Whether your goal is to ditch the unwanted love handles, avoid being body shamed, get a chiseled physique to impress your significant other, or just to enhance your overall well being, we’ve got you covered! There are many fad diets that claim to be your shortcut to weight loss but they more often than not make you eliminate an entire food group and end up being nutritionally unbalanced. There are many components that come into play during weight loss. It’s not effective to just stick to one meal plan and put the other components on the back burner. If you want to live a healthier life when shedding weights, read on for more tips.

Detox: Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated is the best way to flush the toxins out of your body, make you appear more radiant, and boost metabolism. Juice cleansing has taken the world by storm and even the less health-conscious individuals are slowly jumping on the bandwagon. We highly recommend drinking cold-pressed juice regularly to remove the toxin from your body, purify your skin, and boost the immune system. Cold-pressed juice is made by using the hydraulic process to extract the juice from vegetables and fruits and since there’s no heat produced during the process, it keeps the nutrients intact and kills off the unwanted bacteria. It has been shown to combat chronic illnesses and aid weight loss.

Meal Breakdown

A balanced intake of macronutrients like protein, fat, and carbohydrates is essential. If you completely eliminate one macronutrient from your diet, you may wind up with nutrition deficiency. Some fad diets suggest you restrict your intake of carbohydrates whereas the Dietary Guideline for Americans recommends having a diet of 1,200 calories a day with at least 130 grams of carbohydrates to maintain your brain and central nervous system functions. There’s no one size fits all for weight loss and health so tailor your own meal plan instead of recklessly following the trend.

Use Mindfulness to Lay Off Unhealthy Habits

Psychiatrist and addiction expert Judson Brewer suggests that we can use mindfulness to harness our brain’s habit-forming process to build more nourishing habits and lay off unhealthy cravings. Our habits are more often than not formed and triggered by context-dependent memory. The best way to lay off unhealthy habits is through acknowledging and being mindful of the repercussions of our unhealthy habits. The learning process is called negative reinforcement. For instance, you can quit smoking by being mindful of how you hate the smell of it and then transform the wisdom into behavior. By being disenchanted with your behavior, the prefrontal cortex, the youngest part of our brain will understand on an intellectual level that the behavior is unhealthy and help us suppress the cravings.

Get Enough Sleep

It goes without saying that sleep is incredibly important. Studies have shown that short sleep duration can lead to heart disease, obesity, and weight fluctuation. Try to meditate before sleep using meditation apps to guide you through the experience, or think of five small things that you’re grateful for for the day. Showing gratitude is the gateway to mindfulness and the best way to release stress.

Ever put on an up-tempo metal rock with pulse-raising beats to brace yourself for a heavy deadlift? It may help you unleash your inner beast and agony but the downside is your eardrum could be damaged by the loud music. Instead of listening to eardrum-busting music, why not put on some inspirational podcasts or audiobooks for a long workout to rev up your motivation, stamina and unlock your subconscious mind? Some music can trigger your lingering thoughts about day-to-day trivial things that bug you whereas listening to motivational podcasts can help you keep your mind off them and channel the positive energy from inside out. Read on to find out more about the best audiobooks and podcasts for workouts!

Motivational Audiobooks:

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

A memoir of a well-acclaimed novelist and avid runner who went through antagonizing pain as he struggled to finish the New York City Marathon, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running gives you insight into how the author managed to overcome insecurities and push through to the end. According to the author, the greatest qualities of a novelist are the talent, focus, and endurance, which are pretty much what it takes to be a bodybuilder. Those who thrive on challenges will definitely resonate with it. It is also sure to rev up your stamina and motivation when you’re lifting heavy weights or running on the treadmill.

The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph

Perfect for those who want to thrive in a high-stress environment, The Obstacle Is the Way is a collection of ancient stories and philosophies about stoicism. It offers thought-provoking perspectives on how to accomplish your goals and find triumph from tragedy. Whether you’re hammering away at the gym or just going through hardships, this audiobook is sure to leave you with a new way of thinking. Some of the quotes like “Being stuck is not a fate but a position”, and  “What stands in the way becomes the way. There’s always a way out or another route to get to where you need to go” are very profound and inspirational.

Fitness Podcasts

The Mike Dolce Show

If audiobooks that talk about life philosophy don’t float your boat, then put on The Mike Dolce Show that shares topics revolving around weight loss, muscle gain, and overall healthy living. Mike Dolce was voted the World MMA Trainer from 2013-2016 and acclaimed for helping many UFC athletes like Johny Hendricks and Ronda Rousey lose weights. This podcast also takes you behind closed doors to the world-class training camps. Mike also published a few international best-selling books include The Dolce Diet: 3 Weeks to Shredded, The Dolce Diet: Living Lean, etc

Barbell Shrugged

Looking specifically for quality content on CrossFit, weightlifting, and physical health goals? Barbell Shrugged has it covered. Featuring hundreds of entertaining and interactive interviews with professional athletes like Kettle-bell World Champion Mike Salemi, Barbell Shrugged provides gym-goers all aspects of health tips ranging from how to improve conditioning, the magic of mushrooms to nutrition for weightlifters.