Healthy, fit & satisfied

healthysexyhappy:

1.) Don’t cut out too many calories at once! Doing this will increase your likelihood of binging on junk food.  You will quickly become fatigued, hungry, and moody. Make small/gradual changes. You can lose up to 10 lbs per year just by cutting out 100 calories per day. Basically, don’t drink that 1 can of pop (soda) you may always have. This brings me to rule numero dos.

2.) Eliminate liquified calories! A lot of people don’t realize that it’s not just the foods we eat that make us gain weight, but it’s the beverages we drink as well. Drink 6-8 glasses of good ole’ H2O daily. It’s free, so your wallet will love you! As for other beverages, opt for the sugar-free, low-calorie choices. If you’re at Starbucks, order the “skinny” version and they will use sugar-free flavoring and fat-free milk.

3.) Start your day off right! NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST! It will jump start your metabolism and you’ll be less likely to binge later on in the day. Plus, if you eat healthy in the morning, chances are, you’ll want to keep the rest of your day healthy as well.

4.) Don’t ban carbohydrates! In fact, carbohydrates are beneficial because they provide us with energy by breaking down into glycogen, which is stored in the body. If you’re a runner, you’ll completely understand why carbs are so important. Have you ever heard of carbo-loading for long races (runs)? Google it. All you need to worry about is choosing the right carbs for your body (whole grains, fruits, and veggies). The closer to the earth the food originated from, the healthier it is.

5.) Eat small, but frequent meals! Don’t pile all of your calories into 1 large meal. Instead, spread out your daily intake into small, but frequent meals about 3-4 hours apart. This will boost your metabolism and allow you to feel more satisfied throughout the day. Skipping meals is only a recipe for disaster. Eat slowly and thoroughly enjoy your food. Savor every morsel! You’ll appreciate natural flavors so much more.

6.) Don’t let your “slips” bring you down! So, you had 1 slip. Who cares?! Just get back on track when you eat your next meal. You didn’t gain all of your weight just from eating a hamburger or a big slice of cake. It came from years of poor eating habits. But, don’t completely deprive yourself of your favorite treats. It will only make you want to cave in that much more. Trust me!

7.) You can’t have one without the other! Along with eating healthy, you must exercise on a regular basis. You can’t compensate one for the other. What do I mean? You can’t eat 5,000 calories and then exercise for 10 hours. You also can’t eat 500 calories and then sit around like a rock. It’s all about balance!

8.) Wait, I ate what?! In the beginning, keep track of everything you are putting into you body. After a while, you may stop if you wish because you should be accustomed to your new lifestyle.

9.) Ask yourself these questions before you eat!

-Am I eating because I’m hungry or am I just bored or depressed?

-Is there a healthier alternative to this food choice?

-How am I going to feel after I eat this?

10.) This is not a temporary change! You must be completely dedicated to a healthy lifestyle if you want to see permanent results. Don’t do this just to “lose 5 lbs for bikini season.” Keep that 5, 10, 50, or 100 lbs off for the rest of your life!

11.) Focus on YOURSELF! I can’t stress this enough! Don’t worry about what others think. You are making this change for yourself, correct? So, why let others influence you in a negative way? When you workout, it’s not going to be pretty. It doesn’t matter who you are. If you look like a super model during/after a workout, then you didn’t work hard enough. You won’t look “gross,” “fat,” or “stupid.” You know who looks stupid? The people on the sidelines wasting their lives by standing around and gawking at amazing individuals such as yourself. This change is about you. Make every moment count.

Here are a few important numbers:

1,200 = Sedentary lifestyle caloric need. (THE BARE MINIMUM)

3,500 = 1 pound.

500 calorie deficit per day = a 1 pound weight loss per week.

If you’re having trouble figuring out how many calories you should be consuming, go here for assistance. If you’d like to calculate approximately how many calories you are burning with various exercises, go here.

(via mellgotfit)