Dieting and weight loss can be a daunting task to get motivated for. Enhance your results and your motivation by starting your day the right way.
- Eat Right: Start your day by eating within the first hour of waking up; doing so will promote a quicker metabolism throughout the rest of the day. By keeping the calories low (300-400) and the protein high (35-55grams) you are giving your body the boost it needs to get going in the morning, with enough protein to hold you over until snack or lunch time. Be sure to include berries, whole grains and veggies in your breakfast to make it a balanced breakfast, making your body happy. Some ideas for a healthy well rounded breakfasts are: oatmeal with berries, a breakfast burrito with spinach, yoghurt and granola, or eggs benedict.
- Get Moving: A quick 15-30 minute workout is sure to kick start your metabolism and increase your energy for the day. Making time to work out in the morning can be hard, but for a busy mom with kids to feed after work the morning is often the only time available. Find quick workouts you can do in your living room while the kids are still asleep, or head out to take the dog for a morning run instead of a morning walk. Be sure to follow any workout with stretching.
- Hydrate: Staying hydrated is key to a balanced and healthy body, and by drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning you will boost your metabolism and curb your empty stomach, which might tempt you to snack on and drink unhealthy things from the vending machine at work. Pack a reusable water bottle with you every day and use it as your go to drink when you are thirsty instead of a sugary juice or tea.
- Pack snacks: By bringing healthy snacks to work you can avoid the ever so tempting box of doughnuts somebody keeps leaving in the break room, and eat a smaller lunch. By snacking throughout the day, we avoid binge eating at the end of the day (binge eating leaves us prone to weight gain). Pack your snack each morning before work to be certain that you are eating on a regular basis and that it’s healthy.
- Visualize the Day: Be mindful and prepare yourself mentally for the day. Be ready to face challenges that test your will when it comes to sticking to your diet. Are you ready to walk right past that plate of cookies that the receptionist brought in to share? Do you know what you will be eating for lunch and dinner? Plan ahead so that your diet isn’t this big elephant in the room to work around when you are starving after work or on a time crunch during your lunch break. Pack a lunch or plan to eat a light healthy meal at the deli down the street. Know what you are going to eat and when so that your hunger and time limit doesn’t push you into going to the drive-through.
