Tips To Shift The Last Few Pounds
You probably know the feeling, when you have been dieting for ages and have lost quite a bit of weight, but
those last 5 or 10 pounds just won't budge. It really can be so
frustrating especially when you know that you have not cheated.
This is not uncommon problem and it
almost seems like they have been on you so long that they have taken up
permanent residence.
If you've given up on the battle with these hard to evict pounds then
try some of these tips and you might find yourself a bit slimmer and
more
shapely to boot!
Eat more protein. Try to keep your protein at about 55% of your
calories. This will help you maintain your muscle mass and keep your
metabolism elevated. Eat low-fat protein sources like chicken
breasts, egg whites, and fish.
Lift Weights. Add a weight lifting routine to your workout - just 20
minutes twice a week can help replace some fat with muscle as well as
build up your strength. Remember muscle burns more calories than fat so
this will help your metabolism overall.
Suggestions for this might
include bike exercise, arm exercise, dumbbell exercise, thigh exercise
and so on...
Don't clean your plate. I know your mother might not agree, but
there is no rule that says you have to eat everything on your plate. So
next time you sit down to eat, look at your plate and leave 25%, eating
only 75% and thereby cutting as many as 300 calories from every meal.
If
it helps just scrape off the 25% right from the get go - if you are
eating out have it put in a doggy bag right away.
Add more movement to your day. An obese person spends an average of
2.5 hours more daily in a chair than a thin person. Try walking back and
forth while talking on a cell or cordless phone, use the steps rather
than the elevator, and park farther away and walk to your destination.
Don't weigh in too much. Weighing yourself every day can be
discouraging because you tend to focus on the daily fluctuations of
water retention and other factors reflected in the scale. Instead of
daily, weigh yourself at the same time every month to better see long
term trends in your weight.
Walk 10,000 steps a day. Buy a pedometer and monitor how much you
walk each day. If you aren't walking at least 10,000 steps a day, find
more ways to add steps to your day.
This will help you reach and
maintain your weight loss goals as you walk to do your various errands
and activities.
Have Your Thyroid Tested. If you are adding weight, have joint and
muscle aches, have unusual facial puffiness, or are unusually tired,
this could be the sign of a sluggish thyroid slowing down your
metabolism, causing weight gain. This can be remedied by taking the
right medications.
Reduce Stress. Stress can hinder your weight loss efforts! When you
are stressed, your adrenal gland generates the cortisol stress hormone,
which increases your appetite and triggers release of the insulin
fat-storing hormone, causing your body to hold onto fat, even if you are
eating less.
Not to mention that when you are stressed you might lunge
for those candy bars, donuts or potato chips.
That's because those high
carbohydrate goodies raise your serotonin levels, boosting your mood in
a
form of self-medication. Salty snacks raise blood pressure, which also
raises cortisol levels, contributing to a vicious cycle of overeating.
Try meditation or massages to reduce stress as well as removing yourself
from stressful situations.
There you go, 8 ways to help boost metabolism and burn more calories
while eating less. Try them, and see if you can't shed those last unwanted
pounds.
Author - Lee Dobbins
About the author:
Lee Dobbins writes for
http://www.lowcarb-resource.com where you can find out more about
weight loss.
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