SEBASTIAN – Most people are now looking for ways to lose weight as a New Year’s resolution in Sebastian and Vero Beach. It might seem difficult with so many great places to eat in Indian River County.
The first thing you should do is join a health club. If you live in Sebastian, the Sebastian Gym and Fitness is a great place to start. In Vero Beach, we’ve heard great things about Planet Fitness.
Joining a gym will help you stay on track as you’ll meet others with the same goal. Also, some personal trainers can help you. Exercise is very important.
This system is all about improved eating habits that your body can use as fuel to jumpstart its natural metabolism. Eat the right foods and drink plenty of water. The way you eat is the most important factor when losing weight.
You will want to add proteins to your eating while limiting your carbohydrates. And, you need the right carbs. Brown rice, baked potato, and oatmeal are good carbs. Make sure you eat your carbs, you need them for energy and to help burn fat. Stay away from fried foods.
First, you will want to eat five small meals per day. You will need some carbs in the morning and at lunch. Stay away from fat.
Good foods are protein shakes, chicken breast, turkey breast, steak (lean filet mignon), and white fish. Grill it if you can.
For example, start your morning with a shake that has 20 grams of protein. Watch for sugars and calories when buying these shakes. Some of them are loaded with sugars. I prefer one called Isopure (chocolate) because it is low carb. A good breakfast carb would be oatmeal. You can stir in sugar-free jelly to give it flavor.
Your other meals should be 6 to 8 ounces of chicken, turkey, fish, or lean steak. Good fish is grouper, tuna, and salmon. And, you need a fibrous carb such as greens and salad as a side dish.
A piece of meat on your plate should be no bigger than the palm area of your hand. It doesn’t have to be exact, the meat size can be larger, just keep it reasonable.
Sometimes you can combine fibrous carbs with meats. For example, combine chicken or fish with salad and make that as a dinner option. You can season your foods for taste.
Also, no fruit. Fruits are loaded with sugars. Just keep sugars at a minimum while you’re trying to lose weight.
Five small meals per day, and don’t eat after 6 p.m. You shouldn’t be hungry on this system. No snacking.
The recommended daily intake of calories for men is 2,200 total; for women, it’s 1,900.
Try not to eat out. If you want to lose weight, eat at home. Prepare the meals yourself so that you know how they were cooked.
Most people don’t realize how many calories are in foods at a restaurant. One meal at a restaurant can be your daily calorie count, even though we’re not counting them. Chicken fajitas usually have 1,300 calories. A Greek salad usually has 900 calories. That’s way too many calories for one meal.
Making these changes to your eating habits will make a difference. Try it for seven days and watch the extra weight fall off.
Wishing you good health in 2017!