Many of us have fallen victim to yo-yo dieting that simply doesn’t work, gym memberships that we never use, and new year resolutions that are long forgotten a few weeks into the new year. The key to real lasting results is habit. If you’re ready to join team #whatwaist this season, the time is now to start incorporating these easy daily habits to get a stronger, more toned, slimmed down physique. Â Â Â
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Change your diet
It’s super easy to grab fast food on your lunch break at work. It’s easy to grab a donut or two from the cafeteria or hit up the vending machine for your favorite snack when you need a little pick-me-up. Easy doesn’t always equal better. In order to see real results, you have to change your daily eating habits. Instead of getting fast food, either snack on fruits and vegetables throughout the day such as apples, oranges, bananas, strawberries, dates, celery sticks, carrots, etc or meal prep on Sunday for the week and make light meals like rice and veggies, stuffed bell peppers, salad, or a grain or plant based pasta. Eating raw fruits and vegetables throughout the day gives you the energy you need to work a full 8 hours without getting tired after lunch, and snacking on healthy foods allows you the time to spend your lunch break being active instead of sitting down and eating. The downside to this diet is you will get hungry, very hungry if you’re not prepared. Make sure you have enough food to last you at work so you don’t crash. I typically eat 2-3 fruits, a fruit smoothie (I have a personal blender and we have a freezer at work) dates, sometimes snack on veggies and almonds or cashews while working. Adjust this to your own personal needs or opt for packing a healthy lunch.
Cut out sugary drinks and alcohol
A large amount of our calorie intake comes from what we drink. when you drink sugary juices, pops, alcohol, and coffee with a ton of sugar, you are mindlessly adding calories which ultimately equals weight. Drink water instead, lots of it. Many health professionals recommend drinking half of your weight in ounces a day. I love drinking water so I tend to drink at least a gallon a day. If you don’t like drinking plain water add sliced cucumbers or lemon for flavor. Eliminating alcohol also helps greatly reduce calories as well as improves your overall health. If you don’t want to cut out alcohol completely, start limiting the amount/frequency that you drink.
Get moving
While you can’t outwork a bad diet, you can see phenomenal results when you pair a healthy diet with a great workout routine. Dedicate a portion of your lunch to simply moving around. Walk around the office if it’s too cold to go outside. If you have your own office, close your door and get a work friendly workout in. Take the stairs instead of elevator, get a stationary bike to work your legs out while at work, simply move! If you can commit to working out at a gym, taking a dance class, or even 30 minutes a day working out in front of your tv, then do that. You will not get noticeable results by sitting down all day. Move your body as often as you can to get the results that will carry you into summer with a phenomenal physique.
Will you be implementing these habits into your daily routine?