Most of you hopefully saw my "part one" of things I
stick by that helps me lose weight and maintain my health, here are a couple
more that I keep in mind! I never thought I could stay in shape without always
depriving myself of what I really want, but now I know I can! Isn't there
always that one friend that eats loads and stays slim? Well that will be you
soon!
The biggest change I
have made is eating more-in fact around double what I was!! I am never hungry
and have gone down over 2 dress sizes. It is all about what you are eating.
This is why focusing on health as seen in part one is what I feel should be the
ultimate motivator. A lot of it is mental and so once you do this, you won’t
have any issues I can almost guarantee!
Get into a routine and remember everything in
moderation!
Some people like small meals regularly whilst others like
the classic 3 meals. Whatever you prefer, success is much more likely once you
establish a routine. As well as this do not listen to the voice in your head
telling you to binge tonight because you will diet tomorrow. Once you have
binged it is hard to come down to a drastic change and so has to be done
gradually. For this I would recommend not binging but instead let yourself
and body have what it desires but in moderation!
Oh, and don’t eat at
bedtime! Many of us will try having a small dinner but it may not
be satisfactory to our requirements and we end up munching bad foods later on!
Don’t kid yourself just have a bigger portion at tea time and reduce the change
of snacking at bed time where there is little chance for the energy from your food to be burned.
Personally I tend to devour whatever is on my plate, so a good way
to avoid over eating is to start with a small portion,
eat slowly and then go back for more IF you are still hungry, wait
about 10 minutes before going for seconds.
Exercise
This is one of my main loves in life.
Whatever the situation if I am feeling down or bored or just a little lethargic
nothing can beat the feeling that comes after a fantastic workout. I admit it
takes time to feel this way and many of us start out with a love/hate attitude
towards it. It makes us sweaty and sore yet we feel and look great with
persistence. If you can overcome this initial feeling it really is the most
enjoyable pastime.
For weight loss I have to say that running, for me beats
them all! It is hard because to run you need to be fairly fit and so it is
important to gradually build your way up to being able to run for long periods
of time, rather than attempting, failing and not wanting to try again. The way
I did this was a warm up walk for 10 minutes or so then jog for 3 minutes, walk
for 5 etc. etc. Eventually you build on this to pick up the pace and stamina
and in as little as a week can see a drastic difference to your fitness.
Personally it works to slim my thighs, hips, back and tummy in the way that
other cardio exercises don’t. Since we are on the topic of diet I
won't be mentioning the endless lists of benefits that exercise has on the
cardio vascular system and inner health but I will definitely be mentioning
this in the next little while!!
keep healthy snacks for cravings
For a successful lifestyle change and a healthy
weight it is important to make our goals achievable so it’s just unrealistic
to cut out a huge amount of food groups and treats. However, using a step
wise approach we can reduce out portion size and avoid foods high in
saturates and unnatural sugar. For this I definitely think a healthy alternative to treats is required day to day. While I was
being fairly strict with myself I used fruit with all its sweetness, and it
really did seem to rid me of my constant chocolate craving, for me the best
fruits for this are apples and grapes but it really is a personal preference.
This not only can really help your cravings but also give you
many nutrients and help towards your 5 a day.
If you prefer savoury, how about some carrot sticks, pepper
or perhaps a Rivita with low fat cream cheese? Mmm
Please remember not to let this consume the mind, the less you think about it, the less anxious you will be, the less likely you are to be constantly thinking about food and therefore will tend to be more successful. Educate yourself slowly you will see the amazing consequences! I found this site which just emphasizes these points!
If you have any questions or worries or need any help at all please comment or email! I will be doing part 3 very soon, as well as benefits of fish oils on the body, and another post on keeping your mind nice and healthy!
Take care
Cool! I'll try some of your tips!
ReplyDeleteI've tagged you in the Liebster Awards, it's 10 questions to answer and it's a way for the blogging community to connect :)
http://scatteredpicturestheblog.blogspot.it/2013/09/liebster-award.html
What a beautiful post! SUCH great advice, with the most adorable photos. I am absolutely loving your blog :)
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Maha Maven
Aww thank you so much :) I love blogging so much fun!! Will check out yours :) xx
ReplyDeleteYes! The most fun. Thanks :)
DeleteThese are gorgeous pictures! & wonderful things to remember & keep in mind! Lovely post. I just came across this blog & I love it here!
ReplyDeletex leah symonne x
itsleli.blogspot.com
I hope you don't mind me commenting but I have nominated you for the Liebster Award!
ReplyDeletehttp://greenbeautylife.blogspot.com/2013/10/liebster-award.html#more
Awesome Tips! I am one that really fluctuates...It sucks to have a good routine, be your goal weight for over a year and then have to have surgery or move homes, or change jobs...life changes are my achilles heel!! but at least from this post, it's good to see that maintenance is possible! Lovin the Blog ~Mystic Fury
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