How to Eat Your Favorite Food and Still Lose Weight
You have heard of the crazy idea that eating your favorite foods can still help you lose weight. The skeptical side of you knows that you gained all that weight by indulging in foods. This new knowledge proves that there is no need to go on a diet or embark on a massive set of exercises to slim down. Bodies are different, but the successful strategy is in balancing food and weight loss. Here is a detailed breakdown of how you can achieve a win-win situation of losing weight while still enjoying your favorite foods.
#1. Change your food mindset
Most people have the wrong mindset about food. At the heart of it, food is just a source of nutrition and energy. You have to stop thinking of certain foods as guilty pleasures because that is what makes you indulge. If you stop categorizing foods as good and evil, you will realize that all your body wants is nutrition and energy, and all foods provide that.
With this mindset, you will allow yourself to eat anything you want because there is no guilt about it. Your body will know there is no famine or restrictions, so it won’t need to hold onto fat to survive. However, you have to focus on the bottom line: nutrition and energy. Fill your body with nutritious foods and then enjoy everything else in moderation.
#2. Moderation is the key
Learning to control your portions is the best idea if you still want to enjoy delicious foods and lose weight. Instead of taking a spoon to eat ice-cream from its jar, just put one scoop in a bowl and enjoy it. Similarly, don’t eat potato chips and nuts straight from the bag. You can pour a small serving in a bowl and enjoy.
Nobody said you couldn’t have cake, eat one slice instead of the whole thing in one night. While it comes to foods that are generally not so good for you, aim to eat the smallest serving you can instead of indulging.
#3. Balance feeling good and eating right
Everyone has an emotional relationship to food that determines how much of it you eat. According to physicians at the weight loss clinic, you need to determine what this relationship is before you attempt to lose weight. You must balance between feeling better both inside and outside if you want to make your journey easier and lasting.
If you are an emotional eater, find a way of dealing with your stress or any other emotion without eating. Knowing if you have any hormonal imbalances and correcting it, boosting your hydration and natural immunity will aid in your journey, so don’t take it for granted.
#4. A daily balanced diet keeps the weight away
Just because you enjoy a nibble here and a bite there doesn’t mean you should get rid of those foods. To ensure that you attain the goal of losing weight, make sure you have a limited serving of your favorite foods while keeping a balanced diet of fruits, carbs, proteins, and vegetables. Eating what you love is not a diet but a plan that enables your body not to store fats but utilizes them, therefore, shedding off unwanted weight. On a typical day, you should eat four times as many vegetables and fruits as you eat carbs.
#5. Choose whole-grain instead of processed foods
If you love sweet carbs like rice, pasta, and other carbs, it’s better to choose those that are whole grain. It helps you gain more fiber that keeps you full for longer. Whole foods also help to clean your gut and keep it healthy so your digestive system can work properly.
To make your dish more satisfying, add a bunch of vegetables and lean protein rather than processed proteins. Processed foods make you feel hungry quickly, so you keep nibbling on food, which is counterproductive to losing weight.
#6. Switch up your cooking options
We cannot keep off fried foods such as fries and deep-fried chicken. To ensure that you continue enjoying these savory foods, switch to baking over frying them. Fried foods are coated in unhealthy amounts of oil that translate to more calories. Serve up a healthier option with a similar delicious and crispy taste.
#7. Stick to your grocery list
When you go shopping, make sure you only buy what is necessary for your daily meals. The secret is to avoid filling your fridge and pantry with sweets and snacks that will make you fat. Instead, fill that fridge with fruits and vegetables, so in a moment of weakness, you will not have a bunch of Oreos or chips to run to. Out of sight, out of mind could not be a more accurate statement though you will still miss those unhealthy snacks occasionally.
#8. Stay busy
Sometimes people eat because they are idle and bored. You have to differentiate between boredom and hunger. If you want to lose weight the healthy way, it’s essential to eat only when you are hungry and not just as a way to pass time. One of the best ways to achieve that is to keep yourself busy, so your mind can focus on something else instead of food. For instance, if you are watching a movie, do something else with your hands like knitting or playing a game. You could also give yourself a pedicure or chat with people on your phone.
#9. Have a workout regimen
The reality is, if you eat more calories than your body needs, you will gain weight. Besides eating small portions to keep calorie intake low, exercise is another excellent way to get rid of those excess calories.
Moderation does not stop at what is on your plate. Exercise should be your new best friend but in moderation. There is no need to kill the spirit of keeping fit by starting a workout regimen that you cannot maintain. To help you in this, start small with brisk walks and stretches that will keep off unhealthy weight gain.
With time, you can graduate to jogging every day, lifting weights and high-intensity interval training. Exercise doesn’t just help you to burn calories but it also improves your energy, and help to release the happy hormones so you won’t have to binge eat to feel satisfied.
#10. Stay hydrated
Water is your best friend if you want to lose weight. Not only does water make you feel full, but it also keeps your energy up. Water also flushes out any toxins from your body and aids your digestion, so the body does not hold on to unnecessary things.
Some times when you think you are hungry, it may be the body’s way of saying you are thirsty. Try drinking some water and wait for ten minutes to see if the hunger will go away. If drinking water is not your cup of tea, carry around natural juice made of fruits to sip throughout the day.
Losing weight does not require abandoning your favorite foods. In fact, going on a diet and refusing to eat the pleasurable things in life will only make you crave them more. You can still indulge in mouth-watering foods by tricking your taste buds with similar foods but in healthier and limited portions. Have a relaxed mindset about food, and enjoy life in moderation.
