Self-love and acceptance are the keys to healthy living and ultimately happiness. Feeling good in our skin is the most important thing. It is more than natural to want to look and feel better and, as long as you’re doing it for you, there is nothing wrong with that. Making healthier choices, leading to better health will lead to feeling more fit, confident and full of energy!
Calculating and getting rid of stubborn fat
Who doesn’t have an area of their body that they don’t like? Especially those areas with stubborn fat that does not want to go away, like the infamous muffin top. Truth be told, there is no real secret but following the 80/20 rule may help: 80% a balanced intake of healthy food and 20% exercise.
The starting point to know where you currently stand and what you should try to to achieve is knowing what your body fat is. This number simply represents the percentage of fat you have in tyour body and it takes into account gender, weight, waist circumference, neck circumference, and hip circumference. Here is how you can calculate body fat percentage at home.
This may help you understand where currently you are and how to go about your fitness journey. This way you’ll know more or less how much weight you actually need to lose for your body to be at its best.
The importance of a proper water intake
Water is our fuel and is crucial for health: amongst the many benefits, proper hydration enables your body to get rid of toxins and makes minerals and nutrients easily accessible to the body.
It is commonly recommended to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day.
You can also eat more watery foods to get a good amount of your daily water supply apart from drinking plain water. Watery foods include fresh fruit such as watermelon, as well as cucumber. Also try to avoid sweet and sugary beverages, as they do not provide the same amount of hydration of simple water as well as contain calories.
A few lifestyle tips for losing weight
- Buy your own groceries and only what’s really necessary. Food that will fuel and nourish your body? Necessary. Junk food? Unnecessary.
- Prepare your meals and don’t overeat when you go out. Meal prepping saves a lot of time, money and stress. It also prevents you from eating impulsively when you’re hungry. Here’s a tip for when you’re eating out: eat watery food (fruit for example) before going so you aren’t as hungry.
- Keep track of progress. Numbers on the scale do not always show results but who cares? They are just numbers! To keep track of your progress, take pictures at the start of your weight loss/fitness journey and repeat every 3 weeks to see the results for yourself. Seeing the change will motivate you to keep going.
- Challenge or team up with a friend. If you thrive on competition, challenge a friend to start up with his or her own journey. This is also a great way to have extra motivation and you can hold each other accountable!
Losing weight is mainly about finding the right combination of eating healthy, drinking lots of water and exercising regularly. It is equally important to have a positive mindset and be patient. It is also advisable to consult a doctor before starting, especially for a general health assessment, a tailor-made nutrition plan and recommended exercise routine.
Tammy Litke is a Dallas blogger, blogging since 2008. She loves to watch movies, play video games, spend time in the kitchen, and travel. Between recipes and reviews you’ll find many helpful and some just plain funny posts on her blog. Welcome, pull up a chair and stay for a while!
Perfect timing. The old age pounds are slowly creeping on and I have to stop them now!