Diet tips handed out by someone with a perfect life does not seem real to you? You are not the only one.
For most of us, spending the weekend to prepare meals for the rest of the week, is not an option. Time constraint or a limited budget does not allow it either.
Or you don’t feel like weighing food to achieve the ‘optimal quantity’.
Here are ten real life diet tips for the rest of us.
1. Going outside to eat? Restaurant portions can be huge, and you feel bad if you don’t eat it all if it is right in front of you?
if available, check the kid’s menu with smaller portions.
2. Healthy snacks all around you. Fruits on the kitchen table, carrot sticks in the refrigerator or a pack of nuts in your desk will help your during cravings. As a result, big chance you will grab something low-calorie and good for you if it’s close to you and easy to eat.
3. Go all natural. Canned veggies tend to be high in sodium and even sugar , which you don’t need, and low in real nutrition, which you do. Buy economy size bags with zip closures to make it easy to pour out a single serving for a meal.
4. Buy a vegetable steamer. Steaming is one of the healthiest ways to cook vegetables. The food retains all its natural nutrients instead of leaching it out into the cooking water. Big plus, your veggies will taste better and will make you forget junk or high calorie food.
5. Sit down while eating. If you plan to eat, eat only. If you do something else while eating, your brain will not realise it and you will remain hungry. Practice mindful eating. Use a plate, sit down and leave your phone or the TV for later.
6. Space your meals out. When you eat three meals a day, your body tends to store whatever it doesn’t need right that moment. By adopting a ‘grazing’ habit, you’ll keep your metabolism working throughout the day. Have a small breakfast, a piece of fruit with crackers or toast at mid-morning, a light lunch and an ‘after school snack’ mid-afternoon. Just remember that you’re breaking up the same amount of food into smaller meals, not ADDING more food into your daily diet.
7. Grab a fruit juice or flavored water instead of soda. Soda is nothing but empty calories. No nutrients, lots of sugar. Instead, grab a bottle of 100% fruit juice, or water flavored with a spritz of fruit.
8. Drink water. Even the FDA recommends at least 8 full 8 ounce glasses of water a day to keep your body working right. When you’re dieting, you should drink even more. It’s not just that full feeling – water helps your body digest foods properly and cleans out your system.
9. Can’t afford a gym membership? Make a pact with friends to exercise together. Make a date at least three times a week to play volleyball, take a walk or spend half an hour doing something active.
10. Divorce from potato chips. Fatty snacks fried in hydrogenated oil like potato chips contribute fat and calories and not much else. Instead, grab a handful of dried fruit or a cup of yogurt for the same amount of calories and a lot more nutritional benefit.