Wednesday, May 20, 2015

A healthy diet and regular exercise are essential for losing weight. But, says fitness trainer Kate Nugent, developing certain habits outside of your diet and exercise regimen can do a lot to help you reach and maintain a healthy weight.

Help yourself along by trying these tips:

Get some sleep – A good night’s sleep can boost your mood, improve your work performance, and even help you keep your weight down. Studies show that people who regularly make do with less than seven hours of sleep a night are more likely to be overweight.

Sit down and chew – Studies also show that people who rush through meals, eat over the sink, or gulp down food also tend toward overweight. Sitting down to a meal and chewing thoroughly results in better weight control.

Snack right before food shopping – Going to the grocery store hungry leaves you open to temptation. Eat an apple or another fruit or veggie before shopping to help you make better food choices.

Eat from a plate, not out of a bag – It’s important that you see how much of a snack you're ingesting before you dive in. Count or pour out the portion you’re allowing yourself. Don’t eat out of the bag.

Use a smaller plate – This is about visual deception. Dishing out your meal onto a small plate will make the portions seem larger.

Out of sight, out of mind – stow snack and junk foods out of plain sight; give healthier foods prime real estate in the fridge. Then go ahead and grab what you see first.

Stop wearing sweats around the house – Wearing something loose and comfy tends to make you pay less heed to what you’re eating. Wear clothes that encourage you to pay attention to what you ingest.

Relax a little – Stress has been shown to induce over-eating. On even your busiest days, take a couple of 10-minute breathers to read, listen to music, or just take a quick lie-down.

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