Natural Health October 2017

FITNESS & Weight Loss
Instead of eating when you're not hungry, get up, have some
water, and say hello to a co-worker on the way back. You'll destress
and forget about the snack you didn't really want in
the first place.
8. And work on being more mindful
in general about your snacking.
Start by examining what benefit snacking offers you: Is it a
distraction? A hit of excitement or pleasure? Are you afraid of
feeling hungry? If you're snacking for reasons other than being
hungry and/or snacking on processed foods that add lots of
calories with little nutrition, consider rethinking what you're
munching on. More mindful snacking will not only eliminate
extra calories but will help your body get back into the habit of
eating because you feel hungry and stopping
because you feel full.
Start by tweaking one snack per day – preferably that one you
have because you're bored or because you can't believe there
are four more hours left in the work day. You can try skipping it
altogether, but if that sounds like torture, just try to make it a bit
more healthful by swapping out your usual processed snack or
sugar-packed energy bar for fruit and nuts or some
other whole foods option."
9. Aim to make water your go-to
beverage.
Try swapping out at least one sugary drink (soda, juice,
sweetened coffee drinks, etc.) per day with water (or fruitinfused
water or unsweetened flavoured seltzer to keep things
more interesting). As you get used to having more water and
fewer sugary drinks, keep making the swap until water is
your primary go-to drink throughout the day. Bonus: It'll help
digestion and make you feel great.
have people holding you accountable, it's easy to ghost – to
set a goal and keep it a secret, so when you don't accomplish
it, no one really knows and it's like you never set it in the first
place. But having a team of people who want what you want
will inspire you to keep showing up when the going gets tough.
12. Learn about serving sizes and
figure out how much you're actually
eating.
Because most people don't really know how much they eat
throughout the day and where that puts them calorie-wise,
we generally end up eating more than we want or expect.
It's helpful to measure your food so you can have a better
appreciation for how much food you're actually eating. This
doesn't have to be a forever kind of thing; measuring food can
be tedious. Just do it for a day or two to get a sense of how
much you're actually eating.
13. Invest in some workout gear.
Buy a new pair of running shoes or workout gear. It may seem
trivial, but as the Hollywood saying goes, 'if you dress the part,
you'll feel the part.' It'll be just the motivation you
need to hit the pavement.
14. Create a morning routine that
will set you up for a day of healthy
choices.
How you start your day plays a critical role in your healthy
eating and fitness efforts. “My advice is to invest some time
into creating a healthy morning routine that will set you up
to make thoughtful, healthy choices all day long. Always set
healthy intentions in the a.m., reminding yourself that eating
well and exercise are forms of self-love. Give yourself an extra
15 minutes in the morning to cultivate a practice that makes you
feel good and ready to tackle the day. It could be as simple
as drinking a warm cup of ginger tea and doing five minutes
of stretches or deep breathing. Or, if you want to focus more
on mindfulness, consider spending a few minutes meditating or
reading a passage from an inspirational book,” adds Jessica
Jones, MS, RD, CDE, of Food Heaven Made Easy and the
author of the 28-Day Plant-Powered Health Reboot..
10. Get into strength training.
Cardio tends to get all of the praise, but strength training helps
you build lean muscle, which in turn increases your metabolism
and ability to burn calories. If you really want to see results, be
sure to include a few days of strength training
into your weekly mix!
11. Spend time around people who
are seriously hell-bent on achieving
their goals.
Be courageous and join a community of people who have
similar goals and then crush them together! When you don't
18 Natural Health * October 2017 VOL 84