Tips to Track
If using fancy apps seems too daunting,
research suggests there’s still merit to the old pen and paper.
Monitoring our food intake with a food diary can help to lose and maintain weight [80]. In fact people who stick to food diaries are more likely to lose weight than those who don’t [81] [82]. Recording each bite helps us be aware of not only the foods we eat, but when, and how much we eat them [83].
52. Use an app a day
A new study in the Archives of Internal
Medicine found that using a mobile device was more effective in helping
people lose weight than tracking diets on paper [84]. Apps
like Fitocracy, MyFitnessPal, and StrongLIfts help users track daily
activity, food intake, and gamify weight loss by awarding points for
workouts. Tracking with the help of apps may help us regulate our
behavior and be mindful of our health and fitness choices.
53. Get trackin’
Writing stuff down may be helpful, but
it’s tough to accurately gauge how much we move every day (and not just
on the treadmill). Invest in an on-body device like the BodyMedia trackers or the Nike+ FuelBand
to monitor energy burn. Or invest in a pedometer to track daily steps.
Studies show that individuals who walk more tend to be thinner than
those who walk less, and pedometer-based walking programs result in
weight loss [85] [86].
54. Point and Shoot
We can write down what we eat, but when
we look back a week later we may have a tough time visualizing exactly
what a meal looked like. A quicker, and perhaps more telling,
alternative is to take photos of each meal. A small study showed that photographic food diaries could alter attitudes and behaviors associated with food choices more likely than written diaries [87]. Grab a camera and get snapping!
Tips for Exercising
Pack your playlist with upbeat tunes. Research shows music that has 180 beats per minute — like, say, "Hey Ya" by OutKast — will naturally prompt a quicker pace [88]. Plus, music serves as a distraction, which can help take attention off a grueling gym sesh.
56. Avoid injuries
Right when you’re all gung-ho about
hitting the gym and getting fit, there’s nothing worse than a pulled
hammy or pesky shin splints. Read up on how to avoid the most common yoga injuries (often from over-stretching and misalignment), and running injuries (like stress fractures, pulled muscles, and blisters) to make sure you’re in tip-top shape to get in shape. Make sure to get in a good warm-up, too. Studies show we perform our best and better avoid injury after warming up [89] [90].
57. Choose Free Weights
We’ve already praised strength training,
but it gets even better when you set yourself free. And by that, we mean
step off the leg-press and start squatting
with a pair of dumbbells. Working out with free weights can activate
muscles more effectively, and as we’ve learned, muscle can torch
calories [91] [92].
58. Get functional
Functional exercise
has been shown to increase strength and balance and reduce risk of
injury all while working multiple muscle groups at the same time [93]. All that movement promotes muscle gain, which can increase metabolism, which can over time help shed fat [94]. Added bonus: Functional exercises can help make real life tasks, like hauling groceries up the stairs, a lot easier.
59. Swig some caffeine
Getting a morning jolt from java may be a part of your daily routine, but sipping some coffee before a workout can actually boost endurance during exercise [95] [96].
How’s it work? Caffeine slows glycogen depletion (the starch our bodies
turn to for energy during exercise) by encouraging the body to use fat
for fuel first [97].
60. Let go of limitations
Getting a good workout in isn’t limited to a gym or track, use your bodyweight or build a home gym to get that sweat on.
61. Partner up
A new study suggests we perform better on aerobic tasks like running and cycling when exercising with a partner [98] [99].
Hitting the gym with a friend, coworker, or family member can also
increase accountability, so grab a buddy and try out some of our
favorite partner exercises like medicine ball lunge-to-chest passes, and reach-and-touch planks.
62. Don’t rely on the monitor
Gym machine monitors
(like on a treadmill or elliptical) may not be so reliable. They
sometimes display higher calorie burn, and we may overcompensate and eat
too much.
63. Strength Train
Pumping iron not only gives us sexy muscles, but can boost resting metabolism (that means burning more calories outside the gym) plus improve mood and confidence [100] [101] [102] [103]. Lifting a little weight can also help us sleep, another factor in effective weight loss [104]. If we haven’t convinced you to take to the dumbbells quite yet, there’s also this: Strength training takes just a couple weeks to see results and reep the benefits!
64. HIIT it
High-intensity interval training
(HIIT) combines periods of intense effort with periods of
moderate-to-low effort. What’s so great about it? Interval training
burns more calories and boosts metabolism significantly longer than a
steady workout of even longer length [105] [106]. Added bonus: Interval training gets more done in less time.
65. Get hot in bed
Working up a sweat in bed can burn more than 144 calories in just a half an hour. Having sex also reduces blood pressure and overall stress levels (and stress can lead to weight gain) [107]. Need we say more?
66. Stand up
It may sound ludacris to peel your tush from a desk chair at work, but sitting all day has been linked to obesity, poor posture, and chromic pain [108]. Try a sit-stand workstation to switch things up and burn some more calories.
67. Step on it
A simple phrase for losing weight is to move more and eat less. The secret here is that moving doesn’t just
mean hitting the track or going to the gym. Make the conscious decision
to get more steps into the day by taking the stairs, having a walking meeting, or parking the car far away from the grocery store entrance.
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