5 Tips for Keeping Weight Off

It’s January…a time when we all start to focus on health and wellness for the new year. The reality is that we should always focus on health and wellness, but the holidays tend to throw us off track just a bit. Whether you’ve recently lost weight and want to keep it off, or if you’re trying to loose weight, here are five tips that will help.

Keep Up With Your Workouts

Whatever you did to loose the pounds, stick with it. If you stop working out, you’ll be back in the same situation that made you have t work out i the first place. When you stop working out, your metabolism will slow down and your body will start gaining fat because enough calories aren’t being burned. It’s good to workout first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. “The key for fasted state exercise is that glycogen reserves are in relatively short supply. After an overnight fast, glycogen stores (especially those in the liver) are significantly reduced. With less of this carbohydrate energy available, the body responds by burning more fat.”

Eat Breakfast Every Single Day

Eating breakfast helps stabilize blood sugar levels and fuel the body for everything you do during the day. Starting the day off with a healthy breakfast can also curb cravings and set the tone for better food choices during the day. This is one I have a hard time with because I’m not hungry in the morning. Instead of eating a big breakfast, I have a healthy drink with green powder, collagen and a handful of blueberries or sometimes a square of really dark chocolate (85% cocoa). Adding superfood powders to smoothies can be a good way to up your nutrient intake and ensure you are getting the nutrients you need. They are not a substitute for a diet rich in whole foods.

Healthy Breakfast Burritos via Love & Lemons

Load Up On Protein

Your protein needs depend on how much you weigh. For women over 50, experts recommend 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of weight (1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds). If you weigh 140 pounds, for instance, you would need at least 63 grams of protein a day. Proteins are essential for cell structure. They act as enzymes to transport certain molecules across cell membranes and into the mitochondria, where they can be used for energy. Mitochondria are vital to our survival because they generate the majority of our adenosine triphosphate, the energy currency of the cell.

Lean protein helps control cravings by keeping you fuller for longer. Healthy plant-based diets that don't include meat, can still provide plenty of protein if you make good choices,. Choose more soy, quinoa, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds and beans.

Seared Salmon with Israeli Couscous Salad via Real Simple

Watch Your Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates shouldn’t be completely eliminated from your diet, but make sure you’re eating the right ones. Unprocessed whole grains are the best choice and should be consumed early in the day because once you’re no longer active, they won’t convert to energy as quickly.

Examples of complex carbs include: - whole grain foods like quinoa, barley, brown rice, and oats, whole-grain, processed products like bread, pasta, cereal, and crackers, legumes like lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, green peas, and split peas, other starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn

Sweet Potato Kale Frittata via Country Living

Be sure to check out the healthy recipe section of Crazy Blonde Life for more delicious recipes!

Get Enough Sleep

Research shows that a lack of sleep causes our bodies to become more reliant on sugary foods to stay energized. When you’re up all night, you’re more inclined to give in to cravings and junk food. National Sleep Foundation guidelines advise that healthy adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night.

During sleep, waste material is flushed out of our brains. For example, the waste material includes proteins involved in Alzheimer's disease. A recent study in mice found that interrupting sleep repeatedly led to worsening atherosclerosis. People who sleep more than recommended may have worse health outcomes. Did you know that oversleeping is associated with many health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, depression, headaches, greater risk of dying from a medical condition.