Naturally skinny people might be the last thing you want to hear about when trying to lose weight. However, looking at skinny people’s habits, gives you an idea of how after all, weight loss is a matter of long-term, sustainable, healthy habits, rather than short-term, hazardous fad diets and pills.
So what do skinny people do then?
Wakey Wakey, Here’s Your Breakfast!
Skinny people don’t skip breakfast. You might think it’s only sensible to avoid 300 to 400 calories by just drinking coffee, but the truth is a hearty breakfast, gets your metabolism going and prevents you from overeating at lunch and dinner time.
In fact, a recent study showed that people lost weight when they received most of their day’s calories during breakfast rather than dinner.
A big breakfast however doesn’t mean fried eggs and bacon, timing should be accompanied by quality. A typical big breakfast would include a poached or boiled egg, Greek yoghurt with berries and a handful of mixed, unsalted nuts.
Conscious, Short Burst Of Exercise Count!
Skinny people take advantage of every opportunity to exercise, it’s not that they’re exercise-addicts, they’ve just completely understood the importance of integrating exercise in one’s life.
Come to think of it, it’s much easier and time-efficient to inject a few exercise bouts in your morning or night routine rather than having to set time apart for one hour or more for exercise.
A Utah University study has recently shown that those participants who engaged in high-intensity, short sessions of exercise achieved a BMI decrease.
Warm up and engage in less than 10-minute long sessions of high-intensity exercise. It could be anything from Zumba to running to jump rope workouts, just as long as it gets your heart pumping!
Nature Lovers
You know what else, skinny people do? They love being in nature. What that means is that they won’t sit around their desk, office-bound for long.
They take lunch in the nearest park, or at an outdoor bistro nearby. They walk to work just to get to see the Fall scenery timidly setting in. They’re in touch with nature and this keeps them active and aware of its health and mental benefits.
It might be hard to get off the couch, with the remote in hand and your tablet on your lap, but the first step only is the hardest. Get out of the house after your early dinner, walk around, meet a friend outside, become part of nature again. Refusing to make do with a sedentary lifestyle is part of losing weight efficiently and sustainably.
Water And Water-Filled Foods
This idea has been around for many years, drinking water especially 2 hours before a meal, reduces your calorie intake as you are more likely to eat less because you’re feeling somewhat full from the water.
A recent study showed something impressive yet very common sense at its core. By simply monitoring water, fruit/vegetable intake, counting one’s steps and weight is sufficient for maintaining one’s weight. Simple as that!
But don’t just drink water, opt for water-filled foods, eat watermelon, oranges, cucumbers and berries, these are filled with water. They will quench your thirst and make you feel full easier.
Opting for a soup or a salad as an entrée is a great trick for filling up and eating less from the main dish.
Morning Routine Makeover
Do you think it’s a mere coincidence skinny people tend to be so zippy in the morning? We think not. What makes them so lively is that they start their morning with a bit of exercise.
No, that doesn’t mean a 45-minute jog, it means much simpler things like a 5-minute Yoga sequence, a 7-minute workout session of jumping jacks, lunges and squats, just to get body and mind awaken.
And this shouldn’t be limited to your morning. It’s not that hard to integrate physical exercise throughout your day. Got a phone call? Pace around the room or balcony.
If you meet your friend twice a week for coffee or lunch, why not use that 2 hours for a joining a Pilates class? Take the stairs, walk to the grocery store, and take the bike to go to the farmer’s market.
It’s all about making smart choices that let you be more physically active.
Treat Tweaking
A skinny person doesn’t skip dessert, they’re just smarter about it. Dessert is about relishing mouthwatering flavors a true feast for the eyes, so it’s again quality over quantity.
Adjust your desserts, order smaller portion sizes, share with your friend or partner, skip the extra chocolate chips or ice cream scoop on top of that brownie. Small adjustment of this level help cut back on calories, while you don’t feel deprived of treats.
Sleep Well
Naturally slender people sleep well, they opt for a good night’s sleep to properly rest and rejuvenate themselves. But rest is not the only benefit of sleep. A recent Berkeley study confirmed how sleep deprivation is associated with junk food cravings.
Insufficient sleep makes you more inclined to opt for a meal high in fats or sugar. Apparently, sleep deprivation prevents you from making wise eating choices, the MRI the researchers examined showed that when sleep deprived, our brain activates those centers related to rewards, hence our urge for junk food!
Skinny people know no magic, they’ve simply figured out how an overall healthy lifestyle, enriched with health-promoting habits helps them maintain their ideal weight and promote their longevity.
Stanley Burnett is the expert in nutrition and fitness, with over 6 years of experience in teaching other people how to lose weight healthy with the right diets and exercises. In his spare time he publishes extensive reviews of natural diet pills available in the United Kingdom market.