5 Tips to Permanent Weight Loss
I was lucky enough to attend the seminar Weight Loss Strategies for Becoming a Better Burning Machine last week at the Ranch. The talk was hosted by our Director of Nutrition, Yvonne, who is just a wealth of information. She packs so much essential information into one hour and I just wanted to share with you five tips that will help you maintain a healthy weight while away from the Ranch.
- Don’t eat in front of the t.v. This may seem like it’s not that important, but studies show that when you eat mindfully in a relaxed environment, you tend to eat smaller portions and less calories. Why? Because when you eat in front of the t.v., you’re not focusing on what you’re doing and may eat much more than you originally intended without even thinking about it. I have been guilty of this myself and have even caught myself doing this!
- Drink water and rehydrate between meals. Many times when we think that we’re hungry, we are just dehydrated. Try drinking some water instead of eating and you may find that the hunger goes away.
- Make the bulk of your meals vegetables which are high nutrient and low calorie foods. Choose brightly colored veggies and leafy greens over more starchy veggies like potatoes. Also, try having a large salad (skip the dressing or use organic olive oil and vinegar) at both lunch at dinner to help fill you up. Also, remember to skip the junk food and soda!
- Eat more raw veggies. This takes step 3 a little further to optimum health. When you eat raw veggies you get most of the nutrients from that vegetable. Cooking veggies kills vital nutrients that we need. Not only that, but a study by Columbia University found that people that ate mainly raw foods lost weight whether they were trying to or not.
- Get fit! There’s no way to get around it. Exercising will help you lose weight. Especially when you combine it with a high nutrient low calorie diet. Break up your workouts during the week between aerobic activity, strength building, intensity workouts (like circuit training) and yoga or pilates. Try to do a little something everyday, even if it’s just a walk. You will not only feel better, but you will be on track to your peak weight.
These are just five of the many tips Yvonne gave during her seminar. Next time you’re down at the Ranch, make sure you check out her talks. They are so helpful! In the meantime, practice these five tips and you’ll be on your way to optimum health.
