9 Diet Tricks To Lose Weight Naturally and Effortlessly Without Sacrificing Food You Love
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Habits form our life. Every choice we make, consciously or unconsciously, gives way to how our bodies look and feel. Over my lifetime, I have incorporated certain habits that have undoubtedly allowed me to remain a certain weight (or close to) and body type without giving up ANY of the food I love and I’m going to share them with you right here!
Even if we exercise regularly, regardless of whether we opt for better food choices, there are some daily habits we should incorporate in order to reap benefits from any diet.
A QUICK GUIDE to 9 easy, daily eating habits without sacrificing food and avoiding fad diets that anyone can do!
Here I’ll list 9 simple ways to incorporate better eating habits without sacrificing food or having to follow fad diet rules. These tips will help ensure moderate energy levels and create the body type that is naturally you….
1. Eat lean meat and more of it.
Eggs, poultry, fish, and beef have all the necessary building blocks we need to ensure proper muscle growth, brain function, and to stave off hunger. It’s been noted over the years that women do not eat enough protein. Make sure, with every meal you incorporate a good amount of protein, almost the size of your fist. Even just a little goes a long way! If you’re in a hurry or don’t want to spend a bunch of time cooking (like me always), use a small plug-in grill to cook your meat of choice so it’s always available for you to grab, throw on a salad or pack with you on the go! You can hard boil eggs too!
2. Drink more water.
When you are thirsty, don’t rush to grab a soda pop or sweet coffee, grab your water bottle, drink from that until you are satisfied. If you feel that first pang of hunger, drink water. Often people confuse thirst for hunger so start by drinking some water before you reach for food.
3. Eat SLOWLY
Our stomach takes at least 20 minutes to send a signal to our brain that it is full and our hunger is satified. Take time to see your food, smell your food, put less food on the fork, chew slowly, really TASTE your food. This small act of mindfullness is a game changer and what’s better - you will enjoy the food you eat so much more!
4. Eat only when you’re hungry.
If you haven’t read or listen to (Audible), “The Science of Being Well” by Wallace D Wattles, please do. What we learn is, eat when you’re hungry or when you have an “earned” hunger. When your body asks you to feed it, this is the body’s way of saying, okay I’ve burned my calories for energy, the tank is empty, please fill it up. Again, drink water first, then eat. If you haven’t had a decent meal for the day yet, do that first before you eat a cookie or granola bar. “Meal” being a combination of three essential food groups, protein/carb/fruit or veggie. Yes, “fat” is in there which balances the bloodstream but isn’t “alone” when eaten. Think of the plates for kids that have three separate sections and apply the certain food groups to each. Again, do not deny this.
Do some finding out what food you like best. Don’t force yourself to eat anything you don’t want to. If you’d rather not have a fruit of vegetable at 11 am, that’s okay. Honestly, the most important thing is protein. Have a piece of chicken and some rice for example. Put your favorite sauce on it. Have some baby carrots and ranch, perhaps an hour or two later. Just remember to feed yourself so as not to resort to grabbing the first thing you see when you’re starving. Binging is best for movie night, not a daily activity.
5. Mind your portions.
Portion control, portion control, portion control. As mentioned above, a meat portion, baseball size or just slightly smaller then your fist. For carbs, think half cup or a small cup and same for fruit and/or veggie. Snacks, consider 1/2 cup of grapes, handful of nuts/almonds, orange or apple, I think you can catch on. If you incorporate salads as a main staple, first off good for you! But consider adding a protein like shrimp, chicken, fish or steak to maintain muscle and to satisfy your hunger longer.
6. Don’t deny yourself carbs.
When we omit carbs from our diet, that feeling of lethargy and weakness stems from taking away our essential, consumed form of energy or calories. Also, lots of minerals and vitamins come from the foods we categorize as carbs – potatoes (favorite), pasta, bread, rice, etc. Just mind your portions. As mentioned above, make sure you’re eating enough protein with your meals and include some form of carbohydrate.
BIG TIP…
Snacks like chips or donuts should not be a regular, daily grab. Save those for a weekend or special occasion like a picnic or party. You will undoubtedly enjoy them more and sometimes prefer something else instead. Opt to pick better snacks too! People report, when they reduce empty calorie snacks like chips and candy or donuts, they don’t want them anymore. They either feel physically ill or those options don’t sound good. It’s not uncommon, I promise, you will see for yourself. Remember, eating carb rich foods should only be consumed in moderation. A cup of rice or pasta, or one potatoe. When you eat a pasta dish, eyeball it to 2 cups at most and add a big cup of veggies or large bowl of salad with every meal as often as possible.
7. Add more activity to your day
I want to include this one on the list, not because it pertains to what we put in our body’s, but if you were to choose ONE thing to do instead of focusing on changing your diet, just move more. Exercise over dieting will tremendously boost your metabolism which equals….ta da…weight loss, and lasting weight loss.
Through exercise your nervous system is stimulated with just a small amount of heart pumping, muscle tensing exercise that you can find SOOOO many ways to incorporate into every day life. I always encourage women, on the journey to lose weight and losing inches, activity will trump calorie counting every day.
Working out and fitness is a big world with so many options from low impact activities like hiking or swimming to occasional sprinting or circuit training in gym. My personal favorite is strength training which if you follow my blog you’ll know I am major advocate of. Need some ideas? Here’s a great place to start.
8. Eat dessert first.
Okay hear me out. This is not a popular idea but if you insist on eating something sweet after dinner or another meal, eat dessert first. One, you’ll undoubtedly enjoy it more and two, may avoid eating less of the main course equating to less calories! YAY! Honestly I am a fan of eating cake in the morning with my coffee. Dessert first is NOT something I recommend every day. Eating dessert should be seen as a major treat when it is ice cream, pie or cake. I would recommend incorporating a fruit dessert or even pudding with whip cream as a great substitute and this could definitely be an every day item! As with any full calorie food, make sure it is worth it to you and to enjoy is FULLY!
9. Take a multi vitamin
Okay this one is not much for weight loss but is worth mentioning and will help you to feel better in the long run. While vitamins and minerals are best absorbed through our food it is wise to include a daily vitamin. When we are missing these fundamental staples, our body suffers via worsening eye sight, memory loss, pale skin (hello dark under eye circle), brittle nails and hair, etc. I prefer taking my pill at the end of my day with a tiny snack or with my final meal of day.
Want MORE weight loss/managing eating ideas?!
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Final thoughts,
Start small. Be conscious of what you grab to eat. It may help to start a diet journal to keep track of your food choices for a couple days. Read it at the end of the day. You might be surprised what you forgot you ate. Don’t worry if you slip, just make a conscious effort every day and go from there.
Additionally, here is an awesome book, packed with ways to ensure great health and longevity. Remember, these are acts that take time to make into habits. Have faith, and a few years from now you will be in the best shape of your life, mind, body, and soul!