I have read so many different blogs and articles and spoke to trainers and fellow gym-goers and received so many helpful, as well as harmful, weight-loss and fitness tips. I hate that I didn't keep up with the blogs though.
You have to try that stuff out yourself and see if it works for YOU. What works for me may not work for you, but the only way you will know is if you conduct your own personal experiment.
I will tell you this much: I don't use ANY supplement, no weight loss gimmicks, no pills...NOTHING. I used to have a philosophy on weight loss, but that was before I decided that feeling good about myself had very little to do with the number on the scale and a whole lot more to do with how I felt physically, my reflection, and my overall well being. The number is the icing on the cake, so to speak.
Some of the things that I have read "somewhere" and that work for me:
1) Increase your water intake, and increase your metabolism: Ok, I can't really measure my metabolism, but I will tell you that soda and juice hold a lot of empty calories. So in doing away with these sugary substances, I ultimately cut my sugar intake for the day, and water is supposedly good for your digestive tract and your body overall. I suggest you try going for a whole month where all you drink is water. I even gave up alcohol for a few months. It was in the summer. Something about the winter that brings the lush in me out. I guess being single, I have to find other alternatives to keeping warm. Anyways, I plan on backing off the alcohol again this summer. You can still drink, though, you just have to choose better mixers, or like I do, take shots!!!
2) Eat breakfast!!!: I can say that in the past, I NEVER ate breakfast. Breakfast was a "treat", or even for days that I just woke up with a growling stomach. I often felt like breakfast made me hungrier, when in fact it was what I was eating for breakfast...just a bowl of cereal. If you ever listen to the cereal ads, it says "PART of a complete breakfast". So I was not having a complete meal. That frustrated me to no end. I just decided to ditch breakfast altogether and eat a big, filling, unhealthy lunch and dinner. Bad idea. When grocery shopping, think about breakfast!
3) Eat several small meals a day: I was real skeptical about this. Eat MORE to lose weight? Sounded a little too suspicious. I tried it though. I was hesitant at first. I decided that if the scale started going in the wrong direction that I would go back to my old eating habits. I've been eating all day for the past 2 years! It was hard in the beginning. Especially since I had to start packing my lunch and snacks. But of course I read up on different HEALTHY snacks and meals that I could prepare and pack. It's still coming together, but it's easier now than it was at first.
4) It's better to workout in the morning: Honestly, it's hard for me and I really think it's all a matter of personal preference and what your schedule will allow. I like workout at night because it is a great stress relief and I feel like I have gotten that day's food intake off of me. I have tried working out in the morning, but I prefer working out at night. I don't know if you burn more calories or what.
5) You should NOT exercise on an empty stomach: This is very true. It's like running a car with no gas in it. You have to have something to fuel the workout. Eat at least an hour before. Not a 5 course meal, but a little something. Healthy, of course. Don't eat a hamburger an hour before you go to the gym. A protein bar or shake, a banana, a hand full of nuts and organic chocolate milk. An even better thing to do would be to google "pre-workout snacks" or "pre-workout meals" and go from there. I also read somewhere that organic chocolate milk was a better way than Gatorade, or any other sports drinks, to hydrate. It has more nutrients and it does some other stuff. I don't remember, but I drink Horizon Organic Chocolate milk. MILK, it does a body good! I like this brand because it doesn't have to be refrigerated until you are ready to drink it. So I can store them at work and not worry about it spoiling.
I must stop here. I have read so much, but I will continue my findings in another blog.
You have to try that stuff out yourself and see if it works for YOU. What works for me may not work for you, but the only way you will know is if you conduct your own personal experiment.
I will tell you this much: I don't use ANY supplement, no weight loss gimmicks, no pills...NOTHING. I used to have a philosophy on weight loss, but that was before I decided that feeling good about myself had very little to do with the number on the scale and a whole lot more to do with how I felt physically, my reflection, and my overall well being. The number is the icing on the cake, so to speak.
Some of the things that I have read "somewhere" and that work for me:
1) Increase your water intake, and increase your metabolism: Ok, I can't really measure my metabolism, but I will tell you that soda and juice hold a lot of empty calories. So in doing away with these sugary substances, I ultimately cut my sugar intake for the day, and water is supposedly good for your digestive tract and your body overall. I suggest you try going for a whole month where all you drink is water. I even gave up alcohol for a few months. It was in the summer. Something about the winter that brings the lush in me out. I guess being single, I have to find other alternatives to keeping warm. Anyways, I plan on backing off the alcohol again this summer. You can still drink, though, you just have to choose better mixers, or like I do, take shots!!!
2) Eat breakfast!!!: I can say that in the past, I NEVER ate breakfast. Breakfast was a "treat", or even for days that I just woke up with a growling stomach. I often felt like breakfast made me hungrier, when in fact it was what I was eating for breakfast...just a bowl of cereal. If you ever listen to the cereal ads, it says "PART of a complete breakfast". So I was not having a complete meal. That frustrated me to no end. I just decided to ditch breakfast altogether and eat a big, filling, unhealthy lunch and dinner. Bad idea. When grocery shopping, think about breakfast!
3) Eat several small meals a day: I was real skeptical about this. Eat MORE to lose weight? Sounded a little too suspicious. I tried it though. I was hesitant at first. I decided that if the scale started going in the wrong direction that I would go back to my old eating habits. I've been eating all day for the past 2 years! It was hard in the beginning. Especially since I had to start packing my lunch and snacks. But of course I read up on different HEALTHY snacks and meals that I could prepare and pack. It's still coming together, but it's easier now than it was at first.
4) It's better to workout in the morning: Honestly, it's hard for me and I really think it's all a matter of personal preference and what your schedule will allow. I like workout at night because it is a great stress relief and I feel like I have gotten that day's food intake off of me. I have tried working out in the morning, but I prefer working out at night. I don't know if you burn more calories or what.
5) You should NOT exercise on an empty stomach: This is very true. It's like running a car with no gas in it. You have to have something to fuel the workout. Eat at least an hour before. Not a 5 course meal, but a little something. Healthy, of course. Don't eat a hamburger an hour before you go to the gym. A protein bar or shake, a banana, a hand full of nuts and organic chocolate milk. An even better thing to do would be to google "pre-workout snacks" or "pre-workout meals" and go from there. I also read somewhere that organic chocolate milk was a better way than Gatorade, or any other sports drinks, to hydrate. It has more nutrients and it does some other stuff. I don't remember, but I drink Horizon Organic Chocolate milk. MILK, it does a body good! I like this brand because it doesn't have to be refrigerated until you are ready to drink it. So I can store them at work and not worry about it spoiling.
I must stop here. I have read so much, but I will continue my findings in another blog.
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