I’ve always been the chubby girl when I was younger, which of course did not help in my self confidence. After graduating from college, I’ve decided that I wanted to give myself the chance to get myself healthy and trim. I did not want to be the ultra skinny girl though, what I merely aimed for was a healthier me.  So here are the things I’ve tried and the things that I felt helped me and is still continually helping me stay fit.

  1. Eat. It’s never wise to get yourself hungry. The more you don’t eat, the more you think of eating.  Eat three square meals a day, add lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
  2. Never skip breakfast. Skipping breakfast will slowdown your metabolism, which means you will be burning less calories for the rest of the day. My favorite breakfast items are whole grain cereals, fresh fruit smoothies, wheat bread with peanut butter and eggs.
  3. Keep yourself hydrated. Regardless how busy your schedule may be, bring along with you a water container to ensure that you are properly hydrated. When you start feeling hungry, drink a glass of water and wait for at least 15 minutes – your hungry pangs sometimes just means you are thirsty.
  4. Snack healthily. Instead of impulsively grabbing whatever snack you see closest to you, I brought in my office and in my purse my personal stash of healthy snacks. Bringing fruits, nuts, and yummy granola bars will help you eat without the guilt.
  5. Allow yourself to indulge. Not eating my favorite ice cream made me grouchy and obsessed about it ice cream. So allow yourself that piece of chocolate chip cookie, or a slice of your favorite cheesecake, just make sure you do it in moderation.
  6. Get enough sleep. Sleeping 8-10 hours a day will get your body working the right way.
  7. Get enough fiber. Eating fiber rich food will help absorb excess fats and lowers the bad cholesterol in our bodies, plus it will help you move bowels regularly.
  8. Exercise. Burning more calories than your intake will help you lose weight. Top activities I love are running, boxing and yoga.
  9. Get a buddy. Having someone support you as you diet or better yet dieting together will make things easier. This will help you have someone to understand what you’re going through..and encourage you on those moments where you’re feeling a bit down.
  10. Never crash diet. Crash diets don’t work, but I did try a The Scarsdale Diet and The South Beach Diet in the past. Both diets are great ways to jumpstart a diet slump, they’ve actually taught me how to eat right..and once I got the hang of it, I eventually went my own way.

Filed under: Fitness

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