Tips for losing those extra pounds

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By Eileen Renders

Sometimes it is not that our weight is not healthy, it is our lifestyle that is lacking. Being one’s desirable weight can often appear unhealthy or undesirable to ourselves. This might be because we are a bit flabby, lacking muscle tone, and our weight is not proportionately distributed. What might be needed is a new approach to how we look, and can directly affect how we feel about ourselves.

We may be resistant to change, to making that extra effort to make changes in our lifestyle. Perhaps we are people who never much cared for working out at the local gym, and we are not into Sports. We are all entitled to make changes in our own way, that is a given right to each of us. To institute changes that will become easy to maintain, we want to ensure those changes are of the type that we can stick with. Whether it is riding a bike, taking out a kayak, or long walks with the dog, consistency is the key.

Here are some tips to help you get started on your journey to a new, renewed you;

  1. Avoid using Table salt (Sodium chloride) increases water retention, therefore increases blood volume and taxes the heart by working harder, and can increase blood pressure.
  2. Avoid overly processed foods, and opt for fresh fruits and vegetables. Overly processed foods are those found in a box, a bag, or a can. They often include artificial dyes, excess Sodium, and other additives.
  3. Avoid refined white sugar, including drinks high in sugar. To flush the body, and avoid unhealthy calories, drink more water to remain hydrated. Add a drop of Vanilla or Almond extract into your water for a non-sugary taste.
  4. Avoid deep-fried foods that are heavily breaded, especially when choosing fast foods. They are very often not using healthier oils such as Olive oil, and heavily coated breaded foods provide no nutrition, only empty calories and oils that may not be healthy when consumed in excess.
  5. Eat a healthy salad before your meal, and this may encourage one not to overeat.
  6. Rather than cakes, cookies, or pies, try a dessert in a nice Sundae dish with a bit of frozen yogurt (less fat), fresh fruit, Light whipped cream, and a half teaspoon of Hershey’s syrup. And drop in a couple of pecans or almonds.
  7. After your evening meal (6 or 7 pm} do a 10 or 12-hour fast until morning. Caution: This may not be recommended for those who are diabetic
  8. Begin slowly, and institute a daily 10 – 15-minute walk, or bicycle ride.
  9. It is recommended to eat slowly and fully digest your food, also it takes 10-15 minutes until your body recognizes that the appetite is satisfied.
  10. It is strongly recommended before taking any Supplements or Herbs to obtain your Doctor’s approval. Any information found in a Research article is not meant to be a substitute for your doctor’s recommendations. Certain conditions and or medications could cause a negative reaction.

Eileen Renders is a retired nutrition counselor, health research writer, author, and publisher with 13 published titles on www.Amazon.com She founded the First Wellness Center in Atlantic County in 1995 and was a provider for Cigna and United Healthcare.