How to Lose Weight Without Dieting
Being on a strict diet can be hard on both your mind and body, leading to the risk of binge eating, poor body image, low metabolism, fatigue, and many other issues. As far as I am concerned, the word "diet" is a four letter word. A diet is something that you do for a few weeks or a few months, then go back to what you were doing. So, honestly, that is just pointless and can mess up your metabolism. Changing to a healthy lifestyle is the way to achieve your goals. However, if you still want to lose weight without dieting, there are options without actually counting calories or living your life attached to your fitness tracker.
Drink Your Water
This likely is not the first time you have heard this, but it bears repeating. You need to drink more water if you want to lose weight, with or without dieting. Water is important for so many reasons, from making sure you are hydrated, to giving you sustainable energy. It is also great when you don’t want to diet but feel like you are constantly hungry. In many cases, you might actually be thirsty instead, so water can help you solve this problem.
A good rule of thumb that people like to use is if you feel hungry, drink a glass of water instead. If the hunger goes away, you were just thirsty. But if you’re still hungry, go ahead and eat.
To calculate how much water you need, multiply your body weight in kilograms by 35ml and that is the water you need to drink daily. Here is an example. If you weigh 70kg, you need 2.45 litres of water per day.
Aim for a Balance of Nutrients
When putting your meals together, you don’t need to count calories or macros just to lose weight. Counting calories is tedious and inaccurate. But it does help to look at the nutrients in your meals and make sure all the most important ones are there. An easy way to do this is just to make sure you have at least one source of protein, fibre, fat, and carbohydrates. Sometimes, the balance is a little off where you have 2 carbs and protein, other times you have a little of each. But these nutrients help ensure you get what your body needs, without having to focus so much on every macro. Colour is a good way to ensure that you are getting your nutrients. Make sure that there are plenty of different colours on your plate throughout the week. Everyone requires a different ratio of protein to carbs (vegetables are carbs). If you do not have your own meal plan for this then a good way to go is 1:1 ratio. So your protein and vegetables should weigh or look to be about the same amount.
Slow Down and Eat Mindfully
If you are eating your meals too fast, your brain doesn’t even have time to register how much you have eaten or how full you are. Try to slow down and not have outside distractions while you are eating. Eat each bite slowly and deliberately. Practice eating a meal without looking at a computer screen or watching TV. It can seem weird in the beginning, but this helps you focus more on your food and your own internal hunger cues. Also chewing your food properly is important as digestion actually starts in the mouth. So, slow down and chew.
Keep Unhealthy Foods in the Pantry.
Instead of keeping the unhealthier foods, like chips and cookies, on the counter, hide them away in the fridge or pantry, out of reach. You aren’t keeping it out of the house completely, but you will only go for the food when you really crave it, as opposed to just seeing it on the counter and wanting it out of pure convenience.
What I advocate in my business is a healthy lifestyle instead of a diet mentality. For great health, you need to be consistent on your healthy path. No, I am not talking about perfection, I am talking about 80% of the time, nourishing your body with what is needs and 20% of the time, have those extra treats.
If you are ready to improve your health and lifestyle, please feel free to book a discovery call to chat about your options. www.zestnutrition.org/appointments
Thank you for time today
Zita Dixon
Nutritionist, Metabolic Balance Practitioner and Life Coach
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