Tuesday, February 2, 2016

7 WAYS TO REACH A HEALTHY WEIGHT

Thanks to my genes, I have always remained relatively "thin", however my metabolism has slowed down, quite noticeably in the past year now that I'm in my mid 20s.

I don't believe in obscure weight loss diets, starvation or meal skipping. Despite my metabolism dip, I have successfully maintained my healthy weight range and kept weight off unwanted parts. Today I want to share my diet and "exercise" tips with you.

My Oil free lunch option


BIG BREAKFASTS
They don't say breakfast is the most important meal of the day for no reason!
I love having big breakfasts to fuel and prep my body for a good portion of the day. Think of it as priming your face... except you're priming your body.


OIL AND BUTTER
A few years ago my father suffered some abdominal problems and as a result, he has not been able to eat anything with more than a smidge of butter or oil. Dad lost a lot of weight and changed our eating habits as a family (i.e., more boiling and steaming), it also heavily influenced my own cooking/baking style.

You will not find butter in this house, I will use olive oil, but it's no more than a small teaspoon when it is absolutely necessary. Outside of the house, I will consume butter and oily foods just so that my body does not become completely intolerant.


Drinking Stay Lean Tea (stay tuned for a review!)


DRINK TEA
Tea is a natural diuretic, so drink up. My personal favourites are jasmin, lemongrass & ginger and my beloved Genmai-Chai (green tea combined with roasted brown rice - the aroma is absolutely amazing).


CHEW MORE AND FOR LONGER
I am the a very slow eater because I like to chew my food thoroughly. Research has indicated that calories can be significantly reduced simply by chewing your food for longer. I don't found calories, but it makes sense, your body will take longer to break down half chewed food.


WALKING
I don't generally have time for the gym. Once the weekend is here, I work intensively on my blog and find places to eat for Instagram (@theweekendfoodie).

Thankfully, my job is fluid and on the go. I have the option of driving to appointments and meetings, but I chose to catch public transport/walk as much as possible. If it's under 25 minutes on google maps, I'd walk it. This racks up my pedometer where I'd average between 8000-12000 steps per day.

Compare that with a day in the office, roughly 700-1000 steps per day.

Shanghai 2014 - We took a walk under the lanterns and snowflakes

SLOW STRETCHES
Before bed I like to do some stretches to target key areas, my body is not in proportion, I usually gain weight around my tummy and thighs. In order to keep my body some-what toned and less flabby, I'd complete a selection of "slow stretches" i.e., 20 reps of slow and sustained squats and/or the "bridge" pose to help strengthen my lower back, thighs, abdominal and buttocks.

A good stick figure Yoga pose picture here.


SNACK REPLACEMENT
Snacking healthy is hard, but it's do-able. I have a sweet tooth, so instead of lemon crème biscuits I found Greek Yoghurt to be the perfect replacement (especially alongside a cup of cherries). I also snack on celery/carrot sticks and seasoned seaweed packs from Korean Shops.

I started to notice a small muffin top so I decided to substitute yoghurt and fruits for lunch for a week, it worked quite well.



What are your diet/exercise tips?

9 comments:

  1. Great tips Lily! At the moment I'm trying to cut out bread and sugar as much as possible. I feel so much healthier when I eat this way. It's hard though!

    Di from Max The Unicorn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sugar is such a hard one, i have a lot of difficulty staying away from cakes and ice cream lol. But now i keep discovering really yummy yoghurt haha

      Delete
  2. Genmai Chai sounds delicious. I wonder if I will be able to find it.

    Angie | Chocolate & Lipstick | Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle Blog

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ive been getting my supply from japan, ive looked through t2 and they didnt have any. Let me know if you find some in aus!

      Delete
  3. Great tips! I think listening to your body and what it needs is the best way to look at a lifestyle change. Once you start eating better, bad foods taste bland and more nutritious foods taste amazing! If you haven't tried it, coconut oil in cooking is amazing! http://authoritynutrition.com/why-is-coconut-oil-good-for-you/

    Kate | themintedblog.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you kate :) ive been using coconut oil in my baking rather than butter. But im also cautious of the high amount of saturated fat in coconut oil :(

      Delete
  4. I really need to do more walking, and try getting off my bus one stop earlier xx

    Gemma ♥ | Miss Makeup Magpie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Its amazing what 60 mins of walking and 20 sit ups before bed can do :)

      Delete
  5. Like my mum says, everything in moderation! Switch up your exercise routines and walk rather than take a bus!

    ReplyDelete

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