Lifestyle /
Tips To Keep The Weight Off
When it comes to food, you’ve heard it all before: Eat this food, avoid that food, go easy on the meat, skip dessert, no seconds and on, and on. At this point you have a strict formula for your daily dining. You’re the dieting queen.
However, despite your perfectly planned food pyramid, the winter cravings can quickly throw you off your game, especially if tensions are running high (you go straight for the cake).
Below we've listed a few tips to help you stay on track and keep the weight off.
Be Well Read:
Know the facts about your foods. That’s what the nutritional info on the back of the box and package are for. This helps you to be more aware of the general caloric and nutritional value of the foods you like, you’ll be able to recognize what is supposed to be an actual serving size of the food you’re heaping onto your plate. For instance even healthy foods like salads, that are accompanied by caloric information on menus frequently take us by surprise. Know your food both calorically and nutritionally. You already know that 300 calories worth of vegetables go a lot further than 300 calories of chocolate cake, but did you know that the chances are that 300 calories of steamed green, leafy vegetables are probably better for you than 300 calories of vegetable soup?
Hydrate:
If you’re not losing weight, the chances are that you’re also not drinking enough water. Have a glass of water before you start eating to make sure that your brain isn’t sending the wrong signals. Sometimes when your body is dehydrated, that “hungry feeling” is a request of fluids instead.
Chew! Chew!
And we're not talking trains here. That’s what YOU need to do when you eat. Are you swallowing your food whole? If so your body needs to take longer to process it, which means more of it will end up in storage and around your waist. Eat too fast, and you’ll still think that your body needs food even if your hips say otherwise. Chew your food thoroughly before you swallow to give your brain enough time to process that you’re taking in nutrients.
Mind Your Manners
Put your utensils down while talking or listening to someone. Thoughtless eating is another way to ensure the pounds stay on. If you don’t remember taking that second piece of pie, chances are your stomach won’t remember either, but your scale will remind you tomorrow.
Say Yes
To Seconds of fruits and vegetables. Fill up on foods high in nutrients and water content. Avoid second helpings of high carb, high sugar, or fatty foods.
Eat Enough
Remember this mantra: Lightly and often. While it’s hard to follow, deliberately skipping a healthy snack beforehand if you’re getting hungry could also find you ravenous later, and binging at the banquet. Fasting and binging is a quick way to slow down your metabolism. While you fast, your body is conserving energy because it thinks it might be “starving,” but then when you consume large quantities of food afterwards, the body can’t digest everything quickly enough, leaving energy reserves behind on your hips and tummy. Besides, feeling bloated all day long is never comfortable.
Tip: Eat a small healthy snack rich with nutrients like fruits, veggies, nuts or even a hard-boiled egg, and take a glass of water every couple of hours.
Eat On Time
As important as what you eat, is when you eat it. You could be hanging on to those last few pounds because you keep eating dinner right before you go to bed. A solid breakfast is important. Even if you don’t have time for a sit-down bowl of oatmeal, a yogurt with granola is a good game-starter for your metabolism, within an hour or two of waking. More importantly, don’t eat too late at night. Even if you are a night-owl, a good rule of thumb is to stop eating by 9:00 P.M. This also means you should go easy on the caloric drinks too, like cocoa, or cocktails.
Skip the Snooze
Ok, so you did eat a little too much. Now all you want to do is curl up on the couch for a post-feast nap. You’re not a tiger that you can afford three days to digest. You already know from where your next meal is coming and when, which means you don’t need to worry about starving or storing energy, i.e. extra pounds. Keep your metabolism running smoothly and your energy up by taking an after-meal walk. A mile is a good distance.
Don’t Give Up
Losing weight over a long period of time is better for your heart and other vital organs, and it’s also a better chance that you’ll be able to keep that weight off over time. That means that even if you don’t see results in a month or two, have patience with yourself. Keep up the good work! Don’t confuse fat loss with muscle gain on your scale, and don’t call it quits after a bad cheat day, or even a bad cheat week. Never Give Up! Good eating and living habits need to be learned for the long haul, and like anything else, that takes practice and time.
Moderation is Everything
Not only to a good diet, but to a good life. What are you waiting for, go eat n live right!
CREDITS:
Featured Image:effectiveweightlossresults.com
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