Now that the holidays have past a lot of us, even those of us who are conscious about we eat; have probably put on a few pounds, pounds that we don’t want. And most of us know that it’s always easier to put the pounds on than to take them off. However, there are some simple things we can do to make the whole weight loss process a lot easier.

First, some facts: for every 3500 calories you consume and don’t use up during the course of the day, you’ll gain approximately one pound of fat. Therefore you should increase the amount of calories burnt and decrease the amount you consume. In other words, cut down your total food intake and increase your activity level.

Easier said than done, we know. But here are some tips. Whatever you do don’t begin skipping meals to reduce your “calories in”. Here’s why. When you arbitrarily starve yourself, your body actually begins using fewer calories to operate! Over thousands of years our bodies learned to conserve energy when food was not readily available—a trait that no doubt helped us survive when we hunted for our next meal in prehistoric times but one we would cast aside today.  A better idea is to eat smaller healthy meals more frequently. You won’t feel starved and you’ll actually begin burning calories at a slightly higher rate. You see, your body actually burns calories when it digests food. In fact, it takes more energy to burn protein rich foods than any other. Studies have shown that your body uses up to 30% of the energy of the protein consumed during digestion. So by all means include small amounts of protein in your mini meals. Furthermore, if you like your food spicy, spice away. According to Ann Louise Gittleman, M.S., C.N.S., author of The Fat Flush Plan, “Ginger, cloves, cayenne, coriander, bay leaves, and dry mustard have all demonstrated a themogenic, or fat burning effect….”
 
Some quick healthy meals:

To lose weight and burn more calories we also have to get up off the couch. This doesn’t mean that we have to join the local gym or begin training for a marathon. Rather, a moderate increase in activity levels is easier and in the end, preferable.  A study recently completed by Klaas R. Weesterterp of Maastricht University in the Netherlands found that people who embraced moderate exercise had the highest overall activity levels. Their total activity levels were higher than people who exercised intensely for short periods. So walk, garden and take the stairs. Build a little more activity into your day and the pounds will fall away.

If you feel really ambitious, add some muscle toning activity as well, such as abdominal curls or leg lifts. Anything that maintains or increases muscle tone and size helps you burn more calories since it takes more energy (calories) to maintain muscle mass.

Finally, investigate other ways you can burn excess calories. One of the best new ways to lose weight is to spend some time in a far infrared sauna. Fat becomes water-soluble at a temperature of 100 F°/ 38 C° before it begins to dissolve and enter the bloodstream to be removed from the body. In a FIR Sauna fat is also removed through sweat and cellulite.   Weight loss is one of the benefits of using a FIR sauna each day for only 20-40 minute. During a session, your metabolic rate actually speeds up. A single sauna session will burn up to 600 calories, an amount equivalent to rowing a boat for 30 minutes or running several miles. Many people who have attempted weight loss through dieting and exercise alone and have not been successful, will be pleased with their results from using a FIR sauna.

Taking a far infrared sauna is the natural, healthy way to burn calories without exercising!

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