Calories count. It’s not low fat vs. low carb. You can eat fewer calories by eating less food (which is why you can lose weight on any diet that restricts entire categories of foods or limits portion sizes), but you may get hungry and gain it back. Fat has 9 calories per gram, but protein and carbohydrates have only 4 calories per gram. This means that when you eat less fat, you consume fewer calories without having to eat less food. Eat less fat and fewer simple carbs.
To achieve a one-pound weight loss per week, 3,500 calories should be subtracted from your normal weekly caloric intake. To do this, reduce your normal daily caloric consumption by 200 to 300 calories per day and increase your physical activity with the goal of burning an additional 200 to 300 calories per day.
Considering the bulging waistlines of 66% of the population, it is obvious that sticking to a healthy eating plan is a challenge for many people. If you are having problems sticking with that resolution that you set in January, here are some simple tips to help you start to create new and healthy eating patterns.
Don’t diet. Instead of saying “I can’t have that, I am on a diet,” try saying “I don’t want that, I am changing my eating habits.”
1.) Take responsibility for what and how much you eat—keep a food journal for a month or at the very least a few weeks to be aware of what, when, and why you eat.
2.) There should be no food restrictions. There are no bad foods, only inappropriate portion sizes. If you neglect certain food groups, you’ll end up craving those foods and binging. You also miss out on vital nutrients.
3.) Weigh and measure foods for at least a month, but preferably two weeks, to become familiar with serving sizes and portions. Serving sizes and portions have gotten so distorted over the years in restaurants and the like that most people are completely unaware of what a single serving actually looks like. Most restaurant servings are 2-3 times the single-serving sizes.
4.) Don’t skip meals—eating 5–6 times a day not only stimulates your metabolism but also keeps your blood sugar stable and prevents overeating.
5.) Keep a positive attitude. Recognize irrational thoughts. Focus on the things that you have done right and the positive changes that you have made. Remember: success breeds success.
6.) Lose weight in a way that benefits your health rather than harms it. You can lose weight by smoking or taking drugs, but these are not healthy methods, and you will quickly revert to your old habits (and weight).
7.) Avoid trans-fatty acids and partly hydrogenated fats (“bad fats”). They may increase the shelf life of certain food products, but they decrease the shelf life of people who eat them.
8.) Eat fewer “bad carbs” like sugar and white flour. They are low in fiber, too, so they are a double punch if you are trying to create healthy eating habits: It has a lot of calories that don’t fill you up.
9.) Eat more “good carbs” like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and unrefined grains (such as whole-wheat flour and brown rice). They are rich in fiber, which slows absorption and fills you up before you take in too many calories.
What you include in your diet is as important as what you exclude. With a few exceptions, those protective antioxidants and health-benefiting substances are found in high-carbohydrate foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.
11.) Begin by making moderate changes to your diet. If you want to lower your cholesterol level or weight even more (or if you have heart disease and want to reverse it), you may need to make bigger changes.
On a final note, if you make better eating habits a priority in your daily schedule, it will become part of how you live – not just a passing fad or a “New Year’s Resolution.
Our nutritionists offer one-on-one consultations to help each person find what works best for them—whether that be learning simply how to prepare healthy foods quickly and easily, or even learning about healthier alternatives in many other aspects of your life.
Explore our website to learn more by clicking the following link: https://theremedypharm.com/
