The greatest journey starts begins with a single step. The journey towards our own best bodies is just the same.
Its a daily decision to take those small steps towards where we want to be. The good news, with this, is that you can take a step back here and there and still be moving in the right direction.
It may not be the fastest way to reach your goal but its the most likely way to sustain the pace in the long run.
Without further ado, here are 20 top tweaks to lose weight and keep it lost.
1. Set a small, specific goal. Stick it somewhere you will see it every day
Creating a measurable vision you can take steps towards works. A Harvard study from the 70s found that those who had a specific goal earned, on average, twice as much as those that didnt have a goal. Those that wrote down their goals earned even more. The point is when were clear about what we want we are far more likely to achieve it.
2. Focus only on losing the next kilo
Whether you want to lose two or twenty kilograms, keeping the attention on the immediate goals helps to keep you from feeling overwhelmed. It also means you have more regular reasons to celebrate.
3. Have exercise dates with your family, friends or partner
When time is of the essence, this is a way to kill two birds with one stone. If jogging on treadmills side-by-side isnt your thing (and thank God really that its not), but you might have a group game of volleyball, go paddleboarding, play cricket or squash.
Research shows that exercise with others releases more endorphins (the happiness hormones) than when you exercise alone and also helps us to bond with others.
4. Know what works for you
Everyone is different, so get clear on the strategies that help you to succeed. For some people its working out as soon as you wake up, for others its doing exercise that you find fun. It might be eating healthily and having a cheat day or it might mean having one small treat each day.
5. Schedule exercise
Making the time official is making a commitment to yourself, your body and your health. Planning also helps you to create consistency and integrate exercise into your everyday life. It means you can slot in some high intensity exercise if you only have 20 minutes on one day and book into a longer class when youve a little more time the next. New sites, like Fitness Calendar, can help you to plan your week ahead.
6. Work up a sweat from exercise at least a few times a week
Its good to get moving every day, but amping up the intensity at least a few times a week will also amp up your results (assuming youre healthy and do not have a heart condition). Working yourself into a sweat gives a natural boost to human growth hormone (HGH) production – which is essential for optimal health – and research shows, it improves insulin sensitivity, boosts fat loss, and increases muscle growth.
7. Shake up your exercise to keep your body guessing and your mind fresh.
Our muscles adjust when we do the same exercises repeatedly and as we plateau, we stop seeing results. The easiest way to counter this is to remember that variety is the spice of exercise, as it is life.
Play around with the intensity and switch up aerobic exercise with strength training, flexibility, core exercise, and balance training.
8. Try on your jeans once a week to keep track of how youre going
Arguably a better approach than scales – which do not show weight gain from muscle mass, trying on your jeans will show that your waist and hips are cinching in while your butt, like a little sunflower, perks up.
9. Take before and after pictures
Hard evidence that the slog is paying off. This is a simple, but invaluable method demonstrating you have the power to transform yourself.
10. Sign up to a challenge and join a group to train for it
In the spirit of one step at a time, a fitness challenge gives us a short-term goal to work towards, tangible results (which are essential for motivation and our sense of progress) and the support and camaraderie from training towards that goal in a group makes it fun and helps to spur you along.
By Sarah Berry
Source: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/top-20-weight-loss-hacks-20150112-12l0bm.html
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