Slimming Down: Easy diet tips for everyday that anyone can do!
Most of us want to lose weight, or at least not gain weight. The way our lifestyles have become, with the abundance of calorie dense food choices and less time to exercise makes keeping those extra pounds off extra challenging! So it makes sense to take measures that can easily be incorporated into your lifestyle that won’t make you lose weight overnight, but will get you into some good habits for healthy living, and over the years keep those extra pounds at bay!
Try incorporating these tips into your life everyday, and over time you will start to notice a difference, and feel better for it to. Some you may have heard a million times before, but it never hurts to hear it again!
1. Make your own healthy lunch
Buying your lunch everyday is not only expensive, but often portion sizes are more than what you really need. Food courts are packed full of unhealthy food choices that smell so good at lunchtime! If you’re short on time in the mornings, prepare it the night before. If you don’t have time to do this everyday, try preparing your own lunch just 1-2 days a week. Your waistline and your wallet will notice the difference.
2. Would you like fries with that? No!
Our society has taught us that more is better, and if we don’t take advantage of add on sales, upsizing and “value deals”, we are missing out on a good deal. But the reality is we really don’t need this extra food if we aren’t going to burn it off (and for most of us who sit at a desk all day we sure aren’t!) So only say yes to “value deals” if you want to upsize your thighs!
3. Portion control…less is best
It makes sense that if your consume smaller amounts of food, your body has less energy supply to use, therefore it will have less leftover to store as fat. This rule applies to all foods, from meals to treats. Have one third of a cup of cereal for breakfast instead of half a cup. Have one cookie at morning tea instead of two. Have thinner slices of bread for your sandwiches. You get the idea! This way you’re still eating the same food you enjoy, just less of it. I know chocolate, ice cream and all the things that taste nice are tempting, but does it taste any better the more of it you eat? Just tell yourself, “It tastes the same whether I have this much or the whole block/carton”. It won’t be easy at first but once you get in the habit of having a little, the temptation to have a lot will soon become easy to resist.
4. Avoid temptation
On that note, if there are some treats you can’t resist, don’t buy them! If they’re not in the house or at your desk at work then you can’t eat them. Save it for when you want to reward yourself.
5. Reduce your alcohol intake
Alcohol is full of calories, and has very limited nutritional value. This is a really easy way to eliminate a lot of calories from your diet. If you don’t want to give up completely, perhaps try reducing your intake to just one night a week, or just social occasions – just don’t go on a bender! This will improve your waistline, your overall health, and your bank balance as well.
There you have it, five easy things you can do everyday to keep in shape, without having to go on a diet or exercise for hours each day. For weight loss, talk to your doctor, a dietitian or nutritionist to discuss your individual needs.
