Healthy Diet to Lose Weight
Most of us have tried the fad diets but even if we lose weight it comes right back once we stop eating the crazy boring diet meals these diets enforce. So what is a healthy diet to lose weight and keep it off?
Well, you probably know the answer or at least part of it. The healthy diet to lose weight is and always will be smaller portions or sensible foods. It sounds so boring but it is simply the undeniable truth.
The key to making this lifestyle chance work for you is by understanding what separates a healthy choice from an unhealthy choice. It will also be helpful for you to realize that not all health food is boring!
Actually our flavor palates begin to change according to the food choices we make and you will find a ton of your healthy friends will confirm that changing to a healthy diet to lose weight eventually changed their opinion on what tasted good and what didn’t.
But that is all in time. For now we need to figure out what is a healthy diet to lose weight and how to incorporate it into our lives.
The Essentials of a Healthy Diet to Lose Weight
First of all you should be eating vegetables and/or fruits with most meals. There are lots of ways to add veggies and fruits into meals and doing it can bulk up a plate and help you to feel fuller longer.
Eating fruits and veggies isn’t just important because they are low calorie but also because they are super high in nutrients that your body is craving especially if you are exercising in any form!
Read this one carefully! One of the best ways to bust cravings is to meet your vitamin and mineral requirements. This is because a lot of times when we are craving certain junk foods what we are actually craving, from our bodies perspective, is the trace amounts of minerals or vitamins we get from the food itself even if it is junk food.
For example, most of the time when we are craving chocolate what we actually need are the minerals like calcium and potassium. It seems crazy but next time you want a chocolate bar, try a banana instead and give it twenty minutes. Chances are your craving will be totally gone.
The next tip is to eat foods that are rich in fiber. Foods that are high in fiber have a tricky component to them because they expand in the stomach making you feel fuller for a longer amount of time. You also get full faster. Try this…
Adding kidney or black beans to recipes where you would normally add a significant amount of meat is just one way to cut back on calories while maintaining flavor and giving yourself a natural appetite suppressant! The great thing about beans is not only their high fiber content but also that they are high in protein and vitamin B’s which are great for your metabolism.
Carbohydrates & Healthy Diets to Lose Weight
Now let’s talk a little about carbs. Low carbohydrate diets have one major problem at hand. They don’t provide you with enough readily available energy so you can go extra intense in your workouts. This was a mistake I used to make in my early 20’s and couldn’t figure out why my energy levels were so low. But now you know better!
With that said we want to eliminate the bad carbohydrates and keep the good ones. Whole grains & oats are great. Over processed white breads, pastas, and pretty much all baked goods are not.
Furthermore, watch your starch intake. Don’t overdo the corn and potatoes and substitute yams or brown rice in their place as they take longer to digest and will keep you satiated for a much longer amount of time (oh and plus they are much richer sources of vitamins and minerals).
Lastly we’ll want to focus on high quality protein foods so we make sure we get adequate amount of muscle-healthy amino acids. Stick to lean meats like fish or skinless chicken and extra lean beef. Additionally make sure to include a great tasting whey protein smoothie or two as your snack foods throughout your day. The top tasting whey proteins in the market include: Optimum Platinum Hydrowhey, EAS Myoplex Lite & Combat Powder.
Conclusion: Healthy Diet to Lose Weight
I hope this article brings a little more focus back into your healthy diet plan. One thing you should also never forget is that you should also remember to relax when things get a little off track. If you eat a little more at lunch then scale back some at dinner. There is no need to go off the deep end. It’s about balance and smart choices.
Have any questions or further feedback about your healthy diet to lose weight? Please leave me a comment below…