Eat anything & Still Lose Weight
When it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, enjoying your favorite foods is not off the table. By making smarter and healthier choices, moderation, and mindful eating, can help you keep those high calorie temptations under control. In this article you will learn some useful tricks that can help you eat the foods you love while on your fitness journey. However, discipline will still be needed. Don’t worry practice makes perfect, and once you develop healthier and more realistic habits, you will become unstoppable at achieving your fitness goals.
Strategies used for the "Eat what makes me happy" Diet
- Portion Control
A key strategy is mastering portion control. Learning appropriate portion sizes can be eye-opening, and you’ll discover that a modest serving of your favorite treat can be satisfying. That’s why portion control is the secret weapon to savoring your favorite foods without tipping the scales. It’s not about depriving yourself, but rather about understanding the right amount for your body. The beauty of portion control is that it allows you to indulge in the foods you love while keeping your calorie intake in check.
2. Mindfulness
Mindful eating is a powerful tool when it comes to enjoying your favorite foods while sticking to an effective workout routine. It’s all about being present in the moment, fully engaging with your food, and savoring each bite. When you practice mindful eating, you’re more likely to recognize when you’re satisfied, preventing overindulgence. This means you can relish your preferred treats without compromising your fitness goals. So, whether it’s a piece of chocolate or a hearty meal, taking the time to truly appreciate the flavors and textures can enhance your overall eating experience and support your fitness journey.
3. Carbs go Last
Rethink how you use grains and starches. For example, if you’re making a breakfast parfait, try filling the cup or bowl with yogurt and use less granola. The same principle can be used for other meals as well. Begin with a plate full of veggies and a portion of lean protein. Then, add a small serving of the complex carb of your choice. This way, you can enjoy your meals while keeping the calorie count in check.
4. Eat Slower
When you eat at a slower pace, your body has more time to register feelings of fullness and satisfaction. This means you’re less likely to overindulge or consume excess calories before your brain catches up. Additionally, slower eating allows for better digestion and absorption of nutrients, which can lead to improved metabolism over time. So, take your time, savor each bite, and give your body the chance to communicate its fullness signals – it’s a simple yet highly effective strategy for maintaining a balanced and healthy diet.
5. Remove food from bag
Eating directly from a bag or box can lead to unintentional overconsumption. When you can’t visually gauge how much you’re eating, it’s easy to lose track of portion sizes. This often results in consuming more calories than you intended. Instead, try portioning out your food onto a plate or into a bowl. This allows you to see exactly how much you’re eating, making it easier to practice portion control and be mindful of your intake.
6.Smaller plates and bowls
When you serve food on a smaller plate, it creates the visual illusion of a fuller plate, which can satisfy your brain’s perception of a meal. Similarly, using smaller containers for snacks or any type of food that you absolutely love, will encourage portion-appropriate servings. This approach helps you naturally moderate your food intake and notice patterns where you over eat out of pure boredom.
7.Soup before meal
Having soup before your main meal can actually help person who over eat. That’s because the liquid nature of soup fills you up, and prevents those intolerable cravings. Plus, the warmth is satisfying, reducing the urge to eat more. Opting for broth or veggie-based soups offers a nutrient-rich, low-calorie option packed with essential vitamins and minerals.
8. Lime & Water
Drinking a glass of water with lime is a great strategy to avoid overindulging in high-calorie foods. First of all, water before any meal can make you feel full. However, the citrusy flavor in lime/lemon can satisfy your taste buds, reducing the urge to eat excessively. This simple practice will also boost your immune system due to the fact that lemon or lime is loaded with vitamin C and powerful anti-oxidants. For the sake of fat loss before your cheat meal or favorite snack, please do not add sugar to your lime water mix.
Limit Processed foods
It’s a fundamental truth that you can’t out-exercise a poor diet if weight loss is your aim. If you’re aiming to shed pounds, the key lies in managing your calorie consumption. The most effective approach is to limit ultra-processed foods, like packaged potato chips and fast-food meals that are loaded with hidden calories. This strategy ensures a more successful and sustainable weight loss journey.
Low-carb snacks can be your best ally if you plan on staying on track in your fitness journey. With snacks packed with protein and low on carbs, you now have backup incase you over indulge. The even better part is that most of these low carb solutions are nutritious, loaded with fiber and can stabilize blood sugar levels. For example, a handful of mixed nuts, crunchy celery sticks with almond butter, or a Greek yogurt parfait with berries, is all you’d need to satisfy those sugar cravings. When you are determined to live better, by all means your thought and actions will adapt to your new habits.
Ate too much?..Then burn it off
After indulging in junk food, it’s essential to ramp up your workout intensity. When you consume high-calorie, low-nutrient foods, your body gets an influx of energy that needs to be burned off. Intensifying your workout helps rev up your metabolism, encouraging your body to process those extra calories more efficiently. It also counters the potential negative effects of junk food, such as increased fat storage. By pushing harder in your workout, you give your body the extra push it needs to recover and reset after a day of indulgence, keeping you on track towards your fitness goals. Remember, consistency is key, and a robust workout after a treat day can help you stay on the path to a healthier, slimmer you.
Energy In VS Energy Out
Understanding the balance between energy intake and expenditure is crucial for managing weight. It’s like the first law of thermodynamics, stating that energy is conserved, not created or destroyed. This means the energy that enters your body needs to be either utilized through activities or metabolic processes, or it’s stored as fat. So, if you consume more calories than you burn, it leads to weight gain. Conversely, when you burn more calories than you consume, it leads to weight loss. It’s a fundamental principle in managing a healthy weight.
Best Advice
Indulging in your favorite treats from time to time is totally fine. However, if you’re working towards weight loss, it’s crucial to be mindful of the extra calories you’re taking in. Remember, the key to shedding pounds and losing stubborn fat is burning more calories than you consume. So, it’s a good idea to go easy on those extra pastries.
To put it in perspective, someone weighing around 70kg can torch up to 300 calories in a 30-minute aerobic workout. That’s roughly the calorie count of a medium-sized donut. If you happen to go overboard with your calorie intake, make sure to work it off so you’re back in that calorie deficit zone. It’s equally important to get back on track with your regular diet.
On a serious note, a diet heavy on excessive snacks and junk food can lead to serious health issues down the line. So, it’s best to develop self-control sooner rather than later. Going for a nutritious, balanced meal will keep you feeling full for much longer, so choose wisely.
Building discipline can be a challenge, but it’s a step towards avoiding potential health complications in the future. Explore some of our healthy alternative recipes, and you’ll be amazed at the wide range of delicious meals, desserts, and snacks that are easy to prepare and sold in most grocery stores. Your health is the foundation for enjoying quality time with family and loved ones, so don’t take it for granted.
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