Have you ever heard of a weight loss story that goes – “After just two weeks of a healthy diet, I have achieved my dream size and never looked back”?To make lasting changes to your body, you need to pick up a sensible, sustainable plan that you can follow forever. Of course, there would be a birthday, a wedding, Diwali and thus indulgence, but it’s important to take a U-turn and come back to the plan. You need a way of eating that you can sustain in the long run- this would help you slim down, not just for two weeks, but for the rest of your life.
These 6 rules can get you started:
1. Self-awareness: Self-awareness is a key factor in weight loss that everyone needs to consider. Once you know the reason for the weight to pile on, you can then do something about it. Keep a food journal, and begin writing down everything you eat. Record things like – are you grabbing things on the run or do you plan ahead?
If this seems like too much work, consider snapping a picture of everything you eat and looking at it at the end of the day. It’s tough to cheat, when the evidence is right in front of you in photo form. Be honest with yourself, and choose foods based on your lifestyle and personality pattern.
2. Make One Meal Each Day a Salad: Add in lot of greens and your favorite veggies. Add a piece of fruit to your breakfast and afternoon snack too. When you are loading up on produce, which is packed with nutrients and wholesome fiber, it is difficult to overeat the stuff that leads to weight gain.
3. Eating Out: Make exceptions for celebrations but having more meals at home will help keep the weight off. Cooking is the key – It lets you control the sugar, salt and fat content. Many of my clients who cook interesting meals at home have lost weight significantly.
4. Shop Smart: Do not stock your home with junk foods that you cannot resist. If the bad stuff is lying in your kitchen cabinet then you are putting yourself to a risky test, that is bound to fail. Simple – Don’t but this stuff, no one at home needs it.
5. Watch Those Portions: One way people trip up when they are trying to lose weight is by giving themselves the license to eat as much of something as they want because it is healthy. Extra virgin olive oil for example is loaded with mono saturated fats that are heart protective, but a three tablespoon pour on your salad could add on extra 360 calories!
6. Eat More Plants: Mother nature is the best food producer in the world. Adopt a plant based diet, with average of 80% plants and 20% beans, lentils, fish, dairy, meat or poultry. This idea is incredibly simple: fill the greater portion of your plate with plants in the most natural form possible and consider others a side dish.
Permanent weight loss requires a lifestyle change. Prioritize your health and learn a new way to approach food for lasting effects.
