Planning Your Losses

By Stella Vroulis

Healthy tips for Life!

Your weight loss goal should be for the long term. Why work so hard to only blow it, and not keep your weight off and sustained. This article will elaborate on the details of making weight loss long term by adopting healthy choices. Are you ready to make new lifestyle changes a habit? Lets begin!

Healthy Eating

What I found worked for me to have kept 50 pounds off for over 4 years now was to develop a life style of eating. I trained myself to replace bad eating habits with effective ones. One way to keep you on your weight loss goal is to plan ahead what you will be eating daily. Just as you would plan your trip itinerary, plan your food itinerary or agenda. Be honest and disciplined in forming your new healthy eating habits.

Your tips for changing your eating habits:

1. Think of food as medicine. How will your food make you healthy?

2. Develop taste to healthier foods leaving the bad ones behind such as all fried foods! Be rid of high calorie foods as well.

3. Stay away from sodas & other carbonated drinks.

4. Avoid orange juice and similar juices. When the pulp is extracted, the fiber is removed; therefore, making the juice a direct hit of sugar in your system.

5. No sugars. If you want sugar, use Stevia – it is natural made from the leaves of the plant species Stevia rebaudiana

6. Read, Read, and Read the labels. For example, keep away from fructose corn syrup, and corn syrup. These sugar substitutes are artificial sweeteners, and one of the causes for obesity. Also, avoid any food coloring, or any terms that sound practically like a foreign language. Notice how organic products have less of the non-recognizable terminology.

7. Make sure you hydrate approximately 32 ounces of water daily being as the minimum. Water will make you feel fuller. It is good to start and end your day with a glass of water. How can you tell if you are dehydrated: your fingertips have wrinkles and your urine is a dark yellow – the lighter your urine is the more you are hydrated.

Here is a shocker!

Do you fully eliminate your favorite high calorie foods?

WHY?

Because never put that burden on yourself! This is a stressor that will actually make you want those high calorie foods even more. In fact, I consider a balancing act to healthy eating. The core of your diet should be healthy foods with allowance of a small percentage for experiencing your high calorie foods. When I crave a burger, I make sure the next day I eat completely pure, and sometimes, I may extend my cardio. I find ways to balance my cravings with healthy habits of pure eating and cardio exercise. The longer I eat healthy, the less I crave these high calorie foods.

Do not exercising for hours!

Absolutely not! I exercise 4 to 6 times a week for 30 minutes. I believe frequency is much more effective than a few days of longevity. Make sure you pick exercises that will have the most impact for your goals. I balance my 30-minute workout with one in each category: core, cardio, and strength.

Time Factor

The main factor for weight loss is what you consume, and making smart food choices. I make sure that I eat my dinner no later than 4. Others that I have interviewed who lost 50 pounds or more have told me that they do not eat no later than 5 or 6. Keep in mind, when you sleep, your body will be resting for 6 to 8 hours limiting any caloric burning.

Journal

Keeps you on track! If you need a bit of discipline to promote your integrity to your goal, write it down, and track it. This could be your answer to helping form your new life style. Documenting what you eat, and when you eat will give you a tracking system to adjust to create a plan that is effective for you. Also, I would recommend, writing down the exercises that you found to be most effective for you as well. We are all different, and what works for one may not work for all.

My Reflection of the new YOU!

What I hope you take away from this article is that integrity to form healthy eating habits, and consistent movement that will ultimately change your life. You will feel better, look younger, and automatically improve yourself internally. Never give up, and utilize patience by staying on course. Just believe that you can do it, and you will!