July 15, 2015
Just like the wrong habits can lead to unwanted weight gain, a few healthy habits can help you effortlessly improve your fitness. Although there’s no way to shortcut eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, these healthy habits will enhance your results rather than impede your progress. Here, we’ll discuss some of these healthy habits that you can implement into your lifestyle right away.
Counting Calories
The best way to find out if you are over-eating is to track your calories. Make sure you are eating a well-balanced diet and falling within 500 calories below your maintenance level. This will allow you to lose about 1 lb. per week without having to starve yourself. It may be tough for some to restrict their calorie intake this much so we have a few tips that you can use to help you get there.
Fill Up On Veggies
Vegetables are a low calorie food that you can pretty much eat as much as you want. They are a great solution for people that eat too much. You can use them to fill your stomach without packing on the pounds. Carrots, celery, broccoli and cauliflower are all great options here.
Be careful not to go overboard with dressings or veggie dips. Many of the creamy style veggie dips and dressings (ranch, blue cheese etc..) are very high in fats and calories which can turn your low calorie healthy snack into a high calorie unhealthy meal. Try low-fat or fat-free dressings like Italian or balsamic vinaigrettes, or you can also stick with adding salt and pepper to taste.
Drink More Water
Drinking water is another way you can feel fuller and help replace some of the volume that would otherwise fill up with calories. It is a good way to fight off cravings too. Instead of eating that extra snack that you don’t need, try drinking a glass of water. Usually, that will be enough to make the cravings go away.
Sugar-Free Sweets
While sugar-free snacks and candies aren’t the best thing to eat, they are a better option than their high-calorie alternatives. They differ from vegetables and water in that they should not be consumed limitlessly but instead, only in moderation and as a way to fight off your cravings for sweets.
Exercise
Exercise is the other half of the path to fitness. When you exercise, you should focus on consistency and improving your cardio so you can push yourself harder and harder each week. Try to set aside 30 minutes for exercise per day. After you get used to it, you can increase that amount up to an hour or more, depending on the amount of time you have.
Run Every Day
Of course, the more you run the better shape you will be in. That goes without saying. This is more about running consistently. The more often you run, the easier it is to keep running. If you create the habit of running every day, it will be much easier to stick to it. If you are new to running or you don’t run often, make sure you start off slow. If you run too far too soon, you may experience knee or leg injuries. Start off at a slow pace at a manageable distance and slowly increase your pace and distance with each week.
Use A Pedometer
A pedometer is used to measure the steps you take each day. You put it in your pocket and it counts the vibrations as you take each step. It has a great motivational effect that you will see once you start using it. It makes you aware of the amount of walking around you do each day and give you some extra motivation to increase your step count as much as your day allows.
Source: http://commercetopics.com/HealthyHabitsThatWillHelpYouGetInShape
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