The Brunette Diaries

Super foods that help you lose weight

They say eat less to weigh less, well, not always. There are some super foods that make you lose weight by their sheer nutritional value. Now let us understand what we mean by lose weight. Lose weight = lose fat, not muscle! Losing weight involves building muscle, in fact. The more you build muscle, the faster you will lose fat. Here are a few foods that help you lose weight, the fat weight that is…

(Also read – Kick-start your weight loss plan)

Apples

An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Well, it keeps the weight gain away as well! Apples are the ideal on-the-go low-calorie snack.

Steak

Organic beef is actually good for you! The protein in beef can actually help you gain muscle and increase your metabolism, which in turn, will help you burn more fat and lose weight.

Eggs

One more food item that stacks on protein is an egg. Eggs are usually most healthy when boiled and it helps you lose weight as it builds muscle.

(You may find this interesting – Diet tips for weight loss)

Oats

Oats are filled with fibre that is good for your digestive system. This will help you lose fat easier.

Lentils

This bona fide belly flattener helps prevent insulin spikes that cause your body to create excess fat, especially in the abdominal area.

(Try reading – Eat smart for easy weight loss)

Pomegranates

Besides being loaded with folate and disease-fighting antioxidants, they’re low in calories and high in fibre.

Yogurt

Most dieticians suggest plain yogurt as a great diet food. The reason being it can stave off hunger by keeping blood sugar levels steady.

Avocado

Well, when you hear about the fat content in an avocado, you may be discouraged. However, this fat is monounsaturated fat and it increases satiety. Thus, preventing you from gorging on unnecessary junk food.

Olive oil

Just like avocado, olive oil also contains monounsaturated fat that increases satiety. Research has also shown that it has anti-inflammatory properties that prevents bloating.

Mistakes that slow down your weight loss

Ever wondered why the finish line keeps moving away from you in your race to a fit body? There are times when your fitness goals are so close yet so far. But what could be the problem? Well, we’re here to let you know just that. Here are a few common mistakes that we make which actually slow down our weight loss.

(Also read – Diet tips for weight loss)

Light breakfast

If you are one of those who have your breakfast on the run, well, then you aren’t doing your weight loss goals any favours. Although you may think that you are eating less each morning, a protein deficient breakfast is going to add to your cravings throughout the day.

(Try reading – Eat smart for easy weight loss)

Only cardio

There are some people who swear by cardio alone. Those who live by cardio will work their asses out and take the longest route to their fitness goals. Well, it’s more like following the finish line that keeps moving away without doing anything about it. Here’s the trick. Build lean muscle by incorporating strength training in your fitness regime. This will help you lose weight faster. Easier route, isn’t it?

(You may find this interesting – Kick-start your weight loss plan)

Light weights only

For those of you who do lift weights, lift heavy, or at least as heavy as you can. Research has shown that using heavier weights for fewer reps can burn more calories than using lighter weights for more reps.

Poor pre-workout nutrition

Most people want to keep the calorie intake on a minimal level when they are looking to lose weight. However, you must understand that protein will actually help you to lose weight faster. A good protein meal before a workout will help you boost your metabolism and make you burn more calories than before.

(Also read – Super foods that help you lose weight)

Diet soda

Well, soda is soda, and soda contains sugar. Although the amount of sugar is lesser in diet soda, in no way is it healthy for your body. Diet soda can stack a large amount of calories that maybe hard to burn away.

If you can stay away from these common mistakes that we commit, then your weight loss goals will be an easy target rather than a far-fetched goal.

Post Workout Mistakes You May Be Making

No matter how much effort you put into your workout, if your post workout habits are inappropriate, you’ll be losing out on your desired results. Pretty soon, you may find yourself de-motivated to work out and give up on your health goals. Therefore, it is necessary to maximise your workouts by paying attention to healthy post workout habits. Here we take a look at a few unhealthy post workout habits that you have.

(Also read – How to burn fat without losing muscle)

Cooling down

Post workout aerobics can help you cool down

Letting your heart rate and blood pressure return to normal levels cuts your risk of injury, according to experts. We hardly ever pay attention to this and return to our regular chores after a rigorous workout. The best solution is to end your workout with a light aerobic exercise to bring back your body to the normal resting levels gradually.

(Try reading – Benefits of push-ups)

Stretching

You must stretch to prevent muscle soreness

Stretching can prevent muscle soreness on the following day. Less soreness will mean you can hit the gym the sooner than ever and get back to working those muscles to attain your dream body!

Nutrition

Nutrition helps your muscles repair after a break-down workout. A combination of carbs and protein, like yogurt or a handful of nuts, is a great post workout snack to revitalize your body!

(You can also read – You can dance to lose weight!)

Hygiene

Make sure you take a shower and change your clothes after a workout

This may or may not apply to you; however, there are some people out there who don’t change their clothes or wash their bodies after a workout. Gross as it sounds, it obviously has more to it than just plain dirtiness. It can lead to yeast infections!

Sleep

Most people do not find the time to rest their bodies adequately due to hectic schedules. But what is important to note is that a good 7-8 hours of sleep is imperative for a person who works out.

(Also read – Get fit in 15 minutes!)

So the next time you think that skipping any of these things is fine, think again. Workouts can be good for you, but don’t let it affect your health!

Apps that help you lose weight

Losing weight is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it is definitely achievable. With a little motivation and dedication, you can too, reach your goal weight, and that too this year itself. Going to the gym, working out, while following a strict diet isn’t going to cut it. For the constant track of your journey as well as the progress, you need a personal trainer. A trainer that isn’t just present in the gym, but is with you 24/7. Your SMARTPHONE. As many aren’t aware, your smartphone can be of a great help in achieving your weight loss dream. How? All you need to do is just need to download these following apps, which are designed specifically to keep track on your health, on your food intake, calories, workout and many more.

1) My Fitness Pal

When you download this app, it will first take your weight, height and your lifestyle to understand what you eat, and how it can help you to lose weight easily. It cuts down your weight loss goals shorter, for like what you can achieve in a month which is really motivating.

2) Lose It!

This app keeps a proper track on your food and calories, your current weight, and prepares you a plan to focus on weight loss along with tracking your workout regime and your only job is to lose it!

3) Fooducate

Fooducate educates you about every food there is to eat. It helps you understand what harms your body, which food is rich in fibre, protein, calcium and so on. With the help of this app, you know what you eat and this way you can easily substitute the harmful junk you were eating into healthy and wholesome foods.

4) Pact

We are sure you must’ve seen a video of a girl running behind a car where her friend is seated giving her cash for running. How about you get cash for every kilo you lose? That’s what the app Pact does. It’s a weight loss app that uses cash stakes to keep you motivated and help you achieve your goals.

5) Nike Training Club

If you’re not comfortable with personal trainers or their high budgeted bills and expenses, this app is for you. Here you can get professional help from Nike’s experts and tons of workout plans from, guidance from pro athletes and celebrity trainers and much more. The app considers your requirement and plans your regime accordingly.

So, which app are you downloading next?