Many of us choose to indulge ourselves over Christmas and New Year.
But in the cold light of January, we may find that we've added a few pounds to
our ideal weight. Thankfully, it's not so hard to get back to your pre-holiday
body if you're sensible and willing to make a sacrifice or two.
- Organize yourself
Start by
organizing and planning your meals. Right away after waking up drink a cup of
warm water with lemon. You will be enjoying having pure vitamin C directly in
your body and this will work as a natural detox. Eat your breakfast within an
hour of waking up. Plan your morning and afternoon snacks 3 hours after having
breakfast and lunch. Try to eat dinner before 8pm and sleep by 10pm. It sounds
pretty hard and military, but remember if you do something for 21 days you
would create a habit, each day will be easier becoming a routine that after a
while you won’t notice.
Describing a
good Christmas probably includes 2 weeks of non-stop carbohydrates and fats
celebration, combined with few (or more) litres of alcohol. Drinking water will
help you first and most importantly to send that carnival of toxins out of your
body. Having from 3 to 4 litres of water per day will help you to quickly
de-bloat and will also make things move in your digestive system to relieve
constipation. Having cups of tea (especially green tea) during the day and
before the meals also counts like liquid and will act like a natural diuretic.
- Be Active
Being active is
an important part of any weight-loss or detoxing program. When you’re active,
your body uses more energy (calories). And when you burn more calories than you
consume, you lose weight. And just as little as 1 hour of moderate exercise a
day could be enough to reduce the risk of heart failure by 46. Remember to rest
1 day a week is as important as exercising.
- Choose the right kind
of food
Carbohydrates
are fuel for your body, it is not right to eliminate them completely specially
if you are planning to exercise daily. Instead of that, have your carbs for
breakfast and lunch and choose “good carbs” such as oats, sweet potatoes beans
and quinoa. Another important point is getting our digestion back on track. We
need both soluble and not soluble fiber and we can get both from plant foods.
Soluble fiber is liquid-absorbing and filling and some great sources include
oats, chia and flax seeds, beans and berries. Insoluble fiber, which helps move
things through the bowel and shuttle out the bad stuff, can be found in brown
rice, wheat and vegetables.
I am not asking
you to become a sleeping beauty here ….but Sleeping is as important as eating
healthy. Why? Because insufficient sleep impacts your hunger and fullness
hormones, including two called ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin signals your brain
that it’s time to eat. When you’re sleep-deprived, your body makes more
ghrelin. Leptin on the other hand, cues your brain to put the fork down. When
you’re not getting enough sleep, leptin levels plummet, signaling your brain to
eat more food. Put the two together, and it’s no wonder sleep deprivation leads
to overeating and extra pounds.
- Count to 10
Studies
suggest that the average craving lasts only about 10 minutes. So before caving
in to your urge, set your mental timer for a 10-minute time-out. Use the time
to tackle an item on your to-do list; choose one that will give you a sense of
accomplishment — and get you out of the kitchen.
- Start with 10%
People who
start by focusing on achieving just 10% of their long-range weight-loss goal
may have the best chance of ultimate success.
Losing those first pounds yields the biggest health gains, too, since belly fat is usually the first to come off and is the most dangerous.
Losing those first pounds yields the biggest health gains, too, since belly fat is usually the first to come off and is the most dangerous.
- Make smart substitutions
Look for nutritious low-calorie alternatives to sugary, high-fat treats.
Use air-popped popcorn instead of oil-popped. Dip fresh strawberries in
fat-free fudge sauce for a sensuous chocolaty treat (homemade).
9.
Cheat days
Complete abstinence can be a real mental challenge. There's absolutely nothing wrong with giving yourself a day a week for some little indulgences. Just don't go overboard and undo all that hard work.
10. Enough of
being Jack Sparrow
Nearly all of us have a few drinks over the festive period. But equally, we all know that booze has plenty of calories. A beer or two can really upset your weight loss regime. A creamy cocktail, even more so. So cut down on your alcohol and drinks intake.
11.
Eat smaller
portions
Training your body to eat a little less is a good way to slow down your calorie intake without changing your diet completely. If you eat out regularly, why not leave a quarter or so of your meal and take it home to eat the following day? If you're a keen home cook, try serving yourself slightly smaller portions. You may be surprised to find that your body is satisfied with less.
12.
Go slow
Don’t try to renew your diet overnight. If you overeat once in a while, just get back to your diet plan the next day. If you make too many changes at once, chances are you’ll get frustrated and give up.
13.
Alter the mindset
14.
Get rid of holiday leftovers
If your refrigerator is filled with Christmas treats, try giving them away. Your neighbours’ kids won't say no to a handful of chocolate, we're sure.
15.
Motivate yourself
To help you achieve your goals, post notes to yourself on the fridge and the pantry. Put up a little stop signs with quotes like “You are responsible for your body. Go healthy.” Stay positive and stick with it. Eating better and healthier is a marathon, not a sprint, but it doesn't need to be arduous or agonizing. Set simple goals and, if you're consistently failing to meet them, make them more realistic
16.
Say no to
Sodas
According to a study at Purdue University, when people were fed 450 calories daily as jelly beans or as soda, the soda drinkers gained more weight, but the jelly-bean eaters compensated for the extra calories by avoiding other food. The next time you’re thirsty, opt for unsweetened iced tea instead of soda.
17.
Avoid mindless eating
Eating when you’re on the run or while watching a movie leads to mindless munching. Try to focus on your food when you're eating
18. Portion size matters
19. Pre-party prep
For some of us, celebrations continue even after the holidays. Before going to a party, eat a small healthy meal or snack to stop you binging on party food.
20. Sugar-free
products
Even though these may be low in calories, consuming them can raise your insulin level, as they often contain unhealthy sugar alternatives. Read you food labels properly before buying a y food products.
21.
Binge on fruits
& vegetables
Fruits & vegetables make for great snacks when on a diet but there are some that you may want to avoid if your goal is to lose weight. Go easy on fruits such as mangoes and ripe pineapples as they are especially high in natural sugars and vegetables like sweet potato, potato, yam, tapioca which are high in starch. Consume fruits and vegetables as whole rather than juicing it up !
With these
few efforts on the daily board, stay healthy even after you partly all the
season!!
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