With so much information and disinformation regarding food choices, it’s sometimes difficult to know what to believe when choosing the best diet for losing and maintaining a healthy weight. One thing that is important to remember is that food is not the problem, food is the answer. Eating healthy, delicious food is the best way to bring you closer to your ideal weight and help you maintain it for life.
Food gives us the energy we need to sustain life. Choosing a diet that promotes not only losing weight but provides the sustainability needed to maintain a healthy weight is most important. It’s about behavior modification, nutrition education and portion control. Simply put, it’s about knowing what foods to choose and when to push away from the table.
The science of losing weight dictates that we must burn more calories than we are consuming. The tricky part to this equation is that you must eat in order to maintain a healthy weight. While it might seem logical to reduce calories, there are other factors to consider such as the nutritional value of the foods you eat. Some foods provide much more energy and will sustain you longer than lower calorie foods that might not be doing much for your health.
Strive for a variety of healthy foods. Fresh foods, anytime you can get them are the best sources of nutrition. Choose from a variety of lean proteins such as plant protein, chicken, fish and beef. Minimize the condiments and be sure to include them when keeping a journal of your food intake. Those tasty sauces can contain lots of sugar and sodium, so be aware before adding them to your meal.
Be mindful of how much you are eating and know when to back away from the table. Portion control is key to losing weight. You can eat many of your favorite foods, but if you want to lose weight, you must reduce the amount that you eat.
If you are still feeling hungry, eating more frequent meals may do the trick. Rather than the traditional three meal a day plan, you may have better success and feel more satisfied by increasing your meal plan to five meals per day and reducing your portions for each food.
Take time to enjoy each meal, making a connection between mind, body and soul. You will reap the benefits of a nutritional diet that will help you lose pounds and maintain a healthy weight.
