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We all claim that we want to be healthy, that we want to eat right, manage our weight and increase our metabolism. Very few of us do so without the assistance of professionals. Today, let’s go over some of the tips that will help you begin on the road to weight management along with metabolic health.
Preparation
This is going to be your biggest hurdle to begin with. You have to be prepared mentally, emotionally and yes, even physically. If your mindset still allows you to think of candy and junk food, you are not ready. This step will allow you to plan a menu for at least one week. Research to find some meals that include the vegetables, fruits and meats that you like. Look on a medical site, or better yet, speak to your Physician.
They can tell you the amount of calories you should have daily. A dietician can help to suggest foods and the methods in which to eat the foods. For instance, frying is and should not be a consideration in your cooking style. There are many other ways to cook food that do not involve a high intake of saturated fats.
Boiling, steaming, grilling and roasting are just the main methods. Boiling may sound bland to you. However, you can boil in low sodium broth, you can use apple juice or another flavor of juice. One method of boiling that many people do not think about is to use the water from a chicken boiled.
When you make homemade chicken soup you begin with water, adding in the chicken turns that water into a broth, naturally. No added chemicals or preservatives. Grilling is another method that many people ignore. When you grill meat, the fats drip away from the meat, leaving just the juices.
As you make the list for your menu, create your shopping list of ALL the items you will need. After your shopping is done, do what is called, Batch Cook. This means to make all your necessary meals for 2 to 3 days. They can be stored in the refrigerator in airtight containers.
Eliminate Processed Foods
This may seem like it would be difficult. You will see just how much of the food we consume is processed with preservatives and chemicals to keep it fresh. The easiest way to accomplish this task is to avoid any prepackaged foods. Those foods not only have preservatives, they are high in salt, fats and sugars. Stick with fresh foods, organic if possible.
Eat More Often
Yes, that sounds ridiculous. However, the logic is that if you eat 4 to 6 meals a day, smaller meals, you avoid the big meal at the end of the day. By that I mean when the family is home and wants dinner, we all sit down and fill ourselves full and then do not do anything to make ourselves move for the remainder of the night.
I realize that we all have families to cook for. No one is saying that this is a diet. This is simply healthier eating. Include more vegetables than you have carbohydrates. Choose gluten free, low sodium, fat free, sugar free products. Again, think fresh!
When you are told to eat more often, this does not mean meat, potatoes, vegetables and gravy. This means, make a fruit cup for morning coffee break, some fresh vegetables with hummus or dip for afternoon break. Eat foods that are high in protein, high in fiber and filling. Such as eggs, oatmeal for breakfast along with fruit.
Protein
Foods that are high in protein are seriously your friends. Research and make a list. Concentrate on buying lots of those with your fresh vegetables and fruits.
Bad Fats
Stay away from saturated fats! Look for those foods that are high in polyunsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats.
Avoid Bad Carbs and Grains
The foods to avoid are white flour, sugars, breads, cereals and pastas. Again, if you can locate the gluten free, go for those. There really is not a taste difference and they will treat you much better.
Liquid Calories
Think water! This is the time to walk away from those high calorie sodas, sugared teas, alcohol, and sports drinks. You can get unsweetened teas and add fruits to the glass to give yourself some added flavor and natural sugar.
Track your Steps
You can find health monitors almost anywhere now. Purchase one and let it count the steps you take in a day. The point is, you need to move to burn calories. If you can turn it into a challenge to yourself, for instance, set a goal of 6000 steps each day for the first couple of days, Increase it by 1000 the next few days and so on. The more you move, the more you lose.
Accountability
Keep a food journal for the first couple of weeks. This will help you to determine where you need to make changes, where you should add high fiber foods that are filling. If a few carrots are not sustaining you in the afternoon, grab an apple. An apple has more benefits and can make you stay full longer. Increase the amount of vegetables and change it up.
Add variety. Toss in some raisins with the vegetables or apple slices or even a mandarin orange. Make it a combination platter of fruits and vegetables, they are filling and will not have you walking towards the vending machine to get empty calories like a candy bar.
Metabolism
You want to increase your metabolism so you have the ability to move around more and get healthier. For that you need to feed your metabolism too. This does not mean that you have to eat twice as much. It means you can be watchful of what you are eating. There are some noted ways to help increase your metabolism. These include:
- Eating more protein at each meal. Whether that is in the form of meat or eggs, just eat. It will also help you stay full.
- Cold Water is the key. Drink a glass of it before you go outside, a glass before you head to work. The more cold water you drink, the higher your metabolism can jump. Even if it is in short bursts throughout the day, until you are routinely doing good for your body.
- Spicy Foods are said to help boost the metabolism. Peppers for instance contain capsaicin, this is a natural boost to the metabolic system.
- Work out. Yes, the dreaded exercise. It is only dreadful because you allow it to feel that way. Instead of just doing the weights, then the machines, Add some music! Crank up those tunes so that it makes you want to move. Have short racing adventures with friends and neighbors. Challenge one another to how many steps you can each do a day, within reason, given jobs and all the important things. Working out does not need to be a chore, it can be fun if you make it fun!
- Drinking Green Tea or Oolong tea is known to increase your metabolism by 4 to 5 %. What a nice jump start that is. I hear many people are not fans of tea, again add some fruit slices such as apple, lemon, lime or even strawberry and peach. When we mentioned drinking cold water, make it a glass of cold green tea. Drink it fast, like you should. Otherwise it will get warm and then sit off to the side ignored.
- Get up off your Gluteus Maximus! You are not working out the muscles by sitting on them. You need to stand up more often. Not only will this prevent yourself from slumping over, or letting the tummy muscles relax, you will help your posture instead of allowing it to slouch. The back has muscles that need to move and exercise too, just standing will allow your tummy, your back, your legs, your neck and your gluteus maximus to do what they are meant to do.
- Lifting heavy objects. Challenge your arms, legs and back muscles. Did you know that as you lose weight, you can lose muscle mass also. When you are dieting, you will feel sluggish and tired, have a drop in sugar levels, that is because you are losing muscle mass. The muscles are highly important when you want to go out dancing or shooting pool. Skateboarding, swimming, any of these take muscles. So work those muscles!
- Sleep! I swear people are always complaining that they do not get enough sleep. Whose fault is that? Is there someone standing over your bed constantly waking you? Is there some show on television that you just cannot miss? Record the show! Get to bed at a decent time and allow your body the time it needs each day to recuperate from the work it has done. There is nothing that is more important than your health, you can meet up with friends on the weekend, Record the shows and watch them earlier in the evening. Sleep deprivation does cause a slowdown in your metabolic rate.