Derailed Fitness and Weight Loss Goals?
Summer is a great season for many reasons, one of them being, finally have the chance to show off all your hard work and weight loss at the gym over the last few months. If the British weather allows it, of course… The problem with this year is, the Covid-19 public health crisis definitely derailed some fitness goals!
If this happened to you and you’re now wondering how to get back on the horse, not to worry. If you’re unsure of how to get back into good exercise habits, read our blog on motivating your workouts to keep you on track here.
However, you might be satisfied with your health plan, yet dissatisfied with the recent weight gain brought on by the government-mandated lockdown this year. Surely I can’t be the one who devours everything in my cupboards the second I’m at home for a full day?
Well, if you’re looking for some tips on shedding that quarantine weight, look no further.
Beckwith Health Club advocates for a healthy, varied diet and regular exercise plan for controlled weight loss. Although, when it comes to dropping an extra pound that was picked up by a bad habit or two, check out the five tips below for some help!
Tip 1: Increase Your Vegetable Consumption
Healthy weight loss is not about eating less. In fact, the opposite is true!
Dieticians and doctors often recommend that one of the secrets to shedding an extra pound or two isn’t necessarily removing food groups from your diet, but adding them. Start increasing the volume of vegetables you consume on a regular basis.
By positively adding to your diet in this way, you’ll be giving your body the nutrients it needs to continue functioning properly. Vegetables will mean you’ll also avoid overloading it with heavy food groups such as carbohydrates!
Aim to make at least 50% of your meals vegetable-based, and shed the pounds without harming your wellbeing!
Tip 2: Keep Track of Your Food and Drink Intake
When you’re looking to cut out bad eating and diet habits, consider keeping a food journal.
You can do this via apps, or by buying a journal and writing down all the food and drinks you consume within a week. If you keep track of the timings of these, you may also become aware of some unhealthy habits there. Unfortunately, late-night snacks aren’t the best for you!
While a food journal isn’t the perfect solution for everyone, it is ideal when getting out of a bad eating slump. It’s a quick way to force you to realise what, and how much, you’re eating on a regular basis. This way, you’ll be more accountable for your bad habits.
It doesn’t take long, and supposedly is a common denominator amongst people who have managed to lose, and keep off the pounds.
Get that notebook ready!
Tip 3: Snack on Foods with a High Water Content
It’s no secret that staying hydrated is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Similarly, it’s a well-known fact that endless grazing throughout the day alongside big meals will leave you feeling fully and possibly overeating.
So why not combine these two healthy tips into one weight loss hack?
If you’re watching your weight or looking to lose a few extra pounds, you need to be minding your snacks. Starving yourself definitely isn’t the answer, but over-eating is also going to prevent any significant change from happening. Healthy snacking is the answer!
If you choose to snack on foods with high water content, you’ll stay hydrated and thereby avoid bloating. A lot of these foods also have a high diuretic content which includes lots of fibre, helping you to maintain that full feeling!
For snack inspiration, think of watermelon, grapes, tomatoes, artichokes, pineapple, cucumber, and more!
Tip 4: Incorporate Strength Training into Your Day
Of course, exercise and diet go hand in hand when it comes to weight loss, but the type of exercise you focus on also makes a difference. This is where strength training comes in.
Strength training works to build lean muscle, which in turn burns more calories. This encourages faster, yet still healthy, weight loss.
Incorporate strength training into your day and you’ll notice changes within a few weeks. And this doesn’t need to mean hitting the gym and hitting high levels of reps! Instead, invest in a set of 5-pound weights.
The best thing about free weight is how versatile they are. If you’re unsure how to get started, keep it simple. Do some bicep curls, squats, lunges, or push-ups! Aim to incorporate this exercise into your day, or into your week, and encourage lean muscle.
Tip 5: Get Some Sleep
Ensuring you’re properly rested and sleeping enough at night is essential to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to encourage weight loss.
According to research, getting less than 7 hours of sleep a night can slow down your metabolism. This means your body is more likely to gain weight if you’re not getting enough sleep.
Sleep is therefore essential to maintaining your fitness goals and shedding those pounds.
For tips on how to get a good night’s sleep, check out our blog here.
Lose Weight While Staying Healthy
Weight loss isn’t a race or something that can be achieved by skipping meals. The most important thing you can do to ensure you’re losing weight in a healthy and controlled way is to ensure you have a balanced and nutritious diet and regular exercise.
Incorporate these five tips into your lifestyle to encourage healthy weight loss. Exercise, eat well, stay hydrated, stay accountable, and most importantly, stay healthy!
