When is a good time of the year to start the exercise of shifting those surplus pounds? I started in January because of the Christmas over-eating but you can start whenever you are ready to make losing weight important to you. It has to be one of your top three things to do and if it's not then stop reading now.
Losing weight is about retaking control of your body and you need to steel yourself and want to do it or it just won't happen. Set yourself small realistic targets to aim for and start every day as a fresh starting point. Forget about yesterday and the way you were so good until gone 9:00 pm when the other half returned from the kitchen with a top-up for your wine glass and a wooden board with dried biscuits and slices of cheddar for sharing. These things happen so just get over it.
Here is my approach and it could be yours if you think it just might work for you. Today lies before you and you can make a new start today.
Weigh-in - before you do anything please stand on the weighing scales naked and after your shower and breakfast. or before whatever works for you. Write down the weight. You will do this daily and follow the same approach every day. Having a consistent approach eliminates false gains and losses.
Breakfast should be healthy and full of protein and good fat that releases slowly over the following hours. My breakfast, for example, is porridge in water microwaved for 3:30 minutes. Then I add four soft pitted prunes, a sliced apple, a mandarin orange, half a banana, a spoonful of wheat germ and a generous of spoonful honey.
Not only am I eating a filling breakfast that will stop me nibbling for three hours but the prunes are known to clear your intestine lining of any clinging and possibly cancerous material than could develop into growths.
The wheat germ has It's a great source of vegetable proteins, along with fibre and healthy fats. It's also a good source of magnesium, zinc, thiamin, folate, potassium, and phosphorus. Wheat germ is high in vitamin E, an essential nutrient with antioxidant properties and is also good for your digestive tracts.
The fruit of banana, apples and mandarin oranges are also renowned for the vitamins they include and eating them this way gets many of your five-a-day inside you even if, like me, you don't really like fruit.
Walk or run and if walking take some sliced fruit with you. I tend to walk three to five kilometres a day. It varies according to the weather and I do vary the routes and I take the dog too! I uses a Garmin watch to track my walks but you could just use a free version of Strava on your mobile phone. They have a paid version but I have never felt the need to upgrade. Here is a link to compare the two if you are interested.
Walk at a comfortable pace but you could walk fast for twenty seconds and then ease off again. This short high-intensity burst does burn calories for quite a while after you have eased back to a normal pace and doing it three times a week I have read is beneficial. Obviously check with your doctor if you intend to do something out of the ordinary for you.
Your calorie intake during the day is obviously an important factor with weight as is the timing of the intake. Try to eat your main meal during the day and cut out any eating after 9:00 pm at night.
I am not a dietician and there are plenty out there so I won't pretend any great knowledge of food but small plates and small portion sizes are best. Eat regularly throughout the daytime and at least a third of the plate should be green. Cut down on the bread intake. Replace it with vegetables in a hot meal or crispbread if a cold meal.
Getting your 6-8 hours of sleep is important and deep sleep is best. Most smartwatches will and mobile phones let you know how you are doing.
Weigh in at the agreed point in the morning set out above and write down your new weight. Whichever way the numbers go cast your mind back and see if you can identify the main cause. Maybe you gave in to a late-night feast or maybe you walked further than normal. Whatever the reason at least you are on the case and because you know you can adjust today's calorie intake and burn accordingly. If you are happy and the numbers are going in the right direction just keep doing what you are doing.
I am primarily writing this blog for myself and the very act of posting is keeping me on the course to lose 12 pounds as I couldn't in all honesty write this if I was piling on the weight. This method of (1) daily noting my weight, (2) keeping no real treats in the house and (3) not eating after 9:00 pm is working for me and could for you.
Happy weight loss and I'll post again closer to the month-end unless there is something more want to know. You can reach me via markrice10@gmail.com
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