In our last Facebook post, https://www.facebook.com/bodyagefitness?ref=aymt_homepage_panel we discussed how carrying any excess body weight makes everyday activity harder. And since we also have people often asking us about weight loss tips and what is the “quickest way” to lose weight, we thought of combining our answers in today’s post.

After being involved in the Health and Fitness industry for 30 years now, we have witnessed that people who go through rapid weight loss programs most often regain all the body weight they have lost (and sometimes even more) in faster time than it took them to lose the weight in the first place!

We would strongly advise you to try to make losing weight a “lifestyle change” and aim at losing 1 to 2 lbs per week maximum!

The reality is that even though there are many different weight loss programs around, our society continues to struggle with an obesity problem.   We need to realize that something else needs to be tried in order to lose weight and be able to maintain this healthy body weight level!

Many of our clients have achieved and been able to maintain their desired body weight by adapting some healthy lifestyle changes/modifications.

Here are a few, easy to do, changes you can make to your lifestyle, beginning today:

– Breakfast is the most important meal of the day – NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST!   Good breakfast provides your body and brain with fuel following an overnight fast. ( Your are Breaking – the – fast!) Without breakfast, your body is running on an empty energy tank.  Complete meal with some carbohydrates, protein and healthy fat are easy and quick to make. We often choose a protein shake for breakfast.

– Drink more calorie free liquid (a.k.a. water!): Drinking a glass of water before each meal has been proven to help people be more aware of the size of the meal they will eat. Being well hydrated during the day also help people who confuse being dehydrated with being hungry!

– Only eat one plate per meal! We know this sounds like an obvious one but believe us when we are saying that many people have a really hard time understanding that in order to lose some weight, they do need to eat less than before!! By eating only one plate of food per meal ( The smaller the plate is the better!**) and by truly taking the time to enjoy and taste the food you are eating you will become fuller quicker and end up eating a smaller amount of calories per meal!

** Research has proven that eating a meal in a smaller plate full of food feels more satisfying than a large plate with that same amount of food on it!

– Share more often: When we eat out, we will often share appetizer and if we decide to eat dessert we will always take only one dessert and share it. Eating a meal with someone can definitely be a social event. Sharing the meal will allow you to eat less while still enjoying a bit of everything.

– Since summer is here, it is a great time to minimize starchy carbohydrates (rice, pasta, breads…) and add more fresh fruits and vegetables to your meals. Try to make a rainbow in your plate at each meal by including different colours fresh fruits and veggies.

The above tips will help anyone managing their overall intake of food. Start TODAY!! People, go for Quality Meals instead of Quantity!

Eat Smarter – Train Harder – Live Longer!

Michel & Svetlana