There are many ways to lose weight like using the skinny jab. But if you’re serious about losing weight and keeping it off for good, here are 5 sure-fire tips to make sure you stay on track to getting the body you want.
- Fresh fruit and vegetables
When you’re craving something sweet, the first temptation is always going to be to reach for a bar of chocolate or a fizzy drink. It’s cheap and it’s convenient. But it’s also being stored by your body as fat. If you don’t already have one, buy a fruit bowl – having fresh fruit on hand is an easy way to satisfy those sweet-tooth cravings. Whilst you’re at it, you should clear a drawer in your fridge and dedicate it exclusively to fresh vegetables. The good thing about most vegetables is that they’re so versatile – they can be prepared and cooked in many different ways, so you can keep your evening meals fresh in more ways than one!
- Planning your meals
It’d be hard to overestimate how useful planning your meals is. Whether you’re a weekly, monthly, or online food-shopper, sitting down with a pen and a notepad and planning what you will eat each day is going to benefit you in more ways than one. Firstly, you can buy exactly what you need and no more. We’ve all been there, picking things like chocolate and crisps off the shelf in the supermarket on a whim, and panicking as the worker on the till rings up your price. Secondly, you can buy better when you know what you need – the lettuce that you’ve left to wilt in the fridge because you didn’t know what to do with it? You can plan several meals that will incorporate it, and make sure nothing goes to waste.
- Exercise
Don’t panic! This doesn’t mean you have to join the dreaded gym again, only to go once and guiltily cancel your membership months later. Squeeze as much exercise as you comfortably can into the day. A walk in the morning before work, a yoga session on your lunch break, a quick jog in the evening…exercise doesn’t have to all be arduous and painful. In fact, short-bursts of intense exercise have been said to be just as beneficial as an hour or two in the gym.
- Drink more water
We all know how important drinking water throughout the day is. It’s what we’re all made up of, and keeping ourselves hydrated benefits us in so many important ways. It helps us manage our weight, it boosts skin health, it helps flush body waste, it prevents kidney damage, it helps boost your performance during your new exercise routine. Buy a reusable water bottle (save the planet!) and make sure you keep reaching for it throughout the day. Ditch the fizzy drink and do your body a big favour with more water.
- Get more sleep
There’s endless research about how important sleep is for us. But did you know that the less sleep you get, the less your metabolism works effectively? Most adults need between 6 and 9 hours to be considered properly rested. For coffee addicts, keep your caffeine dosage to the mornings only – it’ll kick start your metabolism, but anything past midday will disrupt you come night-time. So don’t be frugal with your sleep – you and your metabolism will be more than ready to take the day on.
