How to get back on track!
- Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
- Feb 6, 2019
- 3 min read
Overview
Weight gain during holidays seem to be popular but this does not mean that you should give up on your diet plan, instead wake up in the morning with a motivated attitude and focus your mind on your goals.
1. Don’t give up
Don’t give up, forget the past day and start with a new one. Believe in your abilities and focus on long term goals.
2. Add pulses to your diet:
Pulses, which include beans, peas and lentils, have been shown to promote weight loss without the need to cut or count calories. Simply adding a serving of pulses to your daily routine can boost satiety, delay the return of hunger and curb the desire to eat processed snacks. Eat them either as the protein in a plant-based meal (like kale and white bean soup) or as the starch in a meal with animal protein (like a veggie-and-avocado omelette with chickpeas or baked fish over spinach and lentils).
3. Don’t get fooled by buzzwords:
Natura or organic don’t mean healthy choice as sugar, salt and unhealthy fats can be natural and organic, yet these words are often magnetic and misleading to shoppers. Instead read food label carefully and notice added ingredient and hidden sources that are packed with fat and sugar in addition more calories.
4. Get dinner back on track:
Slim down your portions and return to your usual mealtime routines. Planning meals ahead of time and going heavy on fruits and vegetables for snacks and at meals are the key ingredients in getting back into a regular mealtime routine and keeping hunger pangs in check.
5. Don’t Skip Meals
Don’t skip meals this will not result in weight loss, you should start your day with bulky fiber meal that gives you needed energy to start a long working day. You can choose nutrient-packed oatmeal and fruit with a hard-boiled egg at breakfast.
For a snack try protein and calcium-rich Greek yogurt and a piece of brightly coloured fruit. At lunch and dinner try seafood or grilled poultry breast (for protein) with a small serving of brown rice or quinoa and green, red and/or orange vegetables (for fiber and extra vitamins and minerals).
6. Practice Saying "No, Thank You"
It’s an important life skill to be able to say “no” graciously. Ditch the guilt about refusing what’s offered to you, and stand up for your health. Give them a big smile and pleasantly but firmly say, “Oh, no thanks, I’ve had my fill.” Then change the topic. You could ask about their holiday plans or inquire about their family.
7. Don’t Do Anything Drastic
You’ll lose water, muscle and some fat and end up hungry for food. Focus on eating nutritious meals (with real, wholesome foods, not snack foods), getting more physical activity daily (like raking leaves, mopping the floor, walking to the bus stop) and exercising regularly. It’s a sustainable approach that works. When you eat solid meals you’ll also be less likely to snack on junk.
8. Watch portion size:
Make simple changes to your plate as you can fill it with half vegetables that are filling and rich in fiber. This small change affect your caloric intake and let you control your portion size.
9. Hydrate
You should stay hydrated during the day as thirst can be confused with hunger, in addition water can be used for effective weight management as it has large volume and can take space inside your stomach.
Drink water and eat fresh fruits and veggies and oatmeal. All rich in water content, they can keep you hydrated (especially helpful to protect your skin from getting dry in winter), and the fiber in the produce and cooked grains can also fill you up.
10. Find the Right Balance
If you have an unhealthy meal in the late dinner you need to start with healthy food in the next morning. If you have a festive day for food try to start your day with yoga.
11. Lemon Juice
Adding lemon juice to your food enhance flavour and replace salt. In addition it is low in calories and rich in vitamin C that boost immunity.
12. Plan ahead
Have a meal plan ahead, try to make it in the weekend as you have free moment to decide what your meals will be on the next week.
Conclusion:
Have you ever gotten off track with your healthy eating habits? What's the hardest time of year for you to stay on track? What do you do to get back to your regular healthy habits? Have you ever tried any of these tactics? What else would you add to the list? Share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below!
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