With the world going berserk over six pack abs and chiseled body to look your best, we remind you once again, you are beautiful and strong in any shape! Having said that, staying healthy is a choice and we need to make it to bring more energy and optimism in our day to day life, ‘coz who doesn’t want to look fit and stay motivated throughout the year just by involving a little bit of fitness into it. So, here you go. We have covered everything your body needs to lose weight and fit into your favorite dress you have been eyeing on for a while now.
1. Make Smart food choice
There is no smarter way than focusing on mindful eating. One time heavy eating is not the option if you want to shed some kilos. Instead, divide your meals into five or six smaller meals so that you can cope with constant hunger pangs. Remember not to skip meals as this might lead to the development of insulin resistance in the liver and also when you skip meals, you tend to eat more unconsciously than you usually do. Moreover, smaller meals help you distribute your calories and help your body digest the food easily, hence your metabolism is improved and it’s a win win!
2. Choose what you eat
Well, when we say choose what you eat we literally mean it. Choose foods that can help you stay fit, contribute to a better health and fulfils your body’s nutrition requirement. Choose nutrient rich foods like colorful vegetables, eggs, protein rich foods, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds etc. Exclude everything that fills you up but doesn’t serve any good to your body and add more of what makes your body stay fit, active and healthy. Small lifestyle changes like these can help you get rid of accumulating more fat and help you reduce the excess weight.
3. Chew your food
Ask yourself, how many times do you chew your food properly rather than hogging? The answer will be, close to none. According to studies, chewing your food makes you feel fuller as it get mixed with your saliva that contains digestive enzymes. Not only that, chewing your food helps them break down into smaller particles hence, improves your digestive process. Moreover, the food particles that aren’t chewed, leads to bacterial overgrowth in your stomach and causes irregular bowel movement that leads to constipation, bloating and indigestion. Hence, it is important to chew your food properly to make your bowel function work in your favor to lose weight.
4. Maintain a food log
Maintaining a proper timing of your food as to when you are having food, the interval, and the portion will help you understand your eating habits better and you can keep a track of your calorie consumption in a much better way. Also, you shouldn’t forget to include fluid like water or homemade flavored water that can be prepared by adding fruits like cucumber, watermelon, lemon etc (except banana), herbs, and regular water. Stay away from soft drinks, sugar loaded fruit drinks or caffeinated beverages as those can saddle you with more calories.
5. Trick your mind
There’s a mind game you can play to lose weight! Wondering what that could be? Here is the trick. Take smaller plates if you want to restrict your food consumption. It triggers our mind to think that the food that we put in the smaller plate is of larger quantity though it is lesser than usual and thereby we end up consuming only the amount that’s required. So, folks, in this context nod your head to the saying, “Size does matter!”
So, here you are! Follow these easy steps to curb your calorie intake and not to forget, maintain a regular workout regime to lose weight the healthy way. The last but not the least, do not to starve or follow unhealthy diet plans as this might cause other health problems instead of helping you lose weight. Make sure you eat healthy food and enjoy your love for it.
About The Author
Amaresh Ojha
CEO & Founder of Gympik.com
Gympik is the brainchild of Amaresh, a fitness enthusiast and an IIM Bangalore alumnus. His vision for Gympik evolved from his passion for health and fitness and its implications in modern lifestyles. The purpose behind this foundation and eventually uprising as India’s # 1 fitness discovery platform is to make fitness and wellness accessible to people from every nook and corner of the country.