Ana Jacqueline - Latina Mom. Motherhood, Fitness, Travel... Life

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Five Things To Add To Your Weight Loss Routine

When we start thinking about wanting to become healthier we usually stress ourselves out thinking about the things we need to eliminate. I’m pretty sure just the thought of it has probably kept you from starting in the past. I mean, it’s definitely happened to me.

Just switching my focus to the things I will add to my daily routine as opposed to the things I need to stop eating or cut down on, always makes it much easier for me to ease back into a healthier lifestyle.

My fitness goal this year is to shed the rest of the baby weight and build muscle but especially to feel better, stronger and healthier in general. Here are the things I have added (or re-added) to my daily routine this year.

WATER BOTTLE TRACKER

This is one of those things you will not know how much you needed until you get it. Water bottle with time tracker. Especially in the colder months, it’s harder for me to drink anywhere near enough water. I have had this bottle for two weeks now and have either reached my goal or exceeded it every day since!

I fill the bottle first thing in the morning, add lemon, and start sipping away. Of course you can just track your water intake on your own to make sure you are reaching your daily goal but this bottle not only takes the thought part out of it but the time tracking feature really motivates me to hit my goal every day.

COLLAGEN

If it is nott already, collagen should be at the top of your list of things to add to your daily routine as a woman. As we age, our bodies automatically produce less collagen (which is responsible for keeping our skin hydrated and youthful) but supplementing with collagen peptides helps slow aging by reducing dryness and wrinkles.

I also love that collagen helps boost muscle mass, reduces joint pain and helps your nails and hair grow longer and healthier. There are other benefits you can read up on.

From day one, unflavored Vital Proteins collagen has been my favorite. I just add it to my afternoon green tea. Best part of all is it doesn’t change the flavor at all! There are also flavored versions but personally I do not like them. Just much easier to be able to add the unflavored one to your coffee, green tea, or protein shake.

GREEN TEA

Like I just mentioned above, green tea is another daily for me. Named one of the healthiest drinks ever, green tea helps with fat loss, improves brain function, protects against cancer, along with other benefits. This one is an easy no-brainer for me.

MONK FRUIT SWEETNER

The only added sugar that I typically have on a daily basis is in my coffee and tea so I started looking for keto friendly alternatives to brown sugar and have been loving this monk fruit sweetener.

Just to clarify, I am not doing keto but I am trying to limit processed carbs and sugars so this has worked great for me. It taste pretty much just like brown sugar with no after taste which is the issue I had with most sugar alternatives I have had in the past.

DAILY MULTIVITAMIN

This is another one that should always be part of your daily routine. I am currently taking Nature Made multivitamin which includes iron. I supplement with iron so I prefer a multivitamin that has it as opposed to having to add another capsule.

CONSISTENT WORKOUTS

How many workouts you want to set as your minimum a week is up to you but I have it at four. Which means that every week, my goal is to get at least four, 30-minute workouts at home. You can go to the gym, do your own thing at home, look up routines on YouTube, go running, sign up to a fitness class. Whatever makes you feel good about moving your body, do that. Remind yourself why you are doing it and keep going.

If you don’t hit your goal one week, no biggie. Start fresh the next week.

Of course there are certain foods and habits that you will need to reduce but take it one day at a time. Start off with adding these to your routine and slowly cutting down on other things like soda, cookies, fried foods, and so on. Also, notice that I said reduce as opposed to eliminating. Especially if you want this to be a lifestyle, it’s all about balance. You can eat and drink anything. We just need to find a balance between learning to fuel our bodies to becoming stronger and also enjoying food because it’s just so delicious.

Threw another one in there so those are six things I have added to my daily routine as I work towards my fitness goals, that will hopefully help you too!

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You may also enjoy: Why Is Bikram Yoga So Good For You and Fun Workout Classes To Try.

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