Last week I talked about losing those last few pesky pounds that you may be struggling to get rid of. The last few pounds are always the hardest to lose. As hard as it is, it is not impossible. Here are a few ideas to get that last little bit of weight to take a hike:
Clean Up Your Diet
I hear you already: “But my diet is clean”. I know, I know, I hear it all the time. Quite frequently we think our diet is clean. Even with all the best intentions there can be some room for improvement. Have some not-so-clean choices made there way into your diet without you realizing?
The best way I have found to find room for improvement is to track your eating for seven to ten days. You need to track everything that enters your mouth from a small sample of a sauce, an innocent bite of a friend’s meal, cleaning off your child’s plate and beverages including water.
By tracking your food for an entire week or more, you will have an accurate picture of your eating during the week and on weekends, when you are on a schedule and when you are not.
Tracking your food will not only help identify where you may have fallen off track with your clean eating but will also show you where there may be room for improvement.
Ensure Proper Nutrients
Part of cleaning up your diet is making sure you are consuming all that your body needs to be healthy. Failing to feed your body the nutrients it needs can force your body to think its starving and actually cause weight gain.
Your body needs calories and even fat to maintain proper functions. As backwards as it sounds, increasing your calories and your healthy fats can take your body out of starvation mode, provide the fuel you need for intense exercise, and ultimately help you lose those last few pounds.
Drink More Water
Pointing out the obvious: our bodies need water. Water helps our bodies flush out toxins, can help speed up our metabolism, and helps burn calories.
So, how much water is enough? There are many different views on how much water you should drink. I strive for at least half my weight in ounces each day (example: 150 pounds would be 75 ounces of water) and that doesn’t include what I drink when working out.
Staying Away from Alcohol
I have yet to figure out a way to include alcohol in a clean diet. Trust me, I continue to work on how to make this work. At the end of the day, alcohol is empty calories and promotes fat storage. Alcohol makes you hungry and has also been proven to loosen inhibitions to make poor food choices.
Increase Intensity
While majority of these tips have been food consumption related, we can’t ignore activity levels. While increasing quantity of exercise isn’t a bad idea, increasing quality may be all you need. When you are working out, make sure your intensity is where it needs to be.
If you are one of those that struggle with managing and maintaining intensity, a heart rate monitor might be a good idea. Your fitness level and age can help you determine where your heart rate should be.
As difficult as it can be to shed that last bit of weight, it is not impossible. With some hard work, commitment and dedication you can get there. Stay tuned next week for some help on maintaining that weight once you do!
