Two months of 2019 are already gone. Have you kept up with any of your resolutions/goals? Losing weight and getting into a regular exercise routine are among the most popular New Year’s Resolution. For some, it’s to boost self-confidence and for others, it’s about improving fitness. Motivation and sticking with your goal(s) can be challenging and oftentimes discouraging.
Exercising more often and eating smaller portions are key steps in weight loss and fitness, but there is so much more that you can do. If you’re looking for something a little different, then here are six tricks you can try.
Smaller Portions
From a very young age, we’re taught that you should fill up your plate and eat everything that’s on it. The only issue with this is that not all dishes are the same size. If you choose a larger one, then you could end up consuming way more calories than you need to, even when you’re trying to reduce your portions. Smaller plates force you to not load up on big servings. And we all know that smaller servings means less food and less food can encourage weight loss.
Drink Warm Water
Sometimes you’re not hungry, but instead thirsty. And not consuming enough water throughout your day is not unheard of. Between every day life and staying busy, it’s easy to forget drinking plenty of fluids. Oftentimes a glass of water is all you need instead of a snack. If you’re trying to lose weight, you should have a drink every time that you’re hungry before you eat something. Drinking water warm or hot can make you feel fuller, so it helps to drink a glass before you eat your meals too.
I tend to do this when I go to a restaurant. Usually I get sweet potato fries but even those are loaded with oil and sodium. Before I stuff myself with calories, I drink a big glass of water so my tummy is “fooled” with a full feeling.
Can the Color Blue Fool You?
This one may or may not be true, but anything is worth trying when you’re on the journey to losing weight.
It has been said that the color blue can suppress your appetite. If you see blue when you’re eating, you might have a feeling to eat less. This is why very few restaurants are decorated with this color. Because of this, you should eat off blue plates, use a blue tablecloth, and paint your dining room blue (not really). Perhaps avoiding colors like yellow, orange, and red, can encourage you to eat more.
Again, this one might be a big hoax, but perhaps worth a shot for you.
Give Up The Guilt
Avoiding or restricting certain foods can make you crave them even more, causing you to binge on them later. This is why it’s so important that you enjoy the food that you eat. Using the right wine and food pairings can ensure this happens. If you view food as the enemy and feel guilty whenever you eat something, you’ll struggle to meet your weight loss and fitness goals.
A good tip to keep in mind is that exercise is not a punishment for what you ate, but a celebration for what your body can do. So instead of beating yourself up, learn from your lesson and try better next time.
Plan Out Your Meals
Meal planning is a great way to ensure you eat healthily every day of the week. It forces you to have pre-made meals/snacks and stops you from following your cravings. However, if you don’t follow through on your plans, then they won’t make any difference. For this reason, you should write your meal plan somewhere that everyone can see so that you’re more likely to follow through. This also makes you more accountable for choosing meals that are healthy. Oftentimes open communication and telling others your eating goals/plans will help you stay on track. Encouragement goes a long way!
Get Rid of Old Clothes
When you start to lose the pounds, your clothes will feel loose and big. Once you’ve replaced these items with garments that fit, you should donate the old clothes or throw them away. This will give you the motivation to stick to your new healthy lifestyle. Besides, if your goal is to keep the weight off, why hold on to large unnecessary clothing items.
Maintaining your weight and fitness goal can be the one of the most challenging and discouraging endeavors for many. However, it’s your health and future you’re building. All of this matters.
Remember, write out your goals, stay on top of it, and find a strong support team who will remind you as often as needed why you’re doing what you’re doing.
