Tips For Healthy Weight Loss

Long-term weight loss comes from making healthy choices on a daily basis. These choices become habits, and good habits become the foundation for a healthy lifestyle.  Here are a few tips to help you make healthier choices so you can get the results you want.  TAKE YOUR TIME! The safest & most permanent rate at which to lose weight is one pound per week.   To lose one pound of fat, you must burn 3500 more calories than you consume (500 calories x 7 days a week = 3,500 calories).  EXERCISE! Not only do you blast away calories while you're exercising, but you continue to burn a higher number of calories for up to an hour after you've finished your workout!  Boost your daily calorie burn with cardio & increase your muscle mass by strength training. Muscle is active tissue, and requires many more calories on a daily basis than fat does. DRINK WATER Keep yourself hydrated to keep your metabolism working strong. You need at least 8 cups of water daily and more when exercising. Avoid beverages with calories: alcohol, juice, soft drinks. (Avoid artificially sweetened soft drinks, too. Even though they have no calories, they are toxic to your body and they lead to sweet cravings.)  SLEEP In order for your metabolism to function properly, your body needs enough sleep each night to repair itself. If you get less than 7 hours of sleep per night, hormones that make you hungrier are increased and hormones that make you feel satisfied are decreased.  GET SUPPORT! A partner, friend, family member or AAY! trainers & members can all be of great support. There is no reason to "go it alone." We all need someone to lean on at times.