All of us know that in order to lose weight we need to eat less and increase our physical activities. This sounds simple but in real life, this is nothing simple at all. So, how come there are successful people who achieve their weight loss goals while others are left eating and gaining more pounds? To find out, experts were asked about the best tips for dieting and they came up with the 14 of them.
The first tip is simple. Just drink plenty of water. This is because we often mistake our thirst with hunger so instead of drinking more fluids, we tend to eat more. That means we take in more calories when our body doesn’t need it but only needs a glass of water. If plain water isn’t good enough, you can add some citrus or juice flavors or perhaps infuse some peaches or mango teas which make it more flavorful but without the calories.
2nd tip- Look for physical signs to know if you are indeed hungry. Hunger tells us that our body needs food to fuel it. If we are not hungry and we eat, our cravings won’t really be satisfied. When you eat and you are hungry then you will feel satisfied. If you eat and you are not hungry, then you’ll most likely feel bloated or tired. Keep reasonable portions when you eat. After all, our stomach is only the size of our fist so it doesn’t really take a lot to fill it up.
The 3rd tip- focus on what you can add and not on what you can take away from your diet. Focus on getting about 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables. This way you get to meet your required amount of fiber and you’ll also feel more satisfied so it’s definitely worth it. Fruits and vegetables make you eat less too because they displace the fat from your diet. On top of that, fruits and vegetables are really nutritious and definitely good for you. Phytochemicals that are found in fruits and vegetables prevent diseases and many studies have proven this already. For vegetables, since they are not as appealing to us as fruits especially for children, it’s best to place them in our meals instead of serving them as is or as side dishes.
4th tip- Avoid coping with stress through foods. This means you need to find other means of coping up with stress than digging in on some food. You can try to listen to some soothing music or start writing your own journal or go and meditate. There are other ways out there, so ask yourself what you really want to do and try to do that instead of indulging yourself on foods.
5th tip is by eating your treats somewhere else and not at home. This way you consider it as a fun adventure that takes place outside of the house and not inside it. You can also choose to stock up your kitchen with healthy foods such as fruits instead of some high calorie desserts.
6th tip is to enjoy the foods that are your favorite. If you limit your favorite foods then you trigger the rebound of overeating and you end up gaining more weight. Instead of taking them away, just be a wise shopper and buy only small portions. This way you can still enjoy the foods that you like but you eat them in small portions.
7th tip- Spices! Add some spices or chilis to your food so you would feel more satisfied after each meal. This is because the flavors are stimulating your taste buds so you feel satisfied with little amount of food.
8th tip for dieting- Choose your nighttime snacks. When you finally are able to relax and just sit down, usually after dinner, that’s when we eat without thinking. Best way to prevent this is by keeping ourselves away from temptations by either closing down the kitchen during certain hours or has just some low calorie snacks available. Once you are already satisfied with zero calorie snacks, then you can go for zero calorie beverages such as tea.
9th tip- order small portions when you’re in a restaurant. Did you see those children’s portions? You can order those for yourself so you can control your portions. Or, perhaps use small plates so you will feel like you’re eating more portions than you really do.
10th tip- Better eat several small meals in your day. If you eat small portions at a time then you can lose weight as you divide the calories into small portions so you can enjoy each portion. Just make sure the last meal is dinner and not a midnight snack.
11th tip- Choose vegetables over pasta. Convert your pasta cravings to some vegetable dishes. This way you can lose weight by simply cutting back on your pasta and bread and adding more vegetables to your diet.
12th tip is to have protein in your every meal. Protein satisfies us better than fats and carbohydrates so it’s considered as the newest way to control our weight. If you have a high protein diet with moderate carbohydrates following a regular exercise will help you to lose weight. This is because protein preserves your muscle mass and burns fat.
13th tip- Eat seasonal foods on its season. Some fruits and vegetables don’t taste their best when they are out of season so it’s best to eat them during their season so you can enjoy their full flavors.
14th tip- Be more active. Don’t exercise as punishment for your overeating or to give you the right to eat some more. This gives it a negative image and that makes you hate to exercise. Better focus on how it makes you feel afterwards, how great it feels to perspire and how well you can sleep at night when you do some exercises during the day. Being active is really good for you.
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