While it’s important to remain fit and healthy throughout your life, there’s also a time when your focus switches to losing weight. Maybe you want to shed those extra pounds before you head back to school or work, or perhaps you’re interested in trying a new sport. Whatever your reasoning for wanting to lose weight, there are simple ways to achieve your goals.
Eat More Fruit
Fruit is a great source of vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. All of which contribute to overall health and wellbeing. When you eat more fruit, you’re often presented with more options for what to indulge in. Instead of reaching for a candy bar, you may decide to eat an apple. Or perhaps even a small bowl of berries? Having more fruit available means you have more opportunities to make healthier choices. If you’re really determined to shed some pounds, you could even consider going on a diet where you eat only fruit.
Along with fruit, you should also be consuming more vegetables. Cooked or raw, vegetables help boost your body’s metabolism. And having a higher metabolism means you’ll find it easier to slim down. Even the humble carrot can help get your body working harder, and that means more weight loss. Whether you’re a fan of greens or prefer to cook your food, vegetables help keep you satisfied whilst also reducing your bloat. Try and eat as many as you can, and remember to chew your food thoroughly. This will help reduce the amount of time it takes for your stomach to process what you’ve eaten – another important factor in weight loss.
Reduce Stress
If you’re regularly stressing out about something, you may find that your waistline swells along with your anxiety. Whilst there’s nothing wrong with wanting to reduce your stress levels, you should try and do so in a healthy way. Some recommended methods include yoga or meditation. Whichever way you choose, simply focusing on your breathing and relaxing your body will assist you in reducing stress and re-establishing calm. When your body is relaxed, it has more opportunity to shed off those unwanted pounds.
Avoid Caffeine
Many people enjoy the benefits of caffeine in the morning. Whether it’s a cup of coffee or a delicious mug of tea, the effects of caffeine are often welcome. Unfortunately, too much caffeine can cause weight gain. It may be due to the stimulant properties of caffeine which increase your body’s metabolism. However, if you’re regularly drinking large amounts of coffee, you may find yourself gaining weight. You should be aware of this and try to limit your caffeine intake or at least cut back on how much of it you consume. If you’re craving a brew, then go for it, but you should also be mindful of how much you’re drinking – maybe try alternating hot and cold drinks or make the switch to green tea when you hit a plateau.
Cut back on the fat in your diet. And when you do eat fats, make sure you’re eating healthier fats. Try and eliminate those trans fats which pose a lot of health risks. Instead of eating fried food or food that has been baked in dairy products, opt for dishes made with olive oil or almond milk. You’ll start seeing the results of your weight loss efforts in no time!