Start Your New Year Off Right!

10 tips to help you stay in control

Don’t Leave Home Without It

I know, I know, you’ve heard it a million times, but it’s true! You wouldn’t send your child off to school without breakfast so why would you start your day without yours? Skip the juice and opt for your warm lemon water instead. Hard boil 5 eggs on Sunday and keep your fruit fresh and handy.

If you’re not a big breakfast eater, try a smoothie or a fruit crepe.

Water, Water, WaterIt’s no mystery that water helps fill your belly. A recent study on water and weight loss proved that the group that drank two glasses of water before each meal not only had greater weight loss success than the non-water drinking group, they also kept the weight off 12 months later! LFL recommends 8 glasses a day plus an additional glass for each excess of 25 pounds you may carry. Sweeten it up naturally with Stevia or brew some herbal tea instead. Either way it counts toward your daily intake!

Check the study out here:http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20100823/water-may-be-a-secret-

weapon-in-weight-loss

Watch the Clock

Eating every 2-3 hours is crucial to keeping your blood sugar stable which prevents cravings and over eating. At first you might have to eat by the clock and that’s okay because as time goes on, your body will adjust, and when it’s been two hours since your last meal you will know it is soon time for a snack.

Not feeling hungry by that third hour? Scale back on your previous meal or snack to ensure your portions are in check.

Portion Control

In addition to eating every 2-3 hours to establish portion control, there are other things you can do to help:

• Use smaller plates/bowls

• Eat with chopsticks to slow down

• Put your fork or spoon down between bites

• Turn the T.V. off and soft music on

• SIT DOWN! Did you know when you eat standing up or while driving you are less likely to remember that you have eaten? Acknowledge every meal…even that apple.

Get Your Zzzz’sMeet your hormones grhelin and leptin. You might not have cared to know them before, but you will now. Ghrelin tells you when to eat, and leptin tells you to when to stop eating. When you are sleep deprived your body produces more ghrelin and less leptin which leads to weight gain. In addition, your metabolism is slower as well. Don’t use coffee and sugar as a crutch to spike your blood sugar all day to keep you going. Get the sleep you need and get it every night. Chances are, if you’re not sleeping, you probably can’t find the energy to pack your lunch or make dinner. Avoid caffeine, especially after 2 pm, exercise and skip the late night snack.

http://www.webmd.com/sleepdisorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/lack-of-sleep-weight-gain

Take Advantage of Your Mobility

Get moving! Walking, running, jumping, stretching, swimming, biking. If you can do it, then do it! Imagine if you didn’t have the luxury of being able to walk, or stretch or run or jump. These are gifts. Use them. You don’t need to hit the gym and lift crazy weights either. Studies show that walking, gardening, cycling, etc., help to counter FTO (a genetic, fat-promoting gene) effects. So, don’t blame your genes, just get moving. Consistency is key!

Read more about FTO here:http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/23/when-fat-runs-in-the-family/

Feeling Frazzled?Rule number one: remember you are only person. If you are over-committed and under appreciated, take a stand. If a new volunteer position comes up with your name all over it, thank the community for the offer and kindly decline. Stress attacks and wreaks havoc on cortisol, a stress hormone. Stress effects your blood sugar which causes cravings, leads to emotional eating and tends to lead to fat storage in the abdominal region which is a huge health hazard. If you find yourself in a sticky situation get outside and take a breather, take 10 deep inhalations and exhalations and mediate and exercise regularly.

Planning and Preparing

Like anything in life, planning and preparing are crucial elements to weight loss and blood sugar stabilization. Here are some tips:

• Grill up your chicken, boil eggs and wash greens on Sunday so they are ready to go. It might take an hour out of your day but it is guaranteed to save a lot of hassle come Monday morning.

• Always have something in your purse: an apple, a protein bar, a string cheese, something, even if you think you’ll only be gone a short while. It’s better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

• Make more for dinner and voila! You have lunch!

• Don’t over think it. Keeping things simple helps keep stress in check. These tips are easy, manageable and possible to do day after day.

• Rome wasn’t built in a day; neither were you.

Bite It Write It

Keeping a written record of what you eat each day is a key component of successful weight loss. It will help you:

• Have a realistic account of what you eat each day

• Keep you focused and aware

• Pinpoint where changes need to be made

YOU CAN DO IT!At Lite For Life, we believe that checking in with your counselors regularly, either live, via telephone or email, is crucial to your success. A key part of weight loss is taking it one day at a time. Checking in regularly allows us to discuss one or two days of information instead of a weeks worth. It also enables us to immediately identify any issue that may be derailing your success, encourage your healthy lifestyle changes and guide you through the difficult times as they arise.Remember, we’re on your team!