Here are some of the most simple things you can do to lose that flab. These 10 things are so simple, you can easily start doing them from today itself!
So without further ado, here we go…
Get Those Digestive Juices Flowing…
Start your day with ½ freshly squeezed lemon in a glass of warm water, this will stimulate your digestion and help to eliminate all the toxic part of yours you are carrying around!
Juice a whole bunch of lemons at a time, and keep the juice in a mason jar in the fridge. Then, simply add to your drinking water throughout the day.
It is great way to cleanse the liver, especially if you know you are going to be drinking a couple of cocktails by the lake!
You could also add honey to this drink. It will only help your cause!
FFF – Fiber Fights Flab!
Fibre is a natural appetite suppressant; it will curb your appetite, keep you full for longer, help balance your blood sugar, and keep your bowels working!
Add 2 tablespoons of chia (7g fibre) or ground flax (4g fibre) to your smoothie, yogurt, salad, or applesauce.
When buying bread, always look for 100% whole grain on the package and you should be aiming for 3-5g fibre per slice.
Refined Carbs Are a NO-NO!
Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel but you need to make sure you are choosing the right ones.
Remove all white pasta, white sugar, and white bread from your diet. These have no nutrients and leave you feeling bloated, tried, and craving more!
Replace them with whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, spelt, kamut), natural sweeteners that actually give you nutrients (coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup), and 100% whole grain bread (Stonemill is a great brand that you can find in most grocery stores).
Protein Forbid Flab!
You should be eating a protein (chicken, turkey, fish, beans/lentils) and a healthy fat (avocado, extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed oil, chia seeds, hemp seeds, fish) with every meal.
Proteins ensure a smooth and quick metabolism and hence stop the accumulation of flab in your body.
For vegetarians, the protein intake might become alarmingly low at times. We recommend you go with Whey Protein Supplements.
Whey Protein
This will help keep you fuller for longer and help balance your blood sugar to prevent those sneaky cravings!
Eat A Rainbow!
There is no excuse not to be eating your fill of fruits & vegetables this time of year.
Local produce is abundant, and, unlike imported produce that has traveled thousands of miles to get to the grocery store, farm fresh produce tastes better and is kinder to the environment!
Always try to have a rainbow for each meal, make it fun for the kids and get them to actually make a rainbow on their plate!
Plan Your Meals
Take control and plan meals & snacks ahead of time if you can.
Setting aside just 1 hour a week to plan will help ensure that you have healthy meals prepared and that the fridge (or cooler) is stocked with lots of healthy meals & snacks to avoid temptation.
Regardless of whether you are at home or travelling, you want to be eating a balance of lean protein, fruits & vegetables, and whole grains.
Make homemade burgers instead of store bought ones; have turkey, chicken, or veggie dogs, instead of the high fat hot dogs.
If you are eating out, try and research places before hand – have a look online at their menus and try to pick a restaurant that has some healthy options.
Be careful of the portion size, these often tend to be bigger than you need. Remember, you can always take a doggie bag home for lunch the next day!
Water retention can add extra weight and can be a sign you are dehydrated and your body is holding on to water for fear of becoming further dehydrated.
It is also a sign that you may have too much sodium in your body and drinking more water will help flush this out.
Dehydration is often mistaken for hunger, so before reaching for that next snack, think about when you had your last drink of water.
On average, we need about 2 litres of water each day to stay hydrated. Plus, if you are drinking alcohol, remember one glass of water for every alcoholic drink!
To calculate the amount of water you should be drinking, divide your body weight (lbs) by 2 and this will give you the number (in ounces) of water you should be drinking each day.
Early signs of dehydration are:
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Irritability Cravings Hunger
- Cramps
- Headaches
Limit Your Treats
While you may be taking in the right amount of calories, you may be eating all the wrong types, those that are keeping the weight on.
If you are eating too much sugar you will be on a blood sugar rollercoaster and triggering too much of your fat storage hormone insulin.
Start reading food labels to check their sugar content as products’ descripetions can be very deceiving!
Eating Slowly And Mindfully
It takes a full 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that it is full. In today’s world most people have a very busy lifestyle and we all tend to gobble up our food and eat our meals and snacks too quickly.
Sit tall, take small bites of your food, chew at least 15-20 times and always eat in a relaxed state (no rushing!!) do the best you can with this one! To wind down, take a few deep breaths before you begin your meal.
Ask yourself why you eat. Are you hungry, bored, sad, craving or simply eating according to the clock?
Don’t wait until you are famished before eating, this will increase your chances of overeating and making poor food choices. Try to eat without distractions like your phone or the TV and always eat when you are sitting down.
Being mindful and slowing down your pace of eating will take some focus to begin with but if you continue, it will soon become second nature.
If you do not get enough good quality sleep your metabolism will not function properly.
There are 2 hormones that are involved in the sleep & weight loss connection – Grehlin is the hormone that tells you when to eat and Leptin is the hormone that tells you when to stop eating.
If you are sleep deprived you have less Leptin and are more prone to overeating.
Irregular sleep patterns can also make weight loss more difficult.
Try keeping the same bedtime routine and go to bed at the same time each night, avoid watching TV or working on the computer half an hour before bedtime, sleep in a dark room and in comfortable, loose clothing.
Now you have all the tools you need to look and feel your best. Follow these 10 tips and you will be on the path to your goal of losing flab!