Being healthy isn’t just about losing weight and changes in your physical body. It also changes the way you feel, your energy level, and most importantly relationships you have with yourself and with other people. This can be dating relationships, marriage, friendships or just in general, you will find yourself in better spirits and less drawn to negativity.
Here are some of Gina’s key tips when it comes to getting healthy and losing weight:
Ignore the Clickbait
The diet industry is a billion-dollar industry. Remember that the next time you see an ad for weight loss tea pop up in Instagram. The truth is, there are a lot of trendy new products and diets out there because there is such a demand for fast solutions. Save your money and focus on the basics. Because yes, maybe that Instagram model is drinking said weight loss tea – but chances are, she’s doing a lot more than just chug tea. It’s tough but try and ignore the temptations of constant advertising.
Listen to your body
Get in tuned to what your body feels, what your body needs. Are you hungry or are your thirsty? What kind of food do you want? Do you really need that donut, or would a banana – with natural sugars – give you the same boost? Are you really hungry, or are you tired? These are questions you need to ask yourself every day, and once you begin to tune in, you’ll begin to better understand how to properly care for your body.
Understand that it takes time
There is no such thing as an overnight fix.
Let me paint a picture: when you first start working out, you may very well hate it. Dread it. But you have a goal, so you keep your promise to yourself and put that time in at the gym. Then, maybe a month of two later, you wake up one morning and realize that for the first time ever, you’re kind of excited to go to the gym. You smile as you put on your favorite pair of workout leggings, and you hum to yourself as you pop a lemon slice into your water bottle. You crave that feeling of moving your body, that endorphin high you experience afterwards. That’s what you want. It takes time to not only adopt a new routine, but to begin to love a new routine. And that’s the secret to maintaining it.
Carbs are not the Enemy
Carbs have been getting a pretty bad rep these days. But here’s the deal – the body craves carbs. Carbs give you energy. It all boils down to the amount and type of carbs you’re choosing to eat.
Maybe swap out that white rice for some quinoa. Or try to replace your midmorning muffin with some fruit instead. Or simply try to have a smaller serving of carbs, and add more protein or veg to give your food more volume. Nixing carbs permanently isn’t the answer – it’s not sustainable and you’ll end up depriving yourself of some great nutritious foods.
Get your sleep!
You need your REM sleep in order to lose weight. When you don’t sleep enough, you’re messing with your hormones, which in turn, messes with your weight loss goals. A sleep-deprived body will produce more cortisol – a stress hormone that makes you hold onto fat. Not enough sleep also negatively impacts your metabolism. Plus, you’re less likely to skip out on a gym session if you’re too tired.
To learn more about healthy weight loss, tune in to Gina’s episode on The Dating and Relationship Show.
