Now that the holidays are officially over, it’s a good time to refocus and get back into a routine of healthy eating and exercise.
The first thing on the agenda is to clear out the pantry and fridge of all the remaining holiday food. Restock with healthy and wholesome items, such as lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, nuts and whole grains.
Start your day with a healthy breakfast that includes lean protein, whole grain and fresh fruit, such as whole grain cereal with skim milk and fruit. You don’t do yourself any favors by skipping breakfast to save a few calories.
The body will reduce its metabolism to make up for the lack of morning fuel, and as a result, your evening hunger will increase, causing you to eat too much later in the day. A recent study showed that breakfast eaters who are trying to lose weight will lose one-third more pounds than their non-breakfast-eating counterparts.
Healthy snacks include fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, whole grain crackers with reduced-fat cheese or peanut butter, hummus, raw veggies, yogurt, and milk.
If you’re trying to shed a few holiday pounds, avoid the temptation to cut calories too drastically. Low-calorie diets cause the metabolism to slow down, making weight loss difficult.
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