Lean, fit, well-toned. These are words that you come across often, don’t you? Which situations do they fit in most?
When you have to go for a beach vacation, a cousin’s wedding, the date you had been eyeing since long, X-mas or New Years’ party etc. It means you have to look slim and trim, period!
How to become slim has a different version to it when it comes to your diet or workouts. Walk more, drink plenty of water and exercise daily are some of the few regular ones.
Well, here we show you many more simple changes in your daily routine that will help you go a long way in becoming thin.
Let us find out how to get slim:
What is Slim Body?
A slim body is not an optical illusion. It is a methodical process by which you can look thinner for the “big day”. And that can happen through the right type of diet and physical fitness. Is having a slim body the same as weight loss? Does one thing lead to another? Or is there any difference?
Slim vs Weight Loss?
Sounds tricky, right?
Look in the mirror – your answer to this dilemma lies there. Weight loss could mean a lot of physical training and mental challenge to reduce pounds, whereas going ‘Slim’ could mean a little less, but nevertheless hard work to be done.
Here Is The List Of Changes For How To Become Slim:
Simple Steps. Effective Gains. Here’s how to go slim
1. Drinking-Water:
Description: Start your day with a glass of water or two. This gets your metabolism active and going. It also helps remove toxins from the body.
Note: Drinking water is zero-calories drink. Reduces the urge to keep on eating and controls hunger
Tips: Cut out on tea/coffee intake and make a switch to water (or green tea). You will feel the difference within a day or two.
2. Walk After Your Meals:
Description: Are you a Couch Potato? Don’t like running, exercising or going to the gym? There is still a way to go slim. Just walk for 10 minutes, after you have had your meal.
Note: A walk post-meals is a quicker way to burn calories and speed up digestion.
Tips: Even a 5-minute walk after each meal improves blood sugar levels. Skip a couch and go for a small walk.
3. Choose Leaner Protein Foods:
Description: Did you know, protein keeps hunger between meals at bay and helps in weight loss? The trick is to go in for ‘lean protein’.
Tips: Eggs, soybeans, lean pork loin, seafood, are good examples of lean protein foods
4. Eat Mindfully:
Description: Eating is required, but not overeating.
Note: Cut down on comfort eating and binge-eating. Also never delay eating, when hunger pangs strike you.
Tips: The best way to eat mindfully is to eat during the day and ‘STOP EATING’ after 8 PM.
5. Eat More Fiber:
Description: When you eat fibre-rich foods, it gives you a “fuller” feeling. This boosts weight loss.
Note: High fibre foods score high on the health front, and weight loss too.
Tips: The best way to include fibre in your diet is by having breakfast in the form of oats, muesli and whole wheat flakes. Also, include fruit with every meal. In fact, start your meal with a bowlful of fresh salad.
6. Eat Until You’re Satisfied:
Description: There are hundreds of reasons that encourage you to eat more, without you realizing it. And if you stop yourself from eating sidelining your ‘hunger’, you are bound to add on calories.
Note: Eat to your satisfaction, but don’t stuff yourself. Remember an overflowing jar always spills! And that leads to a bad impression.
Tips: Put slow and “ear-satisfying” music in the background while you are eating. That will lift your mood and make you a judicious eater.
7. Eat At Home:
Description: Eating out almost every day in urban homes is a new fad. When you eat at home, you are on your way to a healthy lifestyle, less of calories and weight loss.
Note: When you eat at home, you have more control on how the food is being prepared, how much of oil and salt is being put, etc.
Tips: Limit your food outings in a week. You will see the difference in your waistline.
8. Eat Less Salt:
Description: Salt is salt but extra salt is added to foods in the form of preservatives. The “extra” leads to bloating.
Note: Did you know a packet of potato chips has 500 calories and will need 45 min. running time to burn it? It is best to be avoided. It will help you lose weight.
Tips: Please, go low on Salty Snacks (e.g. namkeen, potato chips, high sodium pickles, or processed foods high in sodium). They are going to add tons of calories to your waistline.
9. Go For Whole Grains:
Description: In breaking down whole foods, our body burns twice as many calories as compared to processed foods. The fibre found in whole grain foods is not only linked to weight loss, it can also reduce the flab on the belly.
Tip: Whole grains, when consumed, reduce the inflammation of blood vessels, thereby dipping the risk of heart diseases.
10. Make Half Of Your Plate A Fruit Or Vegetable:
Description: Fruits and veggies are high in vitamins, fiber and minerals. The best part is they’re low in calories. This helps you control your weight and blood pressure too.
Note: In the habit of buying “canned”, “dried” or “frozen” vegetables and fruit? Do compare food labels. Also, choose products that have the lowest amount of sodium and added sugars.
Tips: Include more colour on your plate. The world of vegetables and fruits – gives tough competition to flowers, don’t you think?
11. Limit High Fat, Highly Processed Foods:
Description: Weight gain, chronic disease – all come from processed foods. And what makes processed foods? Artificial colours, artificial flavours, preservatives etc.
Note: Did you know the source of 61% of your calories? It’s Processed food! Which means Coca Cola is not to be blamed alone, even processed foods (they are higher in saturated fat, and sodium) are to share the blame for the calories you put.
Tips: Swap processed foods for “real” fresh food. Only then, can you get back to real, healthy living.
12. Increase Baseline Activity:
Description: The low level of physical activity does have a contribution to weight gain and calorie build up.
Tips: Regular physical activity, either by walking, jogging or playing sports, increases baseline activity and reduces the chances of bulging waistline
13. Run:
Description: Always run. It helps you burn calories, suppress appetite hormones, and reduce stress.
Note: As per research, running leads to “afterburn”. It means more calories are burnt for 2 hours even after you have stopped running.
Tips: Used to walking? Add a bit of jogging. The combo of running and jogging will help you burn more calories.
14. Do Push-ups/Squats:
Description: Push-Ups is one of the most effective exercises to burn calories.
Note: 15 minutes ONLY is needed for push-ups/squats. You will be happy at the results! Will make it look as if you have spent lots of time sweating in the gym.
Tips: Burn fat, tonearms and legs in no time. And, without equipment! Just get on the floor and do simple push-ups and squats.
15. Include Regular Exercise:
Description: Want to burn excess calories? Start exercising. It is the best way to lose fat.
Note: Dancing, weight training, walking down the stairs are a few exercises that can get you to stay in the best of shape.
Tip: Take a friend along in your regular exercise sessions. This will minimize boredom, and get you more interested in keeping at it.
16. Manage Stress:
Description: Research says – elevate your mood and shed stubborn pounds.
Note: When we fail to relax, our diets fail. When we are stressed, we are more vulnerable.
Tip: Hey, Relax! This is the best way to manage and come out of stress.
17. Get More Sleep:
Description: Sleep is not meant to stay agile and active. It also helps in losing weight.
Note: According to researchers, good sleeping habits can successfully help in weight loss.
Tip: Sleep duration of 7 to 8 hours every day will conserve more energy and reduce hunger pangs.
These “Seventeen” Tips will surely deliver. You need to be positive and willing to executing them.
How To Become Slim In a Nut Shell:
- Control the habit of emotional eating
- Avoid taking sugar and refined carbs
- Pay special attention to include fruits, veggies and high-fibre foods in your diet
- Avoid eating foods that might not be as healthy as believed. A case in point – multivitamins.
- Include healthier foods in your ration list. By this I mean, “nuts”, “Greek yoghurt”, “berries”, “soybean”, “Tofu” etc.
- Walk up the stairs (in your house or office) several times a day
- Clean your house or garden at least, on weekends, or alternate days.
- Buy pre-cut veggies (from the dept. store or online). Though they are slightly costly than bulk veggies, they are better off for those of you who have the habit to keep snacking.
- Skip second servings, unless you are hungry like anything.
- Skip having Soda. Did you know, ‘Zero’ calorie sodas and drinks give you pounds and excess of them?
After following these tips on how to stay slim for a week, you may start tracking your progress using a weighing scale. If you’re guilty about going overboard on your cheat day, then you may boost your exercise routines.
After making all these smart choices of maintaining your weight, you shouldn’t put the brakes just yet. You may take the advice of a dietician, who you can talk once a week regarding your eating highs and lows.
Do not change your exercise routine either because even if you start to grow slim, you’ll still need to work out.
[su_spoiler title=”Sources” style=”fancy” icon=”chevron-circle”]fashionlady.in
Img: gymbeam.com[/su_spoiler]
