Staying fit is a lot easier than it sounds. Most often, it is enough to adhere to certain nutrition and physical activity rules. All these rules do not require specific skills. It’s enough to have a desire. A healthy lifestyle means a lot, but people remember about it only in case of an emergency.
Meanwhile today, a healthy lifestyle is trendy, and following its principles is a matter of pride for strong-willed and purposeful people. So, if you do not go to extremes, this approach will not turn your life into torture but will help to streamline it. Let’s recall the basic principles to always be in shape.
Top Habits of a Healthy Person
So, here is the Jons Guide of the 10 best rules which will help you stay in shape anytime, anywhere.
1. Drink more water or other non-calorie drinks. Drink a glass of water before opening a bag of chips. People often confuse thirst with hunger, so cold water can help you.
If it does not help, brew a mug of fruit or herbal tea. Eating different snacks watching TV is the easiest way to gain extra calories. Try not to go into the kitchen in the evening, or just snack on low-calorie foods.
2. Enjoy your favorite food. Instead of giving up your favorite treats forever, limit their number. Buy one bun instead of a whole bag or a small portion of sweets instead of a few pounds.
Diet is not a reason to forget about food that brings pleasure, the main thing is to learn to control its amount. Eat several times a day in small portions. If you spend more calories than you get, you will lose weight. But it’s very difficult to eat a little when you are very hungry.
3. Eat more protein. Protein saturates faster than fats and carbohydrates maintaining a feeling of satiety for a longer time. It also helps to avoid muscle loss and accelerate fat burning. Include seafood, meat, eggs, cheese, soy, nuts, beans in your diet.
Buy wholesome, easy-to-cook food. If you have the opportunity to cook a low-calorie snack in a few minutes, you will not order pizza at home. Frozen vegetables, cheese, tomatoes, beans, pita, green salad, chicken — you can cook a tasty and nutritious, and, most importantly, healthy snack buying those products.
4. Order children’s portions in restaurants. Ordering baby portions is a great way to reduce calories. It is quite common among women willing to lose weight. Another trick is to use smaller plates — this will visually increase the portion and you will be satisfied. Instead of ordering pasta, eat some vegetables. If you eat more vegetables, not bread or pasta, you can lose weight much faster.
5. Always have breakfast and keep fit. One of the easy ways to lose weight seems to be to not eat breakfast. Numerous studies prove the opposite. Without breakfast, you get hungry very quickly and eat more for dinner. To lose weight, you should have a good breakfast, such as cereal with milk and fruit.
Include fiber in your diet. Fiber improves digestion, prevents constipation and lowers cholesterol, which allows you losing weight quickly. Some eat only half of the required amount of fiber. The daily norm for women is 25 gr, for men — 38 gr. Beans, fruits, vegetables, and grains contain fiber. If these needed grains and fiber sources are not always readily availble for your daily needs, then one can opt for greens supplements.
6. Clean shelves from high-calorie foods. If you have chips in the cupboard and ice cream in the refrigerator, weight loss will take longer. Reduce temptation by cleansing your kitchen of high-calorie foods.
Want to treat yourself sometimes? Leave the house and walk to the store. Get enough sleep — when you sleep too little, the body starts producing hormones that stimulate the appetite.
7. Lose weight slowly. Do not be discouraged if you lose weight not so fast. It takes time to lose extra kilos. Experts suggest setting a realistic goal, and strive to lose no more than a kilogram per week. Remember, you will see health benefits by losing 5% -10% of your initial weight.
Weigh once a week, people who do it regularly are more successful at losing weight. But many experts believe that it is worth weighing only once a week, so as not to pay attention to daily changes.
8. Understand serving sizes. We are so used to large portions in different cafes that we eat too much at home. Use a kitchen scale and measuring cups, small plates and glasses to cut servings. Divide portions in half.
Eat more fruits and vegetables — the best diet is the one where you eat more fruits and vegetables than usual. They will make you less hungry, as they are rich in nutrients, contain a large amount of fiber and water, which will give a feeling of satiety.
9. Limit alcohol consumption on weekends. Alcohol contains empty calories. The body does not use these calories, and they are turned directly into fat. If you like a drink, find a compromise. Enjoy your favorite alcoholic drink only on weekends, not more than one glass.
Moreover, alcohol is one of the most expensive addictions in the world. When you want a snack, chew chewing gum instead. Some types of chewing gum will help fight hunger and promote weight loss, as well as chewing gum can make you eat less.
10. Keep a food diary. A simple pen and paper can help with weight loss greatly. Research shows that taking notes on what you eat and drink will help you better control your meals and reduce calories. One study found that people who kept a food diary 6 days a week lost about twice as much weight as those who kept a diary one day a week or less.
Celebrate success (but not with food). Have you lost 3 kilograms this month? Time to celebrate! A reward can drive you to greater success. Buy an audio CD, go to the movies, and assign yourself a reward for the next stage. Most importantly, do not buy pizza.
Get help from family and friends. Getting support can help you achieve your goal. Tell family members and friends about the effort you make. When you feel that you are giving up, they will be able to support you and cheer you up, and it will be easier to stick to the diet.