With all the “trend diets” that are popping up all over your social media pages, it’s no wonder why many people struggle to lose weight. Not to mention many weight-loss TV shows are shown promoting excess exercise and a very restricted diet plan to lose large amounts of weight in a very short amount of time. Do these types of diets and health plans work? Yes. Are they healthy for your body and lend to long-term success? No.
If you want to be successful in your weight-loss and healthy lifestyle journey, follow these six rules proven by science and will help you shed the fat fast!
Eliminate the Stress:
I know, easier said than done, right? When you’re stressed you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re not eating right, and your entire body gets out of whack.
When your body is in a state of stress your cortisol (a stress hormone) levels spike, which ultimately results in weight gain.
Try finding ways to reduce stress like meditating, trying Yoga or taking an hour for yourself to do something you love…even if it is binge watching your favorite TV show!
Don’t Rely on Exercise Alone:
Have you ever heard the term “you can’t out exercise a bad diet”? While getting your heart rate up, sweating, and burning calories is good for you, it’s not the only way to lose weight.
If you think you can eat whatever you want while doing a 30min exercise program, think again; you may not be seeing the results you’re looking for. Combining exercise with a healthy diet plan & lifestyle change will have bigger and better results.
So, cut the calories and incorporate a good work-out regime to give you that long-term weight loss success you’re looking for!
Keep a Food Journal:
Writing down what you eat helps you know exactly how many calories you’re consuming and whether they are helping or hindering you. Also, when you are tracking your food, it’s good to write down your thoughts and feelings throughout the day and if it’s associated to what you’re eating. Sometimes having a bad day can lead to bad food choices, thus revealing any excess calories consumed and why you’re not losing any weight.
Food tracker apps are easy to use and can show all the macros you’re consuming as well as other important nutritional information. You can even add your daily exercise routine which also coincides with your daily nutrition plan. These apps also tell you how many calories you need to consume based on your exercise level so it’s easy to know how much you should be eating!
Up your Vegetable Intake:
Carbohydrates give us energy, but they don’t always need to come from bread alone. Many vegetables have enough carbs to give you the energy you need so you’re not depending on starchy, processed foods.
Dark leafy greens like spinach and kale are great ways to get good carbs, vitamins and nutrients. Swap your regular russet potato with yams, sweet potatoes or parsnips. Even treating radishes as a potato (think roasting, mashing, etc.) is a delicious way to get low-sugar and nutrient dense dishes! Eating a veggie at each meal will not only increase your daily fiber intake, but help you feel full and satisfied longer!
Drink Water:
Being thirsty and being hungry can have the same feeling so it’s easy to get the two confused. The average person should drink around eight 8-ounce (64oz total) glasses of water a day which can boost weight loss. However, if you’re still thirsty after guzzling 64oz, it’s ok to increase the amount but don’t over-do it. Water intoxication, also known as Hyponatremia, is when you’ve diluted too much sodium in the body thus causing brain swelling, seizures, and can even be fatal.
And, if you’re exercising regularly, drinking water is important to replenish all the fluid lost from sweat.
Get More Sleep:
A study completed by the Journal of Epidemiology concluded that people that sleep less than hours per night are about 40 percent more likely to develop obesity than those that slept seven to eight hours per night. Researchers noted that sleep deprivation may reduce the motivation to exercise and spark counterproductive eating habits. Some people overeat during the day to compensate for lack of quality of sleep at night.
Having a nightly routine of turning off all electronics at least 30min before bedtime, can get your body ready for peaceful sleep. Swap your nightly use of your tablet or phone with a book or magazine article.
A study done by the National Academy of Sciences found that the use of light-emitting electronics prolongs the time it takes to fall asleep, and greatly suppresses levels of the sleep-promoting hormone, melatonin, reduces the amount of and delays the timing of REM sleep and reduces alertness the following morning.
If you are still struggling on your new lifestyle journey it’s ok to enlist the help of professionals! Taking advantage of Express Weight Loss Clinic in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle is a great way to get the results you want and to see success!
Contact your local office, or better yet, make an E-Visit appointment online from your own home to speak to a licensed clinician!
Express Weight Loss Clinic of Tyler
903-592-5670
4293 Kinsey Drive
Tyler, TX 75703
Express Weight Loss Clinic of Plano
469-786-1751
230 W Parker Rd, Ste 100
Plano, TX 75075