Merry Christmas all my "Bits and Bites" friends!! I hope you've enjoyed a lovely, joyful day. You deserve it! Tis the season to be merry, enjoying family, good friends, good food, and fun!! I've had a wonderful Christmas myself here in California with my Auntie and family. And yes, I've indulged a bit on some tasty treats:) But, tomorrow I'm back ON!!
So I had to have some reason to show off my chubby little baby buddha. Haha! Looking at this picture I can hardly stand it! He's soooo chewy! This was my son at 6 months. Asher is now 9 years old and resembles nothing like the picture above. I call him my "little bag of bones." I DO miss my little chunky baby, but am grateful that my son is now a happy, healthy, active little boy.
Still, I know my boy, as I've experienced myself along with many of you, will at some point in his life desire to lose weight (whether for health reasons or simply to fit into a smaller pair of jeans). Hopefully he and my daughter will retain and implement the healthy habits I've taught them.
And if there is a time weight loss measures are needed, these would be the 6 DON'TS I'd tell them to DO.
These 6 common DON'TS, if carried out over a prolonged period of time, can make you fat, if not sabotage your weight loss goals. For the New Year, I challenge you to cross at least one DON'T off this list. One small step forward my friends...
1. Don't eat breakfast. You may think you're saving calories by skipping breakfast, but what you're really doing is turning on your "fat storing" button. When your body thinks it's been starved it will go into what's called "fight or flight" and hold onto fat, further slowing down your metabolism. Remember, just like a car needs gas to keep its engine running, your body needs fuel to run and function optimally.
2. Don't get enough sleep. Research shows that individuals who get less than 6 hours of sleep a night increase in body mass and body fat versus those who get 7 to 8 hours a night. Also, a lack of sleep can add to stress, which further promotes weight gain.
3. Don't eat enough vegetables. Most vegetables are rich in insoluble fiber, which helps digestion and pushing food through the digestive tract. High fiber foods, like veggies, require more time to chew, making your meal last longer and making you feel full longer. Most people don't get the recommended 3 to 5 servings a day. Just think the difference you can make when YOU do!
4. Don't drink enough water. A recent study shows that "dieters who drank two cups of water before each meal lost 5 more pounds than a group of dieters who didn't increase their water intake. A year later, the water drinkers had also kept more of the weight off."
5. Don't eat enough. Food deprivation is a primary component in weight loss prevention and/or weight gain. Some people believe that if they severely restrict calories they will lose weight faster. Not true. Starvation tactics do the opposite, stalling weight loss and even signaling fat storage. This is a big problem for many of my clients who don't eat enough. I can often tell they are "food deprivers" by this common side effect: an extra layer of belly fat around the midsection. Once I increase calorie intake (with clean and balanced meal plans) they usually start losing weight.
6. Don't keep a food journal. When was the last time you tracked what you ate? You might be surprised to find that you actually eat more than you think. Meals aside, that handful of chocolate chips and nuts, 2 crackers, a spoonful of cheddar cheese, 5 strawberries, a piece of bread, and 10 peanut M&M's really add up! Journaling is a great way to hold yourself accountable. I have found that my clients who keep a journal versus those who don't have better results.
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