Small Steps to Weight Loss Tips: Day 7
May 7, 2011 by Kim T
Filed under Stay Motivated
Welcome to Day 7! In today’s weight loss tip, I recommend that you take the only two supplements I take just before breakfast every day: a multivitamin and an Omega 3 supplement. Here is why:
Think of the multivitamin as your nutritional insurance policy. You need B and C vitamins to support a healthy metabolism, which is the rate at which your body converts food into energy. Chances are, you aren’t getting enough if you aren’t eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables every day.
The Omega 3 fats, which are found in fish oil or flax seed oil, can help you lose body fat. In an Australian study, participants took in the equivalent of 1.9 grams of fish oil per day plus exercised aerobically for 45 minutes three times per week. The combination of fish oil and exercise lowered their body fat levels; another study showed that diets rich in healthy fats decrease belly fat levels in particular.
Finally, healthy fats increase your food satisfaction level because fats take longer to digest and makes you feel fuller longer. So I recommend that you take a high quality fish oil supplement of at least 2,000 mg just before breakfast.
You can substitute flax seed oil if you have seafood allergies. However, you should consult with your health care provider before taking any supplement, especially if you are currently on medication.
You can get the brand of your choice at a local drugstore or order them online.If you don’t have these supplements right now, don’t worry. You get credit just for obtaining the supplements today or for planning when you will get them.
Here are the brands I use that work well for me:
Alive Whole Food Energizer Vitamins
Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega
When you do get the supplements, just put your daily amount on your bedside table along with your water before you go to bed. When you arise in the morning, take your supplements with the water you normally drink in the morning.
This is what your morning routine looks like now:
- Drink 1 glass (16 oz) of water
- Take your multivitamin and Omega 3 supplement
- Do 10 minutes of stretching before shower
- Practice portion patrol
- Practice mindful eating
I’m only able to login at night, so I’m a day behind. But thanks for doing this. It is really helping! Happy Mother’s Day!
I’m glad it is helping – keep up the great work!
I am already taking a multi vitamin & fish oil ; but have always taken them after a meal . Just wondering if before or after a meal makes any difference .
Hi Maria – thanks so much for your comments – To answer your question about when you should take fish oil and your multivitamin…I take mine after a meal as well because that is what the instructions recommend. Vitamins can cause stomach upset in some people if they take them on an empty stomach so I’d recommend you stick with taking them after a meal.
I think along with being mindful of portion control and mindful eating, I really need to pray for deliverance of glutony, I just can’t seem to stop in the evening’s after dinner. I have tried tea and just about everything else. Pleae keep me in prayer, there is strength in numbers.
I work part time, and when I get home I eat dinner. I then feel really sleeping. I sleep for about 4 hours, I know I can sleep more. Then I stay up untill 2am. Then off to bed I go. Do you think that I am not eating the right way, since I feel sleeping. Do I need for veggies, and fruits? I then think , can it be a medical thing?
Hi Rose – I am just catching up to the posts here. I am praying for you and I have a question for you. Regarding gluttony, you say: “I just can’t seem to stop in the evenings after dinner.” Do you really believe that you can’t stop? I am curious about your beliefs on that. Think about it and post back.
Hi Linda – I appreciate your question. I recommend that you eat more vegetables and fruits because it’s generally a good thing to do health-wise, but it’s hard to answer your question specifically because many things can cause you to be sleepy in the evening. For example…do you get up really early in the morning? Do you eat a large dinner at night (heavy on the bread, pasta, rice, or junk food)? Is your part-time job mentally or physically stressful? Do you drink a lot of caffeine (coffee, tea, Red Bull)?
Here’s an example: I eat a healthy dinner, but I start getting sleepy around 7 pm. I generally sleep for 2 hours, wake up and then stay awake for about 2 hours before going to bed for real. But I trace it to the fact that I typically get up around 4 or 5 a.m.! So it makes sense that I’d start getting sleepy around 7 pm because by then I’ve been awake for about 15 hours. I am a true morning person.
You might want to look at your own sleep pattern and see for yourself how many hours you are awake. Here’s a good article that may help: http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/hot-topics/five-clusters-sleep-patterns.
Caffeine may also be a culprit: http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/caffeine-and-sleep
God bless you!
I currently take a multi-vitamin, 1000mg of vitamin C, 4000mg of Cinnimon and it has some metabolism thing in it too. I used to take a fish oil vitamin but I never noticed a difference. I will start taking one again in the morning.
p.s. that is weird to me to hear you both say that you take a 7pm nap???