Tip #1
Eating Healthy!
Although crash dieting gets you results fast, it's an unhealthy temporary quick fix. To lose weight and keep it off, you need to make a lifestyle change. That's not to say we can't indulge every once in a while but keeping your eye on the prize will have you looking and feeling great. When trying to lose weight the healthiest way to go about it is eating as organic and "clean" as you can. Stay away from processed,sugary, and starchy foods. A diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and complex carbohydrates fuels your body with the GOOD kind of energy it needs to sustain you during your workouts. Although it may seem more immediately satisfying to eat a cheese burger and french fries rather than a grilled chicken salad, it's not worth the temporary satisfaction. While it may taste good as you are eating it when you are finished you feel weighed down, tired, and guilty for eating such a heavily fat saturated meal. As my grandmother always said "A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips". Think about this next time you reach for that candy bar. Is that momentary satisfaction worth the feeling and extra work that will come with it?Tip #2
Portion Control!
Most of us would be surprised to see what an actual serving size of a meal looks like, compared to the amount we actually eat. The serving size of a piece of meat we should have in one meal, is roughly equivalent to the size of your palm. Most of us eat double that amount in one sitting! If you consider how much food we get when eating at a restaurant you'll realize that they double or even triple the serving size of meals. Eating the correct portions of your food is an important part of getting in shape. Taking in more calories than we need is the easiest way to gain weight. When we eat more calories than we need, those calories just turn to fat on our bodies. Always check the serving size of what your about to eat. If the food does not have a pre packaged label try googling it. Just because we are committing ourselves to a healthy lifestyle doesn't mean we don't get to treat ourselves now and then. It make take a week or so for your body to get used to these smaller portions but your body will eventually adjust it's self to getting less food. It's all about smaller portions! If you have a craving for something sweet have 4 or 5 M&M's instead of the whole bag. To make sure your portions are in check, try using a food scale. This will help you make sure your measurements are just right.Tip#3
Beware of Alcohol!
You may not realize it but many of our empty calories come from alcohol. There are 90 calories in one shot of vodka and that's for the lowest calorie vodka I have found. There are 110 calories in one can of Bud Light, and 145 in regular Budweiser. This may not seem like too many calories but if you have 5 drinks for the night your over 500 calories in alcohol alone. Some drinks tip the scale even more. One long island iced tea has 292 calories in only one serving! If you are old enough to drink limit yourself to the number of drinks you have, and try to make low calorie drink choices. Try liquor with diet soda or seltzer water. For example try a clear 60 calorie rum with diet coke. Two of these drinks are equal to one beer! make smart drink decisions!
Tip #4
Get Moving!
This part is equally as important as eating right! Keep yourself moving 5 days a week for at least 30 minutes and you are going to see results. The best way to keep yourself motivated to workout is to get a workout buddy. When you are working out with a friend you will have someone there to push you. Trying taking some classes like pilate's, zumba, or maybe even kickboxing. If you are doing something fun it will help distract you from the fact that you are working out. Remember even though it's hard you've got to push through it. It's called WORKing out for a reason! Constantly challenge yourself. Make sure you don't always keep the same routine. Routines are bad for two reasons. First, you won't be challenging your body, because it will get used to your workout. Second, routines are BORING! Do something fun to mix things up, changing things around keeps your workout interesting.Tip #5
Use the Internet!
All of us are so lucky to be living in the information age. We have so many resources right at our fingertips. Don't be afraid to use the Internet for recipes, new workouts, and to find other healthy living resources. One of my favorite places for online recipes is lifetime's t.v. show "Cook Yourself Thin" . This is a cooking show on lifetime where 3 chefs teach women how to make their favorite meals with a healthy spin. They have a ton of recipes and videos on lifetime's website. Another great resources online for exercises tips would be the "Tone It Up" girls. Karena & Katrina are personal trainers who have their own diet plan as well as a youtube channel showing multiple types of workouts and exercise tips to get you in shape. Their videos are quick, to the point, and their upbeat personalities help keep you motivated. My third online tip would be to search multiple magazine websites such as Shape, Self, Marie Claire, and Seventeen for more Exercises and diet tips. The world of fitness is always changing so keep updated on the latest excercise routines and diet fad's with some reliable websites!
"Cook Yourself Thin" -http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/cook-yourself-thin
"Tone It Up" -http://www.youtube.com/user/ToneItUpcom
"SHAPE"-http://www.shape.com/fitness
"Self"-http://www.self.com/fitness
"Marie Claire"-http://www.marieclaire.com/health-fitness/
"Seventeen"-http://www.seventeen.com/health/
