Here are some valuable tips on Maintaining a Healthy Weight Without Dieting.
- Pump up the volume – think nutrient-rich foods which can fill you up with less calories. Salad piled high with fresh veggies is an excellent idea, but skip the nuts, cheese and dressing.
- Don’t drink your calories – the average American gets about 22% of calories each day from liquids. They travel quickly through your stomach and the brain has a hard time noticing the calories so you may still feel hunger afterwards. People who cut out soda from their diet lost more than those who cut the same amount of calories from food in a recent study
- Snooze to lose – New research shows that people who sleep less than 5 hours a night are more likely to become obese. Make your goal 7.5 to 8 hours each night.
- Front-load your calories – Don’t skip breakfast – eating first thing in the morning has a powerful affect on jump starting your metabolism. If you don’t eat within two hours of waking, your metabolism will slow down to conserve energy. Dieters who ate a large breakfast, medium lunch and light dinner lose more body fat than those who had more than half their calories in the evening.
- Downsize your dishes – We tend to over-consume because we often “eat with our eyes” – if we see it on the plate, our brains tend to think we need to finish it. Try smaller plates and smaller portions
- Be a label-reader – Sometimes the label of “low-carb”, “heart healthy” or “reduced calorie” makes us think we can eat more. Read how many calories per serving and servings per package. You’ll be shocked to find that often what appears to be a one-serving package really contains two. That means if you eat the whole thing you’ll have to double your calories. Better yet, make it a habit to avoid packaged food all-together. Eat real food, whole-fresh foods instead like crunchy carrots or fresh strawberries.
- Why are you snacking?.. most of us do not snack out of true hunger. We’ve often forgotten what that really feels like. More often people will snack because they are Bored, Angry, Lonely, or Tired (acronym = BALT) Next time you go to open the fridge or raid the cupboard, think first and ask yourself why you are eating…
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