Achieving an overall healthy lifestyle is a big piece of the puzzle in maintaining a fit lifestyle and body. It seems like every month, there’s a new “AMAZING” diet plan. Whole30, The 21 Day Fix, Paleo—the list goes on and on. But it's important to remember that weight lost during most of these diets is likely from lean muscle and water, not body fat, according to the AAFP.
When on a strict diet, it’s very common to gain weight after ending strict eating habits. The best way to lose weight and keep it off is through lifestyle changes. You may be surprised how little changes over time will ultimately help you reach your fitness goals and keep weight off and/or build muscle. Reaching a fitness goal is a journey, it does not happen overnight and there is no quick fix to get there. Here are our tips to create better habits in order to reach your goals!
1. Eat a healthy breakfast.
Every morning, start your day by fueling your body with nutrients it needs to stay healthy. The basic formula for breakfast: Pair carbs with proteins. The carbs give your body energy to get started and your brain the fuel it needs to take on the day. Protein gives you staying power and helps you feel full until your next meal. Need some ideas? Check out our blog on some of our favorite breakfast recipes.
Make sure to give yourself enough time in the morning to make a healthy breakfast. It doesn't take much time, even waking up ten minutes earlier will allow you enough time to make a healthy breakfast. Planning out your breakfast the night before can also be helpful.
2. Drink more water.
It's no secret that there are numerous health benefits from drinking water. One of them being an aid in weight loss. Water can help control calorie intake as it can make you feel more full. Sometimes your body can confuse hunger for dehydration, staying hydrated all day long can help you feel less hungry. Also, substituting water for higher calorie beverages can certainly help.
Water helps energize your muscles. Cells that don't maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, which can result in muscle fatigue. Drinking enough fluids is important when exercising. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking about 17 ounces of fluid about two hours before exercise. During exercise, they recommend that people start drinking fluids early, and drink them at regular intervals to replace fluids lost by sweating.
There are many tips to help you drink more water, start your day with a full glass right when you wake up. Carry a reusable water bottle around with you all day as a reminder to sip. Set a reminder on your work calendar or in your phone to drink every hour. You can even use an app to help track your water intake throughout the day!
3. Eat more vegetables.
It is important to include a healthy amount of veggies in your diet each day. Eating vegetables provides many health benefits — people who eat more vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body. They are also beneficial for weight management due to their low calorie content.
Get creative and include veggies as a part of every meal. Making an omelet? Add spinach! Add veggies into your daily smoothies. Replace pastas with spiralized vegetables. The possibilities are endless! Need some ideas? Check out this article from Healthline on creative ways to incorporate more vegetables into your diet!
4. Listen to your body.
Get reacquainted with your hunger and fullness cues. Trust us, they are there! If you're not used to doing this, try using a hunger scale. Think of hunger on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being not hungry at all, and 10 being as uncomfortably full as you can possibly get. The goal while using the scale is to begin eating somewhere around a 3 or 4, and to stop around a 6 or 7.
Remember, hunger exists for a reason: Your body is asking to be fed! Just as you wouldn’t ignore other innate signals from your body like the urge to pee, don’t ignore your hunger cues. Getting back in touch with how it feels to actually be hungry will help you feed your body properly.
5. Exercise daily.
This one is a no brainer! Want to feel better, have more energy and even add years to your life? Just exercise. The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. Everyone benefits from exercise, regardless of age, sex or physical ability. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:
- At least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity.
- Strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. Examples include lifting free weights, using weight machines or doing body-weight training.
Be sure to spread your physical activities throughout the week. And this does not mean you need to push yourself to do an hour workout every single day of the week. But on your non gym days, be sure to get out for a walk or a hike. Even if you can't make it to the gym, there are many ways to get more physical activity in - walk your dog, stretch, take an Edge Live Class, jump rope in your driveway... just make sure to MOVE.
6. Last but not least, keep a positive attitude!
Studies show that people who spend more time experiencing gratitude seem to spend less time experiencing aches and pains and going to doctors. They also report more feelings of physical and mental well-being. Gratitude can improve your overall outlook on life. This is important, especially in today's climate. Appreciating what you have can make you feel more optimistic and satisfied and experience less frustration, envy, and regret. It also tends to result in increased self-esteem and confidence, which also improves mood.
Need some tips on having an attitude of gratitude? Get a gratitude journal and keep it by your bedside. When you wake up each morning, while you're drinking your glass of water, write down 5-10 things you are grateful for. Before you go to bed at night write down some positive things that happened during the day or week. If you find yourself having negative thoughts during the day, take a pause and a deep breath. Sometimes it can help to say "Stop that thought, all is well." If it is not something you can fix in that moment, don't harp on it too much and do something to help you stay positive.
It may take time to start incorporating all of these into your daily routine, and that's okay. But start by including one or two of these daily and see how it goes. Before you know it, these one or two things will become habit. And once something becomes a habit, it becomes part of your lifestyle! Then go on to include one more and then another one. Overtime you will notice a huge difference!
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