Weight loss isn't about magic pills or expensive potions. It's
not about eating the same bland foods every night either. It's about
making smart choices and not being too hard on yourself when you slip
up.
If you want to lose weight fast follow these 3 simple rules.
Ditch Highly Processed Foods
Processed foods often lack essential nutrients but are loaded with fats, sugars, and artificial chemicals. Your body reacts differently to 100 calories of fruits or vegetables than 100 calories of candy or potato chips.
I get it. Processed foods are easy and delicious. Its much more tempting to grab a box of Krispy Kremes or look for the latest 'from freezer to dinner' meal when it's time to eat. But we all need to realize that those options give us the poundage we never wanted to purchase.
Many highly processed foods are manufactured for hyper palatability. These artificially enhanced foods overstimulate the pleasure neurotransmitter dopamine which can lead to cravings. The urge to crave sugar and sweetness can even surpass the cravings of cocaine addicts. This helps explain why so many people have difficulty controlling their consumption of processed foods.
Stay Hydrated
Drop any drink high in calories by switching to water or tea. A lack of hydration hinders fat burning by affecting the kidneys and liver. When your body is dehydrated it holds on to the little water it has, causing you to feel bloated. Drinking the right amount of water brings everything back to equilibrium and speeds up your metabolism. When we are hydrated our bodies just work more efficiently, this speeds up fat loss.
The easiest way to incorporate proper hydration into your life is to start small and make it a habit. The first thing I do every morning is drink a glass of water or tea. It actually wakes me up and make me feel better. Don't like plain water? Fear not because you are not alone. Add a squeeze of lemon -- or any other yummy fruit for that matter. Want even more energy and antioxidants? Grab the green tea.
However you decide to hydrate yourself, just be sure to make it a habit.
Get Enough Sleep
I have a tendency to burn the candle at both ends. It's easy to talk myself into one more podcast or another glance at Facebook when I should going to bed. It doesn't matter how early I need to rise, Game of Thrones is always more entertaining than sleep.
It's hard to translate sleep into skinny, but trust me it's true. While you might be able to ignore your yawns and caffeinate yourself into a functional human being, no matter what you do your body still needs its sleep, and your waistline proves it.
Missing zzz's can pack on the pounds quickly. A lack of sleep compromises the effectiveness of typical weight loss strategies. Missing a few hours of sleep may also make you more likely to be tempted by junk foods. The prefrontal cortex is highly sensitive to a lack of sleep and it happens to be the part of the brain responsible for self-control. Its no surprise that people who get less sleep each night are more likely to be overweight or obese.
Don't worry, you don't have to be perfect. It's almost impossible to have a perfect diet. Its about finding balance.
Try to think of your diet as a lifestyle for longevity. When you eat a wide variety of natural whole foods you think, feel, and perform better.
Trying to lose weight doesn't mean that you can never enjoy your favorite unhealthy foods again. Eat plenty of healthy foods but also indulge in what you love, without the guilt.
Don't stress. Stressing out over your diet is counterproductive because stress is directly tied to weight gain. Eat the unhealthy things you love and fully enjoy them without the guilt. Just make unhealthy foods the exception rather than the norm.
There is a lot more to life than food and it is better to eat the wrong food with the right attitude than the other way around.
If you want to lose weight fast follow these 3 simple rules.
Ditch Highly Processed Foods
Processed foods often lack essential nutrients but are loaded with fats, sugars, and artificial chemicals. Your body reacts differently to 100 calories of fruits or vegetables than 100 calories of candy or potato chips.
I get it. Processed foods are easy and delicious. Its much more tempting to grab a box of Krispy Kremes or look for the latest 'from freezer to dinner' meal when it's time to eat. But we all need to realize that those options give us the poundage we never wanted to purchase.
Many highly processed foods are manufactured for hyper palatability. These artificially enhanced foods overstimulate the pleasure neurotransmitter dopamine which can lead to cravings. The urge to crave sugar and sweetness can even surpass the cravings of cocaine addicts. This helps explain why so many people have difficulty controlling their consumption of processed foods.
Stay Hydrated
Drop any drink high in calories by switching to water or tea. A lack of hydration hinders fat burning by affecting the kidneys and liver. When your body is dehydrated it holds on to the little water it has, causing you to feel bloated. Drinking the right amount of water brings everything back to equilibrium and speeds up your metabolism. When we are hydrated our bodies just work more efficiently, this speeds up fat loss.
The easiest way to incorporate proper hydration into your life is to start small and make it a habit. The first thing I do every morning is drink a glass of water or tea. It actually wakes me up and make me feel better. Don't like plain water? Fear not because you are not alone. Add a squeeze of lemon -- or any other yummy fruit for that matter. Want even more energy and antioxidants? Grab the green tea.
However you decide to hydrate yourself, just be sure to make it a habit.
Get Enough Sleep
I have a tendency to burn the candle at both ends. It's easy to talk myself into one more podcast or another glance at Facebook when I should going to bed. It doesn't matter how early I need to rise, Game of Thrones is always more entertaining than sleep.
It's hard to translate sleep into skinny, but trust me it's true. While you might be able to ignore your yawns and caffeinate yourself into a functional human being, no matter what you do your body still needs its sleep, and your waistline proves it.
Missing zzz's can pack on the pounds quickly. A lack of sleep compromises the effectiveness of typical weight loss strategies. Missing a few hours of sleep may also make you more likely to be tempted by junk foods. The prefrontal cortex is highly sensitive to a lack of sleep and it happens to be the part of the brain responsible for self-control. Its no surprise that people who get less sleep each night are more likely to be overweight or obese.
Don't worry, you don't have to be perfect. It's almost impossible to have a perfect diet. Its about finding balance.
Try to think of your diet as a lifestyle for longevity. When you eat a wide variety of natural whole foods you think, feel, and perform better.
Trying to lose weight doesn't mean that you can never enjoy your favorite unhealthy foods again. Eat plenty of healthy foods but also indulge in what you love, without the guilt.
Don't stress. Stressing out over your diet is counterproductive because stress is directly tied to weight gain. Eat the unhealthy things you love and fully enjoy them without the guilt. Just make unhealthy foods the exception rather than the norm.
There is a lot more to life than food and it is better to eat the wrong food with the right attitude than the other way around.
Greg Bastin is a former skinny-fat nerd and founder of the health company Opportuniteas http://www.opportuniteas.com/.
The goal is to make it incredibly easy for anyone to get the very best knowledge and foods for optimal health. Check out his health and nutrition blog http://www.opportuniteas.com/blog/
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_Bastin
The goal is to make it incredibly easy for anyone to get the very best knowledge and foods for optimal health. Check out his health and nutrition blog http://www.opportuniteas.com/blog/
