Let’s get this one thing straight. Dieting is not fun! It’s not supposed to be fun when you have to give up soda, pizza, french fries, and all the stuff you help yourself to on your off days. But here’s one thing to remember to motivate yourself: it will all pay off in the end. Here are 8 diet changes that guarantee weight loss.
1. Don’t starve yourself.
Weight loss diet shouldn’t feel like there’s a famine. The body actually responds quite peculiarly once it is starved. On face value, it may seem you will lose fat quickly this way. Yes, you will but only within a short time. After a while, your body’s defenses will kick in. Your body will hold on to the fat. Your body will begin to metabolize muscle. Your metabolism slows down, and you will feel weak.
2. Eat on a smaller plate.
Get a smaller plate. Fill it with good food. Eat it, and don’t go for another serving. Once emptied, put the plate in the sink.
3. Throw away all the soda from the fridge.
Soda is one of the most fattening inventions of the 20th Century. Every can of soda you drink each day increases your risk of obesity by more than 60%. There’s just too much sugar in an 8-oz can. Not only does that add to your total daily calorie intake but also does that cause nasty blood glucose level fluctuations and later increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.
4. Throw away junk food.
Junk food is as menacing as soda. Junk food has too much salt, fat, and bad carbs. It has little fiber and nutrients. It’s easy to grab a bag of chips when you get hungry in between meals. Stop! Grab some nuts instead or just drink water.
5. Eat 3 times a day.
There is no evidence that eating 6 “small” meals a day is more effective than eating 3 regular meals a day. Also, it’s hard to track your calorie intake when you eat so many times a day, and you may actually end up eating more than you should in a multiple-meal schedule. Unless you’re managing reactive hypoglycemia or diabetes, it doesn’t make sense to eat 6 times a day.
6. Buy fresh produce.
Processed food is rich in sugar and unwanted stuff (additives and preservatives). You don’t need all these things. The same amount of fresh fruits and vegetables is cheaper and healthier. Just buy enough to last for the entire week. Eat them raw. Make a salad. Switch from salty, fatty junk food to healthier vegetable salad or fruit cocktail.
7. Cook your food!
Yes, you will have to learn to cook your food. You’ll be able to control the amount of salt, spices, or fat you put in your recipe. You can also choose healthier alternatives to certain ingredients. For instance, you can choose olive oil over animal fat. Eventually, you will learn to look for healthy, low-fat recipes.
8. Use your hands to determine serving sizes.
No one likes counting and estimating calories. Here’s what you have to do. Clench your fist. That’s about the size of carbs you have to eat per meal. That’s also the amount of vegetables or fruits you have to eat. Look at your palm. That’s roughly the amount of lean meat or fish you have to eat per meal. The tip of your thumb is roughly the same amount of good fat you can eat per meal.
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