DROP A POUND A WEEK, week 5

By now we learned that eating too much and not moving enough is the most common reason for weight gain.  

We learned that eating healthier automatically allows you to eat more while losing weight.  Think low-calorie veggies and high-protein foods. Combined, they will keep you full longer while supporting a healthy digestion which includes absorbing natural vitamins and minerals. 

HOW DO OUR BODIES DEAL WITH FOOD? 

The engine converting your food and drink intake into energy is called metabolism. Our metabolism is a rather intricate and pretty complicated instrument. 

 I will only touch on the basics here. Should you want to get a bit deeper, click into this link : https://www.rush.edu/news/how-metabolism-really-works 

DO FOOD TYPES AND EATING TIME AFFECT MY METABOLISM? 

No. 

You might have heard that eating certain foods, or eating at a certain time of day, can make your metabolism faster.  In reality, the speed of your metabolism remains roughly the same no matter when or what you eat. 

Many weight loss supplements contain caffeine to speed up your heart-rate. And yes, for a little while you might burn a few extra calories because of that. You’ll see that once your body gets used to the extra boost the magic of it all is lost. Including your hard-earned cash. 

The human metabolism loves whole grains, lean proteins, vegetables and fruits. It loves those foods because our bodies, as a whole, function best when we “use the right fuel”.  

Think about what gas your car likes and does not like. We all take care of our cars, our pets, our gardens and flowers. For some reason many of us neglect our own bodies. Let’s change that once and for good.   

Chips, fries, cookies and all those items are the ones giving us muffin tops, wider hips and round bellies. When we are eating wholesome foods, overeating does not really happen. Because wholesome foods take more chewing time and effort, we start feeling satisfied sooner and we certainly stay satisfied longer. Why? Because wholesome foods fuel our bodies to perfection. We are more energized, think better, function better. We are stronger, healthier and yes, happier!  

If we care to be healthy and at a normal weight, we have little choice but to retrain our taste buds, educate ourselves about nutrition, and start eating as well as we possibly can. Hey, you are reading this post. YOU, MY DEAR FRIEND, HAVE TAKEN STEPS TOWARDS A HEALTHIER YOU😍  

WHEN DO WE BURN MOST CALORIES? 

It is clear that we burn most calories while exercising, especially running. Or when we do physically demanding work. We also burn calories as we sleep. On average about 50 calories an hour. That adds up to 400 calories for a person sleeping the recommended 8 hrs. per night. This is a significant 25% of the daily calories a small woman needs. 

During those 8 hrs. our body restores, recovers and re-generates. It is why a good amount of sleep is incredibly important. 

What you should also understand is this: building strength can boost your resting metabolism. Why? Because more muscle tissue burns more calories, even when you are at complete rest. 

Most of us do not have a slow metabolism and can’t blame the extra weight we carry on that. We simply eat wrong or too much, don’t exercise or sleep enough, or a combination of all. The good news is that you are reading this because you want to change your weight, eating habits, improve your health, have more energy, and feel better all the way around. 

I suggest you dig up a few more articles as the one I listed above and generally start reading up on nutrition and how our bodies work. Start ditching that daily beverage you feel you need or deserve every day...you know...those fancy coffee drinks, milkshakes, and smoothies. Many of them contain a whopping 800 calories. About HALF!!! of your daily caloric need, especially when trying to lose some weight. 

Start here: downsize that drink. Order a medium instead of the large one. If you are already ordering the small, only drink half. Once you’re fine with half, skip it every other day and start drinking veggie juice instead. 

I can guarantee you that, once you are realizing that your energy levels are going up and your clothes are feeling a little loser, changing your habits becomes easy. All these shakes, fries, comfort foods, and midnight snacks won't be important. You will stop craving them and after some time you won't even like them anymore. 

NOPE, I AM NOT PREACHING 

I know this all is easy for me to say. I have eaten a very natural diet my entire life. Some of you know I grew up in a small rural town in Switzerland. There simply WAS NO TAKEOUT. My mom cooked 3 meals a day from scratch. These habits stuck with me and I am glad they did. 

THIS WEEKS HOMEWORK 

Cut down your junk food intake. When you get a donut, toss ¼ of it before you take the first bite. See, when it is gone, it is gone. Telling yourself that you will save the last bite for later most likely won't work and you end up eating it anyways. 

Order a smaller latte loaded with whip cream, caramel sauce and sugar.    

Skip that late night snack.  

HOW CAN I RESIST TEMPTATION 

Try this: find a picture of how you would like to look. Put it on your fridge, your lock screen, your dashboard. Use it as a gentle reminder to ask yourself this question when you crave something: DO I REALLY NEED THIS NOW?? 

You all have a great weekend and a good start come Monday. I’ll be back before you know it😘