These habits are game-changers!
When it comes to weight loss, the goal should be to maintain a
healthy and happy lifestyle rather than simply losing weight. Weight loss can
be achieved in various ways, including through exercise and self-care. Your
drinking and eating habits can impact your weight, so it's critical to stick to
your routine.
Your weight loss journey may feel like a dead-end at times, and
you may want to try a different routine to keep moving forward with your goals.
The good news is that you can maintain your progress by changing your dietary
habits. The Nutrition Twins, Lyssie Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFT, and Tammy Lakatos
Shames, RDN, CDN, CFT, gathered their insight to help create a list of eating
happens that can help drastically change your weight loss efforts.
1. Divide temptations into single portions and place them in the
freezer.
Buying produce and other perishables in bulk may make for a
successful grocery shopping trip, but it forces you to eat everything before
the products expire. The Nutrition Twins recommend that you immediately divide
any food that you find tempting into single portions and place them in the
freezer when you come home.
"Because frozen food requires defrosting, impulse eating will be prevented and willpower is taken out of the equation," say The Nutrition Twins. "This just requires a plan! Know that you're only having one—and take one serving out to defrost."
2. Write down what you eat.
Seeing your food intake on paper may give you a whole new
perspective on what you're eating and how much of it you're eating. Keeping a
food diary or journal helps log your food consumption throughout the day.
The Nutrition Twins say that research shows that people who record
what they eat lose twice as much weight as those who don't. It will make you
accountable and mindful of your eating habits. Those who kept daily meal
records lost twice as much weight as those who did not, according to a survey
of about 17,000 adults.
3. Put your oil and dressings in a spray bottle.
Have you ever accidentally over-poured your oil or dressing into
your dishes because it came rushing out of the bottle like running in a race?
Oils and salad dressings are kept in easy-to-reach bottles, and because of
their liquid consistency, it might not be easy to manage how much comes out.
"This is a game-changer," say The Nutrition Twins.
"Each tablespoon of oil or dressing is 100 to 120 calories and given that
salads are typically heavily dressed and that it's easy to pour several hundred
calories in pots and pans when cooking, our clients quickly drop pounds when
they make this change."
4. Eat three fewer bites than usual at each meal.
The slower you eat, the better you'll feel; chewing less will help
you lose weight, as The Nutrition Twins suggest.
"Part of the beauty here is that this habit also makes you
more aware of what you're eating and you'll consciously stop eating before
you're overly full," say The Nutrition Twins. "This can equal
100-plus calories per meal, depending on how heavy the meal is, which equates
to 4 to 5 pounds lost per month."
5. Fill half your plate with lemon and zesty spices with steamed
veggies.
You don't need to lose flavor to lose weight. A tasty and
nutritious dish can be made by replacing unhealthy ingredients that give the
taste of your vegetables with healthy options. Vegetables are very low in
calories. The Nutrition Twins suggest that the lemon and spices, rather than
butter or dressing, keep the vegetables that way while adding phytonutrients.
This substance is believed to be beneficial to human health and help prevent
various diseases.
These phytonutrients can help to fight inflammation that's linked
with weight gain. Plus, because they're high in fiber, they fill you up faster
than the heavier options.
6. Include your favorite foods.
Do not, we repeat, do not cut out every guilty food pleasure item
that you love. You're allowed to give in now and then, and it's encouraged.
"When people feel deprived, that's when they give up on their
healthy eating plan and throw in the towel, often going completely
overboard," says The Nutrition Twins. "By allowing yourself to
occasionally enjoy small portions of your favorite foods, deprivation is taken
out of the equation."
7. Use the "every other" rule when drinking alcohol.
The "every-other-day" rule typically restricts the calories
you eat several days per week while eating what you want on your non-fast days.
You would limit your average alcohol intake in this situation.
The Nutrition Twins suggest that instead of finishing one
alcoholic beverage and going to the next, have a non-caloric drink like a
seltzer.
"You'll save hundreds of calories from the drinks alone and
because you won't get drunk as quickly, and you'll make more rational food
choices," say The Nutrition Twins. "This is especially important
since alcohol increases appetite and lowers inhibitions, making you care less
about the choices you make."
8. Drink at least 12 ounces of water before each meal and between
meals.
The Nutrition Twins say it's easy to mistake thirst for hunger,
which is a way to consume excess calories. All that means is that you need to
hydrate. You can also add lemon to your water for extra flavor.
The Mayo Clinic suggests that, according to The U.S. National
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, an adequate daily fluid
intake of water is about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men and
roughly 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women.
9. Skip the salad for lunch.
Many delicious salad recipes contain more nutrients than a simple
one that has only veggies, dressing, and not much else.
"Veggies are awesome for weight loss because they fill you
with few calories, but if you make a meal of them, you won't get protein for
staying power, or a healthy carb to prevent craving more carbs," say The
Nutrition Twins.
This could lead to overeating at your next meal or getting
afternoon cravings that make you choose unhealthy snacks like a bag of chips or
a candy bar.
10. Get 20 grams of protein at each meal.
Protein is an essential part of your diet because it helps your
body repair cells and makes new ones. It also helps regulate hormones.
Protein takes longer to digest, which helps you feel fuller while
keeping your blood sugar stable. The Nutrition Twins say this will prevent
overeating from hunger and blood sugar dips.
11. Keep batch-cooked greens on hand and fill up on them at meals.
Cooked greens can not only be delicious but very nutritious. You
can fill up on low-calorie antioxidant-packed, anti-inflammatory greens and
turn them into a healthy side dish or an addition to a sandwich, fish, pizza,
or salad. It's easy and a great way to help you get lean.
12. Indulge in your favorite treats when you're already satisfied.
Do you ever think to yourself, "Now I need something
sweet," after you've finished a meal? Or if you're in the middle of the
day, and your lunch is still not filling you up, and you need a savory snack?
Instead of constantly looking forward to your post-meal sweet treat or salty
snack, try eating them when you're not in the mood to.
"It's challenging enough to indulge in moderate portions of
favorite foods, but dive into them when you're ravenous and you'll set yourself
up to overeat," says The Nutrition Twins. "Especially since you'd
likely even eat foods you didn't like as much when you're hungry."
13. Add Ceylon cinnamon to meals for sweetness.
Ceylon cinnamon, also known as Cinnamomum Verum or true cinnamon,
has a lighted, sweet flavor. It has all the health-promoting benefits of
cinnamon but none of the harmful ones, making it an excellent sweetener choice.
"You'll avoid the need for sugar and skirt those extra
calories and the inflammation it causes linked to weight gain," says The
Nutrition Twins. "You'll also benefit from the cinnamon's blood sugar and
weight-loss benefits."
According to research published in the American Diabetes Association, as little as 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower blood
sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides. It may even help with weight loss.
The Nutrition Twins suggest adding Ceylon cinnamon to your smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, muffins, baked goods, cereal, popcorn, etc.