Finding the right diet that fits your needs is hard and sticking with that diet is even more difficult. A few tricks and tips can help you stay on the right path, even when you’re tempted to stray. These simple hacks can make it easier to diet and help you develop healthy habits. One simple trick that requires no discipline is using smaller plates. The smaller your plate, the bigger your serving size looks. A recent study combined the research of 56 previous studies and found that using smaller plates reduced the amount of food consumed by an average of 30%.
Slow down and eat mindfully.
Savoring the flavor can also help you stick with your diet and leave you feeling fuller after a meal. When you eat slower, chew longer, and really appreciate everything about the food from the flavor to the texture. You’ll enjoy it more, while slowing down the process of eating. That gives your stomach time to signal to the brain that it’s full. You’ll feel more satisfied with less food.
Plan and cook meals ahead.
Meal planning can boost your efforts and make sticking with a diet far easier. How do you meal plan? We make it easy with an app for your phone. All you do is buy the groceries and cook the meals. When you meal plan, you do all the grocery shopping at one time and cook all the meals on your day off work. You then pack the meals into individual servings and freeze or refrigerate the meals. When it’s time to eat, heat and serve. It’s faster than going through a drive-through. It saves time and money. It can help you stick with your diet. You have all the meals at the tip of your fingers.
Eliminate junk food and have healthy food available.
Just like meal planning, having healthy snacks ready to eat makes it more likely. Clean out the junk food and bring in healthy options. Make snacks ahead. You can create a yogurt sundae in an 8-oz Mason jar. Put a layer of Greek yogurt in the jar, add a layer of berries, a sliced half banana, another layer of yogurt, and top with a layer of walnuts. It’s ready to eat or put the lid on and save it for later.
- Drink more water. A half hour before you eat, drink an 8-oz glass of water. Sip water throughout the meal. Studies show it reduces the calories you consume.
- Forgive yourself if you go off track. Remember it’s one day, one meal, or just one snack. It takes time to create new habits and change food preferences. Once you do, healthy food will taste delicious and junk food will no longer tempt you.
- If you’re not ready for a complete change, start slowly. Give up food with added sugar first. It will take a while to conquer the sugar cravings. It is the hardest part of weight loss.
- Plan for snacks and have healthy snacks ready to eat in the refrigerator. You’ll be more likely to have a few cubes of watermelon or cantaloupe when it’s cut up in a bowl than you would if it were whole. Make it easy to eat healthy.
For more information, contact us today at Rising Fitness Gym