7 Best Healthy Weight Loss Tips (Part 2 of 2)
Here’s Part 2 of my 7 best healthy weight loss tips! If you missed the first post, click here to see Part 1
Tip No. 4 – Buy foods that are in season
Not only are they nutritionally better, they will taste better too. Search online for a seasonal fruit and vegetable table to find out what is in season right now. Here is a link for what`s in season in BC and Ontario.
Here on the west coast, blueberries and blackberries are still in season, so If you haven`t already, now is the time to stock up and freeze them. Pears, such as the red Anjou pear pictured above are also in season now, and are a perfect addition to salads or even sliced and added to sandwiches. I found this recipe which looks amazing from real simple.com – Prosciutto wrapped Pork with Sweet Potatoes and pears
Tip No. 5 – Eat 2 cups of veggies at dinner everyday
Eating 4 servings of vegetables at dinner is the number 1 tip I give all my clients and include in my meal plans, because it works! It shifts the calories at the time you need them the least and fills you up with plant foods that are bursting with antioxidants that will keep you healthy and fibre that will keep you full.
Tip No. 6 – Find recipes and meal plans online to help make meal planning simple
One of the things that people ask me for most often is a meal plan. When I was creating meal plans for the participants on The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp, each plan had a specific formula for helping the participants lose weight, but one of the the key elements for each meal plan was what I mentioned in point number 2 above – focusing on filling the plate with vegetables at dinner.
When choosing a meal plan, make sure that it is something that you feel would be EASY to follow and would work over the long term. Plus, it has to include foods that you would really eat. I`ve found meal plans created by food companies that are fine if you want to use all of their food products, but what if you don’t want to? Also, some plans include foods that you would never usually eat, or couldn’t `imagine yourself eating over the long term (like 6 egg whites for breakfast).
Make sure that the meal plan fits your lifestyle and your typical eating habits. It will be easiest to stay on track with it if it does. To learn more about our meal plans – click here.
Tip No. 7 – Reward yourself
Last week I talked about commiting to your goal. But what about actually just getting started? You can`t commit to it if you can`t even get yourself started, right? When I decided I needed to get back to the gym, you know what I did? I told myself I only had to go for 5 minutes. That`s it. I could basically walk in, stretch for 5 minutes, then walk out.
Then, I gave myself a reward for completing that goal. What did give myself for that simple task? New yoga pants. Yes, yoga pants. Why was I rewarding myself for something like going to the gym for 5 minutes? Because I really just wanted to get myself back in the gym. I knew once I got there, I would stay longer than 5 minutes. Plus, I knew once I got myself through the door, I would want to go back. As the reward – well why not. We reward children when they do something positive – do we suddenly not need a pat on the back or rewards when we become adults? Forget that! a little extra incentive can go a long way.
Pick something super easy you can start with and give yourself a reward.
What easy first step goal can you set for yourself, that will make it simple to get started, and what reward would you give yourself? Yoga pants like I did? a spa gift certificate? Post your comments, I would love to hear!
