11 Small Changes for Big Results

In conjunction with my challenge for you to start with small changes, I'd like to share with you 11 small changes that can lead to big results. According to a study published in a behavioral medicine magazine "participants who made one small, potentially permanent change in their food choices/ and or physical activity each week lost more than twice as much belly fat, 2 1/2 inches more off their waistlines, and about 4 times more weight during a 4 month program, compared with those who followed traditional calorie-restriction and physical activity guidelines." The reason? The all or nothing approach is too hard to follow. When you focus on small, permanent changes, you are much more likely to be successful.

11 Small Changes For Big Results


1- Keep a food diary. Research has proven if you write down how much you eat, you're much more likely to practice portion control. People who keep a food journal typically lose up to twice the amount of weight as those who don't.



2- Don't watch commercials. It sounds laughable, but if you watch an average of two hours of television a night, simply getting up and skipping, dancing, running in place or anything to get your heart rate up, can burn about 270 extra calories a day! That equals 28 lbs. a year!


3- Limit high fat foods to one per week. This has been an idea that has worked really well for me. For example, if you're eating a few cookies each day, try going one day without eating any cookies. Each week, drop another day until you're down to one or two. As an added benefit, replace the unhealthy food with something healthy like fresh fruit, veggies, or nuts.


4- Sign up for healthy newsletters and/or e-mails - A study done by Kaiser Permanente found that people who received weekly e-mails about diet and fitness for 16 drastically increased their levels for exercise and ate more fruits and vegetables and less fat.


5- Walk 5 minutes more every day- If you are having a hard time starting an exercise program or just want to step it up a little, start off small. Even if it's only 5 minutes a day. Your goal should be to eventually reach 30 minutes each day. Also, this doesn't have to be all at one time. Go for a short 15 minute walk. Later, do another 15 minute activity.


6-Strength Train-Squats and push ups are easy ways to build more muscle. A good rule of thumb is each exercise should fatigue your muscles within 60-90 seconds. Try this mini- workout


Do 10 reps each : push ups (kneeling or regular), squats, crunches, lunches and chair dips. As your body gets stronger, you can add more reps. (It will take your muscles longer to feel fatigued.)


7-Climb 3 extra flights of stairs daily-If you can squeeze in 2-3 minutes of stair climbing (equivalent to about 3-5 floors) daily, you can eliminate the average American weight gain of 1-2 lbs. a year.


8-Take a pedometer wherever you go- Research shows that pedometer users take close to 2500 more steps a day than non-users. Over a year that adds up to burning off an extra 10 lbs.!


9-Take Your lunch to work at least once a week-A pre made chicken Caesar wrap from a chain restaurant has about 610 calories and almost half of them come from fat. Make your own at home with wheat bread, light mayo and deli chicken breast and shave off almost 400 calories which leaves room for healthier options like fruit or a side salad and still add up to a 28 lb. weight loss over a year.

10- Obey the 1 mile rule- If you are doing errands less than one mile away, walk instead of driving. Or park where you can do a couple of errands within a mile of each other. If you did this everyday, you could lose 13-17 lbs. by next year.


11- Take 10 minutes to eat a treat- If you're trying to kick that sweet tooth try this trick. Take one serving of your favorite treat. Smell it, look at it, think about it. Take a small bite chewing very slowly and moving it around your mouth. Ask yourself if you still want another bite. Repeat this time, chewing the food at least 20 times. Continue until you are satisfied, or have finished the treat. Most of the participants in this study said after awhile they didn't enjoy the treat s much as they thought they would or were satisfied with only a few bites.


Even if you can only make one or two of these changes, it will still greatly improve your health and your waistline. Write it down! Look at it everyday! I know you can do it!


Sincerely,

The Fit Mamas



*Source- Prevention Magazine*