Easy Changes Now!
Ready
to make 2008 your fittest year ever? Here are some
ideas you can incorporate now!
1) Give away or throw away all of those
left-over party trays, cookies and desserts from the
Christmas holidays. Homeless shelters will
appreciate your donation and so will your
waistline.
2) Commit to drinking 2 glasses of water with
every meal.
3) Ask yourself "what two pieces of fresh
fruit and/or vegetable am I going to eat with this
meal?"
4) Keep fresh fruit, veggie sticks,
sugar-free hard candy and/or sugar-free gum
available when you get the urge to eat between
meals.
5) Watch motivational shows such as Fit TV's
"The Biggest Loser" and visualize the results on
you.
6) Know your maximum calorie intake to
maintain (or lose) your current weight.
Formula: Your ideal body weight x 10. Then
add 30% for a moderately active lifestyle. For
example: Goal weight of 130 lbs. x 10 = 1,300
plus 30% = 390. 1300 + 390 = 1,690 calories per
day maximum. Experiment to find the ideal calorie
intake for you to lose or maintain your weight.
8) Invest in a rice cooker.
They cost less than $20 and can turn that hard, chewy
brown rice into a soft, succulent side dish. Make
a bunch at once and freeze the leftovers in small bags
or containers for a quick nutritious add-on to your
meal.
9) Too cold to grill out? Try a mini
home grilling machine to update your fish, shrimp,
chicken, beef and vegetable meals.
10) Avoid fast food, fried food, processed
food and alcohol. All contribute extra calories
without adding much nutritional value to your
day.
12) Remove temptations from your cupboards
and refrigerator.
13) Regularly reward yourself for meeting
your goals. For example, recognize yourself every
Monday (or one day each week) for accomplishments
met. Perhaps a 30-minute massage for
completing your exercise goal for the week or a mini
manicure for reaching your weekly weight-loss
goal. Just remember that the journey is just as
important (if not more so) than the final
destination.
14) Try new foods. Soy yogurt,
collards, bean sprouts, tofu, lentils and winter
squashes make healthy accompaniments. Experiment
with new foods and have fun.
15) Don't give up if you slip up.
Tomorrow is a new day.
