There are easy ways to watch weight without exhausting oneself with extreme diets. Here are some examples of practicing a smart eating philosophy.
The very word "diet" often sounds so intimidating that stops people from starting the process of losing weight. Dieting very often associates with starving, living on lettuce and carrots, avoiding restaurants and being completely deprived of the joy of eating. There are, however, several simple tricks that will help one lower the calories in his/her meals and watch their weight without feeling hungry, dissatisfied and moody.
Hunger is the Only Reason to Eat
Sounds like a cliché? However, it's surprising and shocking how many people eat huge amounts of foods every day for all the wrong reasons. Boredom, stress, habits of eating during certain activities like watching TV or reading (Pavlov's dogs syndrome), sharing meal with a spouse or a friend just to keep them company and of course comfort foods . Who wasn't tempted to devour an ice cream or a box of chocolates after a lousy date or a horrible day at work? Moreover, many people were trained by their loving parents to finish whatever could end up on their plates. What happens to all the good boys and girls who choke on their food in order to leave a clean plate and please Mommy? Surprise, surprise! They usually struggle with weight for the rest of their lives.
All the reasons described above have nothing to do with hunger and can definitely trigger a weight gain. It is extremely important to be in touch with one's body and only provide it with fuel when needed. Whatever food is needed turns into energy, whatever isn't – goes straight to the fat cells.
Add Veggies
Adding vegetables to every meal is a healthy way to reduce about 500 calories a day without feeling hungry. It's a good idea to replace one quarter of every meal with either steamed or fresh veggies. The amount of vegetables is unlimited with one exception – starchy vegetables like corn and potatoes. They contain carbs and a lot of calories (that's why they are so tasty).
Eat Smaller Amounts of Food, but More Often
Who hasn't attacked the refrigerator after eight hours of starvation? This is as harmful for the a starving body that won't be able to digest all the stuff that happened to be in the fridge that day as it is for one's figure.
The ideal situation is eating five small meals a day in order to watch the weight. That way a person is not hungry and as a result less attracted to fattening unhealthy foods loaded with calories (hamburgers, donuts, pizza etc).
Watch the Drinks!
When people talk about dieting it seems mostly about food while drinks look like innocent liquid. This is one of the most common delusions that many dieters pay a heavy (literally and figuratively) price for.
Although the sad fact that sodas and alcohol are loaded with calories (average cocktail contains about 300 calories while any non-diet soda has 45 calories for 100 gram) becomes common knowledge, many people still have no idea that super healthy fruit shakes and juices are just as fattening.
Switching to diet drinks and replacing sugar with sweeteners in tea and coffee will help cut the calories without any dramatic changes in one's eating habits. In addition try to drink as much water as possible especially before the meal – not only is it healthy, but also tricks the stomach by providing a false feeling of fullness.
While extreme diets usually make people so exhausted with hunger that they eventually give up and often end up getting their weight back with interest, the smart harmless way of eating can protect one from extra weight indefinitely.
First published Aug 4, 2010 Anna Inger
Bibliography:
Tribole, Evelyn and Resch, Elyse. Intuitive Eating: a Revolutionary Program that Works. Ney York: St. Martin's Paperbacks, 1995.
Willet, Walter.MD. Eat, Drink and Be Happy. New York: Free Press, 2001.
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