Losing weight can be tricky and can give you lots of headaches, and stomachaches… Many of us have tried different miracle diets and exercises, and we ended up eating a whole chocolate because of the pressure we put on our body and mind.
I do think that an active lifestyle would bring us closer to a healthy life, but that doesn’t mean we have to live a miserable life, always questioning what we eat. If we learn the basics of clean nutrition we might be able to create for ourselves a happier and healthier life.
Eight years ago I began the journey to a healthier me. I read a lot, I tried a lot, but most of all, I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned about food, about workout and I’ve learned about myself and how I function better. Here, I managed to make a list with the best 11 tips that will help you lose weight and most of all will help you start your own journey around health and fitness.
1. Eat slower
Yep, it’s that simple. You just need to stop eating like you’re chased by a puma, and you will feel fuller with less food. Take your time to prepare your meal, then sit and relax while enjoying your food. Avoid eating in front of a tv or computer and if you can, eat with your family, a friend or your loved one. Eating faster usually causes overeating, plus it can lead to digestive problems.
2. Veggies first
Eat your fruit, vegetables and fats at the beginning of your meal, protein second and leave the carbs for last. That way, you’ll be first fueling your body with the best elements it needs to properly function, hoping that the ones maintaining your muffin top will remain on your plate at the end of your meal.
3. Buy smaller plates!
Smaller plates means smaller portions, because the same amount of food can look so small on a big plate or more than enough on a smaller one. Especially when we’re hungry, we have the habit of filling the plate, so make sure you fill a small one.
4. Don’t keep junk food at home
Or at the office. Or in the car. You get the point. If you have junk food around you when you’re stressed or really hungry, or in a hurry, you’ll most probably choose the chips, the chocolate, the pretzels… before thinking about eating a proper meal. If you have it in your home, throw it away or at least keep it out of sight. Instead, have a plate of fruit on the table. This will make you grab the fruit more often than the unhealthy snack.
5. Eat before going out or to the grocery store
Why can this advice really make a difference in your diet? When you’re hungry and you end up in a restaurant or grocery store, you may observe how your eating habits and food awareness are going down the drain. You’ll buy sugar and carbs like crazy, and the shopping cart will be much fuller than it should.
This happens because you’re starving and your brain can’t function properly, it yells for some fast fuel like sugar or carbs which in reality have a low satiety index, meaning that soon you’ll be hungry. Again. And the cycle goes on… This is one of the reasons why starving will never be a healthy way to lose weight, nor for your body or brain.
6. Drink water 10-30 min before a meal
Actually, drink water all day long if you can, it’s the best advice someone could give you for a healthier you. Very often, when you feel the need to eat or just snack, your body is actually thirsty. Your hypothalamus will mistake dehydration for hunger and so your body will be misled that it needs food, when in reality it doesn’t. It just needs water.
7. Don’t under eat!
It’s wrong to eat big portions, but it’s really not ok to under eat either. Your body and mind need fuel to create energy, so you can be active and productive. Eating less than your basal metabolic rate (which is the minimum number of calories required by your body to perform basic, life-sustaining functions) will cause muscle loss and your body will adjust by slowing the metabolism. Believe me, this is not something you want.
8. Eat more protein
Protein has an impact on several hormones in our body that are linked with hunger and satiety, such as ghrelin. A protein based meal can only lead to weight loss and muscle gain. More protein will make your hunger disappear faster and you will feel fuller longer, making you eat fewer calories during the rest of the day. There are plenty of protein rich foods to choose from such as: fish, Greek yogurt, eggs, chicken breast, cheese, tuna, quinoa, lentils, broccoli, oats and almonds. As you can see, there are vegan options as well, so you just have to put them on your shopping list.
9. Avoid drinking alcohol
Alcohol is tricky, I mean you have a party, a date, a reunion and you want to drink a glass of wine. Personally, I think social drinking it’s ok, we don’t have to blame ourselves for drinking a glass of wine every now and then. But you must remember this: your liver processes over 90 per cent of the alcohol that you consume, which means your liver’s full time job will be to take care of the alcohol in your body. Besides that, proper digestive functions will be affected.
10. Eliminate sugary drinks from your diet
Soda is the worst, it has only empty calories, zero nutrients and plenty of sugar. I consider myself really blessed that I actually don’t like soda. Some people drink it to take away the thirst, like water, a fact that I cannot understand, because all the sugar in it it’s making me more thirsty. Drink water, unsweetened lemonade or maybe a tea with a teaspoon of honey in it, if you crave for something fancier.
Freshly squeezed juice is better, because it’s from natural fresh fruit, but not the best because it also has plenty of sugar. Yes, it’s good sugar, but anything in excess is bad for your body. Imagine how full you feel if you eat an orange versus if you drink a glass of orange juice. But the juice is made from 4-5 oranges which is a lot per one meal. Maybe next time you try to eat an orange instead of drinking 4, it’s lower on sugar, it has fiber which is good for digestion, plus it’s cheaper.
11. Avoid stress and sleep better
These two are going together because stress is giving you insomnia or just bad quality sleep, and a bad night’s sleep is making you more stressed and tired – a bad routine that ‘ll lead you to cravings, weight gain, brain fog, depression and collapse.
I personally recommend meditation and yoga for stress relief and improving sleep. Also, lowering your caffeine intake and going to bed every night at the same hour will significantly make your night sleep better. I try to eliminate caffeine from my daily routine and when I have a hard time falling asleep I use a 5 min guided meditation from the Primed Mind app, called “Sleep now”, which is very effective most of the time.
When it doesn’t work (meaning that I am really stressed or worried), I just hit the replay button one more time and it’s enough to put me in a relaxed state of mind. I think this is one of the most important aspects of weight control, because it will eliminate cravings, will improve your energy, and will help you make better decisions regarding your overall health habits.
To summarize…
We live a crazy life, always on the edge of an emotional cliff. That puts a lot of stress on our body and mind. We find comfort in food, most of the time junk food, and then we blame ourselves for being too weak. In front of the mirror, we see the repercussions of our binge eating, of our fogged mind.
First of all, we must relax and forgive ourselves, forgive our weaknesses. It’s hard, but necessary. And second, start to take control of your health, you will thank yourself later. With these 11 steps you will set an important foundation for your health and you will lose a ton of weight while doing it.
