Tag Archives: weight loss

According to the Calorie Control Council, more than 186 million adults in the US are weight conscious. Moreover, five out of ten or 54% of surveyed individuals want to lose weight while 28% of Americans are trying to control and maintain their weight. When we think about these figures, it comes as no wonder that we witness the rise of various weight loss programs. New diet plan takes over the internet, health and wellness magazines, even your TV. Founders of these diet plans usually claim they bring miraculous weight loss, but with variety of these programs out there, it can be quite confusing to choose the one that is right for you.

That’s why it’s highly important to work on your eating habits and plans with your fitness trainer! Until then, this article will show you tips you can follow to improve your eating habits and speed up your weight loss.

1. Cut carbs

The average American eats twice the recommended daily value of grains and most of them are in the form of refined flour products. The average adult also consumes about 20 teaspoons of sugar a day and most of them are through sweetened drinks.

Ideal diet plan is the one that eliminates these simple carbs with low nutritional value in order to cut a big source of empty calories.

Did you know that skipping just one carbonated drink a day means your body is “saved” from 17 teaspoons of sugar or 250 calories and 26 pounds per year? When you think about it, it’s amazing that such a simple thing as skipping sweetened beverages or foods with low or no nutritional value at all can do wonders for your weight loss effort.

You can start cutting carbs right now. Here’s how:

• Make smart choices – opt for nutrient-dense foods and eat smaller portions of healthy carbs
• Don’t fall for those “expert tips” that promote eating extremely low amount of carbs. Remember, your body needs them for energy
• Eat whole grains, they will keep your blood sugar steady and make you feel full for a longer period of time. This way, you won’t overeat
• Control portions e.g. eat your food from a smaller plate
• If you eat refined carbs pair them with foods rich in protein or healthy fat.

2. Opt for high-volume foods

You’re hungry and you eat, but before you know it, you’re hungry again. It’s a vicious circle that disrupts your diet plan and weight loss efforts. The trick here is to be wise when it comes to food choices. Ideally, you should choose foods that are high in water content and fiber, but low in total calories. Consuming food that is rich in fiber and water tricks your brain and stomach into feeling full. As a result, you fill up without consuming too many calories. It’s needless to mention that fiber is essential for regular digestion which is crucial for your weight loss. Go for fruits and vegetables, salads and other healthy options.

3. Eat more protein

Carbs take only two hours to digest while proteins take four. Why is this important? It’s important because slower digestion means you’re feeling full longer. Also, protein speeds up your metabolism and it’s necessary for building muscles or toning your body. According to the study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, high-protein diet plan provides improvements in appetite, body weight management, and cardiometabolic risk factors compared with lower protein diets.

4. Food diary is a must

Regardless of your diet plan, what you eat, limit, or avoid it’s always recommended to keep a food diary in order to stay on the right track and analyze your progress. Food diaries expose bad habits that would usually go unnoticed and you have the perfect opportunity to change them to lose weight faster. Plus, when you write down what you eat, you eat less! You can keep food diary in a notebook, or you can download an app or printable journals.

Finding ideal diet plan doesn’t have to turn into a huge hassle when your fitness trainer creates ideal program you should follow based on your activity level, weight, and current eating habits. When it comes to these plans, you should always bear in mind there is no “one size fits all” rule and they require an individual approach. Combine healthy diet with regular exercise and you’re going to hit the jackpot.