Getting slim and fit is all about making those small changes. And some small changes can equal big results.
Here are 25 small changes you can make to your diet to get big results with your weight loss efforts:
1. Eat on smaller plates
Larger plates make portions appear smaller and you end up overeating.
Instead of regular dinner plates, try using a salad plate (8″ – 8 3/4″) or a luncheon plate (9″ – 9 1/2″) for all your meals.
Similarly, use a smaller spoon while eating dessert.
2. Eat slower
Eating fast does not give enough time for your body to secret Leptin, which is your body’s satiety hormone (hormone that tells your body that you have had enough).
Find out if you are in the habit of gulping food down and consciously make the change to eat slower (especially when eating alone!).
3. Stop dining with people who eat quickly
Eating with people who eat faster automatically causes you to eat fast too. Try and avoid eating with such people.
4. Do not multitask while eating
Focus on eating when you eat, do not engage in other activities like watching T.V., having a full on conversation, reading or talking on the phone.
Multitasking will make you overeat.
5. Eat raw salad before eating
Doing this will help you feel full quicker.
6. Be wary of boredom eating
Keep yourself engaged in a hobby or other creative pursuits so you can cut down on ‘boredom eating’.
7. Keep a diary of everything you eat in a day
Monitor what you eat/drink by writing it down in a food diary. At the end of each day, review your entry and make mental notes of things to cut down on.
You can also use fitness Apps like Lose it, Fitbit or Myfitnesspal. These apps help you track calories too.
8. Drink green tea
Green tea suppresses your appetite. If you don’t enjoy the taste, consider mixing in a dash of lemon or honey. Lemon is better.
9. Get in the habit of sprouting
Sprouting involves germinating seeds at home before eating them.
Sprouted lentils, peas and chickpeas can be eaten raw and make for extremely healthy snacks. Plus research indicates that eating beans, peas and lentils helps you lose weight.
10. Park away from the supermarket
Whenever you go to shop, park your car away from the supermarket so you get your share of walking.
11. Never shop on an empty stomach
If you shop when feeling hungry, you will end up buying unhealthy foods.
So whenever you go to the supermarket go there with a full belly.
12. Don’t buy bigger clothes
Don’t buy bigger clothes if your current clothes no longer fit. Instead, stick to wearing the same size.
The snug fit will serve as a constant reminder that you need to eat healthy and exercise to get your weight down.
13. Stop eating when you feel full
When you were a kid, you had to eat everything on your plate. But not anymore!
Simply get up once you feel full even if there is food left on the plate.
14. Drink water first thing in the morning
Once you wake up, start your day by drinking lukewarm water. Drinking water in the morning helps your body clean toxins and burn fat. Even better, do some exercise after drinking water to burn massive calories.
15. Flavor your water
Flavoring your water will help you drink more of it.
Add some Stevia to sweeten up your water or infuse water with different flavors like lemon/orange, lime/ginger, mint, grapefruit and rosemary.
16. Invest in a soda marker
If you are in the habit of drinking fizzy drinks, invest in a carbonation kit/soda maker or a soda stream.
This way you can create you own healthy soda drinks at home or simply enjoy sparkling water.
17. Replace cola with Seltzer
If you are in the habit of ordering cola with your food when you eat outside, try Seltzer or sparkling water instead. This is a great way to replace the cola habit.
18. Quit eating gum on empty stomach
This might come as a surprise but gum can stimulate your appetite. How you ask? All that saliva that you swallow while eating gum ends up producing Ghrelin, which is the hunger hormone. You automatically feel more hunger and end up eating more.
A better option is to eat gum once you have finished eating a big meal. Saliva because of the gum helps with the digestion.
19. Snack healthy
Use celery sticks or carrot sticks (with a healthy dip or no dip), cucumber, avocado, kale chips, roasted chickpeas, yogurt, raisins, dates, nuts and berries to replace potato chips, Doritos, pop-tarts, cake, cookies, toast, butter and jam.
20. Don’t keep junk foods at home
The only solution to not eat junk foods is to not keep them at home in the first place. Stay clear of stacking your shelves with chips and other un-healhty snacks laden with salt and sugars.
21. Eat a lot of cucumbers
Cucumbers are filled with water, fiber and vitamins. They practically have no calories and are quite filling.
22. Try adding a little more spice to your food
When your food is spicy, you end up drinking more water, automatically reducing your appetite. In addition, spicy foods boost your metabolism.
23. Drink healthy homemade lemonade
Mix lemon juice with stevia to create a healthy lemonade you can sip throughout the day.
24. Avoid eating high glycemic foods
High glycemic foods like pasta, white bread, instant oatmeal, sugar laden snacks etc. spike up your insulin levels, cause excessive hunger and can increase your chance of overeating additional calories by 80%.
25. Control your sugar cravings by eating sweet fruits
Stack your refrigerator with raisins, dates, grapes, strawberries and other sweet fruits. Place them exactly where you would keep your sugary snacks. Next time you feel a craving, you will reach out for the healthy sugars instead.
Follow these hacks and you are will start making massive progress in your weight loss journey.
