One of the hardest things to do when trying to implement weight loss into your life is to change your eating behavior. However, changing the way you eat is critical to losing weight and key to keeping it off.
When trying to lose weight, most people have no idea where to start. There are two steps to changing the way you eat: changing what you eat and changing how much you eat. Both should not be done at the same time. Changing both at once will most likely become frustrating and discouraging. Changing how much you eat is seemingly simpler than changing what you eat. When dieting, it’s much easier to eat 1/2 cup of chips instead of 1 cup. On the other hand, it’s harder to eat 1/2 cup of raw carrots than 1/2 cup of French fries. Therefore, most people tend to change how much they eat before changing what they eat.
There are some simple tips you can follow to help implement these changes.
1. Eat off smaller plates. People tend to want to fill bigger plates and then end up eating more.
2. Drink lots of water. Chances are your hunger pangs are just thirst pangs. Try to drink a glass of water before deciding if you are really hungry.
3. Slow down when eating and focus on what you are eating. People who eat in front of the TV or read while they eat tend to eat more.
4. If you have a rough time, that’s okay. Don’t wallow in guilt. Just start over with the next meal.
5. When you start to feel full, stop eating.
So now that you’ve mastered portion control and are gradually reducing portion sizes, it’s time to change what you eat. Instead of having a side of mashed potatoes with dinner, you can replace it with pumpkin. Or you can steam your vegetables instead of sautéing them in butter. Although this step is more difficult than the first, it’s easier when you think of it as a process. Changing everything at once will never last. You can start by making the changes to your breakfast. For example, eat egg whites and whole wheat toast with jam, instead of a whole egg with toast and butter. At the end of the day, it’s all about making small changes that you can live with.
