5 Healthy Weight Loss Tips

When the New Year rolls around, many of us tell ourselves "I'm going to eat healthier" or "I'm going to lose weight" or "I'm going to exercise everyday for an hour" ....the list goes on!  How many of us are sticking to those goals we set, and how many of us have already let those resolutions slip by the wayside?  It's a challenging time of the year, however with a few simple tips you can get back on that path to success.

Here are a few tips to get you back on track... in your quest for health and wellness:

1 - Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates include all starches and sugars. They are the body's main source of energy. Each gram of carbohydrate provides 4 calories. Most foods contain carbohydrates. The main sugar in food is sucrose, which is everyday white or brown sugar. Other sugars include lactose (found in milk) and fructose (found in most fruits and many vegetables). Starches are a more complex form of carbohydrate. They are more filling and contain more nutrients than foods with lots of sugars, fats, or oils. Foods containing starches include beans, breads, cereals, pasta, and potatoes. For so many people, carbs are "taboo"!  If you want to reduce your carbohydrate intake, particularly if you have a history of choosing refined sources that do not offer much nutrition as their high fibre counterparts, make sure you are getting enough of the healthy carbohydrates, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Choose legumes, beans and peas more often as well, as they are low in fat, a source of protein and fibre.

2 - Fat

Fats pack a lot of energy. Each gram of fat provides 9 calories. There are three kinds of fat: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Animal and dairy fats, which remain solid at room temperature, are saturated fats. Saturated fat is often called "bad" fat. Unsaturated fats include vegetable fat and oils; they remain liquid at room temperature.

3 - Protein

Proteins provide energy at 4 calories per gram, but they are more important as the body's building materials. Muscle, skin, bone, and hair are made up largely of proteins. In addition, every cell contains proteins called enzymes, which speed up chemical reactions in the body. Cells could not function without these enzymes. The body uses proteins to make antibodies, or disease-fighting chemicals, and certain hormones such as insulin, which serve as chemical messengers in the body. (Other hormones, such as the female hormone estrogen, are not made from proteins.) Meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs, cereals, legumes, and nuts are all good sources of protein.

4 - Meal Timing

Don't forget about meal timing.  Try not to eat within at least 2 hours before bed, unless for some medical reason you have been advised otherwise. If you are not as active in the evening as you are during the day, the calories you take in are more likely to be stored as fat.

5 - Exercise

It doesn't have be a lot to start.  Just make sure you are doing something, and increase to 60 minutes daily to help promote weight loss. They say that physical inactivity can be as hard on your body as smoking!

SO GET ACTIVE!