Make water your drink of choice. You should have at least eight glasses of water in one day. Water helps reduce weight and gives you energy too. When you are hydrated you feel healthier.
Don't overeat in one meal and eat so much that you feel uncomfortable. If you cannot use your willpower to eat three smaller meals a day, try three small meals and two healthy snacks. Always keep sticks of celery, carrots and cucumber at hand in the fridge. Snacking without calories is not only filling, it makes you feel good as you know you are not breaking your diet.
Do not deprive yourself of food to try and get thin overnight. The weight will just pile on again once you stop and your blood sugar levels will be up and down which will make you feel lethargic and shaky.
Walk as much as you can, so much better than climbing into your car. Go for a walk at lunchtime if time allows. Take your lunch with you and sit outside on days when it is not too chilly. Exercise midday fuels the brain too and gets your heart pumping. Walking is a great form of exercise, especially when you are overweight as it does not put too much strain on your body. Slowly but surely you will find yourself in a routine, one which will burn off calories and having you looking good.
Vegetables are a great addition to meals. For example, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, carrots and cucumber and great favourites and filling too. If you are more biased towards salads, you can always include fresh basil leaves to add to the taste of a standard lettuce. Mixed herbs also add a little taste and low fat mozzarella, goes down so well with tomatoes too. Leave the salad dressings in the supermarket and instead go for a good quality vinaigrette. This not only tastes good, it is low in calories and looks good on your salad!
In Winter think about making soup, especially for dinner as they are warming, filling and very low in calories. Go to your local market and buy vegetables which look good and are diverse. Mix them into soup recipes and roast some in the oven too for that added little extra as a roasted vegetable meal is so warming. Stir fries in a wok are quick and easy for those of you who are on the run and just as quick as microwave meals, minus the calories
Try to stay away from pasta, potatoes and bread, rice eat sparingly too as it is a starch. Swap your white rice for brown and soon you will have forgotten all the high calorie, stodgy food from your past. Drink coffee and tea minus sugar and change to love fat milk if you have to have it. If a sweetener is a must, try to buy a natural one with almost zero calories.
Eat only when you are really feeling hungry, don't just eat because it is time to. If you are not single and eating together is regular for you at meal times, make sure you are not eating a snack just before dinner or lunchtime and enjoy your meal together. Eat slowly, appreciate your food and as a result, digestion will be so much easier
Emotions can bring on food cravings, as we are all too aware. When one of these hit, grab the carrot sticks or if you must have something sweeter, an apple will do. An amazing little indulgence after dinner on the odd occasion, is baked apple filled with raisins and a teaspoon of honey. You are allowed to treat yourself from time to time within reason with something healthy. Keep fresh fruit in the house. Drinking fruit juice is rather a no no as the calories can be high and eating a whole piece of fruit is much more filling!
Walk every hour at least, even if it is just round your home or to the bathroom at work, move and you will remain limber and happy.
As much as some may not want to hear it, housework burns calories too. Spring clean one part of the house per week, great way to maintain cleanliness and burn fat too!
We are right behind you, spurring you on, there is no time like the present to begin your new routine!
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