If you have put on some weight during the festive season, or your healthy eating has just slipped a little, try these quick and easy tips to get yourself back to your slim transformation journey.
Go easy on the healthy snack choices. Too much choice can sometimes be a bad thing. Rather than trying to find a healthy snack from the huge range in the shops, limit yourself to fruit or vegetables for between-meal snacks. These are low in calories, provide plenty of nutrients and help you towards your five-a-day.
Avoid the snacking as much as you can. It is easy to eat when you are not hungry - out of habit, or because you are bored, for example. Over Christmas, you may have got into the habit of “grazing” through the day, which can be hard to change. Make sure you have three meals a day that are balanced, filling and that are regularly spaced out over the course of the day. This will help you manage your hunger. Have fruit on hand, so that you can follow the tip above, if you do get hungry between meals.
Keep the good habits going over the weekends. Although weekends or days off might normally be when we relax the rules a little, if you are trying to lose weight, aim to stick with your changes as much as you can throughout the whole week. A weekend can go by in a flash but it actually makes up about a third of our week. Rather than indulgent meals out or a takeaways in front of the TV, find healthy versions of your normal weekend treats. Choose activities that will keep you off the sofa, like gardening or walking, and allow some time to make plans that will help you stay on track in the week ahead, such as preparing your meals in advance.
Meal prep. Planning your meals for the week ahead might seem like a bit of a hassle, but it will set your intention as well as making it easier to make healthy choices during a busy work week. It could save money too, by reducing the chances that you may buy takeaways or other convenience foods. Write a shopping list based on what meals and snacks you are going to eat and only buy what is on it. Make sure that you have included enough fruit and vegetables to give you at least five portions a day.
Add more vegetables. A simple way to lower the calories on your plate is to increase the amount of vegetables and salad you have on it. Put this on your plate first and there will be less room for other parts of the meal that will be higher in calories. You will still get a variety of foods and food groups, but less calories overall. Using a smaller plate is another simple change that helps reduce the amount you eat.
Packed lunch. If you make your own lunch yourself, it is much easier to make healthy choices and avoid the temptations of calorie rich treats and sugar loaded foods.
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