I have always had a lot more motivation in Autumn in general. It's not so hot that even moving is a challenge, then again it's not so cold that I don't want to leave my house. I certainly use this to my advantage! Getting out and about is a lot easier when there is beautiful foliage to admire (which, I swear on my heart, turns overnight and lasts overnight), when I can dress in layers and not sweat to death, and when I can look forward to a nice, warm cup of tea when I get home.
If we're being honest, probably my favorite part of Autumn is the fresh fruits and vegetables available. From apples, to blackberries, to pumpkins and other squashes, there is a plethora of produce available this time of year. It makes eating well a LOT easier when I can go to the market and pick up some freshly picked apples, a nice, yellow spaghetti squash, beets and brussel sprouts for roasting, berries for cereal, salads, pies, and snacks...I could go on for days! One of the easiest ways to eat better is to incorporate more fruits and vegetables, and how could you resist during this time of year?!
Since I started losing weight, a lot of people have been asking me how I do it. If I'm on a specific plan, or if I eat certain things. So I thought I would compile a list of my favorite weight loss tips...with an Autumn twist!
- Clean Eating. If I didn't go on long enough about it earlier, let me reiterate: clean eating is delicious and easy in the Autumn. Make some homemade applesauce. Bake a spaghetti squash. Buy a bunch of different vegetables, and roast them. Your possibilities are endless.
- Tea. This ties in with clean eating...but tea is a wonderful indulgence this time of year. Cinnamon tea, Chai tea (which is delicious with a bit of pumpkin spice creamer), any type of tea is warm, delicious, and good for you. Herbal and fruit teas are nothing but complete hydration for your body, because they are naturally caffeine free. Green, black, and white teas have some caffeine, but, realistically, not enough to take away the benefits that drinking tea offers. In my opinion, if you want to get into drinking tea but you don't know where to start, pick up a tea sampler. Celestial Seasonings makes both an herbal tea sampler, and a fruit tea sampler. That way, you get to taste a little bit of everything for one low price, and if it turns out you don't like something, you're not stuck with a whole box of it.
- Get Some Exercise Every Day. Don't start off trying to exercise for an hour every day. Is that a good goal? Yes! But if you start out like that, you're setting yourself up for failure. I'm not a nutritionist, or a doctor, or anyone of actual accord. However, if you start out with ten minutes of walking, you'll be on your way. Don't forget that exercise doesn't have to feel like exercise, either. Take the kids pumpkin picking. Have a family apple picking day. Take your partner on a walk to see the changing leaves. Again, the possibilities are endless.
- Have a little bit of things that you REALLY want. The seasons (and life!) are much too short to deprive yourself, and you won't get any closer to your weight loss goals by not letting yourself have what you want. Are you craving a Pumpkin Spice Latte? Go for it! Order a small, and make it a weekly treat. Did Aunt Lois make her famous pecan pie? Have yourself a small piece. Don't feel bad about it. If you eat well between 80 and 90 percent of the time, you can really enjoy that 10 to 20 percent the way that YOU want. Nobody realistically eats well 100 percent of the time. It's a smart idea, however, to balance out those treats. A small Pumpkin Spice Latte with nonfat milk and no whipped cream still has 200 calories. Maybe instead of having dessert that night, count that as a dessert, because honestly, nobody needs to drink that many calories...and that's for a small, with no whipped cream! Let's say you love whipped cream, and you prefer whole milk. Please, get the whole milk and whipped cream. If you can live with skim milk, that's great, but don't deprive yourself of whole milk if that's what you actually want. See tip #3, and that will help you enjoy those little things, while keeping your waistline in check.
Do you love a fresh start as much as I do? Take advantage of it! There is nothing, and I truly mean nothing, wrong with enjoying the little pleasures that this season holds. Live your life, because soon enough it will be Winter, then Spring, then you're 130 and wondering where your life went. Now...I'm going to go have a latte!
xoxo,
Rachel
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