Skip the fatty deli meats like bologna and salami. Choose lean turkey or roast beef as a replacement. Vegetarians can get plenty of protein from soy, nuts, beans, and seeds. Lentils, legumes, and beans are excellent sources of fiber and protein. Eat low-fat dairy for a source of protein, including low-fat cheeses and nonfat yogurt. A 150-gram serving of Greek yogurt provides about 11 grams of protein. The study has shown that 20 women who were eating high-protein yogurt snacks instead of crackers, chocolate, and other low-protein snacks consumed fewer calories and experienced less hunger. [1] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
Eat what is in season and eat fruit and vegetables for snacks or, for dessert. When you eat apples in the fall, for instance, or cherries in late summer, it might as well be an indulgent dessert. Cut up celery, carrots, peppers, broccoli or cauliflower and dip them in a light salad dressing or hummus. Use vegetables as a main dish. For example, make a stir-fry or a hearty salad and add just a few ounces of cooked chicken, salmon or almonds.
Simple carbs are things like white bread, processed flour, and white sugar. This gives you energy quickly but then comes with a crash. It turns into fat very quickly. Substitute whole wheat flour or oat flour into pancakes or baked goods. You might need to add additional leavening ingredients, like baking powder or yeast. Put barley in your soup instead of rice or try a pilaf with barley, wild rice or brown rice. Eat only naturally-occurring carbohydrates instead of processed carbohydrates. Avoid processed foods, like white bread, semolina pasta or crackers, or processed sweets like candy bars or sugary vegetables. [2] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
Follow a paleo diet and eat grass-produced meat, fish, and seafood, fresh fruits, and vegetables, eggs, seeds, and nuts, just like paleo-humans did. Eat nothing prepackaged or processed. [3] X Research source Try sticking to raw foods. The Raw Food Diet requires 75 percent of your dietary intake to be uncooked. Most people eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and beans. [4] X Research source Join a commercial diet plan. If you prefer to eat whatever you want and to meet weekly with other people who are losing weight, then try WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers). If you prefer prepared meals so that you don’t have to cook, try Jenny Craig or NutriSystem.
Instead of salt, try spicing your meals with chili flakes, fresh salsa, or cajun spices and seasonings. Unsalted foods will taste much saltier eventually if you cut salt out for a while and let your taste buds re-acclimate.
Make sure that you don’t get hungry by eating small portions throughout the day at regular intervals. Between your meals, eat a 150-calorie snack to keep your metabolism burning and to stave off hunger. Be sure that you don’t eat a fattening snack such as sweets or crisps. When you’re hungry, your body conserves calories and slows down your metabolic processes.
Soda Juice Sweet tea Kool Aid Fruit punch Sports drinks Sweet coffee drinks Alcoholic drinks
For example, before loading up your plate with half a frozen pizza, check the label to see what a portion size is and only put this amount on your plate. Or, if you want to have a bowl of cereal, check the box to see how much you can have for one serving and use a measuring cup to get the exact amount. Controlling portions doesn’t have to mean you’re hungry all the time if you try strategies to make yourself feel more full.
Be complete. Write it all down, including beverages, condiments, and a description of how the food was prepared. Don’t pretend you didn’t have that extra glass of wine after dinner. If it goes into your stomach, it goes into the journal. Be accurate. Record your portion sizes in your food diary. Don’t eat too little or too much - keep track. Also, read the ingredients list so that you can be accurate about serving sizes. Be consistent. Carry your food journal everywhere that you go. As an alternative, you can use a diet-tracking app on your smartphone or tablet.
Next, look up how much a person of your age, height, weight, and energy level needs per day in calories. Add about 170 calories to your total. Recent studies estimate that we tend to eat slightly more than we’re able to keep track of in a day. [8] X Research source
Be realistic. If you like to eat out a lot, don’t try to totally eliminate eating out. Instead, plan on eating home-cooked meals six days a week. Cut down on the snacking, or try to make them healthy snacks. Fresh vegetables with guacamole, unsalted almonds, or fruit make for great weight-loss snacks. Let yourself have non-food treats. Promise yourself that if you can follow this for six weeks and exercise (if that is one of your goals), you will treat yourself to a pedicure or a massage. Work indulgence foods into your calorie plan. If you do want to have something that is a little higher in calories, then make sure that you work it into your overall calorie goal for the day. For example, if you are following a 1,800 calorie plan, and you want to have a brownie that is 300 calories, then you would only have 1,500 calories left for the day.
Be realistic. If you like to eat out a lot, don’t try to totally eliminate eating out. Instead, plan on eating home-cooked meals six days a week. Cut down on the snacking, or try to make them healthy snacks. Fresh vegetables with guacamole, unsalted almonds, or fruit make for great weight-loss snacks. Let yourself have non-food treats. Promise yourself that if you can follow this for six weeks and exercise (if that is one of your goals), you will treat yourself to a pedicure or a massage. Work indulgence foods into your calorie plan. If you do want to have something that is a little higher in calories, then make sure that you work it into your overall calorie goal for the day. For example, if you are following a 1,800 calorie plan, and you want to have a brownie that is 300 calories, then you would only have 1,500 calories left for the day.
Try to tally your energy-output each day. It’s helpful to keep track of these with pedometers, or other weight-loss tracking apps that you can use to make this easier. Read the section about exercise for more specific tips. Set mini-goals. Your ultimate goal might be to lose 20 pounds, but instead of focusing on that, think that you want to lose 1 to 2 pounds (0. 45 to 0. 91 kg) this week. Or you can focus on non-pound goals like skipping after-dinner snacks this week or only drinking alcohol on weekends. It is important to understand that weight is entirely a function of input and output. The input is the food you eat and the calories contained therein. The output is your energy output. To lose weight the output needs to be greater than the input. It is that simple. Do not believe any of the diet fads. If you are currently not gaining or losing weight then just burning 300 extra calories per week or eating/drinking 300 calories less per week (2 sodas for example or a small burger) WILL make you lose weight - in this case around 5 pounds of fat per year.
Drinking water about 30 minutes before meals can reduce the number of calories people end up consuming, especially in older individuals. Research showed that dieters who drank half a liter of water before meals lost 44% more weight over a period of 12 weeks, compared to those who didn’t. [11] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
Buy a pedometer. Attach the pedometer to your belt and try to take 5,000 steps daily. Move up to a goal of 10,000 to 15,000 steps as you get in better shape. Start by walking to lose weight. Walking around your neighborhood costs nothing and is a great way to start moving. You can also try other low-impact exercises like swimming, riding a bike or jogging.
Do a variety of different machines until you find something you like. Consult a personal trainer to make sure you’re using proper form to avoid injury. They’re there to help, not to intimidate you.
Kickboxing Jazzercise Zumba Pilates Yoga Martial arts Crossfit or Bootcamp
Start with squats paired with an overhead dumbbell press to work your lower body and upper body at the same time. Perform resistance exercises while sitting or reclining on an exercise ball. You’ll strengthen your core while simultaneously working on other areas. Use machines and free weights. These tools tend to focus on particular muscle groups like the arms, shoulders, thighs, glutes and upper back. Do these more focused exercises after you work on exercises for multiple muscle groups. Rest at least one full day between strength training workouts so that your muscles can recover. Recovery will help you to avoid pain and injury.
If you don’t like competitive sports, try doing something that you can do by yourself. Swim, or play golf, or go hiking instead of playing a game with a ball and a net. Get a bicycle if you want to find a great way to get around and exercise at the same time. Don’t spend all that time sitting down in your car when you could be burning calories. Also, try going on a walk after dinner for 40 minutes-1 hour. During this time, your body goes into fat-burning mode until you eat in the morning. Make sure to do this after dinner, because eating anything but protein will take you out of the fat-burning mode and make sure to eat a good breakfast.
Eat three fewer bites of each meal. Put your knife and fork down between bites. Use smaller plates, and fill your plate only once. Wait to eat until you feel hungry, don’t just snack when you’re bored.
Smell fresh fruit when you want a snack, instead of eating something. “Close” your kitchen between meals. Don’t keep sugary or fattening snacks in the house. Some studies show that the color blue is an appetite suppressant. Try getting a blue tablecloth, or blue dishes to eat on.
Eat in a small group, instead of a large one. Some research shows that people eating at big tables tend to eat more than people eating alone. [13] X Research source Don’t eat while you do other things, in general. Watching television, or reading, or working while you eat often causes people to eat much more food than they normally would.
Switch to skim milk with breakfast and for use in other dishes. Each lower-fat step you take down, you’re losing 20% of the calories. Switching to a low-fat version of milk is an excellent way to cut down on the calories you’re taking in, without having to sacrifice any of the nutritional benefits.
Try using non-food rewards as well. When you do something right with your diet and exercise, treat yourself to something. Go to a game with a friend, or get a manicure, a massage or a trip to the movies when you meet your mini-goals. Get yourself that new shirt that you’ve been wanting if you meet your goal of losing a pound this week.