Every little thing we do, from the food we eat to the way we manage stress affects our body. You may not see it, or feel it right away, but on a cellular level, changes are happening. When it comes to weight loss, the same rules apply. Managing to control weight isn't all about dieting. I want to share these 3 lifestyle tips that control weight to help get your mind off dieting (the "D" word) and onto some quick changes you can make right now that will have you feeling better (and shedding some unneeded body fat) faster than any calorie restricted plan ever could.
Conventional Weight Control Doesn't Work
New research has shown that US women in the US are more obese than ever. Today 40% of women in the US are obese. This means that one's body mass index (BMI) is 30 or higher. A BMI is simple a height to weight ratio.
Of course, we're all responsible for the decisions we make with the foods we eat, but there is a battlefield of junk food and diet misinformation out there. Making good choices isn't always easy. Nonetheless, our health is suffering. It's a fine line - we have to own our health, but we also have to weed through a sea of propaganda and super sized servings everywhere that nearly force feed garbage down our throats. It's frustrating.
As the mother of three, I'm concerned. My career today doesn't guarantee that my kids won't become a part of the same statistic. I only hope that I can impress on them that their choices (lifestyle and dietary) directly impact the health of their body.
No Silver Bullet to Weight Loss
I think it's safe to say that there is absolutely no panacea weight loss, or longterm health. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. We are all unique - daily schedules, personal stresses and our own physiology all make us like snowflakes or fingerprints. No two are the same. Listening to your body has never been more important.
We all have different things that "work" for us to help maintain a more optimal weight. Personally, I'm motivated by learning and staying informed. I wanted to share a couple of things that help keep me motivated to stay healthy. As unique as we are, there are a few things that apply to all of us. Of course, we all need to eat (hopefully healthy), we all need to sleep (hopefully 8 hours) and we all need to drink water (hopefully half our body weight in ounces), but if I had to drill a little deeper and really focus on three things that have the ability to completely transform health, it would be these three.
I often refer to these tips because ANYONE can follow them, the don't cost any extra money and they generally fit into nearly anyone's lifestyle. Without changing anything else, even if you already eat healthy, but can't seem to shed body fat, try sticking with these tips for two or three weeks and let me know how you do!
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1) Never eat past the point of comfort.
Rolling away from the table, feeling too full to keep your eyes opens sucks. REMEMBER, when you eat too much your liver stores all the extra energy as fat. It's highly unlikely you'll burn it off, unless you go a very long period of time without eating, or plan to exercise for hours on end (neither of which I suggest).
Sacrifice the bread basket, extra spoonful of rice or bun with you burger. Usually these are the foods that lack the most nutrition. Aim at filling your plate with vegetables, healthy fat and lean protein.
2) Don't eat too late.
If you do this regularly, I promise you'll gain weight - even if the food is healthy. REMEMBER, insulin (a fat storage hormone) trumps human growth hormone (your repair and rejuvenate hormone) every time. Close to bedtime, digestion naturally slows, too. Not only do you wake up less rested, but you probably have some food left in the tank. Yuck!
If you're tempted to make a run into the kitchen for a little something, make hot tea instead, or just drink a big glass of water. Sometimes eating too close to bedtime is just a bad habit. Stop making trips to the kitchen two to three hours before bedtime. If you have to eat close to bedtime, just eat less.
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3) If you wonder if you're drinking enough water, you're probably not.
REMEMBER, water not only helps our body on literally every cellular level, but it helps to maintain a healthy metabolism, flush toxins out and digest food. I suggest to drink about 12 ounces of warm or lukewarm water when you wake up, and 8 to 12 ounces of water before every meal or snack, then one more time before you hit the sack. This doesn't include the 12 to 24 you need for your workouts.
If your urine is very yellow every time you use the bathroom, you're probably not drinking enough. The ONLY exception to this is right after you take a multivitamin or take B-complex vitamins. They tend to make our pee a really bright yellow. Now you know!
Stay healthy!
