Maintaining a healthy weight is a goal many strive for. That said, it’s not uncommon for people to resort to extreme dieting to achieve their desired weight. However, this practice may be more harmful than beneficial. It can quickly lead to malnutrition, as your body will likely be deprived of essential vitamins and minerals. Likewise, extreme diets can increase the stress hormones in your brain, triggering depression and binge eating disorders. They can also cause dehydration, insulin resistance, muscle atrophy, and a slower metabolism. Fortunately, you can shed excess weight without enduring extreme diets. Here are some helpful strategies worth considering.
Eat slowly and chew thoroughly
Eating mindlessly and quickly could negatively affect you if you intend to lose weight. Since your brain needs time to process fullness signals, you can eat much more than your body needs before it alerts you that you’re full. And excess food can increase your calories and trigger weight gain. Furthermore, you risk developing poor digestion, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. It can also cause you to feel less satisfied with your meals, causing you to repeat the vicious cycle of overeating. Fortunately, you can avoid these by eating slowly and chewing each morsel thoroughly. Experts advise against eating in front of screens, as you can become easily distracted and eat more than is needed. Alternatively, sip on water between each bite to encourage you to slow down. This can also help you feel fuller without eating much, further accelerating weight loss. Consequently, consider chewing each mouthful at least twenty times before swallowing.
Eat junk food with smaller plates
Extreme diets often focus on eliminating certain unhealthy meals. However, the truth is that these foods are highly addictive, and suddenly cutting them off may backfire. For instance, you may crave them and end up overeating them. This, in turn, can also trigger weight gain. Moreover, restricting certain foods can cause you to develop a toxic relationship with food, triggering depression, anxiety, and disordered eating. Therefore, the solution is not to eliminate junk foods from your meal plan. Instead, wean yourself off gradually. If you find limiting your junk food consumption challenging, you can consider using smaller plates. This can convince your brain to think portions look larger, taming your cravings. While at it, serve healthier meals on larger plates to promote a balanced meal. And this leads to the next point.
Don’t restrict yourself to meals you don’t enjoy
People often think healthy meals are limited to salads, fruit smoothies, low-carb diets, and the like. However, this can make your weight loss journey unpleasant, causing you to quickly give up. Eating healthy doesn’t require you to sacrifice tasty dishes. Fortunately, several recipes are weight-loss friendly, easy to prepare, and delicious. And one such meal is this easy Spanish rice recipe. Alternatively, you can recreate your favorite dishes by replacing unhealthy ingredients with healthier alternatives. Pairing your favorite meals with vegetables as side dishes is also beneficial, so feel free to consider this.
Losing weight without extreme dieting is possible with the right strategies. Hopefully, you’ll consider those listed above for the desired outcome.
