Crash diets that force you to binge because they offer so few calories and choices, are rarely productive. Instead, design a realistic menu of foods that you enjoy that are in line with sensible nutritional guidelines. For example, the U.S. Department of Agriculture created a matrix called My Food Pyramid that outlines what types and how much of certain foods to eat to help you reach a healthy weight permanently.
Retool favorite recipes to be low-fat, high-fiber and have more protein so that you find yourself eating food you enjoy long enough to drop the extra pounds.
Eat a High-Fiber, Low-Fat Breakfast
Eat a high-fiber, high-protein, low-fat breakfast every day. Think whole grain, whole fruits, low-fat dairy, nuts, eggs and high-satiety. For example, eat instant oatmeal, low-fat or nonfat yogurt with sliced banana, or low-fat milk over toasted wheat squares. Add chopped almonds, cashews or berries to your cold cereal to boost its fiber content. Choose whole grain over refined. For example, favor oats, brown rice, millet, quinoa and buckwheat over refined white rice, white bread or refined breakfast cereal.
You can prepare pancakes using a multigrain pancake mix or make your own: combine corn, brown rice flour and buckwheat flour, an egg, olive oil, baking soda and slather with peanut butter or a small amount of real maple syrup.
Eat Fruits, Vegetables Daily
Consume at least 2 cups of fruit and 2 cups of vegetables every day to get insoluble and soluble fiber, as recommended by My Food Pyramid. By doing this you get nutrients, water content and the roughage that is not only filling but will help keep you regular.
Change it up: roughly chop apples and add raisins to oatmeal, or bake sweet potatoes and drizzle with olive oil. Bring small apples and bananas to the office for easy to eat snacks.
Bake a spaghetti or acorn squash with garlic cloves and serve with wild rice, roasted nuts and collard greens. Soon you will develop a palate that demands fruits and vegetables at each meal.
Consume Lean Proteins, Non-Saturated Fats
Eat lean proteins and heart-healthy nonsaturated fats. Select lean cuts of beef, poultry and other animal protein, removing all visible fat. Consume low-mercury seafood and also vary your protein so that you include legumes and whole grains, nuts of all kinds and low-fat dairy foods such as yogurt, cheese and kefir. Eat heart-healthy, nonsaturated fats including olive, flax, hemp seed, canola, safflower and fish oils.
The USDA recommends eating no more than 30 percent of daily calories from fat and of that number, no more than 10 percent from saturated fats. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature: butter, pork, beef and poultry fat.
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