Changing lifestyle habits, rather than simply relying on “willpower” or heavy exercise can have a big impact on your “bottom” line. Managing your calorie intake and finding exercise you want to do, rather than you feel you have to do, will help you lose weight and keep it off.
It’s easy to add simples weight-loss techniques to your daily routine
#1 Eat More Often
Notice I didn’t say, “Eat more.” I said eat more often. Eating 1,500 calories at one sitting is not the same as eating 1,500 calories over the course of three meals or snacks. Spreading out eating keeps your heart rate up and your metabolism burning calories. Because your body can only metabolize a finite number of calories at once, excess calories from overeating will be stored for later use, and stored as fat. Fasting also leads to overeating, so try to eat five or six times per day; even if you don’t reduce your overall daily calorie intake, you’ll burn more calories due to increased metabolism.
#2 Exercise for Fun, Not Maximum Calorie Burn
Fitness experts often say, “The best exercise is any activity you will continue to do.” While ellipiticals and treadmills may burn more fat than yoga or going for a walk, if that expensive machinery ends up in the garage after only three months, those aerobic workouts weren’t as beneficial as a life-long activity you enjoy. Don’t stop swimming, playing golf or riding a bike because you’ve heard it isn’t the “best” exercise. Any exercise you can add to your weekly routine will help raise your metabolism, build muscle and burn calories.
#3 Pre-Cook Some Meals
If you cook your meals right before you eat them, you’re most likely hungry. This will cause you to frequently taste while you’re making the soup, stew or entree, and take bigger portions, causing you to eat more calories than you should. Preparing meals in advance, especially when you’re not hungry, will allow you to divide what you cook into sensible portions, freeze them and eat a reasonable amount of calories each meal.
#4 Build Some Muscle
If you’re willing to exercise, don’t just focus on aerobics. Adding some resistance exercise in an effort to build muscle will pay dividends all day long. For every pound of fat you replace with muscle, you’ll burn more calories per day, even if you’re at your desk or sitting on the couch watching TV. You won’t burn a ton of extra daily calories by adding a few pounds of muscle, but every little bit helps — and, you’ll be able to do more powerful exercise moves and last longer during workouts. Using a set of dumbbells during your time on a stationary bike or while watching TV is easy and will pay some dividends during the rest of the week.
#5 Drink More Water – But not 8 Glasses a Day!
Many people don’t drink enough water, causing dehydration, which is often mistaken for hunger, leading to overeating. The popular recommendation of drinking eight glasses of water per day is actually a myth. While that much liquid per day is widely recommended by health experts, most of that amount is already contained in the foods we eat. But we still need to drink some water daily, and drinking enough each day, and before meals (to partially fill your stomach), is a good way to keep calories down.