Top 10 Weight Loss & Healthy Living Tips

Tip 1 - Eat breakfast everyday.  

Eat breakfast everyday. Breakfast kickstarts your metabolism, helps you to concentrate and perform better at work and aids in weight loss. If you are not used to eating breakfast start with a small bowl of oats with warm milk (honey to taste) and 2 glasses of water. Very quick to prepare and has all the necessary nutrients to start your day.

Tip 2 - Drink more water during the day.

Aim to drink a least 8 - 10 big glasses per day, or about 2.5 - 3ltrs. This may be difficult for some. I find the easiest way to achieve this is to have 2 big glasses of water with every meal. If you do this it is already 6 glasses. All you then need to do is add 2 more glasses between meals and you are there! Remember though if you are a coffee drinker you will need to drink 2 extra glasses of water for every coffee because coffee dehydrates 600mls for every cup! There are so many benefits to drinking more water. Here is a short list of 5 key health benefits:

• You actually need to 'drink water to lose water'. When we dont drink enough water during the day our bodies retain fluid so we can actually look a feel fatter than we really are!
• If you drink 2 glasses of water before every meal you will eat less aiding in weight loss. Just One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters! (studies in Washington)
• Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer!!
• Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
• Lack of water is the #1 reason for daytime fatigue.

Tip 3 - Early to Bed, Early to Rise! Get 7 - 8hrs sleep every night

Exercise, eat right, and get a good night’s rest = Weight Loss. According to recent data on the relationship between weight loss and sleep, if you want to lose weight you really need to do all three. When you are sleep deprived you body has an increased craving for food and not feeling full. Sleep deprived people tend to chose different food to snack on, mainly high calorie sweets and salty starchy foods. When your body is not hungry for sleep, it won’t be so hungry for food either! 

Getting enough sleep is essential for the normal functioning of all systems in the body and has direct effect on the individual's mental and physical health. Sleep, like diet and exercise, is important for our minds and bodies to function normally.    

Tip 4 - Supplement your nutrition with high quality Multi-Vitamin/Mineral and Fish Oil Tablets

You are putting in the time and effort into your training, which is the key to staying fit externally and internally, but nutrition is equally important. Are you providing you body with the nutrients it needs? Our lives are busy; fast paced and stressful. The bodies general requirement for certain vitamins and minerals is higher in some lifestyle circumstances such as physical exercise, illness, stress, pollution, poor diet, the excessive consumption of alcohol and caffeine. Our diet is not always what we would like it to be. The supplementation of vitamins and minerals will assist with these deficiencies. Supplementation with a daily multivitamin and mineral as well as Omega 3 Fish Oil will help to maintain health in the following ways:

• General Health and Wellbeing
• Assist with healthy ageing
• Improve Cellular activity through antioxidants (prevent colds, flues and viruses)
• Maintain healthy cholesterol levels
• Reduction of inflammation associates with Arthritis
• Maintenance of a healthy cardiovascular system
• Migraine Management

Not all supplements are created equal and there are plenty of poor quality products on the market. Supplements need to be made from high quality trace elements and of pharmaceutical grade. I have done extensive research in this area and can highly recommend the Step into Life range of Supplements. 

Tip 5 - Reduce Salt in your Diet 

A key to healthy eating is choosing foods lower in salt and sodium.  Most Australians consume 2-3 times more salt than they need. The current recommendation is to consume less than 2.4 grams (2,400 milligrams [mg] ) of sodium a day. That equals 6 grams (about 1 teaspoon) of table salt a day. The 6 grams include ALL salt and sodium consumed, including that used in cooking and at the table.  Too much salt in your diet is the leading cause of high blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.  

Too much salt stops the body from recycling calcium. If you don’t get enough calcium to replace it from your diet, your body is forced to take calcium out of your bones to keep blood at the right level. This can cause osteoporosis to develop.

Interestingly, too much salt in you diet also causes fluid retention. This means if you drink the required amount of water in the day and have a high salt diet, your body will retain this fluid and you will look bigger than you actually are! You will also weigh more! (Contestants used this tactic on The Biggest Loser when they had immunity. This is now banned.)

Make sure you check the sodium content of your foods next time you go shopping. You may be very surprised how high is salt our foods actually are. A great salt substitute is called 'Herbamare'. It is a certified organic Sea Salt seasoned with Herbs and Vegetables. This is available from any supermarket.

Tip 6 - Take the stairs instead of the elevator

Taking the stairs is a great way to get in shape, improve cardiovascular function and strengthen and tone the legs muscles.

Given all our modern conveniences including cars, elevators, escalators, and computers, it is easy to go through a whole day without getting much physical activity. Activities that you can fit into your daily routine – like choosing the stairs instead of the elevator – is increasingly being urged by public health experts who point to mounting evidence that small amounts of exercise accumulated throughout the day can provide significant health benefits.  

  

Some reasons to take the stairs:

• People spend an estimated two-thirds of their lives at their place of employment. In order to stay healthy, we need to find ways to incorporate physical activity into our workday.
• Physical activities like stair climbing are a great way to cope with job-related stress
• Climbing just two flights of stairs everyday could result a loss of 2.7kg or 6lbs per year. Six flights a day could help you trim nearly 18 lbs. Why Weight?
• Adding stairs to your day can add years to your life. Studies show that risk of cardiovascular disease and death is lower among those who are regular Stair climbers.
• Stair climbing can also add life to your years. Those who climb stairs on a daily basis have greater leg strength and aerobic capacity, allowing them to participate more fully in a wide range of daily activities.
• Taking the stairs is often faster than waiting for an elevator during peak usage times. Take the test and time your trip. Often for trips of 7 floors or less, the stairs are the quickest way to your destination.
• Using the stairs requires no special skill, equipment or clothing and it burns twice as many calories as walking. Step right up!!

Stair climbing is quite strenuous. When you start taking the stairs begin slowly and take one flight at a time. Gradually increase the number of stairs you do. The more you go up and down the stairs, the stronger you’ll become and the easier it will be. Be aware that you may not want to take the stairs if you have knee problems, arthritis or a heart or lung condition.

Stair climbing is also a great way to fight the weight gain that often comes with the holiday season and winter months. Taking the stairs burns more calories per minute than most other forms of physical activity.

Don't have stairs at your workplace? You can park your car further away or get off the bus one stop away........but if you’re running late for work, don’t blame it on me! :)

  

Tip 7 - Eat less fat - but do it wisely

We've known for some time that limiting high fat foods in the diet can be helpful with weight loss. That's because fats pack in 9 calories per gram compared to only 4 calories per gram from proteins or carbohydrates. To many, the message to limit fats implied an endorsement to eat unlimited amounts of fat-free products. Just to clarify, fat-free foods have calories too. In some cases fat-free foods have as many calories as their fat laden counterparts. If you eat more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight. Eating less fat will help you to lose weight. Eating less fat and replacing it with excessive amounts of fat-free products will not.

Tip 8 – Slow down! You Eat to Fast!

EVERYTHING in our lives is fast – fast cars, fast trains, fast lanes, fast money, fast broadband and, of course, fast food. There’s lunch on the run, dinner in under 30 minutes, two-minute noodles and take-away to grab and run. Life – and eating – is rushed and stressful. Eating slowly is also one fo the most successful techniques to help lose weight. A recent study of 30 women showed that eating slowly helped them reduce food intake by around 66 calories (275kilojoules) at each meal.

It takes 20 minutes for our stomach to tell our brains that we are full. If we eat fast, we can eat way past what we need. This causes us to be overweight, develop chronic health problems and reduce our quality and quantity of life.

Slow down using this "Fork Down!" technique that has helped many people. You may even notice yourself tasting your food, enjoying it more and losing weight.

Here's How:

1. Put food in your mouth.
2. Put your fork, spoon, or chopsticks on the table.
3. Release your fork, spoon or chopsticks from your hand.
4. Chew your food. Chew it well. Pay attention to taste and texture.
5. Empty your mouth.
6. Pick up your fork and reload it with food. (Do not do step six until your mouth is 100% empty.)
7. Continue the technique through the whole meal. Notice if your eating time increases. Notice too if you naturally eat less.

Tip 9 – Plant This Idea: Fill Up On Fibre

Fibre is an important part of our diet, but what is it and how do we get the amount we need to reap its healthy rewards? One-way to remember fibre: Think plants.

Dietary fibre is found only in plant foods like whole grains, fruits, nuts and vegetables. It consists of certain carbohydrates our bodies can’t digest or absorb in the bloodstream. Instead of being used for energy like other carbohydrates, fibre is eliminated, taking with it waste products the body doesn’t need.  
There are two types of dietary fibre – soluble and insoluble. Both are beneficial but have very different missions. Soluble fiber, found in foods like oats and oat bran, brown rice and beans, may help decrease blood cholesterol levels, reducing your risk of heart disease. Soluble fibre can also help control the rise of blood sugar levels after eating.
Insoluble fiber, also known as “roughage,” helps to “move things along” in the digestive tract. Sources of insoluble fiber include whole-grain breads and cereals; wheat, oat and corn bran; many vegetables, like broccoli, green beans and sweet potatoes. Some foods, such as oatmeal and beans, have both soluble and insoluble fibre.
When making your food choices, don’t get hung up on which fibre is which. By eating a variety of plant-based foods, you will get fibre in your diet while also enjoying great tasting meals. Eating high- fibre foods can help you feel full sooner, so you eat less. 
  
You can increase your daily fiber with these tips:

• Eat whole-grain cereals for breakfast.
• Eat at least two pieces of whole fruit per day, such as pears, apples, bananas and strawberries. Add them to your cereal, yogurt or salads.
• Eat whole-wheat bread. Remember, just because it’s brown doesn’t mean it’s whole-wheat. Check the label to make sure it reads “whole-wheat.”
• Add tomatoes, lettuce or other vegetables to sandwiches.
• For a snack, munch on popcorn, which is also a whole grain. Go easy on the salt and butter.
• Make side dishes with short-grain brown rice. It’s loaded with fiber and flavor.
• Put vegetables in soups and pasta dishes. If you’re having pizza, load up on the vegetable toppings.

You’ll quickly find adding fibre to your diet is easy and a great way to keep healthy.   

Tip 10 – Lose Weight Slowly with Small Changes

Try to remember that "losing 10kg in two weeks" is nothing to celebrate. It is important to realize that the more quickly weight is lost, the more likely the loss is coming from water and muscle, not fat. Since muscle tissue is critical in keeping our metabolism elevated, losing it actually leads to a decrease in the amount of calories we can eat each day without gaining weight.  

Fat loss is best achieved when weight is lost slowly. Strive for a healthy weight loss of no more than  .5 - 1kg per week. Half a kilogram of weight is equivalent to 3850 calories. By making small changes like eliminating 300 calories a day from food (2100 calories per week) and expending 300 calories a day from exercise  (2100 calories), you can lose at least a half a kilogram a week (of mostly fat). 

At a typical Step into Life cardio session you will burn approximately 600 calories of mostly fat (fat can only be burned in the presence of oxygen. So you must exercise to lose fat). If you couple this by eliminating 300 calories from your diet each day you are well on your way to losing approximately 3kg a month. A simple suggested way to do this is by having smaller serving sizes and making dinner your smallest meal of the day. 


Jason Kimber