When you want to lose weight, the first thing you think of is accomplishing a calorie deficit. But everybody is different and what works for most may not work for you. There are plenty of diets that people try but end up failing. Making sudden rapid changes doesn’t leave room for sustainability. In addition, there is a lot of misinformation about diet fads. Diet culture has also made it difficult to know what’s best for your health and body, focusing instead on aesthetics instead of actual wellness.
If you plan to change your diet to achieve weight loss, there are certain things you need to consider, including:
- How much weight do you want to lose
- Your budget
- Other lifestyle changes
- Age
- Gender
- Conditions
How to set weight loss goals
Look at your current weight and see how much you need to lose to reach a healthier range. Your doctor can help determine this. You can also start by only reducing 5-10% of your weight. You can then determine how you will change your diet for weight loss. Pinpoint where your habits need to improve. Perhaps you eat too much fast food. Or you don’t eat enough vegetables. You may also need to reduce how much soda or alcohol you consume. Once you’ve examined your habits, you can start incremental changes to redress your poor habits. This can include swapping soda for juice, and eating leftovers instead of fast food.
Another consideration you need to make is regarding your other lifestyle habits. For instance, if you start intensely working out, you will need a diet rich in complex carbs and protein. If you are slowly changing your habits, you can swap regular soda with sugar-free soda.
Ultimately, it would help if you still had a balanced diet. This can be determined by your age and gender. The recommended dietary guide for adults is 200g of protein, up to 5 cups of vegetables, 22-44g of healthy oils, and up to 283g of grains. The best sources of proteins are lean meat, legumes, and cereals. Healthy fats include olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds.
How to successfully change your diet
To remain steadfast in your good habits, you can follow some general rules.
1. Eat more fibre and protein
Fibre and protein are not only highly nutritious, but they leave you fuller for longer. This helps reduce the occurrences of binge eating or mindless snacking. Fibre can also help stabilise blood sugar and promote regular bowel movement. When you eat more fibre, your body regulates how much sugar it absorbs.
2. Practice mindful eating
This is when you apply extra awareness to when and what you eat. It helps avoid overeating and eating foods that are bad for you. Mindful eating is when you eat slower, eat only when you’re hungry rather than when you’re bored or emotional, and take the time and effort to enjoy your food. In addition, you should focus on your food and not distractions. Put away your phone and turn away from the TV while eating. 7 Tips To Help You Manage Emotional Eating
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3. Portion control
It’s easier to control how much you eat when you make food at home instead of constantly going out to restaurants. Studies show that you can lose weight when you eat smaller portions over the day rather than three large meals. You can also practise portion control by using smaller plates or smaller spoons. You don’t need to count calories especially if you’re following a balanced diet.
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4. Drink water
Taking water before a meal can help you eat less. A diet for weight loss still requires fewer calories taken. One way to ensure you don’t overeat is to drink water before meals. Water also helps the body run more efficiently and also increases fat burning for some people which increases the metabolic rate.
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5. Remain consistent
If you have good habits, eventually your body will gain muscle and lose visceral fat. This takes time. Fad diets are popular because they have instant results but once you go back to your original habits, the weight comes back and then some. It’s important to focus on your health and maintain good habits. Avoid restricting too many calories because this will jeopardise your health. To lose weight will take more than half the time it took to gain it. Unless you remain steadfast, the scale will never change for the better. Holistic Healing: Lifestyle Ideas For Total Wellness, In And Out
Check out:
Health: On Intermittent Fasting – Benefits And Precautions
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