Pound by Pound

By Admin | August 2, 2015 0 Comments

Inch by Inch

How to lose weight… and keep it off!

Ready to get in shape and change your lifestyle?

Let’s not waste time! I’ve pieced together some tips, tricks and advice to improve your health and lose some weight.

I promise it’s not that bad!

First of all… don’t neglect the need for support and motivation. It’s easier to find than you might think. Feel good about the new you and stick with friends who are able to support you without criticizing you. Trust me, this goes a long way.

Little changes will make a big difference in the long run

It’s not necessary to be in the gym every day, but you do need to get active. Even the little things count. Take the stairs and park a little further away from the home or office to get in some extra walking.

 

Don’t tell yourself that you don’t have time. If you have time to binge watch your favorite TV shows, you have time to go for a run!

Give up soda, even the diet ones

This is always a difficult step.

There have been countless articles and news stories explaining just how bad diet soda is, but when you quit you will finally see the difference. Artificial sweeteners often trick your body into thinking you’re ingesting sugar, causing you to produce insulin and stomach acid to break it down. Obviously, since there are no sugars, this will just make you hungry. This doesn’t mean you should skip on over to regular sodas. They contain hundreds of empty calories that won’t fill you up. If you really can’t cut them out altogether, have a soda as a treat every now and then, but not as something to drink mindlessly while you’re eating.

 

Don’t stress about your weight too much

Food is for enjoying, not worrying about. Eat little and eat often. Snack at your desk, but try to make it something healthy like carrots and hummus and not cakes and cookies.

Quit weighing yourself

It’s not a true reflection of how you’re doing and will only make you feel miserable. Go by how you feel, how you look and how well your clothes fit. Keep in mind… muscle weighs more than fat.

 

Try eating these fat burning foods

Your body requires more energy to digest them, speeding up your ability to burn fat.

 

Water

The best way to improve metabolism is to drink plenty of water. Drinking around eight glasses of ice water a day helps burn those extra calories. When you drink cold water, your body has to work harder to change the temperature of it, therefore burning more calories.

 

Green Tea

Green tea and its extracts have elements that increase energy and help burn fat. Green tea may also have properties that fight cancer, reduce the risk of heart disease and elevate your mood.

 

Lean Protein

Consuming lean protein can increase your metabolic rate. This is because the digestion of protein stimulates cellular activity leading to the burning of the excess fats. The best lean protein food choices are chicken, turkey breast, egg whites, fish and seafood. Whey protein is great for a shake on-the-go and is loaded with amino acids.

 

Calcium

Calcium is essential for regulating hormonal activity in the body and can accelerate weight loss by breaking down the fat in cells. Low-fat dairy products, leafy green vegetables, sesame seeds and almonds are rich in calcium.

 

Vegetables

High-fiber non-starchy vegetables such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, celery, tomatoes, and peppers are the best metabolism boosters. They burn fat and calories while regulating your metabolism

 

Fruits

A variety of fresh fruit in your diet can cleanse the body since they are generally loaded with fiber, water and vitamins. The best fruit choices are apples, citrus options like oranges and tangerines, strawberries, cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, melons, mangoes, kiwi and pineapples. Fruits that are high in vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B12, potassium and phosphorus can help boost your metabolism. Pectin found in fruits such as apples and berries help minimize fat absorption.

 

Spices

Hot spicy food can temporarily fire up your metabolic rates and increase your ability to burn calories. These spices include chilies, cayenne and horseradish.

 

Garlic and Ginger

Ginger and garlic can both raise your body temperature and helps stimulate your body’s fat burning mechanism. These herbs are also used as a diuretic. Regular intake of garlic and ginger can also help boost your immune system.

 

 

 

Beat those cravings!

 

Cravings are your body’s way of telling you it is lacking something. But just because you are craving chocolate cake with whipped cream doesn’t mean you actually need it!

 

This is often what craving’s mean…

 

Sweets/Candy

What it means: Your body’s lacking chromium, carbon phosphorus, sulfur, or tryptophan.

Try instead: Broccoli, grapes, cheese, chicken, fresh fruit, beef, liver, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes, cranberries, horseradish, kale, cabbage, turkey, sweet potatoes and spinach.

 

Bread

What it means: You need nitrogen.

Try insead: High-protein foods such as fish, meats, nuts and beans.

 

Fatty snacks and carbonated

What it means: You’re lacking calcium.

Try instead: Mustard, greens, dairy, legumes and sesame seeds.

 

Coffee

What it means: Your body needs phosphorous, sulfur or iron.

Try instead: Chicken, beef, liver, fish, eggs, dairy, red peppers, garlic, onion, sea salt, apple vinegar, seaweed, greens and black cherries.

 

Salty foods

What it means: You need chloride.

Try instead: Goats milk, fish and unrefined sea salt.

 

Oh, and remember…Your body deserves better than the way you’ve treated it in the past. You need to decide to love yourself and make a change for good. A year from now, you’ll be happy you started today. It’s not as hard as you think!

 

By Hassett Gravois

 

 

Hassett Gravois is the famous Mixology Connoisseur and author.  She is also Vegas 2 LA Magazines Beverage Director and Resident Mixologist