With the beginning of a new year upon us, we all have one thing on our mind: WEIGHT LOSS. This is the time of the year when the gyms are packed and everyone is trying to find the next best weight loss scheme to help shed those extra holiday pounds. We have put together a few suggestions to help everyone stay on TOPS of their goals in 2017!
- Get Moving! – This is seemingly a no brainer, but we often forget that moving our body does not require a gym membership or several hours of our day. We can all add in extra cardio throughout the busy day by opting to take the stairs at work, to walk for 10-20 minutes during our lunch break, or to mix in some squats, lunges, or stretching every 1-2 hours at our desk or on our way to a meeting. Exercise is exercise regardless of whether it is performed in one chunk of time or if it is conducted in short bouts throughout the day, so stay consistent with working movement in some capacity or another into your regular day and you will notice an improvement in your mood, your productivity at work, and your waistline.
- Meal Preparation – As the old saying goes, you cannot out train a bad diet. We all try to find a quick fix to help stimulate weight loss, but instead of spending money on buying various weight loss products you should invest your time in good old fashion meal prepping at home. Plan on using one afternoon to shop and prep every meal for the week, which usually saves you time and money if you stick to eating your scheduled meals. By cooking meats in bulk and portioning vegetables, fruits, and healthy carbohydrates, you will be more apt to stick to the diet and less likely to overindulge. If you find yourself in a time crunch and you need a quick fix to avoid those ‘hanger’ pains, look for snacks that are high in protein with minimal ingredients. A good rule of thumb to follow is to opt for food choices with 5 ingredients or less (all of which you can pronounce), and be sure to look for snacks with no added sugars and no artificial colors or dyes.
- Relax – With the holiday hangover from all the hustle and bustle, it is important to remember to take some time for yourself and RELAX! All the stress from shopping, cooking, and hosting can really bog you down, so make sure you are allotting 7-8 hours per night for restful sleep. Not only is sleep important for mental clarity and total body rejuvenation, but it is also vital for hormone synthesis and hormonal balance. If you cannot find time to squeeze in 7-8 hours of sleep, make sure you are taking short bouts of time throughout the day to focus on performing mindful, diaphragmatic breaths to decrease your heart rate and return your body to homeostasis. Try it out: sit still and bring your attention to your breath. Deeply inhale through your nose for a count of 5 seconds, hold your breath for 3 seconds, and slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of 7 seconds. You should be able to perform approximately 3 diaphragmatic breaths per minute, and after 1-2 minutes you should notice a decrease in your resting heart rate.
For more tips and tricks on staying motivated and rejuvenated in 2017, come in and see us at T.O.P.S.!
