Not sure about how to diet, or of the best way
to lose weight and maintain that weight loss? To help you out, here are a
few weight loss do's and don'ts to help you home in on your goal and
keep the weight off.
When embarking on weight loss then do...
Eat regularly
Re-fuelling when you are hungry is a
good idea, but make sure that you snack on the right things. Good snacks
are fruit, vegetable sticks and low fat dips, scones (watch the
butter), sandwiches, toast, smoothies and low fat or diet yogurt.
Try these healthy diet essentials:
Eggs: While egg whites are loaded in proteins, the yolk is rich
in vitamins and minerals. Studies have shown that if you eat eggs for
breakfast, you will end up consuming lesser calories throughout the day!
Eggs also contain choline, which is considered to be brain food.
Yoghurt: An important part of the Indian diet, yoghurt works
wonders for your digestion, immunity and skin. Yoghurt contains more
calcium than any other dairy product. So have a cupful every day, add
fresh fruits of your choice for added flavour!
Beans: Good for your heart, great for diabetes! These natural
wonders are packed with soluble fibre, which fills you up and insoluble
fibre which helps lower your cholesterol. Proteins, carbohydrates,
magnesium, potassium! You name it, this super food has it. The
recommended intake is 3 cups weekly.
Sweet potatoes: Substitute your regular white potato with a sweet
potato and you will automatically be adding vitamin A, vitamin B,
vitamin C, calcium and potassium to your meal. Sweet potatoes also
contain beta carotene which helps every cell in your body to stay
healthy.
Nuts: Yes they have a high fat content, but they are all good
fats which makes them excellent for your heart! In small doses, they can
lower cholesterol and aid in weight loss. And with so many varieties of
healthy nuts around (almonds, peanuts, walnuts) you’ll be hard-pressed
to find a healthier snacking option!
Berries: Whoever said that all good things come in small packages
could have been talking about berries. Berries, be it any kind, are
loaded with antioxidants, extremely low in calories, high in water
content and fibre which makes them great for diabetes.
Sprouts: Sprouts are a really good source of proteins and vitamin
C. They also contain more nutrients than the seed that they germinate
from. Apart from their high nutritional value, they are also easier to
digest than the original seed.
Pomegranate: This tasty treat helps your body fight conditions
like cancer and Alzheimer’s. It is also a rich source of antioxidants.
Pomegranate protects your arteries, lowers cholesterol and lowers blood
pressure. Do we really need to say more?
Bananas: These fruits are available in abundance in our country
and are loaded with antioxidants, potassium, vitamin B6 and
carbohydrates. Potassium helps lower the blood pressure and
carbohydrates are great for refuelling your body before and after your
workout.
Apples: Crispy, crunchy, sweet and delicious! Apples are rich in a
number of minerals and pectin, which is a kind of soluble fibre. Pectin
helps in maintaining digestive health and in reducing cholesterol. Two
apples a day are recommended to derive maximum benefits. Experts
maintain that while eating these super foods is extremely beneficial,
it’s important to maintain a balanced diet. So ensure you are getting
enough of all food groups. Here’s to eating healthy this year! Cheers!
Join our diet discussions on facebook. Like us!
Take a walk at lunchtime
Just small changes make a
big difference over time. Offer to make the coffee at work or wash up,
just walking over to the kettle every day for a few weeks counts! Or
could even exercise at your desk.
Go shopping with a list
There is nothing worse than
standing in the chocolate aisle with a growling stomach, it makes it all
the more tempting to grab foods that are high in fat and sugar. Make
sure you do your food shopping with a list — and not when you are hungry
too.
Don’t be conned by marketing
Low fat does not
necessarily mean low calorie; many manufacturers lower the amount of fat
in dessert foods and increase the amount of sugar to compensate. Make
sure you read the labels on food stuffs so you know exactly what you are
eating.
Get support
This is really important if you are to
succeed at losing weight in the long-term. Being surrounded by people
who will eat the same foods and encourage you along the way is a good
idea. Find a ‘buddy’ or someone in your family to boost your morale.
This can really help if you are taking up a new exercise regime; it
makes backing out much harder to do!
Watch your portion sizes
Next time you go out, look
at the amounts that your friends eat; you may be surprised at how much
you consume in comparison to others. It is important to get your meal
portions correct so try to eat more fruit, vegetables and starchy foods
and less of the protein, dairy products and fatty and sugary foods.
Set yourself achievable goals
This is important as
you have something to aim for and if you make it achievable then you
feel good when you reach the goal, rewarding yourself perhaps with a
nice hot bath or a night out to the movies.
Tackle problems and don’t rely on food as a comfort
A large number of us use food as a way of relieving stress and as a way to unwind when we are not even hungry.
Remember that there are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ foods, only ‘good’ or ‘bad’ diets
This
means that you can have treats; it is really important to be able to
have what we call ‘flexible restraint’ and pick and choose when you have
foods such as chocolate and chips.
Do monitor your food intake and physical activity
Using
a diary or blog to record what you eat and how much you exercise is an
excellent start. This helps you to understand where are your ‘danger
periods’ on a daily basis, such as in the evenings when you relax in
front of the TV. Once you have found out when you are most likely to
waver it is easier to find ways to help yourself e.g. going for a walk
instead of watching TV or having a bath, reading a book etc.
When embarking on a weight loss then don't ...
Don’t rely on just changing your food intake to lose weight
Research
has proven that a combination of both exercise and altered eating
habits is the best way to lose and maintain weight loss.
Think a fad diet will be the answer to your weight issue
This
is a sure-fire way to head for the junk food. Many fad diets promise
great weight loss but are unbalanced, and only make you crave the foods
that it advises against. Life is for living and we should try to have a
sensible and realistic approach to weight loss!
Don't miss breakfast!
A classic way to think you are
cutting back is to miss the most important meal of the day. By missing
breakfast you are more likely to go for a snack mid-morning and it may
not always be a healthy one you reach for!
Don’t become obsessive about your food intake
If you
feel you are permanently on a diet, ask yourself why. There is no point
going out for a meal and feeling deprived, think of coping strategies
to make such occasions as enjoyable as they should be. Why not cut back
the day before you go out for that meal or even the day after?
No comments :
Post a Comment