Sticking to a conventional diet and exercise plan can be difficult.
However, there are several proven tips that can help you eat fewer calories with ease.
These are effective ways to reduce your weight, as well as to prevent weight gain in the future.
Time your meals
Slowing down your eating time is a great habit for those concerned about overeating.
Many people find that it is helpful to set a timer and stretch the meal out.
Doing this helps trigger the release of hormones that tell your body that you are full.
You can learn to savor and enjoy the taste of food, which can be more rewarding than consuming oversized portions.
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Sleep and rest well
Did you know your sleep habits can have a direct impact on your ability to maintain a healthy weight?
A lack of sleep may disrupt the appetite-regulating hormones leptin and ghrelin.
This can increase your hunger and cravings for unhealthy food, leading to higher calorie intake.
Getting enough sleep can ensure that you have enough energy to exercise and enough rest to recover after your workout
Up Your Produce Intake
Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, low in calories, and high in fiber.
The fiber in fruits and vegetables helps you feel full while providing additional health benefits.
Keep the skin on fresh produce, such as apples, whenever possible. The skin contains more fiber.
Aim to fill half of your plate with fruits or vegetables at every meal to get a least five servings total per day.
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Fill Up on Fewer Calories With Soup
Soup is a great choice both as an appetizer and a main meal.
At the beginning of a meal, a broth-based soup (avoid cream soups) can slow down your eating and fill you up earlier.
You can make an easy soup by starting with stock, adding vegetables and a protein of your choice, and simmering until the vegetables are tender.
Go for grains
Eating whole grains whenever possible is another weight-loss strategy.
Whole grains include whole wheat, brown rice, oats, barley etc.
Substituting whole grains whenever possible can help you fill up faster.
These healthy carbohydrates can be found in many prepared products like breads, chapati, pasta etc.
Eye Your Skinny Outfits
Hanging a “skinny” outfit where you can see it helps you remain focused on your weight-loss goals.
Don’t be unrealistic and choose an outfit that’s four sizes too small.
Pick something that you can fit into after just a short time of healthy eating.
After you reach this goal, choose your next “goal” outfit.
Make a Healthier Pizza
Pizza doesn’t need to be a dietary disaster.
Replacing meat toppings with vegetables can save you 100 calories per meal.
You can also order a lighter portion of cheese or reduced-fat cheese. Thin crust and whole-wheat crust are other healthy pizza choices.
Watch Out for Sugary Drinks
Sugar-sweetened beverages can thwart your healthy lifestyle goals.
To avoid drinking a day’s worth of calories, choose herbal tea or unsweetened iced tea.
If you treat yourself to one glass of the “real thing,” stick to water for the rest of the day.
Drink Smart With a Thin, Tall Glass
Choose a tall, skinny glass rather than a short, wide one.
This visual cue can trick you into consuming 25%-30% less of whatever beverage you are drinking.
Research has shown that people unconsciously pour a greater quantity into a short, wide glass than into a tall one.
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Limit Alcoholic Beverages
Reduce your consumption of alcohol.
Follow an alcoholic drink with a low-calorie alternative like sparkling water rather than accepting a refill on the alcoholic drink.
Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, which is more than carbohydrates (4 calories/g) or protein (4 calories/g).
Alcohol can also weaken your resolve and lead to mindless eating.
Practice Yoga for Mindful Eating
A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association showed that women who do yoga tend to weigh less.
Researchers believe this is due to the level of self-awareness and mindfulness that develops in practitioners of yoga.
Those who do yoga may pay more attention to their body’s signals, such as eating only enough to feel full.
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Boost your cooking skills
Understanding how to prepare meals and developing better skills in the kitchen can be a powerful way to lose weight without reducing food intake.
People who have more knowledge about how to cook different foods are more likely to eat a wide variety of highly nutritious ingredients, including fruit and vegetables, which are great for weight loss.
Chew Strong, Mint-Flavored Gum
Chewing sugarless gum with a strong flavor can help overpower the taste of other foods.
This can be a helpful strategy to avoid mindless eating.
Cooking dinner after work, attending a party, watching TV, or surfing the Internet are dangerous risk times for snacking.
Serve Yourself Smaller Portions
Larger portions encourage people to eat more and have been linked to an increase in weight gain and obesity.
Serving yourself just a little less might help you eat significantly fewer calories.
And you probably won’t even notice the difference.
Use smaller dishes
Pick a smaller plate. Studies show that people consume more food when they use larger dishes.
Try eating from a salad plate to save up to 100-200 calories a day. This translates into a weight loss of 5-10 kilos per year.
Opt for tomato based gravies
Watch your choice of gravies for cooking your vegetables or chicken.
Choosing tomato-based gravy instead of cream-based gravy is a wise choice.
In general, tomato gravies have fewer calories and fat than cream gravies.
Eat more vegetarian meals
Opt for the vegetarian meal. Vegetarians usually weigh less than those who consume meat products.
This may have to do with fiber consumption from legume-based foods like lentil soup and vegetable curries.
Fiber fills you up with relatively few calories.
Celebrate small wins
Celebrate your successful changes.
Whenever you have implemented a new step in your weight-control plan, give yourself a small (non-food!) reward like time with a friend, a massage,a facial or a spa day.
Reward yourself for making a change toward a slimming lifestyle without a complicated or restrictive diet plan.
Burn an Extra 100 Calories Per Day
Even if your eating habits don’t change, burning an extra 100 calories a day can amount to a 10-pound weight loss over a year.
While the number of calories burned depends upon your weight.
Eat plenty protein
Protein can increase feelings of fullness and help you eat fewer calories.
This may be because protein affects several hormones that play a role in hunger and fullness, including ghrelin.
Increasing protein intake from 15% to 30% of calories helped participants eat 441 fewer calories per day.
They lost 11 pounds over 12 weeks, on average, without intentionally restricting any foods.
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Drink water regularly
Drinking water can help you eat less and lose weight, especially if you drink it before a meal.
One study in adults found that drinking half a liter of water about 30 minutes before meals reduced hunger and lessened calorie intake. Participants who drank water before a meal lost 44% more weight over a 12-week period compared to those who did not.
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Disclaimer: The advice provided is intended for informational purpose only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Consult with your doctor if you’re seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.