Of course we want to lose weight as soon as we can. We want to get on with our new life tomorrow, if we could. The sooner we take a big chunk out of our weight loss routine the closer we are to obtaining that ideal physical specimen we have envisioned in our own mind. There are steps to take to start taking off those pounds sooner rather than later, but you need to also make sure you are doing all of it in as healthy a manner as possible. Starving yourself for a few days to lose some pounds isn’t the answer. Nor is the all tangerine diet, or all egg plant diet a panacea. Use common sense and you’ll be off to a good start. That said, there are still ways to start your trip to the new you the right way.
You’ve heard it said many times and shook your head in disbelief, but it is true. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Having a good, balanced breakfast starts the metabolism machine in your body. You need to get your metabolism up and rolling to have any shot at losing weight. You can do it with exercise, sure, but your best start to all of it is a good nutritious breakfast.
Always have healthy snacks available and actually eat them. It’s one thing to have a bag of soy nuts in your drawer at work, but if you head to the break room to beat a co-worker out of the last donut, it does no good. Healthy snacks in between meals keep the metabolism on high and also helps to avoid the lunch or dinner overload. If you’re skipping snacks altogether, that can have two negative consequences. One, it may slow down your metabolism. Two, you may be more apt to eat more calories at mid-day or dinner. Both are not conducive to your weight management program.
Oh yes, that cold brew sounds really good, doesn’t it? Well, did you know that alcohol, even light beers, pack quite the caloric punch? In addition, those brats you’re eating while you are throwing down a few cold ones will add to that calorie pack in a hurry. Research shows that alcohol is looked upon as a poison in the body. The liver shuts out all processing of calories until it gets rid of the alcohol. The consequence? What you eat while you’re having a few beers doesn’t get burned and most likely ends up on your waistline. Beer gut, anyone?
Portion control is still one of your best allies. You don’t need to eat your date’s fries, or your kid’s burger that they didn’t want. Have a sense of what amount of food you will eat before you begin. Even if you have to go through the drive through, think before you speak into the box. Instead of the super sized triple burger, how about a kids meal? You’re still getting the sandwich and sides you want, just at a smaller size.
There are numerous opportunities for us to begin our weight loss program on the right foot immediately. Think of some of these ideas as you begin your road to a new life.