Archive for 2020

Trying to lose weight and going on a diet can become a nightmare for some people. And for others, it might be a normal healthy routine for them. But if you're the first type where dieting is not your cup of tea and love eating too much, then read on.

With so much information out there about how to lose weight fast or how to develop healthy eating habits, it's probably also a challenge to decide on what works best for you since you're bombarded with hundreds and thousands of information from a single search on google.

As a society we all grew up thinking that the way to lose weight fast and most efficiently is to drastically reduce our daily calorie intake, which most of the time just meant eating less food.

But we now realize that we can actually lose weight by eating more, if done in a well manner. Here are the 3 principles to eating more and still losing weight:

EAT FATS

Beginners often feel a bit anxious when they hear that fats should be consumed to stay healthy and lose weight. The fact is there are healthy fats and bad fats. The macronutrients in good (healthy) fats will help kick away your hunger signals, making you feel full quicker. Regularly eating healthy fats can also impact blood insulin levels positively as well as reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. And that should not be ignored, because type 2 diabetes affects nearly 300 million people worldwide and accounts for 90-95% of all adults who had diagnosed cases of diabetes, says a study from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Besides the fats found in processed fats however, all other fats should be just fine for a healthy lifestyle.

Some examples of healthy fats include:

Avocado
Coconut oil
Sunflower seeds
Cheese
Dark chocolate
Nuts
Fatty fish
Whole eggs
Extra virgin olive oil

EAT PROTEIN AND FIBER IN EVERY MEAL

Metabolism gets boosted by consumption of protein, helping you to feel full longer and avoid from bingeing. Fiber is a crucial nutrient that aids in losing weight as it reduces the absorption of sugar in the blood, helping you utilize the carbohydrates (glucose) for energy rather than storing it all as fat.

Berries, chia pudding, cheddar cheese, spinach, and eggs are some of the commonly known sources of protein and fibre. You can also eat salad, chicken, and zucchini noodles.

SET MEAL TIMINGS

Stable blood sugar level is the key to lose weight. To maintain this, do not keep a long gap between two meals. Doing so will end up resulting in a spike in your blood sugar levels, making you overeat. A commonly recommended approach is to eat every 4 hours (because your body transitions into starvation mode around that time) in order to keep your blood sugar levels in check. In addition, it helps to avoid hunger and a bad mood. Also, a study suggested that a schedule for eating helps in reducing body fat accumulation.

Whether it's too hot in the summer to make your way to the gym, too cold in the winter to get up early in the morning for an early workout session or not the right day of the week to run a couple of miles down the block, there's never a bad time to get your sweat on and shed those last extra pounds of weight. Odds are, you want to lose weight fast.
But if you've ever tried to find success in how to lose weight fast or simply try to lead a healthier lifestyle, you probably already know that it's not as easy as eating fewer calories and squeezing in more reps in your workout routines. It's no wonder why the internet health communities are bombarded with weight loss tips.

Try these 10 easy ways for how to lose weight fast to get you going:

Keep Your Muscles Excited

A good tip is to keep your muscles constantly guessing by switching up your workout exercises or tweaking your usual routine every once in awhile (I like to do it every 3 months).
You'll work new muscles and even keep yourself excited by trying something new. So if you don't have an effective weight loss routine as a plan to lose weight yet, this is a friendly tip. Also, studies show that you're more likely to find success by sticking to your regularly exercising sessions if you switch up your workouts.
Although it's great to switch up your workout exercises after awhile, be careful to not force yourself to do an activity that you don't find excitement with or you're much less likely to stick with it. But this doesn’t mean shoving yourself away from activities that are more challenging to you — that’s how your body improves quicker!

Listen To Music In Your Workout Sessions

It’s been scientifically proven that listening to upbeat music during exercise helps you work harder and enjoy both the workout and the music more. (2) Plus, it can help pass the time during a particularly intense part of your workout. The common device people use to listen to music during their workout sessions are bluetooth sports earphones.

And it’s super easy! All you have to do is add your favorite fast-paced jams to a playlist and get moving.

Drink Plenty of Water

Water will help you slim down by eliminating mindless snacking. Ever find yourself eyeing the ice cream in your fridge late at night or taking a sampling of your kid’s Goldfish, even though you know better? Instead of thinking you have hunger pains, reconsider that you’re simply thirsty. Ronald Navarro, MD, orthopedic and sport medicine surgeon at Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center in Harbor City, California, says that more often than not, people mistake hunger for thirst, and that if you downed some water instead of those junk foods, you would feel just as full. “Proper hydration can serve as an appetite suppressant and help with weight loss or weight management,” he notes.

But the benefits of drinking water doesn't stop there. How much water do you need to boost energy? Depending on who you ask, the exact amount varies. Dr. Navarro points to the most agreed-upon recommendation of six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily. This could change though, depending on the climate you live in and the type of lifestyle you lead. “Some adults may need more or less, depending on their overall health, including if they have certain illnesses, take specific medications and more. It also depends on how much they exercise and the level of intensity, and how hot and dry the weather is,” he explains. Taking into consideration effectively drinking water to lose weight can surely be an effective weight loss strategy. If you’re interested to know how much water your body is hankering for, talk to your primary care doctor.

Skip the scale

When you’re trying to lose weight, the scale can be evil and deceiving. That’s because it doesn’t take into account that you are probably adding muscle. So even though you’re making progress, the number on your scale might not budge (or it could even go up), which can be defeating.

And while a pound of fat is still the same as a pound of muscle, because muscle is lean and smooth, you can be shedding inches while remaining the same weight. To get a more accurate depiction of how your body is changing, use body measurement tape instead to track your size and progress.

Schedule Your Workouts

It's not a bad plan to use a planner to plan your workouts. If it works with the way you schedule your plans with friends (or even a business meeting), it will surely as well work with planning workout sessions. This will help keep you in check and hold you accountable. It will also help you adjust to a specific time in the day to get your sweat on, making it more likely that you'll stick to it.

Spread Your Workouts Through The Day

Having trouble keeping up with a full hour of exercise in one gym session? Opt-in for shorter but additional exercise sessions throughout the day instead. Science suggests that multiple, shorter exercises spread throughout the day provide the same fitness and health benefits as similar amounts of exercise done in a single full workout, providing possibly more positive results (1).
A lot of people who find success in their exercise routines do a quick cardio session in the morning at sunrise. Another common strategy by many is to perform their workouts during their lunch hour and after dinner. Doing it all at once is not necessary.

Workout On A Budget

You might think that you're falling behind because getting in shape the quickest involves throwing money around. But it doesn't have to be all about money, and it definitely is possible without money. Aside from outdoor activities like hiking, running, and walking, there are many other ways to get in a great workout without spending much money.

YouTube is a great way to fill up your to-do list of workout routines. You're basically able to give yourself a free personal training platform by staying close to youtube how-to videos and getting involved with large communities of influencial people.

Pack Your Own Snacks

We've all been there before. One minute you're doing great and keeping yourself busy and productive with checking your tasks off in your to-do list, until all of a sudden you're starving for a snack. Skip the chocolate chip cookies and prepare your own healthy snacks as an alternative to bring with you wherever you go. If you're wondering why, its because most processed snacks end up being purely carbs which mean they're empty calories most of the time, which deteriorate your blood sugar and leaving you hungrier afterwards.

From banana chips to an on-the-go healthy smoothie, preparing your own healthy snacks will help you not only to lose weight fast but also burn fat faster than usual, while also giving you the nutrients you need without the harmful preservatives from expensive, processed “foods.”

Eat Grapefruits

Research reveals that one of the benefits of grapefruit is that they're a major way to benefit you in achieving fast weight loss (1). This is because of a key enzyme called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) that is present in grapefruits. These help your body to utilize sugar, helping you to boost your metabolism. Scientifically speaking, it's not a bad idea to go on a grapefruit diet.

Additionally, nootkatone, a component found in grapefruit, has been shown to significantly increase fat-burning (AMPK) activity. So consider grapefruit a great vitamin C-rich snack and add grapefruit slices to a spinach salad or even into an immune-boosting smoothie to help you lose weight fast.

You've most likely been seeing information left and right about the dangers of belly fat and realizing how there's hundreds of thousands of posts out there that encourage the diminishment of belly fat around your stomach area. Well, the majority of these information are right and backed by science. You should try as hard as you can to diminish the belly fat around your waist area, as it is linked to health risks. No one wants to live with the ugly sight of belly fat showing anyways. You probably don't want to either.
A couple of years ago, research from Mayo Clinic revealed that being normal weight with excess belly fat is even riskier than just being obese.
This study involved a representative sample of the US population of more than 12,000 subjects, ages 18 or older. Making use of surveys, additional facts were acquired including weight, height, hip and waist measurements, lab tests, illnesses, and socioeconomic status. That data was matched to the National Death Index about 14 years later, and people with cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were not included in the analysis.
They then found that the subjects with a normal body mass index (BMI) who had a high waist-to-hip ratio (apple shaped) were more likely to die from any cause, even compared to people who are obese. In addition, this group was almost three times more likely to die from heart disease and 2x as likely to die from any causes compared with those with a healthy waist-to-hip ratio and normal BMI levels.

Now that you're (possibly) shaking in fear, here are 8 ways to help you diminish that belly fat within 24 hours:

Burn belly fat with regular workout sessions

Make sure you get your daily workout sessions clocked in! Regular exercise is one of the best ways to be successful in fast weight loss efforts and weight maintenance. And since there's no correct answer as to whether the ideal workout is resistance training or aerobic, your best option is to do a little bit of both. Resistance training is especially important for people over 30, who will otherwise begin to lose bone density.

Contrary to popular belief, abdominal crunches are not going to melt away belly fat, though they will help build muscle that could help define the area. And since muscle mass has a higher resting metabolic rate and energy expenditure than fat, it could help you trim down.

Burn belly fat by incorporating more fiber into your diet

It's a great idea to incorporate more fiber into your diet plan (especially soluble fiber found in legumes, chia seeds, oats, fruits and vegetables). These can help reduce the accumulation of fat in the abdominal area. Fiber is infused with water, filling up the volumne of your stomach contents and giving you a a feeling of fullness. It also reduces the absorption of fat from food by binding with bile acids (required for digesting dietary fats).

Fiber can also bind with sugars and other carbs, reducing or delaying their absorption into the bloodstream.

Burn belly fat by cutting out alcohol

It’s called a beer belly for a reason! Alcohol consumption has long been associated with abdominal obesity and can easily derail your fat-loss efforts. Alcohol is not only high in calories, but it’s the body’s preferred fuel, so when you drink it, the other macronutrients in your food will be sent into storage (aka your belly, or possibly your thighs or butt).

Alcohol is also notorious for lowering your self-control and inhibitions, so you can easily end up eating and drinking too much.

Burn belly fat by getting adequate sleep

When you understand how lack of sleep contributes to obesity, you’ll realize how important it is to get good sleep every night. Sleep regulates endocrine function, maintaining the right balance between the hunger hormone ghrelin and the satiety hormone leptin.
Sleep deprivation increases appetite, insulin resistance, and the stress hormone cortisol, all of which contribute to fat accumulation in the body. Make sure that you get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night.

Burn belly fat by cutting out sugar

If you're regularly eating sugar, especially refined sugars such as the sugars added to sweetened food and beverages, you should probably cut down as they are the leading cause to an excess of visceral fat.

The fructose and glucose that come out of sugar are simple carbohydrates (commonly referred as carbs) that get absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and metabolized to release energy. When there's an excess intake, they get converted to glycogen to then be stored in fat tissue.
Consuming plenty of sugar also contributes to a spike in your blood sugar, which drives insulin to be released in large amounts, potentially leading to insulin resistance (which is actually associated with metabolic syndrome).

If you begin to cut out all sweetened foods and drinks (including fruit juices), you will greatly reduce the chances of potentially developing more belly fat. So if you wanted to lose belly fat fast , it's a good idea to start with this habit. As a healthier substitute, you can swap them with natural sweeteners such as raw honey, coconut crystals, and even fresh fruit.

Burn belly fat by soothing the mind

Yoga and meditation can aid fat loss, but not so much from the physical effect of the movements as from their calming and relaxing effect. Several studies have linked high levels of the stress hormone cortisol to weight gain, particularly in the belly area. Practice yoga for at least 20 to 30 minutes a day for best results, or start a daily meditation practice.

Burn belly fat by consuming more protein

Protein is one macronutrient that can really help fight belly fat. When you eat more protein, it keeps you fuller longer and reduces the hunger hormone ghrelin, helping you slash the total calories you consume in a day. High-protein meals, with 20 to 30 grams of protein each, can also help you burn more calories by raising the body’s metabolic rate.

Eat up to three protein-rich meals a day to keep your appetite and cravings in check. Good sources of protein include poultry, lean meat, eggs, fresh-caught fish and other seafood, cottage cheese, and yogurt. Include one or more of these in every meal.

Losing weight can be a very difficult task to overcome especially for those who are highly motivated. In addition, as a person ages the more difficult it gets to maintain an appropriate weight.

One thing many people wonder is if there are any ways to "reverse engineer" life moments (just my fancy way of saying tricks) to help with weight loss.

Here are 9 weight loss tricks you can start using today:

PAY ATTENTION TO PORTION SIZES

Studies have shown that eating food off smaller sized plates lead to eating less.

For example, studies were conducted in a controlled laboratory setting where they focused on food and eating habits of participants. They found that many participants had no clue of the changes in the portions offered and how it affected the amount they had eaten (1).

This leads to overeating! Don't overeat!

Unfortunately overeating happens more often than we think. So to solve that problem, pay real close attention to your bowls and dishes. Or better yet, ask for a smaller portions if you're trying to to lose weight. Save leftovers in a to-go box. If you've been constantly on the lookout for weight loss tricks, mark that down!

DON'T GET DISTRACTED

The study also explains that the more people get distracted (eating out for example), the more they become unaware of the portion sizes handed to them. People who were served 50% more pasta ended up eating 43% more than those with normal portions. Yikes!

RESTRICT YOUR ELECTRONICS

An average American adult spends approximately 5 hours a day watching television. Now, it's safe to assume that the time could be spent planning meals for the rest of the week or getting more exercise throughout their day!

If you're one of them (Don't worry, I won't tell anyone) here are a couple of ways to make use of those extra hours:

Yoga: Doing yoga regularly offers many benefits, including making you feel better about your body as you become stronger and more flexible, toning your muscles, reducing stress, and improving your mental and physical well-being. It also helps with weight loss and you can do it practically anywhere inside your home.
Dancing
Collect bugs
Wash or walk the dog
Wash the car
Water your garden
Write an autobiography or a short story
Meditation
Read a newspaper
Browse the internet
Make a weight loss smoothie

EAT MORE FRUIT

Many people often associate fruit with sugar--specifically the health conscious eaters. While it is a source of natural sugar, some fruits are rich in fiber and will work wonders for kickstarting your metabolism.

Here are some examples of fruits with plenty of fiber content:

Raspberries
Blackberries
Apples
Oranges
Flaxseeds
Grapefruit
Watermelons

GO TO BED EARLIER

It's commonly known that the longer your body stays up the more time your hunger signals will kick in, signaling that it's time to eat again--leading into a snacking trap. Curb your cravings by going to bed before those evil cravings get the chance to cry over more food!

You can set the alarm clock at an earlier time instead and enjoy the remaining left over time for some exercise, meditation or meal prepping.

PRACTICE THE 20-MINUTE RULE

Basically any time you eat make sure to give yourself the right portion sizes. Once you finish one portion and are craving for more, put yourself on timeout for at least 20 minutes to see if you're still feeling hungry.

Why 20 minutes?

It takes our bodies around 20 minutes to recognize that we're physically full. And if your stomach still isn't happy, feel free to help yourself to more food. This little trick actually works quite effectively.

SLEEP IN COLDER TEMPERATURE

As humans, our bodies can react in interesting ways to temperature changes. The warmer the temperature is, the less energy/calories your body needs to keep you warm.

What does this mean?

When our bodies are in the thermoneutral zone, this is where our body does not have to regulate our body temperature, so we feel less inclined to eat because we already feel relaxed and the need for satisfaction is less likely to be strongly desired.

However, when our bodies are above or below this zone, we increase the amount of energy we spend, which "decreases energy stores", such as fat (2).

Detoxification is really important and great solution if you want to lose some weight. Starting a low-calorie diet is not always a good idea because in that way you start to deprive your body of nutrients, therefore your body can starve and the result will be slow metabolism. So here we are talking about something much more healthier than starving – adding lemon water to your diet plan.

We present you a 14-day lemon water challenge that will help you to lose weight. The lemon is perfect because it’s low in calories and rich in vitamins. After 14 days you will lose the extra pounds and you will feel great. Your body will be thankful.

Also you need to know that the best way to lose weight is to start exercising as well. You need to burn more calories than you consume in order to lose pounds. So combination of healthy diet, exercising and the 14-day lemon water challenge will help you to achieve perfect results. The lemon water will even speed up the whole process.

Only in 14 days you will become owner of a perfect body. Drinking a glass of lemon water at different times of the day will help you to boost the metabolism and you will stay healthy while losing the pounds. After 14 days you need to make a pause of few days and then you can continue the challenge for another 14 days.

Here’s the 14-day lemon water challenge

Day 1: Right after waking up consume one cup of water mixed with one squeezed lemon.

Day 2: Squeeze two lemons and mix it into two cups of water. Drink it before having your breakfast. You can also add honey for taste.

Day 3: Add the juice from three lemons into three cups of water, add a little honey.

Day 4: Squeeze four lemons and mix it with four cups of water and a little honey. Drink it twice a day, half in the morning and the other half in the evening before going to bed.

Day 5: Mix together the juice of five lemons with five cups of water and honey. Consume it twice a day.

Day 6: Add juice of six lemons into six cups of water and then add some honey. Drink this mixture three times a day.

Day 7: Squeeze three lemons and mix it with ten cups of water. Drink it before meals three times a day.

Day 8: Mix together the juice of six lemons and six cups of water.

Day 9: Add the juice of five lemons into five cups of water and then add a tablespoon of honey.

Day 10: Use four lemons and four cups of water to prepare the drink. Add one tablespoon of honey.

Day 11: Squeeze three lemons and mix it with three cups of water. Add one teaspoon of honey and consume it twice a day.

Day 12: Use the juice of two lemons and two cups of water to prepare the drink. Consume it in the morning before breakfast.

Day 13: Squeeze one lemon and add it into one cup of water.

Day 14: Squeeze the juice from three lemons and mix it with ten cups of water. Add a tablespoon of honey and the drink is ready.

Losing weight can be a troublesome task sometimes to the point where people completely reconsider new diets or switch up their lifestyle.

Making small changes to your mornings can help with weight loss and keep those pounds off. Here are 7 uncomplicated morning habits you can start incorporating into your weight loss routine:

PRACTICE MINDFULNESS OR MINDFUL-EATING

Mindfulness involves putting your entire focus on the present and bringing awareness to your feelings and thoughts.

This has been shown to improve weight loss efforts and even promote healthy eating habits (7, 8).

Ever heard of mindful eating? This invovles increasing your awareness about when and how much to eat using internal cues to guide you, as opposed to your visual cues.

Try to give full attention to what you eat, savoring each bite, acknowledging what you like and don't like, and not eating when distracted. Doing this will ensure that you will develop more self-control to your eating habits!

Research suggests that the more mindful you are, the less likely you are to overeat in response to visual or external cues like food ads, super-sized portions and 24/7 food availability (fast food joints).

START TRACKING YOUR CALORIES

Similarly to weighing yourself every morning it's a good habit to keep a food diary to track what you eat and keep yourself accountable. Doing so is an effective way to lose weight, as one study of 123 people revealed that having a food journal was linked to improved weight loss (12).

In addition you will be able to track down what you need to cut out or how much calories you're unnecessarily cutting out, for a healthy weight loss routine.

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER IN THE MORNING

Starting your morning with a glass cup of water is an easy but effective way to enhance your weight loss efforts.

Water can increase your calorie burning rate for at least an hour. Drinking a bottled water can lead to a 30% increase in your metabolic rate on average (3).

If you want to lose pounds without any additional dieting or exercise involved, you can shed some pounds just by drinking an average of 34 ounces (2 water bottles) per day (4).

Every little bit counts!

HAVE MORE PROTEIN FOR BREAKFAST

Breakfast is commonly known to be the most important meal of the day. Having your morning breakfast can set you up for the entire day and it will determine if you'll feel satisfied and full until lunchtime, or if you'll be heading to the nearest fast food joint before it even gets to lunchtime.

What you can do is eat foods high in protein. Wait what?!

Now this may sound a little odd but there's some science that actually backs this up and studies suggest a high-protein breakfast can help reduce food cravings as well as helping with weight loss.

For example, 20 late-adolescant young women in a 2014 study were given specific breakfast meals with low or high protein content and were asked to consume these at home between 7:00am and 9:30am for an entire week. The study's findings showed that those who consumed higher amounts of protein meals tended to have far less savory cravings than those who consumed normal amounts (1, 2).

Don't know where to start? You can start with protein sources like nuts, chia seeds, eggs and Greek yogurt.

GET IN THE HABIT OF WEIGHING YOURSELF

Weighing yourself and stepping on the scale every morning can be an effective way to increase motivation and improve self-control.

Knowing the fact that you shed a pound or two in the past week is a sure motivation to keep your momentum running!

In addition, studies even show that people who weigh themselves daily lose more than those who don't (5).

So what happens to the people who hardly weigh themselves at all? They gain weight (6).

According to experts, the best time to weigh yourself in the day is in the morning, right after you empty your bladder and before you eat your breakfast.

It's apparently a healthy habit to adopt. So, get your scale on!

EAT SMALLER PORTIONS

Most people need to consume between 1200 to 1500 calories on a daily basis if they want to shed pounds in a healthier and sustainable way.

But for many others, monitoring portion sizes as well as skipping dessert or going back for seconds is one of the simplest ways to decrease their calorie consumption.

INCORPORATE EXERCISE IN YOUR MORNINGS

More commonly, one of the most effective ways to lose weight is to excercise regularly. Getting your workout done in the morning can fasten your weight loss goal.

A study conducted on a group of 50 overweight women showed that exercising in the morning was linked to a higher level of fullness, as opposed to those who exercised in the afternoon (9).

You've realized that recently your arms are looking soft and flabby especially when you tried on your favorite strapless dress. Having some excess fat on your arms can cause you to be self-conscious about even thinking to show off your upper body for a second.

But it's not your fault!

The world isn't over. Although it isn't possible to specifically target an area on your body for fat loss, it is definitely possible to get that fat to creep away from you eventually! By making efforts to burn fat all over your body, you will be able to burn some of the fat in the areas you've been desperately trying to work on.

Here are 8 top ways including exercises on how to lose arm fat:

EAT NATURAL FOODS

Eating foods in their natural form like eggs, whole grains, vegetables, fish, poultry, low fat dairy, lean meats as well as healthy fats like seeds, nuts, avocado, fruits and olive oil will help keep you full for longer periods of time and contain few calories. Doing this will ensure you don't end up overeating or mindless snacking especially on unhealthy or processed foods with plenty of fat-producing ingredients. So instead of snacking on chips and cookies substitute them with these options.

Try to also aim for foods with plenty of fiber in them as they are what contributes mostly to keeping you full longer--keeping your hunger signals at bay.

EAT MEALS WITH PROTEIN AND CARBOHYDRATES

Simply eat between 5 to 6 meals per day that include a serving of carbohydrates and protein. In addition, eating every 3 to 5 hours prevents spikes in your blood sugar levels that can result in increased hunger, causing you to overeat and encouraging weight gain.

An example meal containing both protein and carbohydrates is around 5oz of grilled salmon, 1/2 cup of whole grain pasta and 1 cup of green beans.

Also, you can try reducing your diet by 500 calories a day which equates to 3500 calories per week. Doing so wil ensure that you lose one to two pounds of excess fat per week. Remember to focus on lean protein, fruit, vegetables and whole grains and eat foods that fill you up to avoid feeling hungry.

PERFORM CARDIO WORKOUTS

Try having 30 minutes of cardio workouts for 5 days a week to help burn off fat. You can jog on the treadmill, use the stair climber, ride a stationary bike, take a group fitness class and use the elliptical trainer. Switch up your cardio workouts frequently to keep your body guessing.

AVOID CERTAIN FOODS

Try to avoid processed foods that have little to no nutritional value and contain highly refined sugars, sodium, saturated fats and trans fats.

DRINK WATER

It's important to drink water in place of other sugary, sweetened beverages since they will only increase your calorie intake for the day. Skip alcohol as well which they only offer empty calories. You don't want that beer belly anyway, right?

Try to aim for 3-6 liters of water per day.

EAT FROM SMALLER PLATES

Eating from smaller plates will help you reduce your portion sizes, tricking your mind into making you feel like you're eating more when you're actually not!

DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST

Being consistent with having breakfast will ensure that your metabolism will get a jump start in the morning every day. It will also help kick start your day with effective energy.

GREEN TEA

Green tea has been long known to boost your metabolism, which promotes weight loss. But it doesn't stop there: A study was conducted in Shanghai, China which found that a group of people who were given 2 servings of green tea showed a decrease in fat.

So you want to shed some pounds away from those thighs, huh?

It's scientifically correct that it's impossible to target a spot for fat reduction whether it is your thighs, belly, or anywhere on your body. You'd have to work your entire body in order to find success in shedding those fat from your thighs.

With that in mind, there are ways to burn away fat from your thighs however! It just involves a plan that works.

Lisa Moskovitz, R.D., CEO of NY Nutrition Group simply states "You can reduce your overall body fat by eating healthy and exercising, but your body doesn’t know where it’s burning fat". And because of this reasoning, losing fat the way you want is sort of a "do it all" approach. "Wherever there’s fat on your body, it will come off. And we have fat all over our bodies." Moskovitz says.

Here are 5 ways on how to lose weight in thighs

WATCH YOUR SALT CONSUMPTION

Salt makes your body hold back the excess water that inflates your whole body, including the thighs and hips. “Water follows salt, so the more you eat, the more water gets stored instead of being filtered out by your kidneys,” says Moskovitz. “By cutting back, you’ll notice almost an immediate change in how you feel and how your clothes fit.”

The American Heart Association recommends that most people need 2,300mg of sodium a day. However, the bad news is a lot of us are getting in way more than that amount. It's not only recommended but also important to cut back on foods that are loaded with sodium like processed foods, noodles, sauces, canned vegetables and soups.

EAT HEALTHY

Foods that are low in fat and sugar are usually lower in calories. And by reducing the fat and sugar in your diet, your body will be able to slim down and prevent unnecessary weight gain.

Also, many people assume that going on a serious diet or skipping frequent meals is a quick way to losing weight. However, it might not be the best idea considering the fact that they end up frequently starving themselves which slows down the metabolism, causing your body to store fat in areas like the hips and thighs.

Now instead of going on a serious diet or skipping meals try replacing unhealthy snacks with healthy alternatives like whole grains, fruits, low fat dairy, eggs, fish, lean metas, vegetables, and healthy fats like seeds, avocados, nuts, olive oil and fruits. I assure you that this will greatly help boost your energy and make you healthier at the same time!

CARDIO WORKOUTS

A good habit to get yourself into is getting in your cardio exercise every day. Why? Because with cardio you should be able to burn fat without trying to gain muscle mass that lead to muscle weight in your thighs. After all, you wanted to lose weight in your thighs, right?

Some examples of exercises that burn many calories include swimming, jump roping, cycling, running, stair master, elliptical trainer.

You can also look into inner thigh exercises at home like diamond kicks, frog bridge, bodyweight lunges, and frog jumps.

INCREASE INTENSITY IN CARDIO WORKOUTS

Now this is a really effective way to burn calories because the harder you work the more calories your body will end up burning. Try working out at a pace that you can maintain but also causing you to break a sweat to the point where it's nearly impossible to have a conversation with somebody.

It's extremely important to watch your intensity level in the workout machines however, so this might be a little tricky. The reason is because you might end up developing muscle mass which lead to weight gain from muscle. If you wanted to lose weight in your thighs, i'm sure you'd want to lose the heavy fat from your thighs. However once the fat is removed you can decide if you want to start gaining muscle mass by increasing the intensity level.

STRENGTH TRAINING WORKOUTS

You can use strength training workouts to tone the muscles in your thighs. Perform squats, leg presses, lunges, and leg extensions for the upper leg muscles. If you're performing on a large amount of weight you might develop bulky muscles--which lead to weight gain in your thighs, so if you were ever wondering how to lose thigh muscle you may want to perform higher repetitions with less weight to avoid that so you can focus on slimming the thighs.

Losing weight can be a troublesome task sometimes to the point where people completely reconsider new diets or switch up their lifestyle.

Making small changes to your mornings can help with weight loss and keep those pounds off. Here are 7 uncomplicated morning habits you can start incorporating into your weight loss routine:

PRACTICE MINDFULNESS OR MINDFUL-EATING

Mindfulness involves putting your entire focus on the present and bringing awareness to your feelings and thoughts.

This has been shown to improve weight loss efforts and even promote healthy eating habits (7, 8).

Ever heard of mindful eating? This invovles increasing your awareness about when and how much to eat using internal cues to guide you, as opposed to your visual cues.

START TRACKING YOUR CALORIES

In addition you will be able to track down what you need to cut out or how much calories you're unnecessarily cutting out, for a healthy weight loss routine.

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER IN THE MORNING

Starting your morning with a glass cup of water is an easy but effective way to enhance your weight loss efforts.

Water can increase your calorie burning rate for at least an hour. Drinking a bottled water can lead to a 30% increase in your metabolic rate on average (3).

If you want to lose pounds without any additional dieting or exercise involved, you can shed some pounds just by drinking an average of 34 ounces (2 water bottles) per day (4).

Every little bit counts!

HAVE MORE PROTEIN FOR BREAKFAST

What you can do is eat foods high in protein. Wait what?!

Now this may sound a little odd but there's some science that actually backs this up and studies suggest a high-protein breakfast can help reduce food cravings as well as helping with weight loss.

Don't know where to start? You can start with protein sources like nuts, chia seeds, eggs and Greek yogurt.

GET IN THE HABIT OF WEIGHING YOURSELF

Weighing yourself and stepping on the scale every morning can be an effective way to increase motivation and improve self-control.

Knowing the fact that you shed a pound or two in the past week is a sure motivation to keep your momentum running!

In addition, studies even show that people who weigh themselves daily lose more than those who don't (5).

So what happens to the people who hardly weigh themselves at all? They gain weight (6).

According to experts, the best time to weigh yourself in the day is in the morning, right after you empty your bladder and before you eat your breakfast.

It's apparently a healthy habit to adopt. So, get your scale on!

EAT SMALLER PORTIONS

Most people need to consume between 1200 to 1500 calories on a daily basis if they want to shed pounds in a healthier and sustainable way.

But for many others, monitoring portion sizes as well as skipping dessert or going back for seconds is one of the simplest ways to decrease their calorie consumption.

INCORPORATE EXERCISE IN YOUR MORNINGS

More commonly, one of the most effective ways to lose weight is to excercise regularly. Getting your workout done in the morning can fasten your weight loss goal.

A study conducted on a group of 50 overweight women showed that exercising in the morning was linked to a higher level of fullness, as opposed to those who exercised in the afternoon (9).

That’s Right. Lose 20Lbs in 2 weeks on this diet

Eating eggs to lose weight sounds weird, right?

Yet many people are finding that the boiled egg diet is the perfect solution to their temporary weight loss goals.

The boiled egg diet, when used appropriately, allows you to lose weight by adhering to a low-carb low-calorie but protein-heavy diet.

However, it is not a long-term weight loss solution and should not be used to keep weight off permanently.

You should also not eat only eggs while on this diet—the best boiled egg diet is one that incorporates vegetables and other sources of protein for your body.

Many people love eggs and find their taste, protein content, and vitamins and minerals to be the perfect protein and on-the-go snack.

From breakfast food to a dinner solution, eggs are easy to cook, versatile and can provide your body with the protein and nutrients it needs to lose weight.

THE EGG DIET

This egg diet has multiple versions, but in each, you can only drink water or zero-calorie beverages.

You only eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are no snacks, aside from water or other zero-calorie drinks.

I also have a boiled egg diet printable which you can print off and stick on your fridge.

I found this an easy way to follow the plan and organize what I would be eating that week.

WHAT IS THE BOILED EGG DIET?

The boiled egg diet is a diet based on the consumption of boiled eggs rather than scrambled or poached eggs.

The minimum requirement is that you eat at least 2-3 eggs per day.

HOW DOES THE BOILED EGG DIET WORK?

The boiled egg diet is based on a 2-week eating plan. The plan is listed below

WHAT IS THE BOILED EGG DIET PLAN?

WEEK 1

MONDAY

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and 1 citrus fruit

Lunch: 2 slices wholemeal bread and some fruit.

Dinner: big serving salad and chicken.

TUESDAY

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and 1 citrus fruit

Lunch: salad of green vegetables and grilled chicken.

Dinner: Vegetable salad, 1 orange, and 2 boiled eggs

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and 1 citrus fruit

Lunch: low-fat cheese, 1 tomato, and 1 slice wholemeal bread type.

Dinner: 1 orange, vegetable salad & 2 boiled eggs

THURSDAY

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and 1 citrus fruit

Lunch: Fruit .

Dinner: Salad and steamed chicken.

FRIDAY

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and 1 citrus fruit

Lunch: Salad and grilled fish

Dinner: Steamed vegetables and 2 boiled eggs

SATURDAY

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and 1 citrus fruit

Lunch: Fruit

Dinner: Salad and steamed chicken

SUNDAY

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and 1 citrus fruit

Lunch: Steamed vegetables

Dinner: Tomato salad, steamed vegetables and chicken

WEEK 2

MONDAY

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and 1 citrus fruit

Lunch: Salad and steamed chicken

Dinner: 1 orange, salad and 2 boiled eggs

TUESDAY

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and 1 citrus fruit

Lunch: Steamed vegetables and 2 boiled eggs

Dinner: Chicken with salad

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and 1 citrus fruit

Lunch: Steamed vegetables and 2 boiled eggs

Dinner: Chicken with salad

THURSDAY

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and 1 citrus fruit

Lunch: Tuna salad

Dinner: Salad and steamed chicken

FRIDAY

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and 1 citrus fruit

Lunch: Steamed vegetables, low fat cheese & 2 boiled eggs

Dinner: Salad and 2 boiled eggs

SATURDAY

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and 1 citrus fruit

Lunch: Fruit

Dinner: Salad and steamed chicken

SUNDAY

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs and 1 citrus fruit

Lunch: Low-fat cheese, 1 tomato, & 1 slice wholemeal bread

Dinner: 1 orange, vegetable salad & 2 boiled eggs

Friday 24 July 2020

3 Principles to Eat More and Still Lose Weight

As a society we all grew up thinking that the way to lose weight fast and most efficiently is to drastically reduce our daily calorie intake, which most of the time just meant eating less food.

But we now realize that we can actually lose weight by eating more, if done in a well manner. Here are the 3 principles to eating more and still losing weight:

EAT FATS

Besides the fats found in processed fats however, all other fats should be just fine for a healthy lifestyle.

Some examples of healthy fats include:

Avocado
Coconut oil
Sunflower seeds
Cheese
Dark chocolate
Nuts
Fatty fish
Whole eggs
Extra virgin olive oil

EAT PROTEIN AND FIBER IN EVERY MEAL

Berries, chia pudding, cheddar cheese, spinach, and eggs are some of the commonly known sources of protein and fibre. You can also eat salad, chicken, and zucchini noodles.

SET MEAL TIMINGS

Top 10 Uncomplicated Ways to Lose Weight Fast

Keep Your Muscles Excited

Listen To Music In Your Workout Sessions

And it’s super easy! All you have to do is add your favorite fast-paced jams to a playlist and get moving.

Drink Plenty of Water

Skip the scale

Schedule Your Workouts

Spread Your Workouts Through The Day

Workout On A Budget

Pack Your Own Snacks

Eat Grapefruits

8 Ways to Purge Belly Fat in a Single Day

Burn belly fat with regular workout sessions

Burn belly fat by incorporating more fiber into your diet

Burn belly fat by cutting out alcohol

Burn belly fat by getting adequate sleep

Burn belly fat by cutting out sugar

Burn belly fat by soothing the mind

Burn belly fat by consuming more protein

Thursday 23 July 2020

7 Weight Loss Tricks You Can Start Doing Today

Losing weight can be a very difficult task to overcome especially for those who are highly motivated. In addition, as a person ages the more difficult it gets to maintain an appropriate weight.

One thing many people wonder is if there are any ways to "reverse engineer" life moments (just my fancy way of saying tricks) to help with weight loss.

Here are 9 weight loss tricks you can start using today:

PAY ATTENTION TO PORTION SIZES

Studies have shown that eating food off smaller sized plates lead to eating less.

This leads to overeating! Don't overeat!

DON'T GET DISTRACTED

RESTRICT YOUR ELECTRONICS

If you're one of them (Don't worry, I won't tell anyone) here are a couple of ways to make use of those extra hours:

Yoga: Doing yoga regularly offers many benefits, including making you feel better about your body as you become stronger and more flexible, toning your muscles, reducing stress, and improving your mental and physical well-being. It also helps with weight loss and you can do it practically anywhere inside your home.
Dancing
Collect bugs
Wash or walk the dog
Wash the car
Water your garden
Write an autobiography or a short story
Meditation
Read a newspaper
Browse the internet
Make a weight loss smoothie

EAT MORE FRUIT

Here are some examples of fruits with plenty of fiber content:

Raspberries
Blackberries
Apples
Oranges
Flaxseeds
Grapefruit
Watermelons

GO TO BED EARLIER

You can set the alarm clock at an earlier time instead and enjoy the remaining left over time for some exercise, meditation or meal prepping.

PRACTICE THE 20-MINUTE RULE

Why 20 minutes?

SLEEP IN COLDER TEMPERATURE

As humans, our bodies can react in interesting ways to temperature changes. The warmer the temperature is, the less energy/calories your body needs to keep you warm.

What does this mean?

However, when our bodies are above or below this zone, we increase the amount of energy we spend, which "decreases energy stores", such as fat (2).

Here’s A 14-Day Lemon Water Challenge That Will Help You Lose Weight