If you want to lose weight, you have to eat healthier and move more. For sleek, toned thighs and the flat belly you want, eating healthy and exercising is the answer. It doesn’t mean you’ll never be able to eat fries again, just don’t do it frequently. Instead, focus on healthy food and healthy ways to make that food. You also need to increase your activity. Whether it’s a formal exercise program, walking, biking, or dancing, moving more makes a difference.
Change your diet.
You don’t have to eat a strict diet to shed those extra pounds. Start by making some simple changes. Avoid highly processed food and opt for many fruits and vegetables. Cut out food high in sugar and depend on natural sources of sweetness, such as fruit, for your sugar fix. Cook your food in healthier ways. Steam, broil, boil, or roast food, but don’t fry it. Avoid heavy sauces that contain sugar and fat. Opt for less processed grain. Use brown rice instead of white rice. Choose whole-grain bread instead of white bread. Avoid other foods using white bleached flour.
Start a program of exercise.
You can’t decide where you’re going to lose fat. When you lose weight, it comes off your entire body, not just one spot, no matter how many spot exercises you do. You can tone the thighs or any other part while you burn extra calories to help you shed pounds. Develop a complete workout that includes all types of fitness: aerobics, strength, balance, and flexibility. Make an appointment with yourself to exercise. Do it at the same time every day so it becomes a habit.
Enjoy life.
Increase your activity level by doing fun things. You can tone your whole body when you dance. Riding a bike may be your passion, so plan a short trip to the park. Pack a healthy lunch and make it a family ride. If you find your energy drooping or your stomach growling mid-morning or afternoon, take a healthy snack to satisfy it. You’ll be less likely to eat unhealthy snacks.
- Have a preworkout and post workout snack. It should be high in carbs and protein and contain approximately 100 calories. It helps build muscles and boost recovery.
- As you build muscle tissue, you’ll notice it’s easier to lose weight. Muscle tissue requires more calories to maintain than fat does. The more muscle tissue you have, the higher your metabolism will be.
- Find other ways to increase the calories you burn. Instead of circling the parking lot, trying to find a closer space, park further from the store and walk more. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Don’t try to do it all at once. Cut out sugar first. It takes a few weeks for your body to quit craving it. Then, increase fruits and vegetables in your diet. Increase your activity but take it slowly. When you exercise, focus on form first.
For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness