Regardless of who you are, having a healthy diet and weight should be your top priority. In today's society, it can be even more complicated than it seems. Put the article's advice into practice and start following your health path right away.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: What To Do
Step 1. Calculate your daily calorie needs
Depending on your age, weight and physical activity, you will need a higher or lower calorie intake in order to support your daily activities. Knowing the number of calories you need will allow you to effectively eliminate those in excess.
- Look for an online calculation program or grab a paper and pencil to do your math calculations. As always, the best support will be from a professional - your doctor will be able to calculate the exact number of calories, allowing you to effectively reach your weight loss goal.
- If you decide to limit your daily calorie intake to 1,700 calories, don't forget to take into account those burned during physical activity. Exercise may burn fewer calories than expected, but it will still give you more food. Note: This restriction of calories consumed will help you get started on your journey - soon you will no longer need to keep track: you will automatically acquire the habit of eating healthily.
Step 2. Keep a meal diary
Every day, take note of each food or drink ingested, it will be easier to recognize your eating habits and notice the variety of missing foods. Don't forget to include drinks and snacks too!
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Part of the usefulness of a food diary is its ability to make us responsible and motivated. It will force you to see what you eat and motivate you to make the necessary changes. If your opinion of yourself isn't enough, ask a friend to be your guide. Allow him to go through your diary a couple of times a week to make sure you are on the right track. Knowing that someone is watching you will convince you not to go off the track.
As you go through your journal, note the days when she chose a good one (low-fat yogurt instead of cookies) or made a good decision. What is best for you? What isn't it? What patterns emerge from your diary?
Step 3. Reduce the portion size
If you love to sit in front of a plate full of food, add salad or steamed vegetables to your meal. This way you won't affect your calorie plan.
Checking the portions of food at a restaurant can be really tricky. Try not to finish that plate of cheese and leave some fettuccine on the plate. Limit yourself to eating normal portions. When it comes to fruit, think about the size of a tennis ball. For vegetables, a baseball. Carbohydrates? A hockey puck. If the portions offered are too large, ask to be able to take some home with you. Your bank account will also benefit enormously
Step 4. Slow down
You will need to chew and ingest for 20 minutes before your brain realizes your sense of satiety. By chewing slowly, you will have taken in fewer calories when you stop eating. Eating unhurriedly will actually make you crave smaller amounts of food.
Slowing down will not only decrease the number of calories ingested, it will also allow you to enjoy your meal to the fullest, giving you time to really focus on your sensory experience. Enjoy your food while you eat it - make an effort to savor every single bite. You will get better in tune with your degree of satisfaction
Step 5. Stay motivated and practice positive thinking
Good nutrition isn't just about measurable goals. It should involve lasting changes capable of becoming good habits after a few weeks. No one wants to spend their life measuring calories and dreading the next scale appointment. Don't be bothered or put off by your projects. Being positive will allow you to go further than any other motivator.
Give yourself rewards other than food. Reward yourself with a massage or a relaxing bath, or buy some flowers to perfume and beautify your home. For once, forget about food and find ways to exercise and diet in a fun way
Method 2 of 2: What to Eat
Step 1. Forget about junk food
In general, ready-made foods contain a lot of fat and calories. Actually, their intake is greater than any other food. And they reach maximum harmfulness when they contain nitrates and toxins. So, in addition to being bad allies in your waistline, they cause serious damage to your health.
The truth is really disgusting. Chilled citrus juices, not sourced from concentrated juices, stay on the shelves for months. Legally, companies can safely keep the Food and Medicines Agency (FDA) in the dark about new additives being used. Consequently, according to an estimate made by a famous American research center, there are over 1,000 ingredients whose presence the association is absolutely unaware of. And, if that weren't enough, know that eating just one cooked ham sandwich a day means increasing your propensities for heart disease, due to the nitrates and other chemical preservatives added to the meat. If you are still not convinced, what will it do?
Step 2. Drink the water
Fizzy drinks, juices and all energy drinks often contain a lot of unnecessary calories, and unless you do very high intensity physical workouts, they will force you to put on weight. Water, herbal teas and natural fruit juices are the best drinks. Avoid alcohol - it only dehydrates you and adds unnecessary calories to your body. Drink two glasses of water before each meal, they will allow you to start feeling full beforehand, even before you've actually started eating.
You shouldn't drink water just because it's the lesser of two evils - the real benefits of water are astounding. It helps your muscles, your complexion, reduces your appetite, works with your kidneys, and promotes defecation. Still not convinced? Drinking half a liter of water can help you boost your metabolism by 30% after just 10 minutes. In a completely separate study, participants who actually increased their water consumption lost over 7 pounds in 3 months (they also monitored their calorie intake). Whatever you are doing, get into the good habit of having a bottle of water on hand
Step 3. Fill up on fruits and vegetables
If the idea of drinking tons of water doesn't appeal to you, choose an alternative liquid source: fruits and vegetables. They are low calorie foods composed mainly of water. And do you know what the best part is? They are rich in vitamins and nutrients.
- A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of some cancers and other chronic conditions. Fruits and vegetables also provide essential vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber and other substances important for good health and an enviable waistline.
- If you're not sure how much fruit and vegetables you should be eating, use an online calculator. As a general rule, remember that each of us should take more.
Step 4. Add some dairy and lean protein
A recent study showed that the more dairy products an adult consumes, the higher the percentage of their total calories that comes from saturated fat (which is absolutely bad). Other studies have shown that a diet rich in red meat increases the risk of heart disease and cancer. What is the solution? Choose lean, low-fat dairy and meat.
- Some dairy products contain high doses of two elements that are important for our health: calcium and protein. Each serving of low-fat milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, and low-fat cheese contains a good amount of protein and calcium. A simple cup of low-fat yogurt, for example, provides a third of the daily recommended amount of calcium, as well as 17% of the protein required daily.
- A serving of meat, poultry, or fish protein should be the thickness and size of the palm of your hand. Unlike animal proteins, most plant-based proteins are "incomplete," meaning they lack some amino acids. But there is a solution: combine vegetable proteins, such as brown rice, beans and hummus with whole grains, they will become "complete" and equipped with all the essential amino acids found in animal proteins.
Step 5. Include carbohydrates and healthy fats
It may be tempting to completely eliminate everything that is unhealthy from your diet, but be warned, some carbohydrates and some fats are not. In fact, we need fat to survive. They are very energizing, make our skin shiny, and provide some varieties of vitamins. The same goes for carbohydrates, some of them are high in fiber. These are carbohydrates that are slowly absorbed by our system, avoiding glycemic peaks and providing energy.
- Unsaturated fats are welcome. Fill up on walnuts, almonds and extra virgin olive oil. Eat avocados, olives, and legumes.
- Go for complex carbohydrates. Think integral, not refined. Whole grains, oats, brown rice, and quinoa are great options.
Advice
- Healthy eating is a lifestyle and a permanent choice, not a passing period. Improve your nutrition early to develop familiarity with good habits. In a year or less, you will find healthy home-cooked pizza as appetizing as that purchased at a fast food restaurant.
- Always consult your doctor before making any extreme changes to your diet.
Warnings
- Do not overdo it. Avoid getting tired with grueling workouts in an attempt to quickly lose the extra pounds, you will worsen your overall health condition.
- Whatever you do, avoid starving your body. Don't force it to slow down all its functions.
