10 SMALL CHANGES FOR A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE + WEIGHTLOSS.
Summer is in full swing and well my "summer body" wasn't. Personally I've never been able to stick to a diet for more than 3 days, simply because I love food and mostly carbs. I try to balance it out by going to the gym 3-4 times a week which seems to stop me from pilling on the pounds but I never lose any either. Over the past month or two I've been incorporating little changes into my diet to create a healthier lifestyle as opposed to just doing a crash diet. I'm by no means an expert, but these are some of the little changes that have help me lose a few inches around my body.
This is probably the best app when it comes to calorie counting. It's super easy to use and personally I enjoy barcoding my snacks onto the app, it also guides you in what nutrients your meals are high in (or if you've consumed too much sugar etc.) It also gives you a projection on what your weight will be like in 5 weeks if you stick to your eating habits.
Unless it's pouring down with rain and your bus is about to pull up in front of you - walk when you're not actually that far. I have a bus stop right outside my house that takes me straight to Wimbledon, but it's also only a 20 minute walk to the centre. It's tempting just to take public transport but walking means another 100 calories burnt and more food I can fit in my day - it also saves you a bit of money.
This has no reference to the Nickelodeon show we all enjoyed years back, but rather that essential liquid we're told to drink constantly. It's the most basic rule when it comes to being healthier, and coming from someone who hated drinking water - it's all I drink now (and the odd glass of Rose) and last time I tried I couldn't even finish a full bottle of coca cola. Buy yourself a cute water bottle and drink up.
I've always enjoyed a cup of tea before bed (with two sugars) but I've found myself replacing that with herbal teas such as chamomile and green tea - and the occasional teatox. I don't deny myself the pleasure of a cuppa either, I just swap the skimmed milk for almond milk and cut it down to one sugar. With it being summer, it also means plenty of nights out and opportunities to drink so I'd say either opt for a gin & tonic or stick to clear alcohols as they tend to be less calorific.
Motivation can be a tough thing and not everyone enjoys staying on a treadmill for 40 minutes staring at a wall (me). Instead find something you actually enjoy doing and will put that extra effort in without it seeming like torture. For me I love the kickboxing/martial arts classes that I've been doing on GymCube - they offer 100's of workout videos taught by professionals and celebrity trainers and are fit for beginners to the more advanced. More so each video tells you what part of your body you're working and how many calories you burn during each session.
I usually go on Pinterest before bed which can sometimes have an adverse effect because seeing all these yummy recipes just makes me hungry again, but it's your place to go for healthy unique recipes, snack ideas and workout tips. If you fancy checking out my food and fitness Pinterest board head here.
It can be tough to resist buying a chocolate bar of bag of crisps when you're heading for your daily commute - but keep some grapes or healthy bars in your bag to curb these cravings. Hummus & celery, blueberries coated in greek yoghurt, sweet potato fries are all yummy treats that you can enjoy without feeling guilty. Again, Pinterest is your best friend for this.
Plan your cheat meals ahead so you don't feel guilty when you enjoy that Pizza Express or Chinese takeaway. Life's too short to not enjoy the foods you love, just have everything in moderation! Don't use your cheat day as an excuse to hoover in half of Tesco's or it will all go to waste, just make sure you get your squats in that day.
Not literally, Dave from finance won't really care that you've had avocado on toast for breakfast instead of Lucky Charms. Let your family and close friends know about your plan, and it will be in your nature to stick to it more because you don't want to be seen as a failure now do you. If you want to share your journey through social media (to an extent) do it, motivation will drive you.
I'm sure you've all heard of "eating breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper" and well it's one of the best rules out there. Eating a big breakfast will fuel you for the day and having a small and (low carb) dinner will have you waking up flatter than an ironing board. My rule is no carbs after 6pm unless it's a special occasion or I'm going out for dinner - by this I mean no white carbs, if your meal has like 1g of carbohydrates don't sweat it.
I hope this has been somewhat useful to you guys, I'd love to hear some of your healthy eating tips and how you guys keep healthy!
I need to do this, I gain weight this summer. Great post dear!