Raise your hand if you made a list of New Year’s Resolutions for 2017. (Go, you!) Now raise your hand if you accomplished all (or any) resolutions for 2016. (Hello? Anyone?)
If you didn’t raise your hand on the second question, you’re not alone: Turns out only eight percent of people actually achieve their New Year’s resolutions. One of the toughest nuts to crack on your list has probably been that “Lose Weight” resolution, right?
But before you throw in the towel and hit the La-Z-Boy, try this simple tactic when attacking your weight-loss resolution: Make small changes. Don’t aim for 110 percent on Day One. Take one small step one day, then take another one after that. You’ve got all year, so what’s the rush?
By making small, do-able tweaks to your lifestyle, you’re more likely to stick with them than doing a total 180. To get yourself off on the right foot and keep you moving forward this year, make these small changes to get big results.
1. Do Quick Exercise Hits While You Watch TV
Having a DVR or a streaming service means no more commercials (yay!), but that also means you can watch an entire season of “The Walking Dead” in one sitting (boo! For your body, at least).
The next time you turn on the TV, let the commercials roll and do push-ups, squats or just stretch until Rick starts zapping zombies again. Better yet? Watch “live” TV (the horror!) so you won’t be tempted to fast-forward.
Once you’ve gotten into the habit of watching TV and working out, you can ramp things up with a workout video before you settle in for a “NCIS” marathon.
2. Skip the Soda… Even the Diet Stuff
Remember this viral “What Happens One Hour After Drinking A Can of Coke” infographic? While the authors took a bit of dramatic and factual license, the essence of the message is a fact: Soda, even the diet stuff, isn’t good for you. At all.
Drink unsweetened iced or hot tea instead of soda next time, or toss a handful of your favorite fruit and herbs in a glass of water for a naturally sweetened drink.
Look, we know it’s hard to give up the sweet stuff, but take heart: This guy broke his habit of drinking 12 cans of Diet Coke a DAY for 37 YEARS. If he can do it, so can you.
3. Take a Walk
We know that sitting for extended periods of time isn’t good for your health, but that doesn’t mean you have to charge outside for a five-mile run every day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week, in addition to strength training.
But you don’t have to do all that in one go: Start by just walking more. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk out of the house, put on your headphones and walk for 15 minutes, then turn around and walk back home. That’s 30 minutes.
Break up all those minutes into manageable bits throughout the day and you’ll be surprised how fast those steps add up.
4. Swap Out Butter for Oil
If you’re eating out and partaking in the bread basket, skip the pat(s) of butter and ask for olive oil for dipping. Cooking at home? Swap out the butter in your recipe with a healthy oil, like avocado oil or almond oil.
If you don’t know your flaxseed oil from your canola oil, check out this handy cooking oil guide that has everything you need to know, from smoke points to storage tips.
For more ideas on how to cook with healthy oils — and cook more healthy in general — check out Autumn Calabrese’s cooking show, FIXATE. (Bonus? All the recipes are 21 Day Fix-approved.)
5. Eat Better Carbs
Replace refined carbs with whole-grain versions: Whole grains have more protein and fiber so your body takes longer to digest them; you’ll fuller faster — and for longer.
Other carb-swap ideas:
- Make brown rice or wild rice instead of white.
- Try pasta alternatives, like noodles made from black beans or chickpeas.
- Get that spiralizer out and make zucchini “noodles” or roast a spaghetti squash and make “pasta.”
6. Add More Color to Your Plate
Before you sit down for a meal, look down at your plate of delicious, delicious food: It should be as colorful as possible. Color means healthy fruits and veggies, like red bell peppers, dark leafy greens, bright blueberries and strawberries, ripe red tomatoes — you get the idea.
Nutritious, balanced meals that are roughly 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat will fill you up and give you energy for all those walks and quick exercise hits you’ll be doing.
7. Make Exercise Fun
You know what’s not fun? Trudging to the gym and lifting weights next to Mr. I-Wear-Cologne-to-the-Gym or getting on the treadmill near Miss I-Talk-On-The-Phone-Really-Loudly.
You know what is fun? Line dancing. Kicking butt in a mixed martial arts-inspired workout. Or you know, just dancing. Working out should be fun, not a chore or an experience to be suffered through. If you don’t know what you want to do, experiment with different workouts until you find something that “clicks.”
8. Eat Mindfully
If this sounds a little too “woo-woo,” consider this: Studies have shown that people who practice “mindful eating” can lose significant amounts of weight.
What is mindful eating? It’s the opposite of mindless munching, like grabbing a plate of food (or bag of chips) and sitting in front of the TV with a fork in one hand and your phone in the other. Before you know it, you’ve scarfed down your entire meal without enjoying it or realizing how much you’ve eaten.
By focusing on what you’re eating and why (are you really hungry or just bored?), you’ll be able to make better choices and you may even find yourself eating less.
So the next time you sit down for a meal, put away your phone, turn off the TV, and really savor what you’re eating by taking small bites and chewing slowly.
9. Get More Sleep
Sleep plays a key role in maintaining the health of your mind and body, so don’t skimp. Sleep can help you feel less hungry, reduce stress, and give you energy to crush it during a workout. Getting more zzzzs can also help reduce your waistline: In a six-year study, subjects who slept seven to eight hours a night (up from six hours) lost a significant amount of visceral fat, or “deep belly fat.”
Getting more sleep might be easier said than done for some people, but a couple of tricks can help you get to the Land of Nod, like turning down the heat, sniffing some lavender, or meditating.
10. Reward Yourself
When you hit one of your resolutions, don’t reward yourself with food — you’re not a dog. We’re talking about real rewards, like new fitness gear, those wireless headphones you’ve had your eye on, or a flotation-tank therapy session. Keeping your eye on the prize can help you stay on track and will give you something to look forward to.
11. Mix Up Your Playlist
If you’re having a hard time keeping the pace up during your walk/run/workout, it might be time to upgrade your playlist. Studies show that the beats per minute (bpm) in a song can have an effect on your workout. Slow, gentle music is calming, while fast tunes can get you pumped and energized.
Put together a couple of different playlists that correspond to the kind of workout you’re doing. Or create one playlist that mirrors a single workout — warm-up songs that build up to bigger, faster beats, then slower songs for your cool down.
Remember: Hitting your goal weight, goal fitness level — or any other kind of goal — takes time. You don’t have to get it all done in a week or month; keep making small changes that build on other small changes and before you know it, you’ll be making huge strides toward your goal.
from The Beachbody Blog http://ift.tt/2elYIyB
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