By Adam Verwymeren, Networx
While dieting and working out are excellent ways to stay in shape, you might just need to make a few adjustments around the home to shed a few extra pounds. Here are the top 10 changes you can make around the home to help you keep the pounds off.
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1. Move your TV as far from the kitchen as possible
It's time to give your kitchen and your television a trial separation. Dashing off to the kitchen for a snack break between commercials is surefire way to expand your waistline. Make it a little more inconvenient by setting up your TV room as far from the kitchen as possible. If you have a basement, all the better. A flight of stairs between you and an unhealthy snack might be all the psychological barrier you need to think twice before indulging.
2. Don't stuff your shelves
Often a bulging waistline begins with a bulging pantry. While a well-stocked larder can seem like a convenience, you're far more like to indulge if you have a dozen different kinds of empty calories sitting on your selves. Restrict food storage to the basics and leave no room for the cookies and chips. If you feel like you can handle the occasional treat, save a small amount of shelf space for the junk food. Once that small space is full, don't buy any more snacks.
3. Use your kitchen just for eating and cooking
Use your kitchen for cooking and eating only. If you're constantly surrounded by food, you'll constantly think about eating. For many people, the kitchen has become a multipurpose room -- a place to watch videos on the laptop or do a crossword puzzle. So to keep that tummy tight, get out of the kitchen in-between meals.
4. Turn down the thermostat
It's simple science: The colder your home, the more energy your body needs to burn to stay warm. Setting your thermostat a few degrees cooler will help you shed a few pounds, as well as saving you a little money on your heating bill.
5. Buy smaller dishes
An oversized dinner plate is like an invitation to an oversized meal. Without even thinking about it, we tend to fill a plate until it is full. And once the food is on the plate, we often feel like we have to eat it all. Use salad plates instead of full-size dinner plates to trick yourself into eating smaller meals. Smaller plates will also force you to get up from the table to fetch a second helping, giving you an extra moment to reconsider whether you really need to eat more.
6. Get a standing desk
All those hours spent sitting behind your computer aren't helping your figure. Standing desks are becoming a popular tool for those looking to shave off a few extra pounds. And not only is it good for your waistline, but standing while you work will also keep you more alert.
7. Make the TV room into a home gym
A home gym doesn't have to occupy an entire room. Buy a set of free weights for your living room or den. Next time you sit down to watch your favorite show, pump a little iron. You'll be surprised how much weight you can whittle off in the time you spend watching television.
8. Get a better night's rest
Studies have shown that a good night's sleep is good for maintaining a strong metabolism. Replace an uncomfortable mattress and invest in a good set of curtains so that you can sleep yourself to a slim figure.
9. Fire your cleaning lady and start doing your own landscaping
Home chores burn a lot of calories. Things like cleaning and landscaping can help raise your basal metabolic rate. You'd be surprised how many calories you can burn by cleaning and maintaining your house.
10. Use your dining room
Many families prefer to eat in front of the television. But eating at a dining room table facilitates conversation, forcing you to eat more slowly. Wolfing down a meal might save you time, but speedy eaters consume more than those that take it slow.
Source: http://www.networx.com/article/is-your-house-making-you-fat
