Being overweight and obese is very common at present time. Sometimes even the people suffering from it do not know about their internal problems. Lifestyle has a major effect on health.
Do you also have a habit of munching now and then? This is one of the main reasons to gain weight. Sitting on a desk continuously and doing no physical work is certainly very unhealthy for your body and until you realize this, it’s already too late.
So, you just want to lose those extra pounds quickly. Losing weight is not a one day or one-week process. It is an ongoing lifestyle that consists of healthy nutritious diets combined with physical exercise.
Losing weight is one thing but maintaining that weight consistently is more difficult. Losing weight takes a lot of commitment. You have to give up all the unhealthy snacks you have been munching on till now and adopt a healthy routine.
Over- weight is the reason for numerous diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases, obesity, gastronomic problems, etc. When you can’t burn as many calories you consume, you start to gain weight.
Obesity can lead to poor mental health and reduced quality of life. Sometimes it even leads to life-threatening health problems.
One of the best ways to lose weight apart from exercise is modifications in your diet. What you eat and how much you eat have a direct impact on your weight.
Cutting the high-calorie diet and consuming a balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables is beneficial not only for weight loss but will also protect you from certain diseases.
Here are some of the diet plans that will assist you to shed weight and improve your overall health
Reducing the Number of Carbohydrates and Sugar in your Diet
Reducing sugar, starches and carbs help in limiting your appetite and lowering insulin levels and helps in reducing weight. Refined carbohydrates are processed food that does not contain fiber or any other nutrients which mainly include pasta, white rice and bread.
These food items dissolve quickly and get converted into glucose and higher the insulin level in the body. Whereas complex carbohydrates are unprocessed which are healthy for the body.
Tips to Reduce Simple Carbohydrates and Sugar Consumption
- Reduce the amount of sugar-containing drinks.
- Avoid eating fried food items or chips.
- Rather than eating white bread, consume whole eat bread.
- Eat brown rice in the place of white polished rice.
- Instead of fruit juice, consume freshly cut fruits.
Consuming High Fiber Food
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that is considered to be very healthy for the body. It does not get broken down and dissolved in the blood and passes from the body undigested. This results in feeling full for longer hours.
Fiber helps in controlling your appetite by lowering the level of hormone ghrelin that is responsible for hunger. This results in less consumption of calories.
Consume these food items to have a rich amount of fiber in your body.
But remember that quickly increasing the amount of fiber can result in diarrhea and cramps.
- Eat more raw vegetables.
- Consume whole-grain cereals.
- Consume beans, legumes, blackberries, etc.
Consumption of Low-Fat Food Items
Though fat is something that sounds unhealthy and sure it is. Saturated fats are found in butter, cheese, and palm oils are unhealthy fats whereas unsaturated fats are found in fishes, soybean oils, avocados, etc.
are good for heart health. When you completely cut back on fats, you tend to consume more carbs. The right amount of healthy fats helps in the growth and metabolism of the body.
Some low-fat food items you can include in your diet are
- Fat-free cheese or yogurt.
- Corn, oatmeal.
- Baked chips.
- Almonds, avocado, walnuts etc.
Eat Fewer Portions of Food
Apart from less calorie food, the amount of food also matters. Any food in large amounts is unhealthy for your body. Eating on smaller plates will help you eat less and consume a lesser number of calories.
Instead of eating too much food in one sitting, try to eat less amount of food in intervals.
Intermittent Fasting
Nowadays this is one of the most popular techniques for losing weight. This includes eating in a limited time frame and fasting for the remaining time. This limits the amount of calorie intake in a day. It doesn’t mean to eat whatever you want.
The diet should be healthy and nutritious. During fasting, only water and non-sweetened drinks are allowed. This fasting can be done in several ways such as 16/8 in which you are allowed to eat only during the 8 hours’ time frame and remain hungry for the other 16.
Another one is 5:2 in which you have to consume 500-600 calories two days a week while fasting. Another variation is alternate-day fasting. These techniques not only increase fat burning but also help in preventing certain diseases and delaying aging.
Try Vegetarian or Vegan Diet
Vegetarian diet consists of eating food obtained from plants and dairy products while cutting off meat and other poultry animals and products.
A vegetarian diet consists of a high amount of fiber which keeps the stomach full for longer hours and thus contributes to weight loss.
Whereas the vegan diet restricts eating meat, fish, eggs and all dairy products. This focuses on eating only nutrient-rich foods and helps in lowering the number of saturated fats.
Apart from this, there are certainly other points to keep in mind while eating to control your weight:
- Avoid watching television at the time of eating. This will distract you and can result in overeating.
- Avoid eating when you are feeling stressed or lonely or getting bored. This will result in you eating unhealthier snacks. Rather than this, try to take a walk or listen to some peaceful music.
- Try to have more home-cooked food.
- Eating slowly will make you full.
- Consume eggs and other protein-rich food items in breakfast.
- Drink plenty of water and avoid sugar-containing drinks.
Always remember that diet alone cannot help you lose weight. A proper diet combined with exercises and other physical activities along with a proper amount of sleep will help you burn those extra calories and keep you healthy.
Avoid taking supplements or any pills that guarantee losing weight in a short time. There is no shortcut for this. A disciplined attitude will help you win. Losing weight doesn’t mean that you become so thin that you start to look malnourished.
Your weight should be according to the body mass index criteria. In the end, a positive attitude and a healthy lifestyle are all you need.
“Always remember healthy diet = healthy life”
