The fall and winter weather can cause you to live a more sedentary and lazy lifestyle, but if you add more discipline to your life, you can lose weight and lessen your impact on the environment. To help you shed some pounds in an eco-friendly way, here are a few tips to make you go “hmmm:”
- Think realistically about the weight you want to lose, because if your hopes are too high you run the risk of personal disappointment. This disappointment can easily lead to giving up. This same tip goes for green living changes, so start recycling and then once you get the hang of that, create a compost bin.
- Begin everyday with a healthy breakfast. Try Kashi’s Go Lean oatmeal, because it contains 9 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber, 7 whole grains and only 6 grams of sugar. Eating in the morning helps propel your metabolism, which will help you burn fat throughout the day. If you hate eating breakfast, start with something small like the frozen fruit you have from your garden.
- Do not starve yourself! If you’re trying to lose weight, this is one of the worst things you can do, because you’re body will go into panic mode and start storing fat.
- If you feel your blood sugar dropping, avoiding eating candy. At this point the first thing you feed your body will be stored as fat, so try eating nuts like walnuts, almonds or soy nuts to tide you over while you prepare a healthy meal.
- Stop drinking carbonated drinks like soda, because they contain too much sugar and may cause bloating. Plus, think of all of the plastic you will be saving.
- Drink water throughout the day to stay hydrated and to also flush out toxins. Remember, drink filtered tap water instead of bottled water.
- Start slow with your exercise habits. For example, use 5-pound weights first and gradually work up to 10 pounds or exercise for 20 minutes a day and then increase your time spent exercising. There’s no sense in over working your body, because then you’ll have to take time out to heal your muscles. Maybe start with walks to your local stores and then work up to bike riding to work.
- When drinking fruit juice, make sure you buy 100% fruit juice. Also, portion your sugar intake by filling glasses with half juice and half water. The juice will last longer too!
- Lastly, make your meals smaller in portion. Now you will have leftovers for the next day.
Keep these tips in mind and remember that all of your hard work will amount to a slimmer, leaner, stronger and more confident you. Oh, and the environment will benefit too!
Marina Hanes has a B.A. in Professional Writing and Editing from Youngstown State University. She is a vegetarian and is passionate about environmental issues and animal rights.
