Get plenty of water and other calorie-free drinks.
Drink a glass of water before reaching for that bag of potato chips. Sometimes people mistake thirst for hunger, so they eat more calories than necessary. Drinking plain water is not enough. You can also make your flavored sparkling water or even a cup of herbal tea.
Nighttime snacks are important.
Mindless eating is most common after dinner when you finally sit down to eat. It is easy to eat in front of the television and ruin your diet. You can either close the kitchen at a specific hour or indulge in a low-calorie snack like 100-calorie cookies or half-cups of low-fat cream.
Enjoy your favorite foods.
Be a slim shopper and avoid cutting out all your favorite foods. Instead of buying a box of cookies, buy one piece of fresh bread. Or a small amount of candy from bulk bins rather than buying a whole package. It is possible to enjoy your favorite foods still. The key is moderation.
Take small meals throughout the day.
You will lose weight if you consume fewer calories than what you burn. Eating fewer calories than you burn can be difficult if you are constantly hungry. Research by Rebecca Reeves (DrPH, RD) on obesity shows that people who eat 4-5 meals a day are more likely to manage their weight and appetite. Reeves suggests that you divide your daily calories into smaller meals and snacks and enjoy them earlier in the morning. Dinner should not be the last meal of the day.
Get protein with every meal.
Protein is the ultimate filling food. It’s more satisfying than carbs or fats and makes you feel fuller for longer. Protein helps maintain muscle mass and promotes fat loss. Healthy proteins such as seafood, lean meats, egg whites and cheese, yogurt, cheeses, soy, nuts, and beans should be included in your meals.
It’s time to spice it up.
Spices and chilies can be added to food to give it a taste boost that will make you happy. Malena Perdomo RD, American Dietetic Association spokeswoman, says that food with many flavors will make you more satisfied and stimulate your taste buds. Red-hot fireball candy is a great choice for sweet treats. It is sweet, spicy, low in calories, and tastes great.
You can stock your kitchen with nutritious, easy-to-prepare foods.
You will be more successful if you have ready-to-eat meals and snacks that can be prepared in minutes. If you can make a healthy meal in just five to ten minutes, you’ll be less likely than others to order take-out or go to a drive-thru. You should have frozen vegetables, whole-grain pasta and reduced-fat cheese on hand. Also, canned tomatoes, canned beans and whole-grain tortillas are good options.
Restaurants will serve children’s portions.
It’s a great way of cutting calories and keeping portions small. This is a very popular trend. Most servers will not blink an eye if you order from the children’s menu. You can also use smaller plates. You can make the portions appear larger, and your stomach will likely be satisfied.
You can swap a cup of pasta for a cup of vegetables.
You can lose one size by eating less bread or pasta and more vegetables in one year. Cynthia Sass, RD, is a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She says that you can cut down on the starch in your plate and increase the number of vegetables.
Eat breakfast every morning.
This seems like a simple diet: Skip breakfast, and you’ll lose fat. Many studies have shown that the reverse can also be true. Eating breakfast at night can cause hunger, leading to binging and eating too much at lunch and dinner. Eat healthy breakfasts for weight loss and maintenance, such as high-fiber cereals, low-fat milk, and fruits.
Include fiber in your diet.
Fiber can aid digestion, constipation prevention, lower cholesterol, and weight loss. The majority of Americans only get half their fiber needs. Women should consume about 25g of fiber daily to reap the benefits. Men need 38g or 14g per 1,000 calories. Oatmeal, beans, whole grains, nuts, and most fruits and vegetables are good sources of fiber.
Clear out all fattening food items from your cupboards.
You can make weight loss more difficult if you keep ice cream and chips in your freezer. You can reduce temptation by clearing out your cupboards of unhealthy foods. You may want to indulge in an occasional treat. You will need to go outside to enjoy it, preferably walking.
Lose weight slowly.
If you are losing weight slowly, don’t be discouraged. Experts recommend setting a realistic weight loss goal, which should be between one and two pounds per week. You may lose your motivation if you have unrealistic expectations. You start to see health benefits after losing 5%-10% of the body weight.
It would help if you weighed yourself at least once per week.
Regularly weighing yourself will result in greater weight loss success. Experts recommend that you only weigh yourself once per week to avoid being affected by daily fluctuations. These are some tips to help you weigh yourself: Always weigh yourself simultaneously every day, on each day of the week, with the same scale and wearing the same clothes.
