I'm not obsessing with weight loss by now, it is the maintenance phase that drives me crazy.
I found some reasonable advices on the web, some may be suitable for me and some not. Lets see:
- Time your meals: I've never heard of it before. You are supposed to set a timer for 20 minutes and savor each bite until the bell chimes. When you have to choose between having lunch and excersicing during your lunch time, this can be a little tricky.
- Make a pause: This one is related to the first one. You must rest your fork in your plate for a minute or two in order to feel more satisfied and eat less.
- Sleep one hour more: Specially if you use that hour to watch TV and mindless eating or just idle. You'll burn more calories by sleeping.
- Eat more vegetables: That is not a secret. The news is to serve three or more in every dish, so you don't get tired of its flavor. Season with herbs.
- Have a soup: Non-fat broth based dishes are very satisfying and a great way to get fit in winter and fall.
- Choose whole grains: But watch out for the calories. It is preferrable to have whole bread than white bread, but it doesn't allow you to get double the amount.
- Keep your skinny clothes at sight: I also read about trying your skinny jeans every week.
- Cut back on sugar: Specially on drinks, because apparently sugary drinks do not work in the satisfying system as well as solid foods.
- Swap you short wide glass for a tall skinny one: This is a visual trick, since the second kind of glass makes 25% to 30% less liquid than the first one.
- Shorten your alcohol consumption: Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, while carbohidrates have 4. OMG! Besides, you can lose track of what you are eating. Drink less beer and more water, baby.
- Have green tea: Several studies indicate that a compound found in this beverage makes you burn more fat. If not, at least you are not having a sugary soda.
- Keep calm and eat less: Anxiety can lead to mindless munching. It is very helpful to keep a calm state of mind by yoga, meditation, and stress fighting.
- Cook your own meals: If not all, at least most of them. Restaurants tend to fill dishes with butter and cream, and cook with lots of oil, while oversizing every plate in the menu.
- Be careful when eating out: If you have to eat out, follow one or more of these rules to avoid packing pounds. Split an entrée with a friend. Order an appetizer as main course.Ask for the children's menu. Get half of the meal in a bag before you start eating. Order a small entrée and a side salad. Half of your plate should be greens of vegetables.
- Shrink your dishes: Buy smaller plates or use the salad dish for your main course. The salad bowl shrinking may work as well.
- Chew strong flavored mint gum: Unless you have a problem of heartburn, you chew strong mint gum to keep you from overeating. In addition, you cannot feel the same taste in food, which prevents you from inadequately snacking.
- Stick to small portions: Mind the size of your portions. Retrain your eyes to detect the right size of a portion.
- The hara hachi bu or 80/20 rule: eat as if you lived in Okinawa and leave 20% of the food in the plate. Or eat until you are 80% full.
- Just one cup of pasta: One serving of pasta is one cup. Do not eat more ever! Prefer tomato sauce over Alfredo.
- Prefer meatless food: More fiber means better digestion and lose weight. Choose bean burgers, lentil soups, and legume based food.
- Burn 100 calories a day: Walk 20 minutes, clean the house for 30 or jog for 10.
- Move more: Get off the bus one stop earlier and walk the rest. When going to a mall, make to sure to visit every floor. Take the stairs when possible.
- Snack smartly: A healthy snack should not be more than 100 calories. Keep that in mind.
- Turn off all devices while eating: This is very difficult, but you are supposed to not watch TV, surf the internet, text your friends, or do anything that distracts you from the act of eating. Otherwise you may overeat.
- Step on the scale daily: It is easy to lose track of your plan if you don't know your weight. But do not obsess with it.
- Focus on what you can eat: Instead of obsessing with the forbidden food, think about all of the healthy veggies and fruits that you are allowed to eat.
- Lighten the foods you love: If you can't live without pizza, go for the reduced-fat cheese version. Garnish your low-fat ice cream with your favorite toppings. Do not deprive, just eat smarter.
- Drink a glass of water before every meal: You will not start eating so hungry that you won't even see what you are eating.
- Get busy with things that are not related to food: Have a life outside of weight loss. Paint, craft or whichever other hobby keeps you occupied and distracted from food.
- Eat every 3 - 4 hours: Cutting calories doesn't mean starving if you spread them out. But the more frequently you eat, the lower in calories your meal should be.
- Bring healthy snacks when you travel: Less than 80 calories oatbran bars in your suitcase can be very helpful.
- Eat healthfully before a party: Eat lots of veggies and fruits before a big event, so you won't starve when the cake arrives.
- Stand up: Whenever you can, stand up. Standing burns 1,5 more calories than sitting.
- When craving, wait 5: Average food cravings last only 5 minutes. Try to hold on for that time and you'll probably forget about that soon.
There is plenty of other material. But I'll stop in here by now. Read you later!
I found some reasonable advices on the web, some may be suitable for me and some not. Lets see:
- Time your meals: I've never heard of it before. You are supposed to set a timer for 20 minutes and savor each bite until the bell chimes. When you have to choose between having lunch and excersicing during your lunch time, this can be a little tricky.
- Make a pause: This one is related to the first one. You must rest your fork in your plate for a minute or two in order to feel more satisfied and eat less.
- Sleep one hour more: Specially if you use that hour to watch TV and mindless eating or just idle. You'll burn more calories by sleeping.
- Eat more vegetables: That is not a secret. The news is to serve three or more in every dish, so you don't get tired of its flavor. Season with herbs.
- Have a soup: Non-fat broth based dishes are very satisfying and a great way to get fit in winter and fall.
- Choose whole grains: But watch out for the calories. It is preferrable to have whole bread than white bread, but it doesn't allow you to get double the amount.
- Keep your skinny clothes at sight: I also read about trying your skinny jeans every week.
- Cut back on sugar: Specially on drinks, because apparently sugary drinks do not work in the satisfying system as well as solid foods.
- Swap you short wide glass for a tall skinny one: This is a visual trick, since the second kind of glass makes 25% to 30% less liquid than the first one.
- Shorten your alcohol consumption: Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, while carbohidrates have 4. OMG! Besides, you can lose track of what you are eating. Drink less beer and more water, baby.
- Have green tea: Several studies indicate that a compound found in this beverage makes you burn more fat. If not, at least you are not having a sugary soda.
- Keep calm and eat less: Anxiety can lead to mindless munching. It is very helpful to keep a calm state of mind by yoga, meditation, and stress fighting.
- Cook your own meals: If not all, at least most of them. Restaurants tend to fill dishes with butter and cream, and cook with lots of oil, while oversizing every plate in the menu.
- Be careful when eating out: If you have to eat out, follow one or more of these rules to avoid packing pounds. Split an entrée with a friend. Order an appetizer as main course.Ask for the children's menu. Get half of the meal in a bag before you start eating. Order a small entrée and a side salad. Half of your plate should be greens of vegetables.
- Shrink your dishes: Buy smaller plates or use the salad dish for your main course. The salad bowl shrinking may work as well.
- Chew strong flavored mint gum: Unless you have a problem of heartburn, you chew strong mint gum to keep you from overeating. In addition, you cannot feel the same taste in food, which prevents you from inadequately snacking.
- Stick to small portions: Mind the size of your portions. Retrain your eyes to detect the right size of a portion.
- The hara hachi bu or 80/20 rule: eat as if you lived in Okinawa and leave 20% of the food in the plate. Or eat until you are 80% full.
- Just one cup of pasta: One serving of pasta is one cup. Do not eat more ever! Prefer tomato sauce over Alfredo.
- Prefer meatless food: More fiber means better digestion and lose weight. Choose bean burgers, lentil soups, and legume based food.
- Burn 100 calories a day: Walk 20 minutes, clean the house for 30 or jog for 10.
- Move more: Get off the bus one stop earlier and walk the rest. When going to a mall, make to sure to visit every floor. Take the stairs when possible.
- Snack smartly: A healthy snack should not be more than 100 calories. Keep that in mind.
- Turn off all devices while eating: This is very difficult, but you are supposed to not watch TV, surf the internet, text your friends, or do anything that distracts you from the act of eating. Otherwise you may overeat.
- Step on the scale daily: It is easy to lose track of your plan if you don't know your weight. But do not obsess with it.
- Focus on what you can eat: Instead of obsessing with the forbidden food, think about all of the healthy veggies and fruits that you are allowed to eat.
- Lighten the foods you love: If you can't live without pizza, go for the reduced-fat cheese version. Garnish your low-fat ice cream with your favorite toppings. Do not deprive, just eat smarter.
- Drink a glass of water before every meal: You will not start eating so hungry that you won't even see what you are eating.
- Get busy with things that are not related to food: Have a life outside of weight loss. Paint, craft or whichever other hobby keeps you occupied and distracted from food.
- Eat every 3 - 4 hours: Cutting calories doesn't mean starving if you spread them out. But the more frequently you eat, the lower in calories your meal should be.
- Bring healthy snacks when you travel: Less than 80 calories oatbran bars in your suitcase can be very helpful.
- Eat healthfully before a party: Eat lots of veggies and fruits before a big event, so you won't starve when the cake arrives.
- Stand up: Whenever you can, stand up. Standing burns 1,5 more calories than sitting.
- When craving, wait 5: Average food cravings last only 5 minutes. Try to hold on for that time and you'll probably forget about that soon.
There is plenty of other material. But I'll stop in here by now. Read you later!
