Gardening and Losing Weight
Losing weight can be a daunting task. How can you incorporate healthy diet and exercise into your daily life in a way that's fun and rewarding? Having your own garden will give you an enjoyable creative outlet and a different way to exercise. You'll be able to spend time outdoors, tone your body and accomplish something at the same time. With the variety of nutritious vegetables and fruits your garden produces, you'll have access to healthy low calorie foods at all times. A garden sounds like a recipe for weight loss success!
Let's start with the facts about fruits and vegetables as a part of your weight loss program. Most fruits and vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber. In order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in. If you substitute low calorie fruits and vegetables for higher calorie foods, you will lower the number of calories you are taking in. The fiber in the produce will help keep you full, even if you are eating less. Make lean protein, vegetables and fruits the main food sources in your diet and you'll trim calories and fat.
Here are some easy ways to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your diet:
- Start your meal with a fresh garden salad topped with low fat or fat-free dressing
- Prepare cut vegetables and low-calorie dip to take to work as a snack
- Substitute vegetables for cheeses and white pasta at dinner ' add veggies and herbs to whole grain pasta or brown rice
- Keep a bowl of whole fresh fruit in plain sight so you can grab a piece of fruit when you are hungry
- Don't skip dessert ' try fresh berries or melon balls with low fat yogurt or frozen yogurt
Getting all of that fresh produce to your table does take a little bit of work, but that's an additional benefit of gardening if you are trying to lose weight. Gardening provides moderate physical activity and weight bearing exercise that will help burn calories and build muscle. The more muscle you build, the more calories you will burn even when you are inactive.
You can burn up to 400 calories while working in your garden, depending on your intensity level. You can use a wide range of motions in gardening, and work out a number of muscle groups. Start your gardening workout with a brisk five to ten minute walk and some stretching to warm up.
Jeffrey Restuccio, the author of 'Get Fit Through Gardening' recommends creating a gardening routine in which you alternate more strenuous activities with less difficult ones. Try raking or digging for ten minutes, then weeding or some gentle lunges, then back to raking.
Wouldn't you rather get outside and reconnect with the beauty of nature than climbing on the same old exercise equipment day after day? Enjoying your garden is a great way to burn calories and tone your muscles without getting bored. And when you bite into the fresh and delicious foods you have grown, you'll be even more satisfied with your decision to start that garden.
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Gardening can help boost your mood and your health. Gardening is also a great way to lose weight, so get out there and enjoy the outdoors.