Hello everyone. This is a guest post from Zoe.
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Most people would like to get fitter and healthier, but many do not know where to start and so end up not bothering at all. Getting fit and losing weight require a great deal of will-power and common sense, but some advice on what to do and where to start benefit most people who want to wake up slimmer and healthier. So here are some tips that will help any novice dieter start on the path to getting fit and healthy.
Get Moving
Cut out snacking in between meals and in the evening to see almost instant results. Instead of heading for the fridge in the evening, cosy up in a comfortable bed with luxurious wooden bed frames and watch a film or read a book instead of eating. Meeting up with friends, starting an evening class or simply going for a nice long walk are also effective distractions from food.
Exercise is crucial to losing weight and getting healthier. Expending more calories than you consume is the only guaranteed way of losing weight, but getting physical doesn’t have to mean hitting the gym. While the gym remains an excellent place for many, particularly if it offers classes to mix things up or has a service to tailor workouts for individuals, there are plenty of other options available. These range from high-sweat, calorie-burning dance classes of all types to team sports and simply heading out the front door and going for a run. The key is to find something enjoyable, whether it can be enjoyed with friends or on your own.
Think Ahead
The type of food that is eaten during the day is every bit as important as how much is consumed. Cut down on fats and sugars and add more fibre and protein to stay fuller for longer. Snacks such as popcorn are much more satisfying than chocolate and sweets and breakfasts such as eggs on toast or peanut butter on a bagel take longer to digest, creating feelings of fullness for a greater time and reducing the urge to snack on high fat or sugary foods before the next mealtime. Raw foods such as carrots are also excellent choices that take longer to digest and therefore are more fulfilling snacks.
Alcohol is a major source of empty calories and ditching the booze, or at least cutting down significantly, will see most people lose some weight over the course of a month. The urge to snack on easy, calorific foods is also higher after drinking sessions, so curbing the beer or wine could have a double benefit.
Eating less, drinking less and moving more should all combine to produce weight loss, but one other tactic is simply eating meals more slowly. Savouring mouthfuls rather than rushing to finish is a tactic endorsed by many slimming experts.
It both makes the diner savour the tastes and flavours he is experiencing and gives his body a chance to say when it has had enough, rather than having food gulped down so quickly that pudding has been consumed before the body had a chance to say it was full.
About the Author:
Our guest blogger is Zoe.