This post was originally submitted as a guest blog for www.countmehealthy.com The New Year is just around the corner and I have personally declared this to be my best year yet! A New Year is a great time to start fresh and new with your DREAMS and GOALS.  If you are looking to try a different approach to getting healthy this year than I have some great ideas for you! We all know that clean eating and exercise are going to move the scale numbers.  If you want to maintain a healthy weight and live a healthy lifestyle from now on than you need to make these positive changes and create new habits. Along with clean eating and exercise I have put together 5 interesting ways (you probably did not think of) to Jumpstart your weight loss in the New Year…

1-DIGITAL DETOX!

What the heck does a digital detox have to do with losing weight?? Simple answer is it will free up time you didn’t think you had.  This extra time can be used to get in a quick HIIT workout or prep and cut veggies up for tomorrows lunch. Seriously,  our devices are stealing so much of our time we are not even aware of it. I know its not easy to turn off your phone but at least put it down out of your hands for a while. Set a timer every time you sit down to your computer, get up when the time is up and move on.   So much wasted time is spent reading articles, posts, videos, etc etc….The computer can easily suck you in and 15 min has now turned into an hour.  Giving yourself a digital detox daily or weekly gives your brain a much needed break!  Take this time to possibly meditate, get to a exercise class, or cook a healthy dinner.  It all helps!

2-INTERMITTENT FASTING

Intermittent fasting is not new concept but its making a comeback and it is offering some solid benefits to those who do it on a regular basis.  Basically intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. There are several different types or approaches you can take.  Intermittent fasting does not focus on exactly what you are eating (though I recommend making healthy choices) but rather WHEN you should eat. To better understand the concept realize that most people are already fasting every night when they go to bed. With Iintermittent fasting you would extend this fast a little longer. An example would be to skip breakfast, eat your first meal at noon and your last meal at 8p.m. so you have technically fasted for 16 hours and restricted your eating to an 8-hour eating window. This is known as the 16/8 method. Research shows that periodic fasting has lasting health benefits such as weight loss, metabolic health, disease prevention and may even help you live longer!

3-START A FOOD JOURNAL

A food journal is simply a great way of opening your eyes to what you are actually consuming day to day.  A food journal can teach you about your eating habits and what areas you need to work on. To start a food journal just write down exactly what you eat in a day and go from there.  Usually a weeks worth of journaling can give you a good amount of information to work with.  Write down also how you feel each day after each meal and your sleeping patterns.  All of this information can give you some great clues about any health problems you are trying to work through. A food journal is very eye-opening personal tool for holding yourself accountable for what you are eating everyday.

4-BREATHE

Can you really lose weight just by breathing? Yes you can according to Jill Johnson the creator of Oxycise,  “Fat leaves your body through deep conscious breath”.  “Fat is made up of oxygen, carbon and hydrogen,” she explains. ‘When the oxygen we breathe reaches these fat molecules, it breaks them down into carbon dioxide and water. The blood then picks up the carbon dioxide and returns it to the lungs to be exhaled. Therefore the more oxygen our bodies use, the more fat we will burn.” Ok this sounds good and all but lets get serious…  Just deep breathing is not going to get you the bod you want but it isn’t going to hurt either.  Deep breathing is something we all need to work on as most of us who lead a busy lifestyle only draw breath from the upper and middle lobes of the lung.  Deep breathing releases tension, improves posture, helps with digestion, and strengthens the immune system so give it a try!

5-SAUNA BATHING

Some like it hot! Sauna bathing is the practice of sitting in a small room where you experience dry or wet heat sessions where the steam and high heat make you perspire. Sweating in a sauna increases your metabolic rate and offers many health benefits. Research suggests sauna bathing helps improve blood circulation, opens up pores, expels toxins, relieves stress, and promotes muscle relaxation.  Hey that all sounds good to me!  Sauna bathing can be a great compliment to your health and fitness goals for the New Year. This New Year make it your goal to get healthy for good! Remember that Health truly its the Ultimate wealth! Try one or some of these 5 ways to Jumpstart your weight loss goals this New Year! Be Well! Susie R.

Be well,

Susie R.