Weight loss targets seem to be a persistent inclusion in your New Year wish lists almost every year?
You are not alone. So many people have started on their journey to weight loss, only to fall flat way before reaching their targets.
Not only this; on the way they use faulty habits such as excessive dieting, starvation techniques, throwing up, and diet pills, so in the end they end up pounds heavier than what they had started with.
If you look at the situation intelligently, you will notice that there seemingly exist two broad categories of people – constant weight watchers (scared of ingesting even a single calorie more but always battling with weight issues) and the naturally thin (seemingly never putting on excess weight).
So the answer to your weight woes lies in studying the habit patterns of being thin naturally and adjusting your daily habits to reflect long-term weight loss targets.
10 habit tweaks (courtesy the naturally thin)
Starting the morning right
Wake up each morning with a gentle stretch. Sit up slowly on the bed, lean forward until you feel your hamstrings and back stretching languidly.
Hold the position for 5-10 seconds and repeat the move 2-3 times. Add some nutrition at the beginning of the day with an oil free breakfast.
Regular cereal lovers can add some flax seeds or sunflower seeds to the bowl to increase nutrition count and add some fiber to their meal.
Do not forget the protein during this meal.
While the milk in your cereal breakfast is enough, those who skip the milk can turn to one boiled egg or a 50% skim milk mozzarella stick to meet their protein count for breakfast.
Traffic toners and office squat burners
The time spent in office can be a packed workout session on its own.
Use the traffic time toning your butt, just squeeze the hips and thigh muscles every time you brake, hold for 10 counts and release.
Repeat as often as you desire (do not overdo it though!).
In the office, use your free time for semi squats (pretend you are about to sit down but hold the position just before you actually hit the chair).
Repeat at least 5-6 times each set.
The snack patrol
Switch your soda for flavored seltzer or sparkling water.
Switch the snack options for the smallest packs available and the low sodium varieties.
Mention these intentions to your cafeteria guy or to a friend so that you remain accountable for the switch.
The phone-time workout tag
Every time you start a phone conversation, get up and pace around your office.
If you are at your workstation, stand up and hold on to your chair, stretch your leg straight out to the side, hold for five counts and lower it back again.
The point is to get more active during these short intervals.
Fit with apples, pears or peaches
Make it a point to include at least an apple, pear, or a peach as your midday snack option.
You load up on antioxidants without compromising on the taste and you do not crave for that extra packet of Oreos by the end of the day, so it’s a win-win!
Patting the pizza
Always pat your pizza with a blotting paper to soak up excess oil on the surface.
Also, start ordering pizza with half the cheese and extra olive topping to drop some more calories without even trying.
Ballerina at the pump
At the gas station, hold your car door with a hand, rise to the balls of your foot, and lower to your heels for as long as it takes your car tank to fill up.
The result- stronger, shapelier calves without the exercise timeout.
Soup starters for dinner
Always start your dinner with a bowl of clear vegetable or chicken soup.
This way you load up on the nutrition, without the excess calories and cut your food quota to half, so no post dinner heaviness and yes that’s a long term strategy for being thin naturally!
Cheat fruit pie for dessert
Who doesn’t love a fruit pie for dessert but no one loves the waistline bulge.
So, try this- sprinkle some sugar substitute on to regular pie filling fruits, apples, peaches, pears or cherries, microwave for 30 seconds on high.
You will have your pie filling and eat it too!
Lick the sorbet for your bedtime snack
Snacking right before bedtime is not the sin but your bowlful of chocolate ice cream is!
Switch to a chocolate sorbet instead; fix the craving without the added calories.
Ready for the “being thin naturally” ride?
This post was last modified on %s = human-readable time difference 3:32 PM