Shave Off Pounds Without Even Trying!
Shave off pounds, this is part 7 in our twenty-part series designed to help you better understand Serious Weight Loss For Women.
Part 1: Mind Body Wellness
Part 2: Secrets to Weight Loss Success
Part 3: High Intensity Interval Training 101
Part 4: Blazing Your Way to Fitness with HIIT
Part 5: Beating the Calories with Wise Dieting
Part 6: The Truth About Crash Diets
Part 7: You are here – Shave Off Pounds Without Even Trying
Who else wants to effortlessly shave off pounds and slim down forever, starting today?
Are you terrified by the idea of losing weight? For some women, the idea of weight loss scares the daylights out of them because it triggers images of miniature, portion-controlled meals and food that tastes bland and boring. An even stronger fear is the thought of having to endure those persistent feelings of hunger.
But what if it was possible to cut back significantly on the calories without the usual restrictive dieting?
It’s not just possible but doable. Refer to the tips below to discover just how easy it can be to lose weight without feeling deprived.
Tip # 1: Savor the Flavors
Enjoy your meals completely. Take your time and enjoy eating at a slower pace. Slow is the way to go. Not only is it proper table etiquette, eating slowly has been proven to help people lose weight consistently and easily. You still get to eat the same delicious foods. But taking your time allows you to feel satiated with less food.
How does eating slowly help slash the calories?
It’s a simple idea that works. The brain actually needs a minimum of 20 minutes to process the signal that you’ve had enough and are satisfied with your meal. During this critical time, it’s important to limit your portions and serving sizes. You want to get enough food and then give your brain the time to let you know you’ve had enough and are full.
One practical way to help extend your dinner times is to use a timer and set it to 20-minutes. Doing this for your main meals can help slow the process, leading to a better eating pace. Try it out – at least once a day. I find this works best for the evening meal as breakfast and lunch are lighter and faster meals. Do this and you will witness a drop in your food consumption.
As a side benefit, taking your time while eating allows you to fully enjoy your food and to feel more satisfied at every meal. And all you did was give your brain enough time to send the full signal.
Tip # 2: Add 1 Hour of Sleep
The research on sleep is clear. Just one additional hour of sleep each night can actually help you drop more than 10 pounds over the year. That’s a decent weight loss that requires no effort.
To be sure, researchers aren’t entirely sure why this extra sleep can help you shed pounds, but there are two popular theories:
One theory is that with the added hour of sleep – that’s one more hour where you won’t be consuming anything any extra calories. The mere act of sleeping also burns a small number of calories. It’s important to understand that repetitive oversleeping is not healthy for you – nor will it give you this hidden weight loss advantage.
The other theory is that by sleeping longer at night, you invariably reduce your appetite level when you awaken. Experts suggest getting a minimum of 7 hours of peaceful sleep every night. And it doesn’t matter if you are a teenager or adult. Routinely getting 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep can help you shave off pounds.
Tip # 3: Eat a Variety of Veggies
Dietary changes to lose weight can be tricky if in your mind, you secretly (or openly) resist these new and healthier food choices. Some think healthy food tastes bland. But that’s not the case at all. It’s how you prepare and flavor your food that makes the difference.
As humans, we naturally resist change. We would much prefer the results we want, without having to give up the foods we’ve grown accustomed to. Shifting to a new diet can be challenging and frustrating at times. If you find it challenging to eat more vegetables, you may find it easier to get those beneficial superfoods in your diet if you prepare at least three vegetables with every meal. Mix it up and try various ways of preparing them. Roasting vegetables like broccoli, for example, is one way to make these vegetables taste great. You can also add herbs and spices – or prepare healthy sauces for added flavoring.
Give yourself plenty of variety with every meal and you will naturally overcome any resistance to eating in a way that’s much healthier for you. Lots of people don’t like vegetables. They’ve probably only had them boiled or steamed – with nothing added. And with endless fast food choices at every turn, it’s easy to see why people are pulled in the direction of fast food.
But what you’ll find is that the more vegetables you consume, the better they will eventually taste to you. You will get used to having veggies with your daily meals and your body will thank you. You might be surprised at the genuine satisfaction you get by eating these healthy and wholesome meals every day!
Tip # 4: Powerful Soups
Soups (especially broth-based soups) can be super-healthy and are loaded with flavor. Yet, they’re light on calories. It’s a good Idea to eat all the healthy soup you can. You could even serve soup with every main every meal. Add extra vegetables, greens, onions, mushrooms – and maybe some grains too – like quinoa. As a standalone meal, you’ll get a hearty, healthy lunch or dinner that will fill your stomach – without adding excessive calories.
When you make soup as part of you meal – eat the soup first. Your stomach will be filled partially before you even get to the main course. Take your time and you’ll notice that your appetite has diminished. You’re not as hungry as you were previously. So you probably won’t be tempted to go for seconds.
Clear, broth-based soups, like those served in Vietnamese, Japanese, or Chinese restaurants are easy to make at home. It’s really just a matter of getting some vegetables, prepping and combining them in broth or water, and adding herbs or spices – just the way you like. It’s tasty, loaded with nutrition, and it can help you lose weight.
Soup can be your ally on your way to weight loss. It’s an easy way to shave off pounds. But it’s important to avoid adding too much salt to your foods. Too much salt is not good for your cardiovascular health and can lead to water retention, which in turn can cause you to steadily gain weight.
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