26 Feb Maintain our Body’s Ideal Healthy Weight
We have put together some tips to help maintain our body’s ideal healthy weight. Small changes daily can contribute to an overall decrease in body weight, as well as putting some good daily habits into our lifestyle. Australians are slowly becoming one of the most obese countries in the world. According to the bureau of statistics, every 3 out of 5 Australians are overweight, and every 1 in 4 children is overweight. Excess weight, especially obesity, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, some musculoskeletal conditions and some cancers. As the level of excess weight increases, so does the risk of developing these conditions. In addition, being overweight can hamper the ability to control or manage chronic disorders.
1. Diet– you may think you’ve heard this all before but what we put into our bodies has a huge impact on our overall weight, mental and physical health. Moderation is key. Ensuring you have protein, good fats and the right carbohydrates for your energy levels. Also limiting sugar and high fat products.
2. Move your body– simple right? But 30 minutes of activity daily can be so beneficial in reducing our body weight. This will also help our mental health and wellbeing. Some examples can be a 45 minute power walk with a love one, a 1 hour yoga class or a high intensity 20 minute run. Weights are also very imporant for reducing body fat, as well as great for our muscle and bone longevity.
3. Stop stressing- stressing about our weight can lead to an increase in body fat. When we stress on every little thing we eat we tend to put it in a negative light, causing it to be on our minds. By reducing the stress around eating and ensuring we’re eating to nourish our bodies not punish them this can help our bodies slip into their healthy weight range.
4. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate- our bodies are 80% water so making sure you’re drinking plenty of water is essential. By drinking water we’re also tricking our bodies to thinking we’re full. As human’s we can sometimes confuse thirst for hunger, causing us to over eat. So the next time you feel hungry drink a big glass of water. If 10 minutes later you’re still hungry then eat!
5. Eat breakfast- too many people dont eat a healthy, nutritious breakfast and instead either eat nothing, or have a bowl of sugar laden cereal. This will only cause you to over eat throughout the course of the day. Make sure you’re starting your morning with a healthy breakfast with the right combination of protein, fats and carbohydrates to start your day on the right foot.
6. Limit your alcohol intake- find yourself having a glass or wine or too after work every night? Limit your alcohol consumption to cut back on overall daily calories. This will also help your overall mental health and wellbeing.
7. Plan ahead– have a plan of attack for your weekly meals. Set a couple of hours each week to do your weekly shopping as well as cook bulk meals for the week ahead. This way you will always have good food choices in your fridge, and less likely to reach for something unhealthy.
8. Keep a food diary- if you’re struggling to shift some unwanted kilos keep a food diary to see where you’re slipping up. Ensure you’re honest with yourself and notice the changes.
9. Snack smart– snacking can often lead to over-eating and in turn weight gain. Ensure your snacks a nutritious (such as carrot/cucumber sticks with hommus or a piece of fruit). It is also important we snack at the correct time and make sure we dont let ourselves get too hungry. This can lead to over eating, and in turn weight gain.
10. Sleep- sleep is so important for maintaing a healthy weight. When we sleep our bodies repair themselves and also helps with our energy. If we’re constantly tired all the time our appetite hormones become out of whack. Sleep is ciritical for every bodily function to function properly. So sleep away!!
We hope that these tips can help you reduce your overall body weight if you’re finding it difficult. For more information head to http://healthyweightweek.com.au/ and check out their meal plans or to sign up for their 10 week challenge.