HOW TO STICK TO YOUR WEIGHT LOSS RESOLUTIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR
The New Year usually means setting new goals for yourself. When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, weight loss is often the most common. Most weight loss New Year’s resolutions fail because people set very unrealistic goals for themselves. Always make sure that your goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time Based. There is nothing wrong with starting small as the aim is for you to set goals that you will be able to stick to. Another reality is that the weight loss process does not take a couple of months, so it is very important to be committed to the process. Being committed to living a healthy life for the new year means that you have to think of the process as a long-term investment, not something that you’ll only do for a short period of time.
Gert Coetzee, Pharmacist and Diet pioneer, who founded The Diet Everyone Talks About, says that it is good for people to set weight loss goals for themselves, as long as they work hard to achieve them. Below he shares some health tips which can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.
- Make Meal Preps A Routine
Dedicate some time to plan and prepare as many of your daily meals as possible. If you have healthy food on hand, sticking to your goals becomes much easier. Deciding what you’ll eat ahead of time can contribute to helping you make healthy life choices.
- Drink More Water
The amount of water you drink everyday plays a very important role in maintaining a healthy body and mind. Water is a natural appetite suppressant which can lead to a reduction in hunger. Drinking water regularly also helps reduce your intake of sugary and fizzy drinks. Being hydrated is essential for burning fat from all the food that you consume.
- Add Fat Burning Foods To Your Diet
Adding more fat-burning foods to your diet can also help boost your energy level and it is also a natural way to lose weight. Eating more fat-burning foods can help you lose weight as well as reduce the risk of obesity, which has been linked to a higher risk of cancers. Adding more fat-burning foods to your diet can also help boost your energy levels. Cayenne pepper, apple cider, grapefruit, green leafy vegetables and coconut oil are all fat-burning foods that you can add to your diet.
- Reduce Your Sugar Intake
Reducing your sugar intake will leave you feeling more energised and will also help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight with ease. Consuming too much sugar can raise the level of glucose in your blood which leads to an increase in the risk of getting diabetes and heart disease. Refined carbs and sugar independently contribute to weight gain.
- Have A Low-Carb Diet
Being on a low-carb diet also helps reduce the risks of certain metabolic, heart disease, diabetes as well as certain metabolic disease. Low-carb diets are known for producing fast weight loss results without having to count calories or feeling hungry. Other benefits include better digestion, fewer cravings and the reduced risks of certain types of cancer. Make sure that you include a lot of vegetables in your diet as they are an important source of nutrients and are naturally low in fat which helps reduce blood cholesterol levels.
- Exercise
Regular exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help maintain weight loss as it helps you burn calories. Being physically active also helps prevent a wide range of diseases and health problems. You don’t always have to make regular trips to the gym, you can get more active throughout your day by taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Below is a delicious recipe for Broccoli Chicken with only 4 g of carbs per portion!
Portions: 4
Prep time: 60 minutes
CHD: 4 g per portion
kJ: 400 kJ
Ingredients
200 g: Chicken, cooked and chopped
100 g: Broccoli, cooked but still crispy (e.g in microwave), cut into smack florets
20 ml: Parmesan cheese, grated
4: Chives, chopped
150 ml: Cream cheese
To taste: Salt and freshly ground black pepper, mustard
Optional:
125 g: Finely chopped mushrooms
1 Garlic clove, crushed
Method
Hot:
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Combine all the ingredients, put into a greased oven dish and bake for 10 minutes.
- Spread a little bit of butter over the food when you remove it from the oven. Sprinkle with cheese.
- Serve with a tossed salad.
Cold:
- Combine all the ingredients and serve on a bed of lettuce leaves.
- Garnish with finely grated cheese, a tomato wedge/cherry tomatoes and parsley.