Forget about diets if you want to lose weight. When you're on a diet, you change the way you eat for a short time in a way that's usually not healthy to maintain long-term. When you go off the diet, you might find you're one of the vast majority of dieters who regain the weight. Instead, focus on changes in your food choices and lifestyle for healthy weight loss.
Eat Protein
Eat a food that contains protein with every meal, including breakfast. Protein satisfies the appetite longer than carbohydrates do. Choose lean protein such as low-fat plain yogurt, lean meat, beans, egg whites or fish to slow down digestion, control your blood sugar and keep hunger at bay longer.
Soft Drinks
Soft drinks such as cola, sweet tea, fruit juice, lemonade and cranberry juice cocktail are loaded with sugar and calories. A 12-oz. cola has 10 tsp. of sugar and 137 calories. Giving up soft drinks can cut hundreds of calories and improve your health.
Whole Grains
Avoid refined carbohydrates such as white bread and white rice; they are rapidly digested and send your blood sugar on a roller-coaster ride. Instead, eat whole grain foods like oatmeal, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, barley and whole-grain bread to keep your blood sugar and hunger under control.
Get Regular Exercise
People who are most successful at keeping off lost weight exercise regularly. Data collected on dieters who lost at least 30 lbs. and maintained their weight for at least a year show that they exercise for an average of an hour each day. Work your way up to more exercise gradually.
Don't Fear Fat
Low-fat diets don't work for most people trying to lose weight, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Fat is an essential nutrient and it helps you feel full and satisfied. Avoid saturated fats and get healthy fats from olive oil, olives, avocado, nuts, seeds, and cold-water fish, such as salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines.
Lose Slow and Steady
Weight loss isn't a race. Lose pounds at a slow and steady pace to avoid the feelings of hunger and deprivation that could sabotage your best efforts. Set a goal to lose one or two pounds per week for a healthy rate of weight loss.
Portion Control
Cancel your membership to the "Clean Your Plate" club and stop eating before your dish is empty. The more food there is on your plate the more you'll eat, so scale back your portion sizes. Eat from a lunch plate during dinner -- you'll eat less and you won't even realize it.
Make Friends with Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are a dieter's best friends. They're low in calories and high in fiber and they fill you up without making you gain weight. Avoid white potatoes as they are rapidly converted to sugar during digestion, just like white bread. Choose whole fruits instead of fruit juice, but go easy on high-sugar fruits, such as bananas, oranges, apricots, grapes, pears, pineapple and mangoes.
Watch Less TV
People who watch less TV weigh less. When you watch TV you actually burn fewer calories than when you're asleep. To make matters worse; TV encourages mindless snacking. Turn off the TV or do exercises such as squats or crunches, while watching.
Keep a Food Journal
One of the best weight-loss methods used by successful dieters is keeping a food journal. Keep a consistent record of what you eat and be willing to record everything you eat, no matter how small the amount. You'll get a clear picture of how much you're really eating.
References
- HelpGuide.org: Healthy Weight Loss and Dieting How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off
- Harvard School of Public Health: How to Get to Your Healthy Weight
- Harvard Health Publications: Carbohydrates and Health: Not that Simple...or that Complex
- Harvard School of Public Health: How Sweet Is It?
- Medline Plus: Food Diary a Great Tool for Losing Weight, Expert Says
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