Lose Weight with a Healthy Home
Posted: Jan 09 in Lifestyle and Activity by Staff
How to start turning your home into the ultimate weight loss tool
Macon and Albany are full of places that can help you lose weight. Your bariatric surgeon’s office, your gym, your grocery store, your favorite park—all of these places can be valuable as you adopt healthy habits after weight loss surgery, but none of them will influence you as directly as your own home.
Though we may not always realize it, our surroundings play a big role in the decisions we make. Because home is where you’re most likely to relax, cook meals and prepare for exercise, having a home that makes healthy choices easier can give you a big leg up on your weight loss goals. A home with more junk food than exercise equipment can make it hard to meet your diet and exercise needs; a home filled with healthy food and opportunities for activity can do just the opposite.
Optimizing your home for weight loss is a simple task, but the payoff can be tremendous. There are many ways to make your home a healthy place to lose weight, and you can start by:
Getting rid of the bad.
Do certain foods still call out from the depths of your pantry, fridge or freezer, tempting you to break your diet? Get rid of them! Anything that will slow you down or stress you out has no place in your kitchen.
Dig through every cabinet, shelf and drawer and do away with everything that won’t meet the diet designed by your bariatric surgeon. You don’t have to send these foods straight to the dumpster—a friend, neighbor or food bank may gladly take them off your hands—but they certainly should not stay within your sight.
Of course, this may arouse some grumbling if you don’t live alone. Roommates, spouses and children who don’t share your weight loss plans may be understandably upset that you’ve thrown out their favorite treats. That’s OK—if they choose to keep indulging in these items, just ask that they be kept somewhere you won’t be likely to come across them.
Bringing in the good.
After you’ve made some room by clearing out the bad stuff, you’ll need to fill in that space with things that will promote your healthy lifestyle. This means heading to the grocery store and stocking up on the foods your bariatric surgeon has recommended. Keep these items readily available—put them front and center in the fridge to make it easy to grab the healthiest option whenever you head to the kitchen.
But remember: diet isn’t the only part of losing weight. You can use your home to make exercise easier as well. Try investing in some moderately-priced workout gear—yoga mats, free weights, exercise bands and other items can be acquired easily without breaking the bank. If you dedicate an area of your home as a personal gym, this can make it simple to meet your exercise needs, but you can also keep workout gear near the TV or computer to squeeze in a few easy reps while relaxing.
Your home can be an invaluable tool as you lose weight in Albany or Macon, but these aren’t the only ways to make a healthy home. How else have you made your home the perfect place to lose weight? Tell us in the comments below!