Source: Flickr.com
Sue:“You look so nice girl! What have you been up to?”
Ann: “Oh thanks my dear. It is this diet that I have been on! It has so worked!”
Sue: “Please fill me in on it, it sure will do me some good..”
This is a fairly common conversation among women.
Diets work well only as long as you don’t get your body into starving mode. Starving mode will reduce your metabolism (acquiring, processing, transporting, using and disposing of nutrients) for only a short time. Your body responds to starving as an environmental problem so it only exists until its able to block the reduced metabolism. As a result your metabolism then increases and a rebound appetite to correct the starvation is enhanced. This is why some diets cause weight lose but soon after you stop your body puts on a lot more weight than you had shed off.
Well, here are 5 tips to help you lose weight without necessarily going on a diet.
Tip 1: Increase your metabolism
- Convert all fat into muscle by exercising regularly
Muscle helps burn calories faster - Lots of water
- Black coffee (not mocha or cappuccino but simple black coffee) does you some good. It keeps you alert. During your alert phase your metabolism increases to produce the energy needed for you to be alert…vicious cycle?
- Take Green tea
The caffeine remains at work - Eat frequently
By doing this you keep your metabolism at work constantly. Getting a full meal slows down your metabolism. Just watch what goes in your mouth thou.
Tip 2: Fill up before you fill up
- Curb your appetite
Hot pepper is said to do this so well. Cinnamon (in your tea, coffee) tends to stabilize your sugar level so you do not feel hungry. Good idea for a sweetener too. - Spice your food
Spices in your food help you fill up faster. I guess many people don’t eat much when the food is spicy. If you have tummy issues you will need to agree with your doctor on what spices to avoid. - Water, or water containing fruits and vegetables like water melon, lettuce, soups(broths) taken an hour before a meal give you a full feeling when eating so you do not eat much. Be careful with the salad dressings you choose, salsa is a good option, vinegar has been found to help break down fat so go for it.
- Fiber
Fiber takes longer to get fully digested thus keeping you full. Breakfast cereals oatmeal, vegetables, Beans should be part of your meals. Fiber helps you move your bowels better too. - Nuts and dried fruits
These are a nice in between snack and are filling. Take them in moderation though.
Popcorns (especially those popped openly) are a filling snack without many calories.
Tip 3: Have your food and beverages hot.
- Hot food is eaten slowly, which is a good way of increasing metabolism.
- The slow eating also reduces caloric intake
Tip 4: Eat Protein (Yes, I actually said that!)
- Proteins are harder to digest. That should explain why you get sleepy after a meal rich in protein; all the blood got sent to the stomach to digest this heavy stuff. The body does use more calories to digest proteins.
- As a result, proteins take longer to leave the stomach thus keep you feeling full. So, you can have your egg for breakfast but watch your cholesterol. Have your meat but get it lean. Remove the skin from your chicken as sweet as it may be. Eat lots of fish. Fish is actually best as it is more satisfying that most other meats and it fat ( omega 3) is helpful to the body. Beans are good to as they are a protein, vegetable and have fiber. A glass of milk especially skimmed is good during your meal.
- Don’t miss a protein
Tip 5: Substitute the Carbohydrate
- Whole grain bread, cereal, pasta and biscuits
- Replace a potato with a sweet potato
- Replace sugar with a natural sweetener, cinnamon or honey
- Avoid saturated fats, use little oil
Start by taking your weight today, if you are maintaining your weight then you should not lose. If you want to lose, hope you can lose half a kilo each week.
Let us know how this works for you and as usual if you need more help contact us.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.