7 habits that can help you lose weight!

Christmas and New Year’s Eve is that time of year when we prepare our stomachs for a lot of tasty food, desserts and all kids of calorie bombs. It’s a debauchery time and a feast for the palate, so sticking to any diet is not an option. So how does it usually end? With a New Year's resolution: I have to lose weight… so I’m starting tomorrow. Sounds familiar? So keep reading this post! ;)

Photo: foodandhealth.co.uk

1. Eat breakfast!

If you want the machine to work, first you have to give it a proper fuel. And it’s exactly the same situation with your body! Breakfast is the most important meal because it’s the fuel that provides us with the energy for the whole day (or at least for the first half of the day), so it’s not wise to skip it! Yes, I know you’ll say that you don’t have time in the morning, but it’s not an excuse at all! Before going to sleep prepare some food that you can grab in the morning and eat it on the go. :)

2. Regular meals

Breakfast provides us with energy for the first half of the day, however we have to maintain its level in the body by remembering about regular meals. The best you can do is including in your daily menu 4-5 meals (depending on how long your day is) with equal intervals, preferably every 3-4 hours. But you have to keep in mind two things, if you want to succeed: (1) don’t eat snacks between these meals, because this way digestion will be disrupted; (2) don’t overdo with their size - it’s better to have 5 smaller portions, that 3 bigger meals. First you might need to set an alarm clock if you don’t want to miss the time of the meal, but after a while your body will get used to that regularity and it will remind you of supplying a fuel in the form of food. 

Photo: lifehacker.com

3. Mindful eating

Ok, so you eat regularly, but you want to have smaller portions? Try to eat slowly, enjoying the taste and the smell of the meal – eating in front of the laptop or TV is not an option! You can’t lead to a situation that you leave the table with the filled stomach, so finish eating your meal when you no longer feel hungry (learn to distinguish between the whim and the real hunger).

4. Go to bed… hungry

The belief that you should not eat after 6pm is a myth. It would be very difficult to withstand with the rumbling stomach when you go to bed at 2am (yes, I know it’s possible though). Eat your last, the smallest meal at least 2-3 hours before going to bed. And even if you feel a little hungry, the desire for an early morning breakfast will be greater. Believe me, the dream is the best teleportation to breakfast. ;)

Photo: rachaelray.com

5. Plan your weekly menu

Once in a week plan your meals for the following days. Take a moment to prepare menu consisting of wholesome meals, so this way you’ll consciously control what lands in your stomach. Having written out your meals make a list of products you need to prepare them and carry it with you when doing grocery shopping.

6. Write down what you eat

What is the best way to improve your nutrition? Of course learning from your mistakes! So, create a special notebook in which you write down everything you eat during the day (and believe me, it can often be different than your pre-set menu). Be honest with yourself and make a note of all already committed sins, that you'd rather avoid in the future. At the end of the week take a self-examination, look closer at your meals again, think about what you should improve in the next week and write it down.

Photo: womenshealthmag.com

7. Cheat day (or cheat meal)

When being on a diet you refuse eating sweets and other less healthy food, so every now and then there are moments of weakness and crises. But you don’t have to give up on caloric delights forever! Set one particular day in a week (e.g. Saturday or Sunday) when you can have less restrictive meal. After 6 days of healthy eating it will not only be your redemption when you’re craving for sweets, but will boost your metabolism as well.

When to start the implementation of these habits? Not tomorrow, not on Monday, not since the New Year… but from now on, now! And you will thank me later… ;)

Let me know what other healthy habits you use to stay fit! :)