7 Steps to Eating and Thinking Yourself Thin

How to Eat and Think Yourself Thin

We focus a lot on exercise and working out here on Sweet Potato Pie, for obvious reasons, most people just flat out don’t most people just flat out don’t move enough to have and maintain a healthy weight or life. With that said, exercise is only half of the equation; what you eat is the other half. Your attitude towards food can either make or break your weight loss regime. Follow these simple rules to help you slim down and keep the weight off.

The Top 4 Ways to Eat

1. Eat MUFA.

Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs for short, pronounced MOO-fahs) come from the healthy oils found in plant foods such as olives, nuts, and avocado. Include a MUFA at every meal. Incorporate a serving of one MUFA-rich food every time you eat.

2. Have a clear calorie goal

Consume four 400-calorie meals a day. Significant weight loss requires calorie control. For the average woman, 1,600 calories per day is ideal because it’s low enough to create weight loss while maintaining energy and preserving calorie-burning muscle.

3. Eat often

Have a meal every 4 to 5 hours to help control your blood sugar and hunger and keep your metabolism in high gear.

4. Eat your fiber

The easiest way to cut calories and feel full is to load up on your fiber. A cup of broccoli goes a long way to getting you to your weight loss goals than a cup of pretzels. The extra fiber keep your full while whittling your waist and keep you regular. Can’t ask for mote than that. Women should aim for 30 grams a fiber a day.

The Top 3 Ways to Think

5. Manage stress.

This emotion causes a spike in the hunger-stimulating hormone cortisol, sending you straight for the sweets. And when cortisol is high, extra calories are deposited directly as belly fat.

6. Ask for help.

Among people who have permanent weight loss, 70% reported having strong social support, compared with only 38% of those who lost and regained weight. Recruit others to join you (or encourage you), or sign up for an online support group to help encourage you and hold you accountable on your weight loss and life transformation journey.

7. Uncover Emotional Obstacles.

Sadness and anger are two of the most common reasons women overeat, but food won’t quell either one. Your diary can provide valuable insights into what may be causing you to binge occasionally. Once you start evaluating your eating triggers, you’ll be able to develop more effective strategies to deal with the underlying emotions. Keep in mind, too, that the very act of committing to a diet plan can bring its own challenges.

Weight Loss Wrap Up

Which of these tips are you doing already? Which are ones you think you struggle with? One you can absolutely achieve today is the “ask for help” tip. Be to use the buttons below to share this article with your friends so they can join in the conversation.

Hard Time Breathing? Try Yoga

Yoga Helps With Breathing

Breathing isn’t where it should be? Take up yoga and that should do the trick. According to a new study recently published in Thai Journal of Physiological Sciences yoga can improve how your lungs function.

The benefits of yoga on aging, flexibility, and stress have been known for some time, but this is the first study that shows that the ancient practice can improve how our lungs work.

The study divided 58 women and men into two separate groups. One group was told to practice yoga 20 minutes a day, three days a week for six weeks. The other group was told to maintain their normal lifestyle. At the end of the six weeks, the yoga group was found to have improved their chest wall expansion and lung capacity, for which the former is responsible for how well you are able to breathe.

Apparently, respiratory function depends heavily on how strong the muscles are that surround your lungs. Yoga strengthens those muscles, helping you to breathe better. To achieve the results the study participants all did the same five poses of Hatha Yoga at each of their sessions.

So when you’re signing up for that next gym membership, be sure to sign up for the Hatha yoga classes as well. Not only will you be more flexible, but you will be able to breath better as well.

Use Yoga to Stop the Clock

Use Yoga To Slow Down Father Time

We already know, “Black don’t crack,” but if you’d like to enhance the natural youthful beauty Black women retain well into their older years, you may want to consider taking up yoga. From Prevention.com:

Minimizes wrinkles Yoga can reduce stress by nearly a third, reports a German study of 24 women. As a result, clenched jaws and furrowed brows relax, helping to smooth away wrinkles. It may also rejuvenate skin’s glow by reducing oxidative stress, which breaks down skin’s elasticity. In an Indian study of 104 people, oxidative stress levels dropped by 9% after just 10 days of yoga.
–
Slows weight gain During a 10-year University of Washington study of 15,500 men and women over age 45, those who didn’t do yoga gained up to 13.5 pounds. Those who practiced regularly lost up to 5 pounds.
–
Eases pain Yoga is twice as effective as stretching at relieving back pain, according to another University of Washington study that had 101 people with lower-back pain do either yoga or stretching once a week for 3 months.

We all have those older relatives who are in their 60’s and easily look like they are in their 40’s, yoga just seems like it would add a little “umph” to Black women’s ability to age gracefully. Besides, being healthier, slimmer and more relaxed is something we all can benefit from, regardless of age.