Simple Steps To a Healthier You

Why, oh why, is it so hard to lose weight? It’s so easy to put on, but takes so much effort to take off – and it doesn’t stay away! The trick is to change your habits. I’m Wendy Corr, and in today’s Wellness Tip, I’ll give you a few simple steps to take that will make losing weight easy – and permanent!

As the years go by, the pounds creep on – doesn’t that just seem to be the case? So how do you reverse this process? There are a few simple steps you can take that will turn the trend around – for good!

A good start is to ditch the diet soda. The artificial sweeteners used in most calorie-free drinks can actually cause weight GAIN by interfering with important enzymes and hormones in your body.

Another simple step – portion control. I know that one sounds like the most difficult – I mean, really, who has time to weigh and measure every meal? Fortunately, taking the guesswork out of portion control is as easy as buying a set of dishes or containers that are calibrated to measure out a single serving of different types of foods. Another quick fix to the portion problem is to simply use smaller dishes. Eating off of salad plates instead of dinner plates can help you feel like you’re still getting a full plate’s worth of food but with less actual food on the plate.

Drinking more water can help you feel full and eat less food, but if you’re really trying to lose weight, make sure yours is on ice. The body has to work harder to bring the water to a warmer temperature before digesting it, so it burns more calories.

Did you know that by adding certain foods to your diet, you can increase your chances of losing weight? According to research reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who ate just 3/4 cup of beans, peas, chickpeas, or lentils a day lost half a pound a week without changing their diet or exercise habits. And researchers have also found that people who ate at least one apple a day lost more weight than those who skipped fruit.

And finally, getting plenty of rest is essential. Getting less than seven hours of sleep made people eat an average of 500 extra calories the next day, according to research done by the National Institutes of Health. And sometimes we eat because we’re bored, procrastinating, tired, sad, stressed, or thirsty. So the next time you’re tempted to down a glazed doughnut, try doing a minute or two of meditation and you may just realize you’re actually dehydrated and go for a water instead.

Thanks for tuning in to Wellness with Wendy! For more health and wellness news and advice, follow my blog on mybighornbasin.com.