Sometimes the only approach to reduce weight seems to be by following a super-strict diet plan or sacrificing every waking moment in the fitness centre. Fortunately, that’s not the truth. Effective and permanent weight loss is better achieved by gradual improvements in your current lifestyle. While fad diets may seem to be the fastest way to drop in size, they are destined to fail in the long run. The extra weight can come off easily, but it will also return, often with a few extra pounds to boot. Rather than terrorizing your body, consider these recommendations to encourage long-lasting weight loss and improve overall wellbeing.
1. Maintain a food journal
Mindless snacking on a packet of chips can simply lead to the polishing off of the entire thing. But noting down all the food and snacks you’ve consumed will help you maintain improved portion management. It will also help you to find out how proper food decisions can be made. For instance, if you are roaming around at 3 p.m. every day in your workplace for a packet of chips, store a packet of cashews at your work station so that you don’t need a trip to the vending machine.
Writing things down can also act as a dose of reality on your other food patterns. Do you skip your meals? Eat the same food during the week as on the weekend? Do you binge eat whenever you are worked up? Identifying your routine makes it easier for you to find out what alterations are appropriate for you.
2. Put your spoon/fork down after each bite
It allows you to eat more slowly, which is a nice strategy to reduce calories. If you take your time rather than inhaling your food, your body can simply register a sense of contentment that can take up to 20 minutes to strike your brain. Furthermore, eating slowly may even make your meal taste much better.
3. Don’t multitask while you eat
It might be enticing to eat a meal at your work station while you’re fuelled for work, but it is necessary to pause from what you’re doing so you can put your complete attention on eating. When individuals work on their computers, there can be a great deal of mindless eating since you’re concentrating on the work in your hands. To avoid such mindless eating, step away from your computers or laptops and sit in another room to eat.
4. Eat healthy fats
While fats are mostly a dreaded food category, they can potentially improve satiety and prevents snacking. Certain fats are better than the others, so when you incorporate fat into your daily diet, it’s safer to consume nutrient-rich unsaturated fats. Such fats, labelled as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, are present in avocados, olives, nuts, and fatty fish such as salmon are good for you.
5. Keep a water bottle handy
If you do not consume sufficient water, your body can mix up a hunger with thirst. Uptake of water can have a massive effect on how much you eat throughout the day. If you’re having difficulty consuming ample amount of water all day, there are a few ways by which you can remind yourself. Firstly, start keeping a bottle of water so that you still have a tangible reminder to drink. Secondly, set targets for yourself for the whole day.
Begin each day with a glass of water and drinking at least two glasses of water before every meal or snack. Not only can that can assist in reducing your appetite a little bit right before you eat something, but it’s also an effective way to remember to drink first.
6. Get an adequate amount of sleep
Make a habit of going to bed early, and you’ll note an improvement in your energy and mood. Data indicates that a few nights of sleep shortage can contribute to almost instant weight gain. It’s because if you haven’t had enough rest, you won’t be capable of making healthier decisions all day.
When you are exhausted, you tend to reach for fatty and sugary foods. You want to look more closely at your night-time habits, as well. Is dinner the main food of your day? Do you consume too many night-time treats? These patterns may be messing up with your weight-loss attempts.
7. Get moving whenever you find the opportunity
No, we are not just referring to taking a walk during the lunch breaks. Get on the move while watching your beloved TV shows. Do jumping jacks, run in place, start dancing or anything that gets your heart rate up so that you feel slightly short of breath. Do it for every 2-minute ad break whilst also watching your favourite TV show, and burn an additional 270 calories each day, which would translate into a 28-pound weight loss over the year.
8. Limit packed/processed food
Processed foods appear to be high in sodium, fat, and added sugar, so you might want to try to exclude them as much as possible from your regular diet. Select your top five packaged foods, whether they are cookies, crackers, chips, or sweets, and then slowly downshift. If you’re consuming five of these items a week, try to go down to four. Every week, remove another item until you’re at no more than one, or two at most. Similarly, substitute them with healthy foods, like baby carrots with hummus, Greek yoghurt and fresh berries, or organic peanut butter with an apple.
9. Use a fitness tracker
Contemporary fitness trackers enable you to track your health by supplying you with valuable details about your food, sleeping, and exercise habits. Consider buying a fitness band to help you to control not only how many steps you take every day, but how many calories you lose, how much sleep you receive, how much your heart rate is, and what your food patterns are like. It will also help you remain on track, keeping to the target of having 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity workout per week.
10. Sip wisely
Smoothies are a much better option than fruit juices since they hold the nutrition intact from fruit and vegetables, allowing them to be healthier and filling. It is crucial to make a smoothie that has a good combination of proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats. Take protein powders, low-fat milk or unsweetened almond milk, Greek yoghurt or oatmeal. Add the volume and additional fibres from dark, leafy greens, frozen cauliflower and other vegetables. Garnish your smoothie with crushed nuts for a healthy fat surge.
To enhance satiety, eat your smoothie in a dish with a spoon instead of slurping it down with a straw. When you bite and chew your food, you produce more saliva, which in turn sends a signal to the brain that your digestive system needs to be prepared for digestion. Drinking doesn’t involve that kind of digestion, so the body doesn’t register that it’s full as rapidly as possible.