The Big FIVE

Trying to lose weight?  Generally how you manage the big five will have huge impacts on your success of losing it, but also keeping it off.


How are you doing with the big FIVE?

FUEL BALANCE
1. Eating every 3-4 hours to keep your body fueled evenly throughout the day.  Eat your heavier fats and carbs early in the day with a protein (see next one) so you are highly fueled to get through your day and can
burn them off before you go to sleep at night.  Make better for you food choices. =)

ENERGY BALANCE
2. Eat lean protein at each meal as this will gives the carbs a hug and slow them down in your digestive system.  This eliminates that rollercoaster carb high then crash of energy you often feel after a carb heavy meal.  This will also keep your mood even throughout the day.

DIGESTIVE BALANCE
3. Eat 22+ grams of fiber each day, including 2-3 fruits and 3+ veggie servings each day - a serving when discussing fruits and veggies is roughly 1/2 cup.  Without Fiber, food can remain in your digestive tract.  They have found upwards of 30+ lbs of undigested foods in the digestive tract of an obese person who rarely gets enough fiber (or water!)  For optimum weight loss and aid in metabolism, digestion, etc. the water rule is:  1/2 your weight = water in ounces.

FITNESS BALANCE
4.  Taking a rest day from exercise each week.  Your body needs to rest too.  =)

HEALTH BALANCE
5.  Get 7-9 hours of sleep each night.  74% increased risk of obesity if you get less than 7 hours of sleep per night.



As for me - I struggle with these - all of them.  One day I may get 1, 2, 5.  The next day 1, 2, 4, 5.  The next day 1, 2, 3, 5.  I do know the more of them that I cover in a day, the better I feel, the happier my mood, and the more energy I have to do the things I want to do. =)  I know it is gonna take practice - every day. =)