No matter what you’ve heard about weight loss, Food is NOT the Enemy.
Starving yourself is the worst way to try to lose weight. You might get some short-term results, but long-term, you’re setting up some very unhealthy patterns in both your physiology and your emotions.
To get the most out of your weight loss journey, you’ll want to establish positive patterns of “eating healthy” and the way you feel about food.
So how can eating help you find what you’re looking for?
But let’s look at facts instead: Portion control is one of the most important elements of a healthy diet.
- Eat more slowly. It takes the brain a while to send out the “I’ve eaten enough” signal after your stomach is actually full.
- Chew your food thoroughly (like Grandma told you). Better for your digestion, and it lets your internal messaging catch up.
- Use a smaller plate. Most humans are very visual in the way they process information. You can “fool” your brain into thinking you’re eating as much as usual by having a full, even if smaller, plate.
2. Consider impact. If you’re ordering takeout, do you go for a side of fries or a side of quinoa? Think about what each choice does to your body.
- Familiar with the glycemic index? Carbs in general are not bad; in fact, they’re necessary. But eating loads of refined carbs that break down quickly into sugars will wreak havoc in your insulin department. Avoiding foods that are white is a good general rule.
- Checked your blood pressure lately? Most convenience foods in the grocery store have an over-abundance of salt (it’s a flavor enhancer). Too much sodium can tend to raise your blood pressure.
- When you’ve developed the habit of eating even a little bit healthier, your body starts to desire more healthy options, instead of the old addictive ones from the past.
3. Avoid skipping meals. When you miss a meal, your brain believes that starvation is on the horizon. So it immediately adjusts your metabolism to hold on tight to your stored-up fat… “emergency use only.” As you may imagine, this can make it tough for you to lose weight.
- When food is showing up consistently, your body feels more comfortable releasing some of the stored fat.
- On the other hand, be careful about “grazing.” If you wait 4 to 5 hours between meals (snacks, too), your insulin cycle will have a chance to complete itself. This keeps your fat-burning equipment running smoothly.
And that’s what we’re really trying to do here, right?
4. Consider your options. Is it really necessary to sacrifice all your pleasures to look a certain way?
- Let’s say you have a chocolate craving. Why the craving, and why now? Are you wanting to soothe an emotional upset? Is it really a magnesium craving? Will eating the chocolate fix the underlying problem?
- If you decide “yes” then try just a small portion, like slowly savoring a single square from a chocolate bar.
- You may also want to look at whether you’re eating enough of the healthy stuff at mealtime. Most adults do well with 3 or 4 ounces of protein, a cup or so of a non-starchy vegetable, and maybe a cup of brown rice, quinoa, or a starchy vegetable to fill out your plate.
5. Reward yourself. This system doesn’t just work for pets – it works for people, too. Totally depriving yourself can make your cravings kick into high gear.
But try to make the reward an appropriate one. Buying yourself a new, smaller pair of pants (that you look great in, by the way) might be a better choice than eating a huge piece of cheesecake.
- Try to stay on track with healthy food choices at least most of the time.
- Allow yourself a treat when you’ve stayed on track with your diet for the week.
- Make sure your treat is something you absolutely want! And only reward yourself when you’ve earned it by practicing healthy eating habits.
Using these five suggestions consistently can make it easier to establish positive lifestyle changes and enjoy greater fitness and health for the long term.
And what’s more important than you taking care of YOU?
Try these five tips, starting today. They might just change your life!
