This article is part of 6 Weeks to a Better Body, my free online course available to readers. Start following it today to look and feel better.
Sometimes, the success or failure of your weight loss program depends more on your daily habits than on the food choices you make. The little things you do as part of your routine can affect how much food you eat and how much you move throughout the day. If your daily habits aren't healthy, you're not likely to lose weight in the first place and even if you do, the weight will probably come back.
There are (at least) five healthy habits that will help you lose weight. These are simple activities that are easy to incorporate into your daily routine. Pick one and try to practice it this week. If all goes well, pick another one. Try to master one skill at at time so you don't get overwhelmed.
5 Healthy Habits to Help You Lose Weight
- Watch what you drink. Start to monitor the calories in the drinks that you consume. There areseven drinks, in particular, that can have a big impact on your total caloric intake and on the type of food choices that you make each day. Your best bet is to drink water. You can even make flavored water at home to replace your high calorie sodas and sweetened teas.
- leep better. Believe it or not, the quality of your sleep can have an impact on the food choices you make during the day. It can also impact the number of calories you consume from soda or coffee drinks. Use these simple tips to sleep better so that you get a full night's rest and wake up energized for a full day of healthy activity and good eating.
- Build a balanced exercise program. If you completed last week's tasks, you've already begun to exercise every day. Now it's time to create a well-rounded workout routine with different types of physical activity. You'll learn how to build a body that is lean, strong and flexible. If you don't belong to a gym or need help finding exercise classes, consider using a fun and easy online workout to get the activity you need.
- Increase non-exercise physical activity . Your daily workout is very important. But if you go to the gym for an hour and spend the rest of the day sitting in a chair or laying on the couch, you are probably doing more harm than good when you exercise. Learn how to increase your daily activity level so that you burn more calories with NEAT, non-exercise activity thermogenesis.
- Set up daily reminders. Surround yourself with supportive people and healthy reminders that will help you keep your plan on track. You can do this by connecting with people who eat well and exercise at work or in your neighborhood. Set up dates to exercise or cook healthy meals together.You should also subscribe to healthy messages online and in social media. Researchers have found that daily reminders can have a big impact on weight loss success. Subscribe to my newsletter, connect with me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter. I'll help you stay accountable and mindful of your weight loss goal.
Remember that last week's tasks involved planning healthy meals and exercise. Continue to complete those activities as you move through this e-course and build a better body.