Losing weight may seem like an impossible task, particularly if you want those extra pounds to just melt away. While fad diets may promise quick results, these diets usually aren't nutritionally sound and may be hard to maintain over time. Making smart choices about what and when you eat can help you lose weight and keep it from returning.
Plan Meals and Snacks
Planning meals and snacks in advance can help you control what and how much you eat. A notebook or scrap piece of paper can serve as your planning journal. List meals, snacks and portion size for each day. If you are counting calories, list the total calories in each food or snack. Review the journal each morning to refresh your memory, then take a look at your plan in the evening and note if you were able to stick to the plan. If you felt too deprived following the plan, replace the food choices with other types of foods that fill you up without adding extra calories. HelpGuide.org suggests choosing low-density foods, such as fruits and vegetables. When you choose these foods, you'll be able to eat larger portions without worrying about increased calories.
Reduce Portion Size
Eating less means that you take in fewer calories and gain fewer pounds, or lose weight. If you use smaller dishes, plates and bowls for your food, reduced sizes may not appear quite as small and you won't start the meal worrying that you don't have enough food. Although you may have gotten used to large portion sizes at restaurants, those super-sized portions are usually more than you need. If you are serving chicken, fish or meat, a serving size should be no larger than a deck of cards. Limit fresh vegetables to a 1-cup serving size and pasta or rice to 1/3 cup. Try using ¾ cup of dry cereal rather than filling a large bowl full of cereal.
Drink Water
Drink water with every meal. Water helps fill you up, reducing the chance that you'll overeat, and has fewer calories than soda, sweetened juices or sports drinks. Each can of soda contains approximately 150 calories and 10g of sugar, more sugar than a chocolate candy bar, according to TeensHealth. Drinking a soda with each meal can quickly sabotage your weight loss plan. If you grow tired of drinking water, try adding lemon the water for a little flavor or drink unsweetened iced tea. If you absolutely can't resist having a soda when you are at a restaurant, choose the smallest size, ask for plenty of ice and restrict yourself to drinking water after finishing the soda.
Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals
When you eat three meals each day, you may be starving by the time dinner arrives and may overeat. Eating smaller meals five or six times per day can help reduce hunger, enabling you to avoid overeating. Make sure you choose healthy foods that are low in sugar and carbohydrates when planning your meals.
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