Weight Loss Tips For ChristmasWith only 40 days left until Christmas (YES 40!) are you going to be like everyone else in this country and pile on 7-10 pounds of fat or are you going to break the mould and make a commitment to yourself. Don’t leave your weight loss plan until New Year, with the intention of going on a diet. DIETS DON’T WORK! I’m sorry to yell but think about it, if diets worked then why do millions fail to lose weight and keep it off after going on a diet? Is the dieter to blame for not being able to do the one thing we all must do to survive and that’s eat. Or is it the diets fault for leading you to believe that by starving yourself you will be able to lose fat permanently? Any diet that insists you reduce calories and doesn’t address the importance of exercise is doomed to fail you. With that said here’s four tips to keep you from becoming a statistic.
ExerciseI know, I know, you're too busy. Instead of spending hours in the gym, make your workouts more efficient. Circuit training is a very effective way to boost metabolism and can be accomplished in just 30 minutes. After a 5 minute warm up try picking three exercises such as squats, press ups and bent over rows and perform them back to back for 30 seconds each with no rest between exercises. After doing the 3 exercises rest for 1 minute and then repeat 6-8 times. Don't forget to spend 5 minutes at the end cooling down and stretching.
By using exercises that use more than one muscle group at a time you will get more done in less time and as you are performing circuits you will get your strength training and cardio in at the same time. Do this three times per week.
On days between your circuits try getting up 30 minutes earlier and going for a brisk walk or run which will kick start your metabolism for the rest of the day helping you to burn fat all day long! Eat!Sounds counter intuitive but trust me, it's true. To boost metabolism you have to eat. You should be eating 3 healthy meals and 3 healthy snacks every day. Unfortunately, many of us tend to skip meals when we are in a rush and then grab a high sugar or high fat snack when our body finally tells us that it has to have something!
Skipping meals is the worst thing you can do for your metabolism. It causes your body to go into starvation mode slowing your metabolism and which then causes your body to store excess fat instead of burning it off as fuel.
Meal replacement shakes are a good option when you are pressed for time. Just make sure to choose a good quality one without excess sugar.
Have Some Me Time!No I'm not crazy and you probably think you don't have time to relax but just think about this: Stress increases the level of cortisol in your body and that has been found to increase the amount of fat stored in your body. Nobody needs that!
Try finding a quite place where you can sit and relax and practice deep breathing exercises.
Simply breathe in deeply through your nose, allowing your stomach to expand and then exhale slowly through your mouth, contracting your abs at the end. Repeat this a few times and you'll be amazed at how much calmer you feel!
Get Some Sleep!Studies show that those people who get by on less that four hours of sleep a night were 73 percent more likely to be obese than people who sleep seven to nine hours per night. The study also showed that those who caught only six hours of sleep were 23 percent more likely to be obese.
Try to avoid drinks containing caffeine at least 4 hours before as the caffeine acts as a stimulant and interferes with deep sleep.
Plan on winding down about 30 minutes before bedtime and plan on going to bed early enough to get a solid eight hours.
Make PlansBy failing to plan you plan to fail. Special occasions offer foods we don't normally indulge in. The best way to keep from going overboard is to plan ahead. Never go to a party hungry, eat a healthy snack beforehand. When you do hit the buffet fill your plate up with healthy stuff like veggies fruit and grilled items only a few items for indulgence.
When you do pick what you want to indulge in, ENJOY IT, eat it slowly, and savor every bite. If alcohol is involved in your holiday party avoid the high calorie drinks. If shorts are your tipple then have a diet soft drink as the mixer. Also try to drink as much water as possible to help your body flush out the toxins from the alcohol. Christmas is a special time of year and you should enjoy it with loved ones. By following these 5 simple steps you will help boost your metabolism while still spending quality time with your friends and family and still be able to indulge in all that the season has to offer.
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