(Ecns.cn)--Autumn can be hazardous to your diet. As the weather gets cooler, seasonal lethargy sets in and indulgent feasting takes over, making it harder to stay slim and trim. Here are six tips for staying fit during this fall and winter season.
1) Be picky
The key to staying fit or losing weight lies mostly in what you choose to eat. It's a no-brainer: avoid fatty meats and stay away from junk foods rich in trans fats. Instead, stuff the refrigerator with fruits and vegetables.
Always think twice about the amount of calories you are about to consume. It's a good idea to find out just how fatty your daily diet is, and then make leaner adjustments to the dinner menu.
2) Announce your diet plan, but keep goal realistic
There is no shame in wanting to lose weight, so go ahead and announce your plan. Share it with family members and friends, and even ask them to be part-time "trainers" to help supervise your diet plan and encourage you to be disciplined.
Your diet plan should suit your personal lifestyle, but you must define your goals with a realistic attitude. Too many eager men and women hope to lose weight in a very short period of time, which can lead to unhealthy practices. Moreover, an unrealistic goal can undermine your confidence in yourself to lose weight.
3) Proper exercise
Though your diet affects your fitness level, exercise is essential to looking good and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
As it becomes cooler with each passing day, people who enjoy excessively cold drinks and food during the summer might suffer from gastric diseases in autumn. Li Jianhua, deputy director of internal medicine at the People's Hospital in Cangzhou, in North China's Hebei Province, stresses the importance of a regular diet and proper exercise, such as walking and jogging, to strengthen the stomach.
Exercise can help to improve the functions of your digestive system by promoting peristalsis in your stomach and intestines, stimulating the secretion of digestive juices and improving blood circulation. In particular, exercise can help cure peptic ulcers, which are very common in this season.
For those who have difficulties sparing time for outdoor exercise, ways to work out indoors are plentiful. From playing badminton at a local indoor court to doing aerobic exercise in your living room, there are numerous ways to burn calories if the weather outside is frightful. Just use your imagination.
