Ready to Lose Weight? Take A Deep Breath

What is the easiest thing you can do to boost your metabolism, burn more calories and lose weight? Breathe deeply.

Taking time to stop and take a deep breath can do wonders for your waist line and your state of mind. Deep breathing cleans toxins out of your system, increases your circulation, calms your mind and helps you focus. Breathing deeply is also an aerobic activity that actually burns calories.

Typically, we tend to take shallow breaths, using just the top part of our lungs. This creates a back-up of carbon dioxide and slows metabolism. But spending just 10 minutes a day focusing on deep breathing brings more oxygen into your system, making you more alert and speeding your metabolism.

To get the most out of your breath, sit or stand up straight and put your hand on your stomach. As you breathe in deeply, your shoulders should be still, but your hand should move as your diaphragm fills your lungs. Now you are using your lungs to capacity, taking in oxygen and burning calories with every breath.

Eat This Breakfast to Lose Weight

Eating more protein in the morning can help you feel full longer and eat less all day.

New studies have shown that starting your day with some extra protein keep you feeling fuller so you eat fewer calories throughout the day. A study published last month in the International Journal of Obesity found that eating two eggs for breakfast helped dieters lose more weight and feel more energetic throughout the day than people who ate a bagel and cream cheese with similar calories. And the effects are long lasting - people who began their day with eggs and toast with jelly ate 270 fewer calories during the day.

Research by the International Food Information Council found that while 92 percent of Americans consider breakfast to be the most important meal of the day, only 46 percent of them actually eat breakfast seven days a week. So if you are trying to lose a few pounds, why not try starting your day with eggs, yogurt or a couple of slices of Canadian bacon? Your waistline will thank you for it!

Lose More Weight By Eating Slowly

Have you noticed how quickly you eat when you are really hungry? If you have skipped lunch, it’s easy to eat way too many calories before you even begin to feel full. Eating slowly and taking your time to savor every bite can help you lose unwanted pounds.

From the time you begin eating, it takes your brain 20 minutes to start recognizing the feelings of being full. When you eat very quickly, you can easily overeat before the 20 minute signal has had a chance to kick in. Depending on what you are eating, the amount of extra calories you consume before you begin to feel full can submarine your weight loss plans. Eating slowly, putting the fork down between bites and chewing thoughfully can dramatically reduce the number of calories your consume. So slow down, take smaller bites and enjoy your food and your new slimmer self!

Eat Chocolate to Lose Weight

Would you be surprised to hear that chocolate can help you lose weight?

Researchers at The University of Copenhagen have found that having a small piece of dark chocolate as a snack reduces cravings for sweet, salty and fatty foods, and helps you eat less. In the study, participants were given either milk or dark chocolate as a snack and then offered unlimited pizza 2 hours later. Those who had eaten the dark chocolate ate an average of 15% fewer calories than those who had eaten milk chocolate. The participants also reported feeling far less hungry, and much less hungry for sweet, salty or fatty foods. So dark chocolate, in addition to being full of anti-oxidants, can help you lose weight by avoiding some common diet pitfalls.

But before you load up on the candy bars, remember that the darker the chocolate, the better the benefits. Look for minimally processed chocolate that contains at least 70% cocoa.  Also, chocolate is a rich, calorie dense food, so enjoy an ounce or two at the most.

Drink Up to Lose Weight

Drink More Water

We’ve all heard that we should drink plenty of water. The benefits are well known. Water removes toxins from your system by flushing out all the bad stuff, it keeps our muscles hydrated and supple and improves skin tone and elasticity. But did you know that water helps your body burn calories?  Even at low levels of dehydration, your metabolism slows down and uses fewer calories. Studies have shown that people who drink eight or more glasses of water every day burn far more calories than those who drank four or less glasses per day.

Water also helps you lose weight by controlling your hunger and filling you up. Try drinking a glass of water or iced tea 10 minutes before every meal or snack. You’ll eat less and consume fewer calories, both which will help your weight loss efforts.

Drink To Your Health!

Lose Weight Fast with This Morning Ritual

If you’re a fan of the dark, rich stuff, you probably love the the boost of energy you feel after indulging in your favorite morning ritual. But did you know that the hot cup of Joe you wake up to does more than just get your motor running?

Coffee’s caffeine improves your concentration and helps you think more clearly. Coffee is also full of anti-oxidants that work hard to keep you healthy. But coffee’s best benefit may be for your waist line. Studies have shown that the caffeine in just two cups of coffee can boost your metabolism enough to burn an extra 50 calories every four hours. For the most calorie burning benefits, drink your coffee black. Cream, sugar and chocolate syrup all work against your weight loss goals.

Another cup, anyone?

Eat This and Lose Weight

Need a great idea for a healthy lunch that can help you lose weight? Try Soup!

Soup can help you lose weight because it fills you up and contains very few calories, plus it keeps you feeling full for several hours. Studies have shown that people who eat soup every day lose more weight that people who choose other foods with a similar number of calories. In fact, people who enjoyed just two servings of soup a day lost an extra 16 pounds a year!

How to eat it

Choose broth based soups with lots of veggies and some protein - like Chicken and Rice with vegetables, Tomato Basil or Egg Drop Soup. Skip the heavy cream based soups like Cheese Beer and Cream of Mushroom. Making your own soup with homemade stock and fresh veggies is a delicious way to spend some time in the kitchen, but if you are short on time, canned soups are fine, too. Just look for low-sodium varieties of your favorites.

Enjoy!

Try Toning to Firm Up and Lose Weight

Are you a cardio junkie? Many women are - spending all their time at the gym on the Stairmaster or elliptical machines. While cardio is a great way to burn calories and stay fit, don’t skip the toning.

Adding a day of toning to your exercise routine is a great way to slim down, increase lean muscle mass and sculpt your body. What’s more, toning burns calories, increasing the effectiveness of your regular cardio workouts.

Toning helps you slim down because it increases your metabolism. When you add lean muscle, you’re adding more calorie burning power, making it easier to keep weight off. Toning also helps to rebuild bone mass, preventing osteoporosis and weakening bones as you age. Add in a boost to your immunity, more energy, lowered risk of injury and a great body image and the benefits of toning are hard to top.

So add a day or two of toning to your workouts. You’ll love your firm, sculpted body and the health benefits go far beyond skin deep.

Using Your Metabolism to Lose Weight

Are you trying to lose weight, but it feels like your body is fighting you every step of the way? It’s frustrating when you get off to a great start, losing a few pounds, but then you hit a plateau. Even if you keep doing all the “right” things - cutting calories and exercising, sometimes your body just won’t cooperate.

Maybe the problem is your metabolism.

Your metabolism is the engine that keeps your body going and depending on how it’s running, it’s either burning calories and fat or storing them for later use. Knowing how to keep your metabolism in fat burning mode is the key to weight loss.

When most people start a new diet program, they drastically cut back on the calories they take in. This does  results in weight loss, but your metabolism quickly adapts, burning fewer calories as it tries to save up for the lean times to come. This is why you plateau.

Don’t cut too many calories. Eating less than 1200 calories a day puts your body into starvation mode and shuts your metabolism down. Keep your metabolism running high by eating 5 or 6 small meals a day. This will burn the maximum calories and fat, resulting in a new and slimmer you!

Lose More Weight by Drinking Water

Thirsty? Skip the diet pop and head for the faucet.

Did you know that people who drink diet pop are 30% more likely to become overweight? Want a better way to cool down and refresh? Drink water.

Researchers have found that drinking water speeds weight loss by increasing metabolic rates by as much as 30%. Water also helps to curb hunger by filling you up, preventing you from consuming empty calories in the form of high calorie soda and juice. As a bonus, water gives you a leg up in the battle of the bulge by flushing out your system, removing toxins and impurities and helping your body function more efficiently.

Try to drink at least 8 - 8oz glasses of water a day and be sure to indulge in an extra glass right before you eat. You’ll feel fuller, consume fewer calories and lose weight naturally and easily!

Drink up!