Start Losing Weight With These 3 Simple Steps
For someone who feels overweight, the weight loss journey may seem tough and challenging. However, just like many other things in life, it’s easy to start losing weight by modifying a couple of daily habits. As small as they may seem, daily habits create the present and the future.
Today, when you look at yourself in the mirror, things may seem of control. If you start implementing tiny daily changes, next time when you are in front of the mirror, you may be proud of yourself!
Here are 3 simple steps that you can start practicing today and see the effects immediately!
1- ONLY ALLOW GOOD INGREDIENTS TO YOUR HOME
The kitchen can be the body’s sanctuary or hell. It’s where we can store nutritious and colorful fruits and vegetables that fuel the body with energy and health. We can also store poison-like ingredients such as sugar, salt, highly processed foods, or chemically engineered flavors that significantly deter the health of the human body. According to South Australian Health, poor eating habits can lead to serious health problems such as tooth decay, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, or even some cancers.
The good news is that we have the power to pick and choose which products to bring into the kitchen. Until now, maybe you just followed the unconscious urges or what seems to be the “easy” choice. However, now with the internet, we have a lot more information. We know that unhealthy eating habits are not only associated with weight gain but also these habits are threatening human health. It is our duty to make a better choice for our bodies.
Start right at the market. Make sure that you don’t go to the market when you are hungry. Most markets are designed specifically for you to make a bad choice when you are hungry. According to the Psychology & Health Journal, research shows that impulse buying is also associated with low self-esteem. Although snacking and impulsively buying food may seem like a pleasurable act, check yourself and your emotions before going to the market.
Spend more time on the healthy isles. Make a list beforehand and try to stick to your list. Even if you are tempted to buy more, make an effort to add (maybe) only and only one extra item at the most. This will save you money and also keep you on track.
Read the ingredients. See what you will be eating if you purchase that product. Don’t you think it is a bit abnormal to consume some ingredients that you’ve never heard or can’t pronounce? Try to get clean products with minimal ingredients. It’s ok if they expire quicker because that’s what fresh foods tend to do. Pay attention to the nutritional information of each food. Remember, the nutrition values of a product are usually calculated by portion, not the whole pack. Eat fresh, clean, and flavors you enjoy!
Spend more time in healthy isles. Keep your shopping list with you and stick to your list at all times.
2- RE-ORGANIZE YOUR KITCHEN
Let’s step back to the design of the grocery stores. They are designed specifically for you to see certain items and they are engineered for human impulsions and behavior. Why not do something similar in your home?
Healthy foods on eye level. Reorganize your shelves. What do you see when you open the fridge or your cabinet? As humans, we tend to go for the easiest option, and eye-level is the most convenient spot. Store the healthy options on the eye-level shelves. Make the nutritious foods easy to find and grab. On the contrary, place the junk foods on the lower shelves and even behind other things. So, you kind of have to do some work to reach those items.
Fruits and vegetables tend to be forgotten in the fridge. Take out the daily portion that you are planning to eat in advance and place it somewhere that you frequently pass by such as the kitchen countertop. This will allow you to eat the fruits and vegetables before other options. When we eat fruits like banana or apple, we get a sense of fullness. So, probably you won’t be searching for more snacks!
Find one of the old pictures. Many people were at their ideal weight at some point in their life. If you are one of those people, find a picture of yourself when you were at your ideal weight. Place it in the kitchen, maybe around the fridge or the snack cabinet. This will be a constant reminder of your goal and help you to make the right choice.
3- DON’T EAT AFTER 7
This one is fairly simple, don’t eat after 7:00 pm. In the first couple of days, it may be hard to adjust to this new routine. However, the results will worth it!
Actually, eating after 7:00 pm is not only a big saboteur of the weight loss but also this habit threatens health. According to The New Zealand Herald, eating after 7:00 pm is associated with higher blood pressure levels. Eating food triggers the release of stress hormones such as cortisol and keeps the body on high alert. In fact, these are times that the body should be winding down for good night sleep.
Similarly, some studies also suggest that eating after 7:00 pm contradicts with the circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm can be explained as the body’s daily sleep and wake cycle. The night time is to sleep and wind down for the body and the body’s functions.
Research shows that eating after 7:00 pm is associated with high blood pressure.
Bottom line
Simple, yet very effective. These 3 easy steps can be applied to your daily life starting from now! Small daily habits were the ones that got you here. Are you ready to change them? Even if these particular 3 steps don’t sit well with you, I challenge you to find your own simple steps to initiate the change one way or another!