- Aim for steamed or stir-fried dishes. This includes the rice on the side. Also, egg drop soup, and hot and sour soup are good starters. Avoid the sweet and sour dishes, cashew chicken, and most egg rolls.
• Italian- Choose marinara sauces over white, cream sauces. Choose baked or grilled chicken and veal dishes. Try broiled calamari instead of fried. Avoid sausage, meatballs, most lasagnas, and buttery garlic bread.
• Mexican- Look for different salsas, ceviche, and picante, but avoid too much sour cream and cheese. Try corn tortillas over flour tortillas. Try fish tacos, and chicken fajitas. Avoid enchiladas and quesadillas that are loaded with cheese and refried beans.
• Sushi- Edamame is a great appetizer to start your meal with. Vegetable and tofu rolls are very healthy. Most fresh fish sushi and sashimi choices are healthy. Stay away from tempura, or rolls with cream cheese. Also, eel and spicy tuna are generally the fattiest fish available in a sushi restaurant. Therefore, order sparingly. A sushi rolls average 200-300 calories, while most sashimi orders average about 150-200 calories. Be careful how much you eat. Most people can overdo it at a sushi restaurant.
• Continental- Look for grilled chicken, fish and pork entrees. Try turkey (or veggie) burgers as well as turkey chili instead of the regular burgers and chili. Avoid spare ribs, buffalo wings, and other fried appetizers. Instead, look for salads and soups to start with.
Move Around
Being active does not mean getting to the gym every day for two hours. However, the more you move, the more you will lose. Standing instead of sitting burns twice as many calories. Simple activities like taking the stairs, parking further from your destination, helping with lawn work or washing your car will add to the calorie deficit you need to get to your weight goal and is a key diet tip to faster weight reduction. Aim for sixty minutes of activity each day.