Simple Life Hacks to Help You Stay in Shape Without Really Trying Discover a Series of Simple Tips and Habits to Kick Start Weight Loss and Help Keep Extra Weight Off Without a Diet or Exercise Routine By Drew Manning 1
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Table of Contents Introduction pg. #4 Promote Weight Loss at Work or On the Go. pg. #5 Promote Weight Loss During Every Day Chores. pg. #7 Top 5 Foods to Maintain a Healthy Metabolism...pg. #9 Top 5 Foods That Threaten Your Waistline.pg. #11 3
Introduction Not everyone wants to take the time to try a new diet or a new fitness routine. Plus, the chances of sticking to these new endeavors are low. In fact, one estimate suggests that about 95% of people give up on their diets. The reason is simple. Most diets are not sustainable. They are too restrictive to allow someone to stick to them for life. Another issue is the change in your basic routine. Switching your favorite food for a series of meals that are part of the latest diet trend is like trying to quit smoking cold turkey. Your chances of a successful transition are reduced when you go all in. The same is true with your workouts. Too much change makes the process harder. Due to these problems, most people give up. They decide that they ll never find the perfect diet or the ultimate workout. This is probably true because there isn t one perfect diet or ultimate workout. Instead, there are healthy habits such as eating balanced meals and getting regular physical activity. If you want to get in better shape, lose weight, or simply maintain your current weight, you don t necessarily need to choose a new diet or workout routine. Not when there are hundreds of little life hacks that you can use to stay in shape without really trying. Obviously, we couldn t cram hundreds of these tips into this guide, but we can give a selection of the best suggestions. Discover the best life hacks to help you stay in shape or reach your fitness goals, with a closer look at the foods that you eat and activities that you engage in throughout the day including going to work or running errands. 4
Promote Weight Loss at Work or On the Go There are plenty of opportunities in the typical workplace to burn extra calories without really trying. You just need to consider your typical work day. Where you park, how often you take breaks, and other details about your work day could provide areas for improvement. Park Further Away The first place to start is with the parking lot. Parking further away from the entrance can force you to walk a little further. You ve probably heard this tip before. But, did you listen to this advice? Adding a few hundred feet to your daily walk to the office can add up over the course of a week. It s one small step and it requires almost no extra effort just a few extra seconds to walk across the parking lot. This also works for when you re running errands. Instead of parking near the entrance to a store, find a parking spot near the back. You ll have to walk a little further, and you re less likely to be forced to deal with crowded parking spaces. You can use this same concept for other forms of transportation. Instead of taking an elevator, you could take the stairs. The same works with an escalator. You Need to Give Yourself a Break The next hack is to remember to give yourself a break. You may be aware that sitting is bad for your posture, your hip flexors, and can lead to an increased risk 5
of heart disease and obesity. Unfortunately, sitting at a desk for hours at a time is a requirement for millions of people. If you spend your workday at a desk, you need to give yourself a break. The general advice has always been to take a break every two hours. But, recent research suggests that the number of times that you stand up could be more important than the duration of time that you spend standing. In this study, one group of people frequently took a 90-second break to stand up from their desk and stretch. The other group would take a 15-minute break a few times during the day. The break time was equal among both groups, but the group that took 90-second breaks burned more calories and fat. So, instead of sticking to the general rule of taking a break every hour, you should try to take a 90-second stretch break every 20 or 30 minutes. Place a Post-it note on your desk, Is It Time to Get Up? as a reminder. Use a Swivel Footrest or a Stability Ball The next hack will depend on your work environment. If you sit at a desk and have the option of bringing in your own furniture or equipment, you should switch out your office chair for a stability ball. This is another hack that you may have seen, but it really does work. Sitting on the ball forces you to maintain balance, engaging your core, and exerting extra calories without really trying. This is also true with a swivel footrest, which provides a spot to rest your feet while keeping them active. That covers a few of the best tips for staying in shape while at work. You need to park further away, give yourself a break, and replace your regular work furniture. 6
Promote Weight Loss During Every Day Chores You can also burn a few extra calories while performing everyday chores. Think about the activities that you perform, such as taking out the garbage, vacuuming, doing laundry or dishes any of the hundreds of chores and errands that not be accomplished in a busy household. All of these activities help you burn a little energy, but you can increase the benefits with a few simple hacks. Wear Weight Straps While You Clean You burn an average of 25 to 40 calories for every 15 minutes that you spend cleaning. Wearing weight straps around your wrists or ankles can help you burn even more. You can wear these straps while you perform nearly all your chores and errands. Though, you may need to take off the wrist straps while washing dishes. These straps can also promote muscle development, depending on where you wear the straps. Stand While You Sort Mail or Write Your Grocery List Some tasks may be performed sitting or standing. And, if you have the option you might prefer to sit. Don t fall into this trap. 7
Remain standing while you sort mail, write your grocery list, or perform other tasks that don t actually require you to sit. You could stand while you check your email or call a friend on the phone. You could stand while you brush your hair or while applying makeup. Create a Cleaning Schedule The next hack is to create a cleaning schedule. You may miss out on a few opportunities to burn calories by forgetting to wash your windows or scrub below the toilet. Make a list of the tasks that need to be completed daily, weekly, and monthly. Dance or Sing While You Clean Dancing or singing while you push the vacuum around will exert a little more energy. Dancing requires movement, while singing requires more of your breath, which leads to more exertion. Dance and sing as you perform your everyday chores. Not only will you burn a few calories, you ll also find that your chores are less dreadful. Around the house, you ll find plenty of chances to burn more calories. For starters, you could wear weight straps. These will weigh you down, requiring you to exert more energy with minimal effort. You should also try to spend more of your time standing, instead of sitting. And, create a cleaning schedule, so that you ll remember to include calorie-burning activities in your daily routine. 8
Top 5 Foods to Maintain a Healthy Metabolism Now that you ve got a few ideas on how to burn extra calories at work and around the house, it s time to look at your diet. You don t need to completely change the way that you eat, but you should consider including certain foods that promote a healthy metabolism. This includes: #1 Blueberries Blueberries contain powerful antioxidants that combat harmful free radicals. These free radicals begin to build up. Eventually, they can limit your muscle growth or ability to lose weight. Without corrective action, you could also experience disease, including an increased risk of developing cancer. Add several servings of blueberries to your meals throughout the week. You can snack of frozen blueberries, use them in pancakes or waffles, and add them to muffins or smoothies. #2 Almonds Almonds are incredibly dense as far as nutrition is concerned. For the size of the nut, you get a good dose of beneficial macronutrients. This includes vitamin E and fiber. This fiber is needed in order to keep your metabolism going strong. 9
As with blueberries, you can eat almonds as a snack, add them to muffins, pancakes, waffles, smoothies, and a wide range of other meals. #3 Salmon Salmon is obviously a great source of protein. But, it s the omega-3 fatty acids that are the real advantage of this tasty fish. Improving your ratio of omega-3 fatty acids to omega-6s can help improve your heart health. Try to include a serving of salmon in your diet a few times per month. #4 Spinach Spinach is a great source of fiber. While it is most recognized as Popeye s favorite food, spinach is a superfood. It can protect you against various health issues, such as osteoporosis, arthritis, and heart disease. #5 Oatmeal Oatmeal is another great food to include in your diet. Though, this refers to rolled oat not the instant oatmeal that comes in paper packages. Rolled oats contain insoluble and soluble fiber. This soluble fiber can help slow the digestion of starches. So, by consuming more oatmeal, you can limit sharp increases in your blood sugar level. This can be beneficial for anyone that suffers from diabetes, along with those that want to lower their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. You can make oatmeal from rolled oats. Though, they are also used in a wide variety of recipes, including smoothies and as an alternative to flour for certain types of homemade bread. 10
Top 5 Foods That Threaten Your Waistline You know that certain foods are bad for your health. For example, you know that if you live off of chocolate cake that you ll eventually experience health problems. This includes obesity and an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. But, in addition to the known trouble foods, there are foods that you ll want to avoid in order to maintain your metabolism: #1 Fruit Juice Fruit juice generally contains a massive amount of sugar. In fact, the average cup of fruit juice will contain about 30 grams of sugar. Compare this to a typical cup of soda pop 28 grams. The sugar contained in these fruit juices offers no nutritional benefit. It is essentially sugar water that is added to improve the flavor and shelf life of the juice. A healthier option is to prepare your own fruit juice using freshly squeezed fruit. #2 Whole Grains The next food that you want to limit is whole grains. The gluten contained in whole grains wreaks havoc on your ability to lose weight. It also limits the ability of your body to absorb the essential vitamins and minerals contained in the whole grains. 11
You can start cutting down on your consumption of whole grains by looking for gluten-free options. This includes foods that are prepared with a whole grain alternative, such as coconut flour and sprouted grain bread. #3 Vegetable Oils Vegetable oils, including canola oil, are incredibly bad for your health and your metabolism. These substances are almost entirely genetically modified. And, they help your body to store excess fat. It slows your ability to lose weight and keeps you from reaching your fitness goals. Instead of vegetable oils, you should consider using coconut oil, olive oil, or grass-fed butter. #4 Peanut Butter Peanut butter has a little bit of nutrition, depending on the type of peanut butter that you buy. But, it also contains a type of fungus that can damage your gut. Peanut butter also contains a lot of omega-6 fatty acids, which can lead to a further imbalance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. This imbalance is connected to an increased risk of heart disease and obesity. You can replace peanut butter with almond butter. You gain the benefits of almond with a taste that is fairly similar to peanut butter. #5 Granola Granola is the final food that you want to keep an eye on. Granola is made with whole grains and sugar, both of which can impair your metabolism. You can still include granola in your diet, but you should limit your consumption. 12
Hopefully, you ve enjoyed these simple life hacks. You should first look for ways to burn additional calories at home and work. This includes parking further away from your destination and dancing or singing while cleaning. You should also pay attention to what you eat. Start including some of those healthy foods in your diet and cut back on the foods that we just discussed. In the end, better health doesn t come immediately. It is a gradual result of the healthy habits that you use. If you re not happy with your health, start small. Choose a few of these suggestions and see how it goes. If you like the results, you can include a few more tips. As you do this, you ll naturally adopt a healthier mindset. Whether you want to stay in shape or lose weight, these tips will help. And, you don t need to exert a lot of effort. You just need to give these hacks a try. Thanks for reading and good luck with these tips! 13