Time spent being a couch potato is time spent completely sedentary—and not spending calories. And often, being a couch potato goes hand in hand with mindless snacking. Consider this: Successful weight losers watch fewer than 10 hours of television per week. I recommend that you spend these hours better by doing something that will increase your fitness, help you manage your weight, and reach your new body goal. You might take a walk after dinner or play a game of Frisbee with your kids.
Engaging in as little as 15 minutes of light physical activity within 30 minutes after eating helps contribute to your caloric expenditure goal, curbs late-night food cravings that lead to snacking, and can help you sleep more soundly, too.
9. Keep your cup half full
Research suggests that people who are optimistic are more successful at changing their behaviour, including eating healthy and losing weight. Being optimistic is about focusing on what you can do, rather than on what you can't do. The focus is on gaining rather than losing—gaining health versus losing weight. Being optimistic is self-empowering; it's taking back your self-control. The difference between those who succeed in life and those who don't is that those who succeed make no excuses. They take action in the direction of their goals. You have the knowledge and the ability to do the same.
10. Supplement smart eating
Even the healthiest eaters can fall short of the daily requirements of certain vitamins or minerals. I know I don't always eat the best that I could. Some days I fall short on vegetables, some days on fruit, some days on grains. When I'm visiting my family, having dinner at a friend's home, or travelling, I'm not able to plan the menu to ensure that I get what I know my body needs. Taking a multi-vitamin and -mineral supplement helps me ensure that I get a basic amount of all the essential vitamins and minerals that I need for health. I'm a big believer that a pill shouldn't replace a balanced diet but, rather, as the name suggests, supplement it. Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) each have a specific role in the body, and I need a daily dose of them to ensure that my body is functioning optimally. Health Canada recommends that all women of child-bearing age take a daily multi-vitamin. Before taking a supplement, consult with a registered dietician or physician.
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Excerpted from Good Life Fitness 6 Weeks to a New Body, copyright 2009 by Maureen Hagan. Used by permission of Penguin Group (Canada).All Rights Reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except with permission in writing from the publisher.
