There is a misconception about dieting that a person needs to completely cut a certain food out of their eating habits in order to lose weight. There are some diets that eliminated starches, while others will eliminate meat. Some of the diets might actually work but do you really want to give up something you love completely when it isn’t necessary? These are steps you can take to eat in moderation in order to lose that weight without giving up your favorite food. .
1) Portion Size
Possibly the biggest problem with overeating is that most people don’t realize their portion sizes are too big. Sometimes an individual will be so used to eating a certain amount of food so frequently they think if I don’t eat this much then I’ll be hungry. Often that is not true. Try cutting the portion size in half and you’ll be surprised to find that it might be just as satisfying.
2) More Meals
Growing up most of us were taught that there are three meals in the day: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Popular belief now is that eating healthy consists of eating more meals of a smaller size throughout the day. The reason for this is that when the body goes a long time without food the blood sugar will drop and then at your next meal there is a tendency to overeat. Instead try to eat five small meals, about the size of your fist, each day. If one of these meals is something that is really enjoyable then it won’t be bad if you indulge a little bit.
3) Second Helping
The biggest problem with eating something we enjoy is that we may want to go back for a second helping but it is important to have self control. If you feel like you’re actually still hungry after a first helping it might be because the hungry does not go away immediately after eating. Wait 15 minutes after completion of the meal and that hungry feeling will likely go away without a second helping, read this post here.
4) Thirst
Most people think that thirst is a feeling that causes the mouth to be dry but that is not the only thing thirst can make you feel. Thirst can actually have the same feeling as hunger and sometimes people confuse the two. This can lead to eating when the body is actually thirsty. Before eating every time the stomach gets this feeling try drinking something instead to see if the feeling goes away.
5) Eat Fiber
Besides being healthy for you, fruits that are high in fiber have another advantage to eating habits. Fiber will fill the body better than most foods and doesn’t contain a lot of fibers. For someone that tries the five small meals method fruit is a good snack for at least two of those meals.
6) Don’t Give Up
We’ve all tried to lose the weight and come to a familiar point in our diet. We indulge too much on one meal and feel like we’ve ruined our diet. We then decide, “Well, I’ll start over next week” and continue to eat poorly the rest of the week. If you fail to eat well one meal then don’t just give up. Get right back to the weight loss plan. Overeating for one meal isn’t going to ruin the whole thing if you get right back to the plan and finish strong.
