Category: Habits

10 Ways To Lose Weight And Keep It Off

 

The battle to lose weight is never easy. In fact, it’s a struggle for many. With so many fad diets and programs springing up every day, it can be tough knowing which ones work and which don’t. There are so many commonalities between the ones that work and the ones that don’t. This is why it’s essential to have a solid plan before diving in headfirst.

The right way, or rather the best way, to lose weight is to do so slowly over an extended period of time through a combination of healthy eating habits and regular exercise. To make things easier for you, we have gathered some tips on how you can lose weight the right way and keep it off for good.

Start with solid eating and workout plans

Prepping your meal and exercise plans are a crucial part of losing weight and keeping it off. If you don’t have a plan, you’re more likely to make poor decisions, yoyo between diets, and end up spinning your wheels in frustration. So, if you’re serious about losing weight, you need to commit to the process.

You might be a naturally slim person and have no issues slimming down quickly. Or you might be someone who struggles to lose weight. Whatever your body type, it takes time, commitment, and consistency to lose weight in a healthy way and keep it off.

 

Eat healthy, balanced meals

The first and most important aspect of losing weight is proper nutrition. When you don’t get enough nutrients, you don’t feel satisfied, and you’re likely to snack.

A healthy nutrition plan is one with a mix of carbs, proteins, fats, and vegetables. You must also include a good source of fibre, like wholegrain cereals or oats.

However, if you’re a person who loves to snack throughout the day, it’s crucial to either reduce or stop your snacking habit or change your snacks for healthier options. Having a handful of nuts is a great option as they contain protein, fibre, and good fats.

 

Keep a food diary

Keeping a food diary is another great way to lose weight as it not only helps you focus on what you eat but when you eat too.

Part of the problem when trying to lose weight is that people either snack too much and are not eating correctly at meal times, or the opposite, and eating too much food in one sitting. Both will result in weight gain. But, if you keep a food diary, you can see how much food you are actually eating.

It is also another way to help you stay accountable to your eating plan, therefore making it super handy if you’re trying to lose weight. Recording everything you eat will be a great way to make sure you’re consuming enough calories and staying within your eating plan. This will help you lose weight and keep it off for good.

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Drink plenty of water

Water is king when it comes to losing weight. Why? Well, it actually has many reasons why it influences weight, and also benefits to your health which include:

  1. it helps you feel full after you’ve consumed food;
  2. it also keeps your metabolism humming;
  3. it keeps your energy levels up, so you don’t feel tired as often;
  4. it helps you burn more calories;
  5. it helps with digestion
  6. it reduces your risk of heart disease and reduces your blood pressure;
  7. it helps prevent certain types of cancer, like urinary tract infections and bladder cancer;
  8. it keeps your skin hydrated and helps with stretch marks.

Simply, you need to drink water throughout the day to lose or manage your weight, as well as to stay healthy.

Plan out weekly meals and shifts between them

It has already been said about the importance of planning out the food you eat, but planning your actual meals will help you stick with any eating plan. It’s like a road map to help you stay on track, as it tells you what to eat for the day, what time to eat it, and how much to consume. You can use this plan for more than just losing weight. For example, you can use this whenever you need to follow a strict plan that includes eating a certain amount of food.

Switching your meals is as important as the plan itself. You will find that certain meals will reappear either due to nutritional value or ease. But if something becomes boring and repetitive, then there is a chance you will get distracted from your plan. So plan ahead and mix things up to keep variety in the foods you eat.

Swap bad habits for good ones

Losing weight is not easy. It takes a lot of hard work, discipline, and self-control. Therefore, simply building new habits is not enough. You must replace bad habits with good ones.

Bad habits like eating too much, snacking between meals, eating while watching TV, skipping meals, and eating junk food must be replaced with healthy eating habits.
Healthy eating habits include eating foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein, and good fats.

You should even start looking at your other lifestyle habits too. Removing negative self-talk and replacing it with positive affirmations, or staying up late to getting a good 7-9 hours of sleep a night. It is not purely about doing what is good for you, it is about letting go of the bad that holds you back too.

Exercise regularly

Exercise is an important part of weight loss. It helps you burn calories and increases metabolism, which can help you to lose weight. The best part is that there are many types of exercises you can do to lose weight and keep it off. You can lift weights, run, bike ride, swim, or even walk.

But exercise does more for you than help with weight loss, such as:

  • it helps to build muscle and tone your body;
  • it increases metabolism, which helps you to burn more calories and lose weight;
  • it lowers blood pressure, diabetes risk and improves your cardiovascular system, making you healthier;
  • it makes you happier because it helps you to release endorphins, helping you to feel better, even when you are doing nothing.

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Don’t be afraid to step up those workouts

Many people make excuses when it comes to exercise, such as not having enough time, or that it would be too hard. This is because they’re focusing on the wrong things. The most important thing is to make sure you’re getting the right amount of exercise and to the right intensity. That way you’re not burning too many calories and ruining your eating plan, and your workout isn’t too easy.

Choose an exercise routine that you enjoy and that challenges you. Then ensure you are increasing your effort levels so keep working hard. A great measure here is the Borg Scale, which is a scale of 1 to 10 judging your effort level (1 being rest and 10 being maximum). Think of a warm-up as being 1-4 out of 10, and your workout is 5-8. then your cool down returning to the lower numbers again.

This will help you to stay motivated and stay on track with your workout goals.

Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone

If you’re serious about losing weight, you need to be willing to step out of your comfort zone. This means that you need to be willing to try new things, like trying a new meal, exercise program, or shopping at a new store. Accessing new information and experiences is one of the most important parts of losing weight. It will help you to stay focused and motivated, especially as it makes it interesting.

When you’re trying something new, you’re likely to get nervous. This is normal, and you need to keep in mind that any progress made will help you to lose weight. You should also try to challenge yourself to do things you haven’t done before so you can create the changes you want.

Take care of yourself: Shower, sleep, and socialise

The last thing you need to do to lose weight and keep it off is to take care of yourself, and this is referring to all of your lifestyle habits. Make sure you’re eating a healthy diet with the right nutrition, drinking enough water, and exercising regularly. But also take the time to meditate and manage your stress levels, get enough quality sleep, and do things you enjoy. Cold showers are also great for the immune system, and socialising has wonderous health benefits, so why not share your journey with a friend?

Above all, try not to get overwhelmed with everything at once. Focus on one thing for 1-2 weeks then build into it. Remember, this is a slow process but very much worth doing if you want to lose weight and keep it off for good.

Motivation to Change Your Life

6 Tips to Help You Get Moving

 

 

It can be challenging to get going on a new habit or change your life. Your routine is often the biggest obstacle in your way, so how do you break out of your comfort zone? How do you motivate yourself to make these changes and create a new life for yourself?

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to help you get moving without effort.

In this blog post, we’ll explore some helpful tips and tricks that will help you take any step towards changing your life for the better!

01

Make a plan and be accountable

If you want to make any kind of meaningful change in your life, you’ll need to plan ahead. You’ll need to set goals and have a plan for getting from where you are to where you want to be.

Also, be accountable for yourself. On cold, dark mornings, you will have to find the drive to get up and start your day. Just like you have to motivate yourself to stick to your plan when other things come up in life.

But, you don’t have to go it alone. In fact, if you find a friend or partner who will hold you accountable and hold them accountable too, it is a great way to keep yourself on track and make sure that you don’t forget about your goals.

02

Find activities you enjoy

Many people find that just by changing the things they do, they find themselves with new benefits. Find an activity that you enjoy and add more variety to your routine. For example, if you love going to the gym and running, try mixing it up with some classes or volleyball. If you usually love sitting down at the computer, try adding more movement while you’re working.
You can also try switching up your days or weeks so that you’re always doing something different. This will keep your body and mind from feeling like they’ve become stuck in a rut.
When you do something that is fun and enjoyable, you are more likely to stick with it – even if it is something new!

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03

Change your environment

Your environment has a huge impact on your habits. So, if you change your environment so it is more conducive to your goals, you can change your habits. Remove all distractions, remove clutter and keep the place clean, or even change how your environment looks.

Your environment is only a small part of the picture as even if you move to a new place, you’ll still be surrounded by the same people, cars, and structures. It will still be your home, so change the way you live. This could mean picking up some new decor or decorating your home with more vibrant colours. It could also mean making some changes to what you eat, like adding more veggies or fruits to your meals and snacks.

Always remember that you can’t change your entire environment in one day, but if you pick out a few small changes, you can make a big impact that is much easier to maintain. For example, switching off the TV during dinner time or taking a walk outside after dinner. These changes will make the rest of your life seem a little more vivid, and it can help you stay motivated.

04

Set mini goals to build momentum

While it is great to set a long-term goal that you’ll be working towards for years, you do need to have something to work towards where you can see visible results quicker. By setting mini-goals that you can work towards every day, you can build momentum toward your long-term goals. For example, you could set a goal to run once a week or to complete a certain number of push-ups.

You can have mini-goals related to anything, but if they connect to your bigger goal, then you will find the bigger or long-term goal much easier to reach. For example, if you want to lose weight, you could set a goal of jogging for 30 seconds longer each run you go on.

To top it off, mini-goals help you remember what your overall goals are and make it more enjoyable to work towards them.

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05

Keep a journal of your progress

Keeping a journal can help you stay motivated and to track your progress, which is great for your own accountability. Whether you use your phone or a notebook, you can literally journal about anything – your thoughts, feelings, problems you are facing, solutions from past situations, or purely to keep a log of what you achieved.

You could also be struggling to get to the gym, or find yourself having negative feelings about your goals or your progress. Having a journal can create a safe space where you can share those feelings or frustrations rather than bottle them up inside.

If you are feeling unmotivated or in need of a boost of inspiration, your journal can be the boost you need. It really can be your ‘go-to’ tool to help you stay motivated and keep moving forward.

“Don’t stop when you’re tired, stop when you’re done”

Unknown

06

Give yourself a break

This tip might sound a bit corny, but it’s true. Sometimes, we all get caught up in the highs of our new life that we forget to slow down and take a step back. You can’t go from 0 to 100 in one day and keep doing it every day, so take a couple of days off each week, and a week off when you feel like you need to take a break (roughly every quarter of the year). Give yourself the break that you deserve so that you can get back on track and continue your change.

It can also be tough to stay motivated when you don’t feel like it, so look for inspiration in other places. Create a vision board, have a journal, or find inspiration from others who are changing their lives for the better. You can always get back on track if you need to take a break and allow yourself the chance to recharge.

After a break, pick a day when there are no distractions in your life to reconnect to your goals, and the reminder of why you want to change your life.

Conclusion

Change can seem daunting, and starting a new habit can be challenging, especially if you’re not sure where to begin. You can’t just will yourself into being happier and healthier. You have to put in the work, and find ways to stay motivated. Make a plan, find activities you enjoy, change your environment, and set mini-goals to help build momentum.

These changes won’t happen overnight, so be patient and persistent. Once you start down the path toward a healthier and happier life, you’ll be amazed at how easy it can be!

Four Ways To Boost Confidence for Men

By Practicing Healthy Habits

 

 

Everyone feels self-conscious from time to Time. However, it’s not always obvious when one is feeling low and how to get rid of that feeling. Lacking confidence can be a sign of insecurity and, as such, needs addressing for the best. Here are a few ways you can boost your confidence for men.

Eat Healthy

Eating right is essential for anyone’s health and confidence. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be a sacrifice if you make the right choices. You don’t have to completely eliminate unhealthy foods from your diet, just eat healthier ones more often. Make a conscious effort to put healthy food in your mouth instead of the bag of chips in your desk drawer.

Recommend that when you are feeling low, you should try to eat foods that give you energy. Foods like fruit, veggies, protein-rich foods, nuts, and seeds are great for boosting your confidence.

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Exercise

Exercise is a proven method for reducing stress, improving sleep, and reducing anxiety. When you exercise, you pump endorphins into your brain, which creates a state of euphoria and gives you a feel-good feeling.  It is proven to make people feel stronger, more confident, and more at peace with the world.

A good rule of thumb is that you should exercise if you are feeling low to boost your mood or confidence – this goes for both men and women. It doesn’t have to be an intense workout either. You can choose to exercise by simply walking around the block or taking the stairs for a couple of floors instead of the elevator. The important thing is that you are moving your body and getting your blood pumping, so make sure you increase your heart rate.

The benefits you can feel are a result include:

  • Improved sleep
  • Better mood
  • Increased concentration
  • More energy
  • Improved health
  • Increased strength
  • Better sex

 

Talk to people

Talking to people is a great way to de-stress, build relationships, and feel connected to the world. It can be as simple as talking to someone at work who you know or talking to a friend on social media. If you are feeling low, talk to someone.

You don’t have to be a world-class speaker or have a Ph.D. in philosophy to do this. Nor do you have to say anything in particular. Just the process of talking can uplift your mood. Try starting by talking about a hobby or a recent event you have been to.

Just talking to a friend or colleague can help you shift your mood, build relationships and boost your confidence. It is an easy win to do!

Find New Hobbies

Hobbies are a way to decompress from the stresses of daily life, as they provide us with a sense of purpose and identity whilst allowing us to switch off.

A hobby can also be a great way to make new friends and build a community around you. So, if you are feeling low and doubting yourself, finding a new hobby can be a great thing to do.

Recognise that a hobby doesn’t have to be something that is extremely challenging or completely physical. It can be anything that you enjoy doing and don’t have to spend an extreme amount of time investing in.

Not sure how to find a new hobby? Here are some ideas of things to consider:

  • An activity you enjoy but is also low-key and easy to fit into your schedule;
  • Something you can pair with your existing interests or passions;
  • An activity that helps you to build skills that you can use when you are looking for a job or pursuing a career;
  • An activity that gives you a sense of pride or accomplishment when you complete it;
  • Above all, find something that you look forward to doing and that gives you focus when feeling low or overwhelmed.

Be A Man Of His Word

People are judged based on their word. So, if you are a man of your word, people will have more confidence in you than if you are always back-talking. Back-talking is a low and negative quality that reflects poorly on a man, or indeed anyone. It is a sign of insecurity and, as such, needs to be addressed.

If you find yourself back-talking, here are some ways you can address it:

Address back-talking directly. If you catch yourself back-talking, try to stop yourself immediately;
Use positive affirmations;
Write down your promises and post them where you will see them every day;
Use self-talk that makes you believe that you can keep your promises.

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Conclusion

Being confident comes from within and it is something that you must cultivate. No one can give you true confidence – you must develop it for yourself. If you are feeling low, then focus on boosting your mood to uplift your confidence. Such as, talking to others, exercising, finding new hobbies, or changing how others see you.

Boosting your confidence is something that can be done with a little effort and practice, all while boosting your mood and health. What is not to love!?

Why Bad Habits Seem To Creep Back Without Warning

And how to break them, once and for all

Have you ever tried to go on a health kick?

You know the one – exercising more, eating healthier, avoiding alcohol, eliminating chocolate, and so forth. How did you do?

It’s not uncommon for people to have difficulties sticking to or keeping up their health regimens. A lot of individuals start eating healthier or working out, but a lot of them quit in just 48 hours.

People who begin to eat healthier or exercise are more likely to fail by a large margin. Furthermore, only 20% of individuals achieve their new year’s resolutions.

 

So healthy is not for everyone?

WRONG! Completely incorrect. Anyone can be healthy.

If you doubt this or have any negative beliefs, put them aside for now (return to them later). You might go awry for one of four reasons:

not knowing what to do (or not having the knowledge, which is more likely);
a lack of accountability and support;
taking on too much;
not knowing what you want to accomplish.

Notice that motivation is not there. You haven’t begun your health kick in the first place if you lacked motivation.

You rely on your habits – your natural, inborn actions and thoughts that you have developed over time. As you begin to make alterations, your subconscious mind will resist, thus pulling you back to your bad habits.

What are bad habits?

A bad habit is an annoying little gremlin that keeps you doing things you no longer want to do. Basically, it keeps you performing activities that you really do not wish to do anymore.

You put healthy food in your fridge and keep finding sugary treats there overnight. You know, having free food would be quite advantageous, but it would be difficult to resist your favourite chocolate bar, a glass of wine, can of beer, pizza, and so on.

Bad habits always tell you that ‘you would rather do/have me than that thing you mentioned.’ Oh my!

They are linked to everything from sleeping longer to failing to work out to meeting up with friends late to consuming too much food. Right up to having an excuse not to do something as you think it will be harmful if you give yourself a break.

Everything that you do creates an excuse or barrier to what you should be doing.

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Bad habits are not the actual problem

I realise this sounds a bit nuts, but it’s not about whether you have a favourable or undesirable habit; rather, it’s about why they creep back in. Every person has a bad habit, but it’s how they handle it or if it manages them.

Carrot cake is one of my most loved treats. I can buy a slice (or whole cake) from a supermarket and finish it in one sitting. It’s not particularly healthy (especially if you know the ingredients list), but healthy eating is not about restrictions. It is about maintaining control.

So, regardless of whether I buy an entire carrot cake or only one slice, I maintain control over it.

Let us say I really wanted some carrot cake on a Wednesday. Instead of going out and buying it straight away, thus giving into my bad habit and temptation, I keep myself disciplined and don’t buy it.

Then!

Instead (and this is how I keep myself eating healthy without refusing those treats or cravings), I set myself a day over the weekend when I will buy one and enjoy a slice. And of course some the following day too. This allows me to enjoy foods I love, maintain a healthy nutritional intake (remember, it is all about moderation and balance), and without any negative feelings of failure.

Managing your gremlins

What makes bad habits gremlins that creep back is not the habit itself, but the feeling or thought it creates.

Like if you’re feeling bad, the habit is to eat some chocolate to feel better, but the gremlin is the feeling of failure, low self-worth, and ‘what’s the point’.

Remember how I said “if you have any doubts or negative beliefs about this, let’s put those on hold for a moment” – these are your gremlins of doubt creeping in. The things telling you that you can’t do it because it is hard, painful, uncomfortable, new, for someone else…the list goes on.

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How to break bad habits

Ok, this is the hard bit as it does take some work. Not only do you need to build new habits but you need to replace the old ones, and that includes the feelings or thoughts that go with them. It is exactly the reason people hire a coach to help, but you can do it yourself if you follow these 3 steps.

1) Write down your goals.

Sit down and write down exactly where you want to be, and make it a SMART goal – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and within a Timeframe. And I mean shape it – what it would feel like, what it will change for you, everything. One goal can take up a whole page of A4 easily.

If you are finding this hard, try to break through the uncomfortable barrier and really allow yourself to create something here.

2) Record your gremlins.

Yes, they get a part in this too, so on a second piece of paper write them all down. Basically, you have to be ready to tackle any obstacle when it does appear.

But be warned, if you find this easy, it is likely you have not been truly honest with yourself. Your mind will naturally try to protect you (it’s the reason we have fears) so take your time here. Let go of your inner fears and doubts, even if it is just between you and the piece of paper.

3) Design your plan.

The ‘how to make it happen’. Something you will have done before but with a twist as you will now have the actions ready to fight bad habits.

Using a third bit of paper, in landscape orientation, write your goal clearly at the top, then draw 4 columns underneath and complete as suggested below:

Left-hand column set out what you are going to do:

  • join a gym
  • get some new healthy recipe ideas
  • start home workouts
  • walk every day at lunch

Second column, how you are going to build your new healthy habits – remember SMART!

  • I am going to walk for 30 minutes every lunch hour as soon as my lunch hour starts.
  • With the app on my phone, I am going to track the steps and time it takes (Android and iPhone both have them).
  • I am going to ensure I elevate my heart rate so a conversation would be difficult whilst I walk (a way to monitor intensity).

Third column connect your gremlins up to each habit you are building, and writing them out clearly here helps build your strength in facing them.

  • ‘if it rains then I won’t do it’
  • ‘my colleagues will think I am crazy – maybe they’re right!?’
  • ‘it won’t really affect my health if I miss a day’
  • ‘I’ll just do it later if work is busy’

Fourth column, write down what you are going to do to cancel that gremlin. This is where affirmations are a big-game changer.

Here are some examples of these gremlins:

  • My workout is not affected by the weather as I am dressed suitably.
  • My colleagues are entitled to their opinion, but I am doing what is best for me.
  • I care for my health every day as I am my number 1 priority.
  • I am entitled to my break time which is my time, so I always have time for what is good for me.

 

Say goodbye to gremlins!

As you can see, being healthy is not about just building healthy habits. It is about building healthy habits and taking control of bad ones.

If you think past doubt just disappears and never comes back, be very careful. A bad day or tough moment can always trigger old feelings or thoughts to resurface. Just if they do, you will be in control and squash them.

Do this as often as you need to and always refer back to give yourself a reminder.