7 Simple Fat-Loss Habits for 2012 That Really Work... For Life!
Why wait until you the New Year or some special event that dirves you to living a healthier you! Many seem to be looking to shed the extra pounds we've packed on while raising a family, in college, first years of marriage. The resolution we make to lose weight and get fit is sincere, but all too often, our good intentions don't ev...en last until for one month.
We all know that... "Every January, health clubs see a spike in attendance, followed by a drop in February," say boomer generation health experts Dian Griesel, Ph.D., and Tom Griesel.
The Griesels share seven simple steps we can easily incorporate into our busy schedules to make our lives healtheir:
• Set a goal for fat loss and improved body composition, not a reduction in pounds. Most dieting efforts, which focus on a drop in scale weight, result in the loss of lean body mass (LBM) along with fat. This loss of LBM can be significant and will reduce your base metabolic rate (BMR).
• Drink more water. Most people are chronically dehydrated, particularly first thing in the morning. We often mistake thirst as hunger, and eat when we should be drinking. Always drink a large glass of water as soon as you wake up, and whenever you feel hungry, before you eat anything. You may find you really weren’t hungry after all.
• Focus on being more active. Sitting for long periods of time is hazardous to your health and cannot be counteracted by daily trips to the gym. Never sit for more than an hour at a time, and always look for ways to increase your daily activity. Walking is great, but everything counts. Just be up on your feet and moving as much and as often as possible. Find an outdoor activity that you enjoy.
• Build and strengthen your muscles. It is your muscles that drive your metabolism 24/7/365. Increasing your muscle mass will increase your BMR. You do not need to join a gym or buy a set of weights. Simple body-weight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, and squats done three to five times per day for as little as one minute will do the trick, especially if you have been inactive and sitting around too much. Do what you can now and build from there. Consistency is the key.
• Start improving your nutrition choices. Replacing the refined, processed, packaged, and fast foods in your current diet with fresh, natural foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, and meat will dramatically increase your health and improve your body composition without dieting or counting calories.
• Get a good night’s sleep. We need deep, quality sleep for peak energy levels and to be optimally healthy. Set regular sleep hours and keep them whenever possible since it is during sleep that we “recharge our batteries." Avoid caffeine, alcohol, or stimulating TV or activities before your scheduled sleep time. Keep your room dark, cool, and quiet.
• Practice regular stress reduction techniques. In today’s world, we experience chronic stress that was unknown to our ancestors. Modern stressors constantly activate our "fight or flight" survival mechanism, and this is very detrimental to our health. Meditation can be very helpful. However, consistently practicing short relaxation exercises during your day is often even better, because they provide regular feedback and can help you to recognize and break stress patterns. These mini-relaxation sessions will reset your nervous system and do wonders for your health and feelings of well-being.
check out NUTRIMANAGE for helpful products to support your weight loss plan.
Why wait until you the New Year or some special event that dirves you to living a healthier you! Many seem to be looking to shed the extra pounds we've packed on while raising a family, in college, first years of marriage. The resolution we make to lose weight and get fit is sincere, but all too often, our good intentions don't ev...en last until for one month.
We all know that... "Every January, health clubs see a spike in attendance, followed by a drop in February," say boomer generation health experts Dian Griesel, Ph.D., and Tom Griesel.
The Griesels share seven simple steps we can easily incorporate into our busy schedules to make our lives healtheir:
• Set a goal for fat loss and improved body composition, not a reduction in pounds. Most dieting efforts, which focus on a drop in scale weight, result in the loss of lean body mass (LBM) along with fat. This loss of LBM can be significant and will reduce your base metabolic rate (BMR).
• Drink more water. Most people are chronically dehydrated, particularly first thing in the morning. We often mistake thirst as hunger, and eat when we should be drinking. Always drink a large glass of water as soon as you wake up, and whenever you feel hungry, before you eat anything. You may find you really weren’t hungry after all.
• Focus on being more active. Sitting for long periods of time is hazardous to your health and cannot be counteracted by daily trips to the gym. Never sit for more than an hour at a time, and always look for ways to increase your daily activity. Walking is great, but everything counts. Just be up on your feet and moving as much and as often as possible. Find an outdoor activity that you enjoy.
• Build and strengthen your muscles. It is your muscles that drive your metabolism 24/7/365. Increasing your muscle mass will increase your BMR. You do not need to join a gym or buy a set of weights. Simple body-weight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, and squats done three to five times per day for as little as one minute will do the trick, especially if you have been inactive and sitting around too much. Do what you can now and build from there. Consistency is the key.
• Start improving your nutrition choices. Replacing the refined, processed, packaged, and fast foods in your current diet with fresh, natural foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, and meat will dramatically increase your health and improve your body composition without dieting or counting calories.
• Get a good night’s sleep. We need deep, quality sleep for peak energy levels and to be optimally healthy. Set regular sleep hours and keep them whenever possible since it is during sleep that we “recharge our batteries." Avoid caffeine, alcohol, or stimulating TV or activities before your scheduled sleep time. Keep your room dark, cool, and quiet.
• Practice regular stress reduction techniques. In today’s world, we experience chronic stress that was unknown to our ancestors. Modern stressors constantly activate our "fight or flight" survival mechanism, and this is very detrimental to our health. Meditation can be very helpful. However, consistently practicing short relaxation exercises during your day is often even better, because they provide regular feedback and can help you to recognize and break stress patterns. These mini-relaxation sessions will reset your nervous system and do wonders for your health and feelings of well-being.
check out NUTRIMANAGE for helpful products to support your weight loss plan.
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