LIFE+ Blog

Here are 5 tips to help you get started!

1. Drink Water

Water is an essential part of the weight loss process. It is important to drink water because it helps with burning fat more efficiently, prevents overeating, and improves performance while exercising. Measure how much water you should be drinking a day with the Water Intake Calculator by clicking here.

Tip: Drink a cup of water before each meal.

2. Eat Frequent Small Meals and Snacks

Eating several small meals and snacks a day is a great way to speed up your metabolism. It is important to constantly fuel your body through out the day rather than eating one or two large meals. Your body is very smart and knows how to adjust in order to survive under different circumstances. By eating frequently, your body can depend on getting constant fuel and will burn the food to provide fuel and energy for your activities. However, if you do not feed your body frequently and skip meals, eating only one or two meals a day, your body will get the message that it needs to store your food and conserve the energy, slowing down your metabolism. That is your body going into survival mode, making sure it has energy stored away because it is not sure when you will feed it next.

Tip: Eat 5-6 small meals a day or 3 small meals and 2-3 snacks throughout the day.

Warning: Keep track of your food intake with a food journal, such as the MyFitnessPal   app, to make sure you are not going over your daily caloric intake.

3. Smaller Plates and Bowls

We have a tendency to eat more when we have more food in front of us. To have better control over your meal proportions, use smaller plates and bowls.

4. Slow Down and Enjoy Your Food

It takes your body approximately 15 minutes to process when it is full. Take your time while eating and enjoy your food. By eating slower, you will eat less and have better awareness when you had enough to eat.

5. Dessert Self Control

I am a strong supporter of desserts! I have a huge sweet tooth and I am proud of it!

One of the biggest down falls of diets is when people eliminate sweets from their diet completely. A lot of times, dieters either end up giving up due to withdrawals, sometimes eating more sweets than they did before their diet. Desserts are a sweet part of life and should not be eliminated but enjoyed in moderation.

The answer is not removing sweets from your diet but it is about having self-control and learning to eat it in moderation. While on a diet to lose weight, I recommend allowing yourself 100-200 calories of a dessert once or twice a week. That way you can sharpen your skill to have self control while enjoying the foods you love! Once you reach your goal weight, you can start implementing dessert into your daily diet; however, eating it in moderation and not excessive amounts.

Food is not the enemy! Food is meant to be enjoyed and a joyful part of life. By following these tips, you will be one step closer to seeing food in a different light, having better control of your diet, and becoming a healthier you!

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