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By Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE
Eating right can help you lose weight and have more energy.
It can also improve your mood and reduce your risk of illness.
Yet despite these benefits, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Here are 14 ways to follow a healthy diet.
1. Start with realistic expectations
A nutritious diet has many benefits, including potential weight loss.
However, it is important to set realistic expectations.
For example, if you are trying to lose weight too quickly, your plan to improve your health may turn against you.
The researchers found that obese people who expected to lose a lot of weight were more likely to leave a weight loss program within 6 to 12 months (1).
Setting a more realistic and achievable goal can prevent you from getting discouraged and even lead to greater weight loss.
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Having realistic expectations increases your chances of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
2. Think about what really motivates you
Remember why making healthy choices can help you stay on course.
Making a list of specific reasons why you want to be healthier can be helpful.
Keep this list handy and consult it when you feel you need a reminder.
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When you are tempted to engage in unhealthy behaviors, remember what motivates you can help you stay on track.
3. Keep unhealthy foods out of the house
It is difficult to eat healthy if you are surrounded by junk food.
If other family members want to have these foods, try to keep them hidden rather than on countertops.
The saying "Far from the eyes, far from the heart" certainly applies here.
The presence of food in various areas of the house has been linked to obesity and increased consumption of unhealthy foods (2, 3).
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Keeping unhealthy foods out of the home, or at least out of sight, can increase your chances of staying on track.
4. Do not have an "all or nothing" approach
Black and white thinking is a major obstacle to a healthy diet and lifestyle.
A common scenario is that you have some unhealthy appetizers at a party, decide that your diet is ruined for the day and that you continue to abuse unhealthy foods.
Instead of thinking about the lost day, try to leave the past behind and choose healthy, unprocessed foods containing protein for the rest of the party.
This will help you feel full and satisfied rather than drunk and frustrated.
Some unplanned choices make very little difference in the long run, as long as they are balanced with healthy foods.
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Rejecting the urge to judge your day as "good" or "bad" can prevent you from overeating and making bad choices.
5. take away healthy snacks
Keeping up with a healthy diet can be difficult when you are away from home for long periods.
When you are too hungry while on the move, you can catch whatever is available.
These are often processed foods that do not really respond to hunger and are not good for long-term health.
Having healthy protein-rich snacks can help you control your appetite until you are able to eat a full meal (4).
Almonds, peanuts and charqui are some examples of portable snacks. Also remember to fill a small cooler with boiled eggs, cheese or Greek yogurt.
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Take healthy, high-protein snacks while on the road or travel in case you can not eat for several hours.
6. Exercise and change diets at the same time
You may have heard that you should not change too many things at once when you are trying to improve your health. In general, it is good advice.
Nevertheless, research shows that when you change your diet and physical activity simultaneously, the results tend to reinforce each other.
In a study of 200 people, those who started eating healthy and exercising at the same time found that it was easier to maintain these behaviors than those who started either dieting or by exercise, and then added the other later (5).
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At the same time, starting to exercise and changing the way you eat increases your chances of achieving a healthy lifestyle.
7. Have a game plan before eating
Trying to maintain a healthy diet by eating out can be very difficult.
Nevertheless, there are ways to simplify things, like checking the menu before leaving or drinking water before and during the meal.
It is best to have a strategy in place before arriving at the restaurant rather than being submerged once you are there.
Here are 20 clever tips for eating healthy in the restaurant.
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Having a plan before going to the restaurant can help you make healthier food choices.
8. Do not let the trip derail you
Whether traveling for business or pleasure, being outside of your familiar territory can make it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Here are some tips:
- Look for restaurants and supermarkets in advance.
- Challenge yourself to stay on track for most of the trip.
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You can stick to a healthy diet when traveling. All it takes is a little research, planning and commitment.
9. Practice a conscious diet
Eating well can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Take the time to enjoy your food and appreciate its ability to feed you. This increases your chances of achieving lasting behavioral changes.
In a four-month study, overweight and obese women who practiced thoughtful eating significantly improved their relationship with food (6).
Another six-week study of women with binge eating revealed that episodes of binge eating increased from 4 to 1.5 times a week when women practiced conscious eating. In addition, the severity of each excessive consumption has decreased (7).
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Taking a conscious diet approach can help you improve your relationship with food and can reduce binge eating.
10. Monitor and monitor your progress
Recording the food you eat in a diary, online food tracking tool, or application can help you maintain a healthy diet and lose weight (8, 9, 10).
Measuring the progress of your exercise is also beneficial and provides you with motivation that can help you continue.
In a three-month study, overweight women who were given a pedometer walked further and lost six times more weight than those who did not use it (11).
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Tracking your food intake and the progress of your exercises can provide motivation and responsibility. Studies show that it helps you stick to a healthy diet and greater weight loss.
11. Ask a partner to join you
It can be difficult to fend for yourself with a healthy diet and exercise program.
Having a diet or exercise partner can be helpful, especially if that person is your partner or spouse (12, 13).
Researchers studying data from more than 3,000 couples found that when a person positively changed their lifestyle, for example by increasing physical activity, the other was more likely to follow his example (13).
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If a partner accompanies you to change your lifestyle, your chances of succeeding will be greater.
12. Start the day with a high-protein breakfast
If your first meal is well balanced and contains enough protein, you will be more likely to maintain a stable blood sugar level and not overeat for the rest of the day (14, 15).
In one study, overweight women who consumed at least 30 grams of protein at breakfast felt more satisfied and consumed fewer calories at lunch than those who ate a lower protein breakfast (15).
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Eating a high-protein breakfast helps you stay full and prevent overeating during the day.
13. Realize that it takes time to change your habits
Do not be discouraged if it takes longer than expected to adapt to your new healthy lifestyle.
The researchers found that it takes on average 66 days to transform a new behavior into a habit (16).
Finally, eating healthy and exercising regularly will become automatic.
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Do your best to stay motivated and focused while you adapt to a healthy lifestyle. It takes 66 days to make a new habit, on average.
14. Determine what is best for you
There is no perfect way that works for everyone.
It is important to find a way to eat and exercise that you enjoy, in a sustainable way and that you can keep for the rest of your life.
The best diet for you is the one you can stick to in the long run.
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Weight loss methods that work for some people are not guaranteed for you. To lose weight and keep it off, find effective strategies that you can use over the long term.
The final result
To break one's habits and improve one's diet is not easy.
However, there are several strategies that can help you stay on your diet and lose weight.
These include eating conscientiously, keeping unhealthy snacks out of sight, carrying healthy snacks and managing your expectations. Nevertheless, one of the keys to a successful diet is to determine what suits you in the long run.
If you are trying to lose weight, some of the strategies above can give you a significant advantage.
Republished with the permission of our Healthline Media Associate.
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