We help people get fitter at Urban Athlete in Mt. Airy. We work on exercise and a healthy lifestyle that can build endurance, boost strength, and help clients lose weight if that’s their goal. Losing weight isn’t easy, but there are a few easy things you can do that will boost your progress. They’re simple but make a world of difference. It can be as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking further from the store and walking. It won’t burn a lot of extra calories, but if you do it consistently, you’ll get fitter and lose extra pounds without extra effort.
Plan meals for the week and prepare them ahead.
Even though this trick may seem more difficult, it makes your life easier. Meal planning is a process where you plan a week’s worth of meals, create a shopping list, shop on one day, and cook everything for the week on another. Your planning allows you to use leftovers for other meals and cook several things in the oven at once. Pack the meals in the refrigerator or freezer so that during the week, all you have to do is heat and serve. It saves time and money, eliminates the need for fast food or junk food, and packing each meal in the appropriate serving size helps you stick with portion control.
Using a smaller plate makes your serving look bigger.
Several studies show that people eat less when they use smaller plates. It’s all about portion control. A serving of rice or potatoes looks smaller on a bigger plate than it does on a smaller one, even though it’s the same size. It tricks the brain into thinking you have more food.
Enjoy every minute of your meal and eat mindfully.
Slowing down your pace at every meal can help you lose extra pounds. If you’ve ever eaten in an upscale restaurant, you probably noticed it takes a lot of time to get through all the courses. Each one is appealing both to the eye and the taste buds. When dessert arrives, you’re often too full to eat. Taking your time and eating mindfully can help you eat less. As you slow down your meal, you give your stomach a chance to signal to the brain that it’s full. You’ll eat less without any effort.
About a half hour before a meal, drink a glass of water. The water fills you up and studies show it causes people to eat fewer calories at meals. If the water is ice cold, it also causes the body to burn extra calories to warm the body.
Get adequate sleep. Lack of sleep can cause an imbalance in the hormones that control hunger. It causes the body to create too much ghrelin—the hunger hormone—and too little leptin—the satiety hormone.
Fill your main plate with mostly vegetables and fewer higher-calorie items. Start your meal with a large salad of leafy greens.
If you’re eating in a restaurant with large servings, eat half the meal and take home the other half for the next day’s meal.