Raring to do more for your environment?
Want to lead a greener life and, in the process, lose some weight too?
If your answer is YES to either of these two questions, please proceed. Even if you say a NO, please spare some time to go through this article.
Going Green has become a widespread norm in the past few decades, for a good reason. Building sustainable clean habits will not only reform our lives for good but will also help Mother Earth to heal herself. As increasingly more people look for ideas to live a healthy, stress-free green life, it is high time to try a few hacks to reduce waste, save money, and, in the process, lose weight too. So, without much ado, here are some of the easy life hacks that I follow to lose weight (and I urge you to follow too 😊)
Following a plant-based diet
Let me tell you something: I am a vegan. No, I am not the ‘meat-eater-becoming-vegan’ kind of vegan. I have always remained vegan since I was born. I have never had meat all through my life (even eggs, for that matter), and neither my parents. However, asking you to follow a plant-based diet may sound easy for me. But, it may not be easy for you if you are a meatatarian. So, all I am asking you is to try switching to a plant-based diet at least for a few days at first. Based on your palatability and other dietary preferences, you can try going vegan in the long run.
Bring on some good fats with a BANG!!
Yep, you read that right. We can lose weight by incorporating some good fats into our diet regime. You would have probably read that for sustainable weight loss, one must follow the 80:20 rule (i.e.) 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. While creating a calorie deficit by speeding up the metabolism can provide you with the results you seek, following a proper dietary regime is also necessary. Therefore, try including good fats in your diet by consuming avocados, olive oil, nuts like almonds and walnuts, flax seeds, etc. They are vital for the smooth functioning of your immune system and can even provide you with glowing skin. So, next time when you see either of these items, ditch your fear of fats and have a good munch 😉
Walk the weight off
Engaging in any form of physical exercise is highly beneficial for your body. It helps ward off any unnecessary ailments, keeping you hale and healthy. For adults aged 18-64 years, WHO recommends at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the week for more significant health benefits. So, instead of going by car or any other form of transport, wherever you go, try to walk. It may seem strenuous at first due to time constraints and other factors, but in the long run, you may find this habit beneficial as it helps you keep your weight in check. Walking is also an excellent way to help our environment. By taking a walk, we are cutting off the unnecessary CO2 emissions and the usage of fossil fuels.
Get proper sleep
Getting proper sleep is necessary for the smooth functioning of the human body. By getting an adequate amount of sleep every night, you can keep your hormonal levels in check. If you have difficulty falling asleep every night, you have a chance of becoming obese by 25%. For an hour of sleep deprivation, our body needs at least four days of sleep to recover. Having a good amount of sleep every day has a two-pronged benefit for the environment. Here is how:
- By getting good sleep every day, you will end up eating less (as lack of sleep affects hunger-regulating hormones), which will eventually reduce your overall carbon footprint
- To get more shut-eye, one must turn off all forms of gadgets and lights, which will reduce the overall energy consumption, thereby reducing the CO2 emissions.
Try working out in the open
Everyone knows that diet, sleep and exercise are three pillars of sustainable healthy life. So, the next time you work out, try exercising out in the open. Be it cycling or walking or jogging or any other form of exercise you intend to do, try to do it in the open air. Fresh air will aid you not only in sweating better but also will help you to unwind and relax. If you cannot keep up a set time for your workout, you can also take up some short breaks like taking a stroll in parks, cycling, etc., which can tone down your weight in the long run.
Eat home-cooked foods whenever possible
We all lead busy lives. Amidst our professional and personal commitments, many of us don’t get enough time to cook our meals, thereby relying on takeaways and fancy restaurants. Though the outside foods are tasty, nothing can match the quality and comfort of home-cooked meals. With home-cooked meals, we can customise the portion and nutritional value as per our preferences, which isn’t possible with restaurant meals. Additionally, as most junk foods and processed foods are heavy in calories and carbohydrate value, they can make a dent in your weight loss spree. More so, by eating home-cooked meals, we are cutting down our carbon footprint (also, we don’t have to deal with extra cutleries and unnecessary packaging).
Do your outdoor chores
Want to mow your lawn?
Are you thinking of replacing your turfgrass?
Want to blow the snow?
Do these chores by yourself instead of using a push mower or a snowblower. Doing these outdoor chores is arduous and needs more time and effort. I get that. But by doing these, you are burning extra calories and saving the environment by cutting off excess energy consumption.
So, these are some of the life hacks I am following to lose my good ol’ weight (and I am urging you to do too). Following some of these hacks may sound difficult to you (I struggled to follow these regularly). Still, it can be beneficial to you in the long run. These practices will also aid you to keep your weight in check (if you are already fit enough) or help you to shed some extra pounds (if you are aiming at weight loss). Do let me know if there is something else I need to add to this list or if you have any other eco-friendly weight loss ideas 😊
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References
- Physical activity. (2020). Retrieved 27 December 2021, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity
- Nunez, K. (2020). The 5 Stages of Sleep Deprivation. Retrieved 27 December 2021, from https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep-deprivation/sleep-deprivation-stages#recovery