Weight loss has become the main concern of most of the population today. It is now all the rage to try different exercise regimens and different types of diet. However, there is not much reality in what is believed to be true about these weight loss tricks.
A few tea bags or saying goodbye to your favorite food may not be all you need. We’ve rounded up some ideas that come straight from popular weight loss gurus. Time to get the hang of weight loss.
Don’t Restrict The Variety, Just Increase It
Who says you have to give up your favorite food? Perhaps you also think that your plate should have fewer food options? Here is some good news. Add a little more to this dish. Maybe some veggies or nuts.
If you are forcing yourself to stop eating and deprive yourself of your favorite foods, this will eventually become the reason you indulge in the foods you crave. Do not do that.
As Rebecca Scritchfield, RDN, author of the book Body Kindness explained, “When you focus more on what adds to your healthy eating patterns, like adding a side of veggies to pizza night, rather than removing foods that you love them, free yourself from ‘diet freaks.’ Silence constant thoughts about food and build your body confidence in a more positive way. “
Watch Your Portions
So your nutritionist says oatmeal is good for you. And you end up cooking with lots of butter and probably planning a second or third serving. The fact is, you could have gorged yourself on a hamburger instead.
Quantity, quality, and portions are very important. The image above is a small guide that shows approximate serving sizes based on the foods you eat.
To satisfy your hunger, help yourself to some grilled fruits or vegetables so your desire to eat more doesn’t spoil your diet.
Also, another tip suggested by the Cornell University Food Laboratory is that you should try to contrast the color of your food with that of your plate because the color contrast will help you notice how much food you have.
“You” Don’t Change After Losing Weight
You lose weight and want to show your before and after photos with your friends. And then you go over what meal plan worked, what did you eat, etc. What we forget to notice and tell others is the commitment we have shown to weight loss and the effort we have put in.
You, as a person, have invested a lot in this cause. You are still the same person, with or without those extra pounds. Praise your willpower, not your waistline. As rightly said by Scritchfield, “You can enjoy your body of any size and take good care of it.”
Sleep Is Not To Be Ignored
Don’t miss out on those precious hours of sleep just to spend another hour in the gym. As Dr. Caroline Apovian explained, “Sleeping less than 7 to 9 hours a night increases the hunger hormone ghrelin and decreases the satiety hormone leptin. Healthy food choices and portion sizes the next day.”
“Sleeping less than necessary also increases cortisol levels, causing the body to overeat to replenish itself after fighting a stressor,” he added.
You Are Not Dieting To Look Good, But To Feel Good
A good diet completely changes your lifestyle and not just your appearance. People often associate diet with weight loss, when in reality the person is going through a totally healthy change.
According to Chanté Wiegand, ND, Naturopathic Doctor and Director of Education of The Synergy Company, “Losing weight is more than the number on the scale. Following fad diets may promote quick weight loss but typically results are fleeting and may lead to even greater weight gain once you resume your usual eating patterns
To lose weight forever, you need to adopt a comprehensive lifestyle change that includes what you eat, how you prepare food and how often you move the body. “
Are You Tracking The Calories?
Now that you have adopted a diet plan, you will often find yourself looking at your plate carefully before eating. It’s because you started counting the calories you are eating.
As recommended by Sanfilippo, don’t keep track of every gram ingested, try to monitor your calorie intake. Counting calories is very important.
In this way, you will be fully aware of what and how much you are eating and this will help you reach your goal faster.
Weight loss should be done for yourself, not to show the world. Also, weight loss is not a trend, but rather it is tailored to the individual.
Do you have any more tips for people trying to lose weight? You can post them in the comment section below.
