7 Secrets for Better Weight Loss
It seems like everyone is trying to lose weight. Nobody seems to be happy with their body these days. And honestly I can kind of see why, based on our national weight gain and health decline!
Losing weight is hard work, but it doesn't have to be miserable and frustrating. Your body is a machine; if you know what you need to do to care for it, you'll be able to use it more efficiently.
I've done a lot of research on healthy ways to lose weight (I'm an dancer and a teacher, so health is more important to me than a number on a scale). Here are some tips I've learned over the years!
1. Stop. Counting. Calories. Yes I know that goes against everything you've been told but hear me out.
It's really not about how many calories you consume; it's about what kind of calories you consume, and what you do with them once you've eaten them.
You'd be amazed how many people are unaware that a meal of 2 whole grain pancakes and fresh fruit (apx 900 cal) is better for you than a breakfast bar (apx 500 cal).
Your body needs anywhere from 1500-2000 calories a day. Make sure you get all those calories. Make sure the calories you get are healthy and full of nutrition. Starvation diets force your body to lose weight, and then you end up gaining it all back.
Why is 900 cal pancakes better than 500 cal breakfast bar? The pancake is made of complex carbohydrates, fiber, and other macro and micro-nutrients. The fruit has natural sugars, vitamins, and minerals.
The breakfast bar? Sugar. And what is sugar?
Poison. Sugar is poison.
2. Processed Sugar is Poison and is more addicting than drugs. Just let that sink in for a minute.
How much sugar do you consume daily? The answer is way more than you should.
How much sugar SHOULD you consume daily? 25 grams is about as much sugar as you should have.
Where should that sugar come from? Fruits, vegetables, honey, and natural sweeteners found in foods without companies putting them in there. Basically, check the ingredients. If sugar is on the list (natural or otherwise) you should avoid it at all cost.
Now I'm all over eating a whole pint of ice cream and a pizza on the weekends. I'm not saying you should totally cut out all bad food. Which brings me to point 3.
3. It's totally ok to have a cheat day... as long as it's not every day.
Best way to stick to your diet? Pick one day of the week and let yourself eat whatever the f$*k you want.
Seriously.
There are 2 reasons why this works.
Reason 1: If your body is used to eating healthfully all week long and then you eat something not good for you, your body is like "Oh hell no, get rid of this!" and burns through the crap and helps you dispose of it quickly. But if you eat a little treat every day or every other day, it becomes part of your daily routine, and your body gets used to it and doesn't treat it the way it should. I know that all sounds a little silly but I've seen (and experienced) how powerful having ONE cheat day a week can be.
Reason 2: If you eat healthfully every day and then you pick one day where you can eat anything, you end up eating less crap. Partially because it's easier to eat 3 Oreos a day than it is to eat 21 at a time, and partially because you would get a stomach ache if you tried to eat the same amount.
4. You're probably dehydrated. Sometimes when we feel hungry, it's actually just thirst. How do you know if you're hydrated?
Check your pee.
No I'm dead serious. If it's pale yellow or clear, you're good. The darker and yellower, the more dehydrated you are.
Okay that's all fine and dandy (and disgusting) but how does water help me loose weight?
Not only does water boost your metabolism (help you burn food faster) it helps you absorb the nutrition out of the food you eat.
If you aren't drinking enough water, you're eating calories but the calories aren't going into your blood stream, and you end up wasting a lot of nutrition.
Don't like the taste of water? Yeah that's cause you're not drinking it. Suffer through the first 2 days and you'll start to crave that sh!t.
5. Slow Down!
Americans.
*shakes head*
We eat so fast! We're in a hurry! We scarf down our food as fast as we can. We clear our plate and reassess if we're hungry enough for more.
Best way to eat less? Eat slower. Drink a sip of water with every bite, and really chew and swallow your food. take a few seconds between bites. It takes up to 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain it's full. you could have filled up 10 minutes ago, and now you're over eating.
Yes I know you still feel hungry. But you won't in 20 minutes.
And if you do, have a few more bites and wait again.
6. Cardio is good for your heart... but not for burning fat.
Yes I know that goes against what you've been told. "Cardio for fat burning, Weight training for strength." But that's not how bodies work, really.
You have to really work at your cardio for a long time if you want to burn fat. The most efficient way to burn fat is to strengthen the surrounding muscle. So do yourself a favor and do some basic resistance work, weight lifting, or TRX workouts!
7. Don't get on a scale.
Say what?!
No seriously. Measuring your health based on the weight of your entire body is a horrible idea. Bones and muscles weigh more than fat. You will have an unreal expectation of yourself, and then feel depressed when that number doesn't change the way you want it to.
You need to measure your Body Fat Percentage.
BFP is the % of your body that is fat.
It is easy to do, the device costs less than a scale, it's programmable, and even though it's not 100% accurate, it will give you a better understanding of where you're at, and make it easier for you to track your improvement.
Hope you've learned something today! Remember, your priority should be to be healthy, not skinny!!!
Losing weight is hard work, but it doesn't have to be miserable and frustrating. Your body is a machine; if you know what you need to do to care for it, you'll be able to use it more efficiently.
1. Stop. Counting. Calories. Yes I know that goes against everything you've been told but hear me out.
It's really not about how many calories you consume; it's about what kind of calories you consume, and what you do with them once you've eaten them.
You'd be amazed how many people are unaware that a meal of 2 whole grain pancakes and fresh fruit (apx 900 cal) is better for you than a breakfast bar (apx 500 cal).
Your body needs anywhere from 1500-2000 calories a day. Make sure you get all those calories. Make sure the calories you get are healthy and full of nutrition. Starvation diets force your body to lose weight, and then you end up gaining it all back.
Why is 900 cal pancakes better than 500 cal breakfast bar? The pancake is made of complex carbohydrates, fiber, and other macro and micro-nutrients. The fruit has natural sugars, vitamins, and minerals.
The breakfast bar? Sugar. And what is sugar?
Poison. Sugar is poison.
2. Processed Sugar is Poison and is more addicting than drugs. Just let that sink in for a minute.
How much sugar do you consume daily? The answer is way more than you should.
How much sugar SHOULD you consume daily? 25 grams is about as much sugar as you should have.
 |
| from http://www.antifastfood.eu/2015/04/how-much-sugar-is-in-drinks.html |
Where should that sugar come from? Fruits, vegetables, honey, and natural sweeteners found in foods without companies putting them in there. Basically, check the ingredients. If sugar is on the list (natural or otherwise) you should avoid it at all cost.
Now I'm all over eating a whole pint of ice cream and a pizza on the weekends. I'm not saying you should totally cut out all bad food. Which brings me to point 3.
3. It's totally ok to have a cheat day... as long as it's not every day.
Best way to stick to your diet? Pick one day of the week and let yourself eat whatever the f$*k you want.
Seriously.
There are 2 reasons why this works.
Reason 1: If your body is used to eating healthfully all week long and then you eat something not good for you, your body is like "Oh hell no, get rid of this!" and burns through the crap and helps you dispose of it quickly. But if you eat a little treat every day or every other day, it becomes part of your daily routine, and your body gets used to it and doesn't treat it the way it should. I know that all sounds a little silly but I've seen (and experienced) how powerful having ONE cheat day a week can be.
Reason 2: If you eat healthfully every day and then you pick one day where you can eat anything, you end up eating less crap. Partially because it's easier to eat 3 Oreos a day than it is to eat 21 at a time, and partially because you would get a stomach ache if you tried to eat the same amount.
4. You're probably dehydrated. Sometimes when we feel hungry, it's actually just thirst. How do you know if you're hydrated?
Check your pee.
No I'm dead serious. If it's pale yellow or clear, you're good. The darker and yellower, the more dehydrated you are.
Okay that's all fine and dandy (and disgusting) but how does water help me loose weight?
Not only does water boost your metabolism (help you burn food faster) it helps you absorb the nutrition out of the food you eat.
If you aren't drinking enough water, you're eating calories but the calories aren't going into your blood stream, and you end up wasting a lot of nutrition.
Don't like the taste of water? Yeah that's cause you're not drinking it. Suffer through the first 2 days and you'll start to crave that sh!t.
5. Slow Down!
Americans.
*shakes head*
We eat so fast! We're in a hurry! We scarf down our food as fast as we can. We clear our plate and reassess if we're hungry enough for more.
Best way to eat less? Eat slower. Drink a sip of water with every bite, and really chew and swallow your food. take a few seconds between bites. It takes up to 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain it's full. you could have filled up 10 minutes ago, and now you're over eating.
Yes I know you still feel hungry. But you won't in 20 minutes.
And if you do, have a few more bites and wait again.
6. Cardio is good for your heart... but not for burning fat.
Yes I know that goes against what you've been told. "Cardio for fat burning, Weight training for strength." But that's not how bodies work, really.
You have to really work at your cardio for a long time if you want to burn fat. The most efficient way to burn fat is to strengthen the surrounding muscle. So do yourself a favor and do some basic resistance work, weight lifting, or TRX workouts!
7. Don't get on a scale.
Say what?!
No seriously. Measuring your health based on the weight of your entire body is a horrible idea. Bones and muscles weigh more than fat. You will have an unreal expectation of yourself, and then feel depressed when that number doesn't change the way you want it to.
BFP is the % of your body that is fat.
 |
| taken from Google |
It is easy to do, the device costs less than a scale, it's programmable, and even though it's not 100% accurate, it will give you a better understanding of where you're at, and make it easier for you to track your improvement.
Hope you've learned something today! Remember, your priority should be to be healthy, not skinny!!!
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