The thought of losing weight to many, brings visions of being involved in brutally demanding cross-fit classes, spending hours a day in the gym pouring in sweat, going for long runs or working with an expensive personal trainer several times a week. Add in the expected dreadful and boring consumption of dry vegetables and chicken all day long and this can become un-motivating before many even get started on their weight loss journey.
Oh, and if you don’t throw up a few times from some hard workouts you “aren’t doing what it takes to succeed”. Or at least this is what all the hyped up headlines of people in the internet world may have you thinking…
Losing weight and looking & feeling your best doesn’t have to be this way. In this short article we are going to give you 7 simple, tried and true weight loss tips to help you succeed in your journey without all the formerly mentioned, ill-conceived acts being required.
These following 7 weight loss hacks can help even the laziest of lazy shed a few pounds, so let’s get to them…
Weight Loss Essential #1: Prep Meals Before Your Week is To Start
Simply taking an hour to bake or grill 4-6 chicken and/or turkey breasts to toss them in some stir fry with vegetables and grape seed or olive oil, should net you a lot of meals for the week that you can split up in Tupperware bowls. This of course, is just one quick example of many.
This will save you time and money from eating out or snacking on bad food choices. Just one hour can keep you more disciplined for your week ahead to help you shed some pounds.
A helpful app that can give some awesome meal ideas in relation to your meal plan is called “FitMenCook”. You can find it on google play for Android or in the Apple store if you’re an Apple phone user.
Weight Loss Essential #2: Take and Have Water with You
This is something you should always have on hand. Whether it is a big gallon, jug or a few small water bottles, have it on hand. This alone will help keep you hydrated, your body healthy and unnecessary calories from other beverages away. A good habit to develop, is drinking a full glass of water every morning when you first wake up.
Weight Loss Essential #3: Prepare Healthy Snack Bags “To Go”
With some protein powder, nuts, chia seeds or whatever your likes or recipe call for, you can quickly make a bunch of no-bake snacks that you can have at arm’s length when you need a little something in between meals that will support your weight loss efforts. There are tons of great, healthy snack recipes on Pinterest or with google searches for them.
A few of my portable favorites are found at Costco:
- Hard boiled eggs that come in 2 packs for travel. These are a great (and cheap!) source of protein.
- Almonds and Pecans. Portioning these out in sandwich bags work great for grab snacks and easily fit in pockets or carry-on luggage.
- Kirkland protein bars. These essentially mirror Quest bars both in taste and nutritional content. Good source of protein and nice fiber content without excessive amounts of sugar.
Weight Loss Essential #4: Stock Up on Frozen Veggies and Berries
Having plenty of healthy frozen veggies and berries on hand along with some seeds and some protein powder in the cupboard make for great fast, delicious and nutritious shakes that will have you feeding your body correctly when you feel the need to throw something together quick at home in less than a few minutes.
There are loads of tasty recipes to be discovered all over the internet for you to try and many books with an endless amount of ideas here as well. Way better than reaching for the chips and dip.
Weight Loss Essential #5: Don’t Stock Up on Snack Foods
If your cupboards don’t have bad food options, then you don’t have the option to grab anything bad when you’re hungry. This trick alone has helped me personally keep myself in check through the years. We are all human and when our hunger signals are screaming loudest we naturally want to gravitate towards sugar, salt and fat, which in excess contributes greatly to a larger waistline.
Don’t tempt yourself here when going to the grocery store. Write out a list of all the healthier options you will take home and only allow yourself access to grab at. Allowing a cheat meal or two for the week is okay.
Weight Loss Essential #6: Pack Your Gym Bag
Having a plan is a sure way to at least be on your way to success. Have your gym bag at the door with your shoes, gym clothes, watch and maybe even a bottle of water and post workout protein shake if need be.
Many of us who are not morning people may not have the clearest head in the morning to remember everything and this is one less thing to scramble or rush to do before running out the door to get your day started. Be prepared for success!
Weight Loss Essential #7: Drink Coffee Before Working Out
Coffee has sometimes gotten an unfair & bad rap through the years, but it deserves a nice pat on the back for its positive benefits it gives us. Aside from having antioxidant properties, tasting good and giving some extra “pep in our step”, coffee aids our body in fat loss. It has been shown that coffee helps the body preserve glycogen and may encourage body’s use of fat as fuel during workouts.
It is important to note here though that your coffee should be free of sugar and that means none of the streamlined creamers or whipped cream, sugar loaded coffees at the drive-thru. Simply adding some stevia, cocoa and a few drops of peppermint oil adds value (cocoa has great health benefits) and taste!
You can also add a few drops of vanilla extract oil and a little cinnamon powder as well. Many options and ways to go about keeping it clean here!
Be Like Nike and “Just Do It”!
When it comes to starting, sometimes you just have to get started by jumping in with some simple basics to get going. These 7 easy tips should have you off on the right foot with your journey to a fitter and healthier version of yourself.
Masculine Wellness is here to continue guiding you along with more help on your workouts, nutrition tips and more but it all starts with deciding to make those first steps today. Decide to put your best effort forward today – for your kids, your family and most importantly, you!
Wishing you best in wellness,
Roger Bowman
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