Obesity is on the rise because more and more people lead a sedentary existence. This makes maintaining a healthy weight more challenging. A sedentary lifestyle has become the new normal. But then what appears to be normal doesn’t always mean right. A life with fewer movements and physical activities can lead to obesity and other health problems later.
Breaking away from a sedentary life isn’t easy since it can be a part of your career or work life. Some workplace requires employees to sit for eight hours or longer. Thus, keeping oneself healthy takes more effort these days. But there’s still hope if your goal goes beyond shedding extra pounds. You’re bound for success in your weight loss journey when you pair it with creating an impact in this world in your own small way. You may be an inspiration for your friends or family who want to shed excess pounds but you’re likely to get more applause when you do it in an eco-friendly way. The following suggestions are helpful.
1. Set realistic goals
A lot of books are out in the market for your goal setting success. Regardless of the techniques each one offers, they all come to one thing – you could never attain success if you don’t get out there and move. Just act. It’s as simple as that. And make sure any goal you set is realistic enough to be achieved one day at a time. Waking up 30 minutes earlier is a success in itself.
2. Stick to your goals
One way of sticking to your goals is making a commitment unto yourself. Write down your goals and put them on your desk or toilet door. These reminders are enough to encourage you to walk closer to your goals on a steady phase.
3. Choose an impactful dream
So, you want to lose weight in an eco-friendly way. You now have two goals: lose weight and care for Mother Earth. Caring for Mother Earth isn’t just a goal, it’s a dream that can create an impact once you dive into the details and act on them.
There are groups and communities that do specific activities to save the environment, such as taking trash from the sea or shorelines, planting trees, and spreading awareness. These can be big dreams. But you don’t have to do them right away. You can start small in your own way and move to them as soon as the opportunity arises. Let your attention fall on your eco-friendly weight loss first.
4. Eat animal products once a week
Some advocates for a cleaner and greener environment go for a meatless diet. They turned vegan and compensate their protein needs from plant-based proteins. The overproduction of meat from dairy farms has raised awareness because they contribute largely to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
Eating less meat is your own way of helping the environment. Eat meat at least once a week. It may seem difficult at first but vegan dieters attested that their taste for meat has changed since they stopped eating meat. It’s only a matter of time before your taste buds get used to it.
If going meatless six days a week is still difficult, you can at least try to go meatless at least once a week. There’s the Meatless Monday movement to get inspiration from. You can also choose any day you want to stay meatless. By adding more veggies into your diet, you’re not only keeping yourself healthy, but you’re also helping the environment.
5. Buy local produce
Most local foods are organic based and have fewer chemicals on them. This means these products are safe to eat compared to imported ones, which are packed with a large number of preservatives. Walking your way to the local farm is one way of losing weight. Eating high-quality and nourishing foods supports your weight loss goals. If there’s no farm in your area, try looking for organic produce in your market.
6. Plant a garden
Gardening is a great way to lose weight. Weeding, planting, watering – all these activities target different muscles in your body. You stand, squat, sit, bend, and walk. The good thing is you’re doing all these things while having fun. And there’s no healthier produce than your own. You’re not only planting some random crops but you’re planting love and care along with it. Some even say that crops and plants are intelligent. They can sense their planter’s nutritional needs and go on producing it on their own. Whether there’s truth in this or not, fresh produce is always healthy. Harvesting your own products reduces the use of plastic bags, which helps the environment.
7. Buy local seafood
Instead of going to the supermarket, try going to your local market and buy fresh fish and other kinds of seafood. These are not only preservative-free products but are also safe from methylmercury eliminated into the ocean by industrial plants. Canned tuna and other goods may be a bit healthy but getting rid of the packaging can cause problems. Besides, you can get more lean protein and healthy omega three fatty acids from wild caught salmon and tuna than the processed ones.
8. Prepare your own meals
Preparing your own meal is healthy and fun. You’re more in control of the recipe and what you include into it. You can also adjust the size to fit your needs, which is one way of not throwing away extra or excess food. You’re also helping the environment when you pack your own lunch to work because you reduce the use of plastic unlike eating in a fast food restaurant.
9. Choose eco-friendly workout clothes
If you’re working out in a gym to lose weight, you may need some workout clothes. Workout garments that are eco-friendly are already available in the market. Choose them if ever you need to purchase one.
10. Exercise at home or in nature
Exercising at home helps the environment too. You won’t need gas to fill your car on your way to the gym and you won’t need specific workout clothes. A comfortable tee or oversized shirt will do it if you do your exercises at home. Exercise outdoors are similarly inexpensive and eco-friendly. You don’t need any electricity to keep you going.
11. Bike or walk
Biking or walking doesn’t contribute to air pollution. If your destination is a walking distance, take a walk. If it’s a little farther, use your bike. Doing any of this activity is like hitting two birds with one stone. You’re losing weight while keeping the environment clean.
