In a nation where the threats of being overweight or obese
are almost always topics of conversation, it is difficult to fully kick off our
need or even want to lose weight and become healthy. As reported by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of American adults are
overweight or obese—and that reality is creeping into younger and younger
populations of our country.
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| Kick Start Your Weight Loss Journey |
We have seen this truly unfortunate reality on the big
screen over the last few decades with films like Food Inc., Fast Food Nation
and the more recent Fed Up, but it is difficult to get these messages to a
population of 318 million who come from different expectations, different
perceptions of healthy bodies, and different food backgrounds.
Hence, the following list shows some steps that can be
implemented into almost any lifestyle, regardless of sex, location or income.
Let's kickstart your weight loss and, more importantly, your path to a
healthier life!
Firstly, remember
that weight loss is 80 percent about diet, 20 percent about exercise: No matter how
many hours you spend on the treadmill or the stair-master, body change cannot
occur without a change in your diet. If you are trying to lose weight, you need
to realize this from the get-go. Don't follow up your workout with a double
bacon cheeseburger if you want to lose some pounds; focus firstly on what you
eat, and you will soar.
Eat fresh and natural
foods: From the above realization, you further need to accept more fresh
and natural foods in your diet. This does not only include fruits and veggies,
but further goes into good grains (quinoa, whole grain pasta, crackers and
bread, brown rice, steel-cut oats), good dairy (soy or low-fat milk, plain and
unsweetened Greek yogurts like Fage or Chobani, low-fat or non-fat cottage
cheese), and rich proteins in moderation (almonds, cashews, all-natural peanut
or almond butter).
Ditch the unwanted
calories from processed foods: Again, focusing on fresh and natural foods
leaves a very rare space for processed foods. Sure, Lay's and M&M's can be
fun to eat, but limit these "treats" to very rare occasions. After a
while, you won't even want to reach for the bag of chips—your cravings for
healthy foods will come with time and practice!
Keep track of the
calories from what you drink: Truthfully the best drinks for weight loss
and
healthy living
in general are water, green tea, milk, coffee, and iced or hot tea (there's
also protein shakes, that you can make homemade to get the full benefits).
Other than these, try to either limit or ditch the other drinks. This includes
sodas,
milkshakes, and
alcohol. That isn't to say you have to completely get rid of all of these
drinks immediately, but you shouldn't continue to have your daily Frappuccino
fix if you're looking to lose weight.
Limit your simple
carbohydrates, and eat them before 3 p.m.: One of the hardest parts of
weight loss is accepting the fact that you have to limit your simple
carbohydrates throughout your diet. Simple carbohydrates include pasta,
crackers, bread, tortillas, naan, pizza, and cereal. Even if you do transition
to healthy versions of these foods (like whole-grain or whole-wheat), try to
eat these types of foods before 3 p.m. Your body begins to slow down around
this time, regardless of exercise, so you will begin to hold onto more of those
starches, which only perpetuates the cycle.
Exercise however you
can: Returning to the exercise factor of weight loss, we must remember that
exercise is still important, even if it is only 20 percent of your journey.
Exercise doesn't have to only be synonymous with going to the gym, even though
having a gym pass can definitely be helpful. Look up work-out videos or simple
home work-outs online to save some money and drive yourself to get your
exercise in. Check out videos by bloggers like Blogilates or BeFit, or get an
at-home subscription to
Daily
Burn. You can even go the extra mile and buy Shaun T's Insanity for a
workout that will really work you!
Lift
weights—seriously: Instead of simply focusing on cardio exercise, you need
to also focus on building muscle through weight training. By gaining muscle,
your body will more quickly be able to burn fat. This means you won't get
bulky, but instead will get toned. Weight training can also be done at home,
but it is helpful to look up exercises online for this form; it is also
incredibly helpful to have weight-lifting machines at a gym.
Don't fret—weight
loss and overall change takes time!: Change isn't going to happen
overnight. You may have cheat days where you feel like you've backtracked on
all of your change in a few hours—this is not the case. Weight loss and healthy
lifestyle change takes time, so don't worry if you don't see results
immediately! It can take months or even years to get to the point you want to
be at—so don't give up, just keep going!
Hopefully this helped you in your kickstart toward a healthier
lifestyle—now get out there and get started!
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| Kickstart Your Weight Loss Journey |
