I don’t like eating breakfast. I know I should. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But I just struggle first thing in the morning. I’ve now found the solution to my dramas – a nutritious weight loss shake is a great way to start the day. It gives me all the protein, vitamins and minerals I need to get my day off to a good start and I know it gives my metabolism the kick start it needs first thing in the morning when it has been many hours since I last had something to eat.

Protein shakes serve two purposes, and I like to use them accordingly.

Weight Loss – A weight loss shake, a protein shake as a meal replacement, can be a great place to start if you need to lose weight. There are a variety of different options out there. You need to find one with great nutritional content – one that is high in protein, high in vitamins and minerals and one that has high fibre content. A good weight loss shake will be low calorie yet still make you feel full. Believe it or not there are even weight loss shakes that taste good!

Recovery after exercise – Protein is also an important recovery tool after exercise, especially if you are trying to build muscles.

Weight loss is a three step process (where healthy nutrition is by far and away the most important factor but all three factors are required for success.

Healthy diet – Like me, you might decide you want to replace breakfast with a weight loss shake. Some people replace breakfast and lunch with weight loss shakes. It really comes down to personal preference. What’s important is that you eat healthily and probably more often than you are now. You should really be eating 4-5 times per day and making sure you fill in any gaps in your diet with the right nutritional supplements. With weight loss shakes as a meal replacement you have a couple of options. You can try to create your own recipes or you can get a nutritional protein shake mix in any number of great flavours and add some fruits and stuff for extra taste if need be. Obviously I recommend the Herbalife range of protein shakes. They are great tasting and there’s no need to come up with your own creative recipes. My personal favourite is the French Vanilla.

Drink plenty of water – Drink 2 litres of water per day to flush your system and keep you properly hydrated. Many people confuse hunger and thirst and end up overeating when they could have just had a glass of water. If you are properly hydrated you should see your hunger lessen and you won’t need to eat as much.

Exercise – Exercise is important. Make sure you try and get plenty of exercise in but don’t be too strenuous if you are just starting out. Over exercising is a recipe for disaster.

To be honest, now that I am used to having weight loss protein shakes for breakfast, I am unlikely to ever move to having a full meal for breakfast. The convenience of a shake as I am heading out the door is hard to beat.

If you’d like any further information, do not hesitate to contact us.

We all know health and fitness is important and we are in the midst of an obesity crisis. I think that if you are reading this article you are looking for a better lifestyle. You want something more out of life. Perhaps you want more energy to keep up with the kids? Perhaps there is a bushwalking trek you’ve always wanted to take. No matter your reasoning for wanting to improve your life, I applaud you on taking that first step.

This article (and this website for that matter) is not going to be full of diets to lose weight fast. This site includes tips for losing weight and healthy diet tips. There is no quick fix if you want to make lifelong changes. It’s not about the quickest way to lose weight. It’s about the best ways to lose weight.

Here are 5 tips to get you thinking of what you can do to start improving your life today.

1. Set realistic goals and know your limitations- I cannot emphasise the importance of goal setting enough. If you don’t know what you want to achieve how will you know if you have been successful. Having said that, make sure your goals are achievable and realistic. If you’ve led a sedentary lifestyle for too long, and then try to exercise intensively 7 days a week you won’t have success. You are only likely to injure yourself. Start perhaps with walking and light weights then work your way up from there.
2. From your goals develop an achievable plan- Once you have set realistic goals (for example lose 15kg in a year) you can put in place your achievable action plan. Schedule a little bit of activity most days of the week but make sure that you also take some time off for recovery.
3. Find ways to be accountable- Accountability is key to success. Accountability is important because it means that somebody else will be helping you to ensure you achieve your goals. Your accountability options include; a friend or family member to exercise with, a personal trainer or a personal nutrition and wellness coach.
4. Find things that you enjoy- Exercise doesn’t need to be painful or boring. There are plenty of entertaining options available to you. You could look at martial arts, playing a team sport or many other options that are available to you. Make it enjoyable so you will be more likely to commit to long term exercise and a healthier lifestyle.
5. Make sure you have breakfast- Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and one that you cannot skip. Make sure you have something for breakfast. If you don’t have time for a full meal, try a delicious and nutritious Herbalife Nutritional Shake.

These are some great tips to help you get started on your journey to a healthy lifestyle. If you have any questions, please make sure you contact us.