It’s not easy to keep that healthy lifestyle going at picnics and parties, and once in a while it’s good to give yourself a break, but if you’re looking for tips on how to stay on track this weekend, you’ve come to the right place.
- Bring your own water bottle. Keep refilling it with water and stick with H2O instead of a sugary soda. You’ll be saving calories. If soda is a treat for you, stick with the real stuff. Unless your doctor suggests that you should be on diet soda, new research is showing that sugar replacements might increase weight gain rather than reduce it.
- Dessert Share. Grab dessert for everyone sitting around your picnic table. If you’re all friendly, try one bite of everything your might be interested in. Then go back for the one you’d like the most. This will keep you from actually eating one of everything, but you’ll get a little taste of everything.
- Laugh often. If you’re out with friends, just have a great time. Try to make each other laugh. Vanderbilt University did a study that shows laughing burns 1.3 calories per minute. That’s a lot of laughing to lose weight, but every calorie counts. And when was the last time you laughed too hard? Even if you laughed until your cried you probably didn’t over laugh. Not to mention laughing works the core, so if you laugh hardily, you’ll be getting a Pilates workout.
- Bring a Pilates Exercise Ball. Sit on this instead of the typical chair you might have brought. It will work your core and posture without your even realizing it. And I can almost guarantee laughter will ensue amongst your friends. Just make sure if you’re sitting outside you don’t put it down on anything that can puncture it. You wouldn’t want it to pop while you’re on it.
So basically have fun. If you’d like tips on staying active this weekend, check out yesterday’s blog.
