A New Study Suggests How To Lose Weight Fast And Keep It Off
We live in an era of instant gratification so we always want the results fast. The same applies with weight loss. You make a decision to lose weight and you want the results tomorrow!
I get it. I once used to be forty pounds overweight Positivemed.com and due to my impatience tried many strict crash diets to quickly lose weight. But this “all or nothing” approach always fails.
While our bodies don’t respond to our diet and exercise changes that quickly and we can’t expect to drop two dress sizes by tomorrow morning, there are ways we can speed up the process without sacrificing our health, energy levels and overall wellbeing.
The recent study reveals that you don’t even need to look for some magic pill. The most definite results come from tiny but enduring behavioral changes.
A study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that participants who made one small, potentially permanent change in their food choices and/or physical activity each week (such as drinking one fewer can of soda or walking 5 more minutes per day) lost more than twice as much belly fat, 2 1⁄2 more inches off their waistlines, and about 4 times more weight during a 4 month program, compared with those who followed traditional calorie restriction and physical activity guidelines.
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Lesley Lutes, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of psychology at East Carolina University said: “When you focus on just a couple of small changes at a time, you begin to ingrain some healthy habits that last for a lifetime, rather than trying an all or nothing approach that more often than not fails because it’s too hard to follow.”
So here are some simple suggestions you can implement and permanently lose weight:
1. Wake up 10 minutes earlier and do a light workout
I know we’re all busy but anyone who uses social media has no excuse! Cut down your Facebook time by at least 10 minutes and go to bed earlier. Then wake up at least 10 minutes earlier and do some yoga, jumping jacks, dancing, or whatever your favorite form of moving your body is.
This might seem like a very small change but its effect accumulate over time. It’s better to exercise 10 minutes every day than do a two-hour workout at the weekend and then feel so sore you can’t exercise for the next two weeks.
Once you build a routine of regular exercise, who knows, you might want to extend the 10 minute period to 15, 20 or even 30 minutes.
The main idea is to start small and stop dreading exercise!
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2. Replace your regular breakfast with green smoothie
Green leafy vegetables are excellent for your health. They provide your body with much needed vitamins, alkaline minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, chlorophyll and other compounds that are essential for good health.
Chlorophyll found in green vegetables helps regenerate the blood, has anti-cancer , anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimutagenic properties.These amazing health benefits of chlorophyll are of the main reasons why leafy greens are so good for our health. So we need to find ways to incorporate more of them in our diets.
You may not want to eat salad for all your meals especially if time is of concern, for example, in the morning. So having a green smoothie for breakfast is a great way to start your day.
Try making a simple smoothie by blending ripe bananas, frozen or fresh berries, spinach and water or almond milk. It takes only a few minutes but will keep you energized and will provide your body with the nutrients it needs.
The way you start your morning sets the tone for the rest of the day!
3. Meditate for at least 5 minutes a day
Numerous studies have shown that meditation helps relieve stress and helps you to be mindful about how you spend your time. On top of that, it has a lot of health benefits: increases immune function, decreases pain and inflammation at the cellular level. It also boosts your happiness and self-control.
Spare at least 5-10 minutes a day to sit in stillness and peace. This will make you grounded, in tune with yourself and feel more mindful throughout the day, which leads to better decision making, more productivity and happiness.
4. Eat your last meal at least 4-5 hours before going to bed
When you go to bed with a full stomach, your body cannot fully relax as it’s still digesting the food. That’s why you might wake up tired, bloated and feeling unwell.
Night is the time when your incredibly intelligent body is renewing its cells and regenerating. However, if it’s digesting food then the regeneration process is impaired which accelerates aging and may cause other health issues.
Another reason why eating late at night is not a great idea is because most likely you’re not going to use that energy you get from food for moving, therefore your body wisely stores it in your fat cells. Obviously, this is not the best weight loss strategy.
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5. Start every meal with raw vegetable salad
By starting your meal with a salad you fill your body with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber and the other essential nutrients it needs. This way, even if you have something less healthy afterwards, its detrimental effects have been minimized.
On top of that, filling your stomach with veggies will leave less space for other food and hence you’ll eat less. Simple, yet very powerful trick.
Just make sure to skip chemical-laden processed dressing. Use a home-made dressing made from whole food ingredients, or simply squeeze some lemon or lime juice instead.
About the Author:
Osha Key is a life lover, certified nutritionist, weight loss expert, the creator of the Lovetarian Detox (at www.lovetariandetox.com) and founder of www.becomethebestofyou.com. After losing 40 pounds, Osha is now on a mission to help women do the same.
In her FREE Weight Loss Video Training series at www.lovetariandetox.com, Osha teaches everything that has helped her lose 40 pounds of fat and keep it off.
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