If you decide to start eating healthy, remember that you cannot drastically cut your diet. Are you wondering how to start eating less? There is no point in going to extremes. Spontaneous fasting, after so many years without any restrictions, has never brought any benefit to anyone. If you reduce the amount of food consumed per day, then only gradually, so that the body does not experience serious stress. This rule also matters for your psychological health. This immutable rule also includes the fact that in no case should you refuse morning meals, because it is with breakfast that the body receives energy for further normal functioning.
How to train yourself to eat less
To get rid of the problem of excess weight, you should analyze and change your nutritional principles. You will have to leave visiting fast food establishments in the past, give up fried, fatty, floury and favorite sweets. To lose weight efficiently, you should add to your diet foods that contain the right carbohydrates, proteins and other healthy elements. Don’t eat monotonously, add to your diet, for example, walnuts, fish, tomatoes, vegetables and fruits, lean meat and dairy products. Such food will not only provide a feeling of fullness for a long time, but will also form muscle mass, not fat. These rules will help you start eating less.
What not to eat on a healthy diet
So what, no restrictions on products? Of course, they are in a healthy diet - that’s why it’s “healthy”. But they are also quite flexible:
- Limit the amount of added sugar (sweets, sugar, honey, jam, soda, etc.) to 5-10% of your daily diet. To put it simply, eat sweets occasionally, 2-3 times a week, 1 serving (4 chocolate cubes, or 2 cookies, or 3 lollipops, or a scoop of ice cream, etc.).
- Limit or eliminate alcohol and avoid trans fats in your diet (margarine, spread, fast food).
- Drink as much as you want, give preference to clean water, but coffee, tea, fruit drinks, juices are also acceptable in the diet.
- Try to ensure that you eat at least 5 servings of vegetables and/or fruits daily (have you forgotten about serving sizes yet?).
- At least 1/2 of all complex carbohydrates you eat should be whole grains.
- Give preference to unsaturated fats (vegetable oils, except palm and coconut, nuts, fish and seafood, avocado) over saturated fats (animal fats, dairy products, butter).
That's all! This, of course, does not contain all the nutritional science and not the entire retelling of international recommendations, but a fairly strong skeleton on which you can easily rely. As you can see, sticking to a healthy diet is not at all difficult, not expensive, and does not require special efforts. You just need to readjust, get used to it and pay more attention to what exactly you eat.
Water is the head of everything
The second step, without which the weight loss process will not be complete, is sufficient water consumption. On average, experts advise drinking about two liters of water per day, but this should be done gradually, throughout the day, to maintain water balance. It is worth noting that water can also cause a feeling of fullness, so experts advise drinking a glass or two of water before each meal. It is not recommended to drink food with food, but after eating you can have tea or coffee.
Unsubscribe from food blogs
It is difficult to find a person who would not feel the urge to eat something quickly after viewing tempting and mouth-watering photos from a food blog or after showing the final result of a cooking show. Instead, look at photos of athletes or models: they are very inspiring to lose weight quickly.
Psychology of weight loss
We all know that any problems come from the head. Therefore, the third step, which cannot be avoided, is psychological preparation. It is recommended to replace deep plates with smaller ones. The point is that in such dishes, even a not very large portion will look sufficient, and the visual component has a huge impact on our perception. After eating, a person will feel like he has eaten a lot, although in fact the feeling of fullness will not be the same as before. Another point worth paying attention to is the color of the dishes. This factor seems very insignificant, but it is not. Psychologists recommend purchasing dishes in green or blue shades, as they reduce appetite, and aggravate it, for example, orange. Losing 5 kg in 2 weeks is quite possible. To do this, try to follow all the rules described below.
How to painlessly limit yourself in food?
To follow the new regime and not feel deprived, you can use these tips:
- Chewing gum is a good way to temporarily suppress your appetite. Everything is simple here. When a person chews, a signal is sent to the brain that food has been consumed. At the same time, the stomach remains empty, and the feeling of hunger goes away;
- If you have dealt with the problem of excess weight, then now there should be no place for idleness in your life. When a person is not busy with anything, out of boredom he will go to empty the refrigerator. Do useful things (at home or at work), find a hobby that really interests you.
- Find a place for yoga in your life and introduce the principles of conscious motivation into your daily routine.
This is not a complete list of actions that will help you lose 5 kg in 2 weeks.
No help from hormones
Basically, we eat our stress, failures, unfulfilled expectations, complexes, and grievances. Why?
It’s simple, we are hostages to ourselves, our hormones.
Any stressful condition is accompanied in the body by the release of the stress hormone - cortisol. It directly affects the feeling of hunger and increases it. But this does not mean that you need to relax and say, it’s not me, it’s all him - cortisol. The desire to overeat during PMS is also associated with hormonal imbalance, which can also be restored and normalized.
Meals on schedule
This is the main rule of losing weight. There is a lot of controversy about meal times, but the fact remains. Scientists have found that schedule affects weight loss. Experts have proven that people who have lunch after 15:00 lose weight more slowly than those who eat before 14:00. It is also an absolutely proven fact that people who skip breakfast eat more in the evening than those who do not skip their morning meal. Many people are interested in whether it is possible not to eat after six. The best option is not to eat a couple of hours before bedtime. If you go to bed at 2-3 am, then not eating after six is real hell for the body.
How to force yourself to eat less: 13 steps to slimness
When you look at the snow outside the window, it’s hard to believe that spring has come. But she came. A month and a half will pass, and the jubilant sunny April will take off the girls’ coats and fur coats. Miniskirts, slender legs and waists will appear to the world. To feel beautiful, light and athletic, you need to prepare for this wonderful moment now.
Surprisingly, almost all people who are prone to obesity know how to lose from 2 to 6 kilograms in a short time. Still, it’s clear: eat less, drink more and exercise intensively. The only question is how to force yourself to do all this and how to start eating less?
Especially for you, we have prepared a selection of life hacks that will help you curb your appetite. The main rule is don’t neglect the little things. Try using all these tricks, and you will definitely find those that help you.
Drink when you feel hungry.
It is known that following the correct drinking regime reduces appetite, normalizes digestion, and promotes weight loss. But it is water that is needed, not tea or juices. During the day you should drink at least two liters of plain still water, not counting other drinks.
Place a bottle of water on your desk and drink a glass every hour. If you forget, set reminders on your smartphone. Drink a full glass half an hour before meals and immediately after meals. Drink whenever you change location: go to the printer - drink a glass of water.
To make the water seem more attractive and not get boring, you can add pre-frozen slices of lemon, lime and orange to it at home.
Find out what temperature water you prefer to drink. Perhaps you like hot water better than cold water.
Only delicious food.
Diet food is often associated with deprivation. Eating it is tasteless, which is why it is so easy to have a food breakdown and fill yourself up with delicacies. Give up tasteless food! If you don't like oatmeal or cottage cheese, don't eat it! You can always find something you like among low-calorie foods. Use a little spices, vinegar, mustard, pan-Asian low-calorie sauces - make your food tastier. It should bring pleasure!
Eat often.
This simple technique prevents you from feeling completely hungry and sweeping away everything you can reach from the table at lunch. You need to eat five to six times a day, but in very small portions - 150-200 grams per meal. Then you remember what you recently ate and feel less deprived. In addition, you pamper yourself with taste more often, which means you are less sad.
It is better to take the last meal 3-3.5 hours before bedtime. If you ate at six and go to bed at one, then at eleven o’clock you feel so hungry that night raids on the refrigerator are inevitable.
Nutritionists say that to successfully lose weight, you need 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every day. And not just at any time, but precisely in the dark, when the hormones necessary for this are produced.
Small plate.
Psychologists have found that after eating a full plate, people feel more satisfied. At the same time, the size of the plate is not decisive. Use this trick! Eat a full plate, but use the smallest one. It’s also better to take a teaspoon or at least a dessert spoon. Then your brain will note that the number of spoons eaten was significant and transmit a feeling of fullness!
Blue color.
Scientists have found that a person's color environment while eating affects his appetite. Thus, warm tones make you want to eat, while cold colors reduce your appetite. The strongest effect is produced by blue color. Don't neglect this knowledge! If you can’t paint the walls and furniture blue, then at least lay out an ultramarine tablecloth, place cornflower blue dishes, and hang bright blue curtains.
Eat slowly.
Eat mindfully, savoring every bite. This is how we tell the satiety centers that we ate for a long time and with pleasure, which means we have eaten enough. Try to look at and smell the food before you put it in your mouth. This increases awareness of the process.
American scientists have found that there are odors that, all other things being equal, accelerate weight loss by a third. Everything is simple and accessible: it turned out to be the smells of mint, apple and banana. You should listen to them thoughtfully before you eat any food.
Take a walk before dinner.
It is believed that walking in the fresh air increases appetite. There is even an expression “work up an appetite.” However, scientists have found that if you walk intensely, at a fast pace, the body is saturated with oxygen and, on the contrary, appetite decreases. This way you can deceive the body: after a walk, even a small portion will seem quite sufficient.
Remove temptations.
Rid the refrigerator and the whole house of those foods that make you lose your willpower at the sight of them. Do not keep cookies, candies, raisins, chips, salted nuts and other foods that are the worst enemies of your waistline in sight. Let puffed bran or carrots cut into strips be in plain sight.
If you came to visit
and participate in a feast, then temptations cannot be avoided. The tactics should be like this. Firstly, try not to come to visit completely hungry. Secondly, immediately put everything you are going to eat on a small plate and move away from the table. Make a promise to yourself not to refill your plate or take anything off the table. Thirdly, to deceive yourself, you can put a bowl of ice cubes in front of you during a long feast and gradually eat them. You can do the same with frozen unsweetened berries or fruits. Frozen fruits cannot be eaten quickly, and you will inevitably stretch out this pleasure for a long time. Let your friends consider this your extravagant feature and prepare for you in advance not cakes with tea, but a small bag of frozen berries.
Snack properly.
For mid-day snacks, dried apricots or prunes, carrots cut into strips, celery stalks, tomatoes, cucumbers or unsweetened apples are suitable. Whenever you want to eat, but it’s not time yet, you can throw airy crispy bran into yourself. They taste good and, with minimal calories, tend to quickly absorb liquid and increase in volume, providing a feeling of satiety.
Good, proper snacks also include low-fat fermented milk drinks, protein shakes or protein bars, which are sold in sports stores.
It's important to always have healthy snacks on hand. This minimizes the risk of breaking out and buying a bun or pie at a stall.
Wonderful supplements.
Very often, when we feel hungry, the body thus signals a lack of some microelements and vitamins. But we don’t understand and load ourselves with anything. Therefore, nutritionists recommend not starting any diet without the support of a vitamin and mineral complex.
For example, an increased need for sweets may mean a lack of chromium in the body. The drug reglucol helps solve this problem, it replenishes the lack of this substance, helps break down fats accumulated by the body and speeds up metabolism.
Without diets and with sweets
A Guide to Intuitive Eating
An obsessive desire to eat chocolate may be a sign of magnesium deficiency. It’s easy to replenish it; all you need to do is pick up and drink a vitamin-mineral complex with magnesium.
Episodes of uncontrollable appetite are often associated with low serotonin levels. Special dietary supplements containing tryptophan or 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), which are the basis for the production of serotonin, will help cope with its deficiency.
Another natural supplement that doctors recommend including in your diet when losing weight is crushed spirulina algae. It successfully compensates for the lack of most vitamins, amino acids, minerals, as well as essential polyunsaturated fatty enzymes. Spirulina normalizes metabolism and successfully fights excess weight.
Don’t go from one extreme to another: don’t brush off hunger pains, but don’t eat them with anything - make up for what your body actually lacks, and the increased appetite will disappear by itself.
Spend money on a nutritionist.
Of course, losing weight is easier with a nutritionist. And even if you know perfectly well what you need to do, go to him anyway! This is surprising, but it is the money spent on specialists that often prevents us from giving up everything halfway and refusing their recommendations. The internal toad is a great thing! In addition, nutritionists say that you cannot enter the same diet twice. Each time you gain weight again, your weight loss recommendations need to be adjusted.
Create your own top lifehacks
. As you lose weight, your determination to stick to a certain diet and exercise routine may gradually weaken. Help yourself! Regularly read motivating articles, communicate with those who support you, go to a psychologist, finally. And be sure to make your own list of tricks that suit you and give the best effect.
Great results for you! May everything work out for you!
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Limits without limits
If you are losing weight, this does not mean that you have to chew the hated salad and shed tears. Choose food to your liking. If just the thought of broccoli spoils your mood, cook yourself something more tasty and filling. A person’s weight loss program is laid out in their head. Scientists have proven that people who convinced themselves that their portions were large and the food was delicious became full faster than those who ate forcefully. This is one of the most important rules for losing weight.
Don't be lazy to write everything down
Simply put, keep a food diary and write down everything you eat, every crumb of bread. Such a system will help systematize your diet, understand how you eat and what you are doing wrong. By visualizing your nutritional principles, you can adjust your diet depending on your goals. But this rule will only have results if you keep a diary on a regular basis. You will be able to determine what you are missing in your diet and what you should give up after a couple of weeks of systematically keeping a diary.
Do not be distructed
Understand that chaos in the modern world is not a reason to eat something extra. We are always in a hurry and often do not control our actions; we perform them “automatically”. If you put down your phone, turn off the TV and computer, you can enjoy your meal 100%. People who are focused on the meal are not distracted, eat slowly, chew their food thoroughly, and enjoy the taste and aroma of the food. This is not only more enjoyable, but also healthier than eating your lunch without taking your eyes off the TV. Mindful eating is a popular trend in modern dietetics.
Make your meals as varied and interesting as possible
Who said that proper nutrition should be dull and monotonous? This is absolutely not true - your diet should have enough vitamins and microelements to stay healthy, you need to drink enough and get aesthetic pleasure from what is on your plate.
Cook with olive oil
Scientists have repeatedly conducted studies related to the benefits of sunflower, butter, flaxseed and olive oils. The latter took the first position in terms of saturation. This was expressed in a high level of serotonin in the blood after consuming olive oil. Therefore, it is especially useful for those who are trying to lose weight. Only when purchasing should you pay attention to the quality of the oil.
More protein in your diet
How to limit yourself in food? It is worth remembering that the most satisfying foods are those that contain a lot of fiber and water. But you shouldn’t forget about protein foods. It is on these rules that most of the most popular diets are created. Proteins are a source of satiety. To process them, the body has to spend a considerable amount of energy. You shouldn’t get carried away with this product either, because purely protein diets are harmful to the body. Add fiber-rich foods to your proteins, such as bran, vegetables, and whole grain bread.
And nowhere without vegetables and whole grains!
Many who dream of an ideal figure will completely exclude carbohydrates from their diet. And this is a big mistake, we need carbohydrates, but only complex ones, not simple ones. The ideal option is porridge and whole grain products. They not only help digestion work, speed up metabolism, but also contain a sufficient amount of B vitamins. The same applies to vegetables - they are simply irreplaceable! They contain a large amount of fiber, which is so necessary for our body to function properly. Nutritionists advise making a choice in favor of green vegetables. This could be spinach, broccoli, or regular cucumbers. Vegetables are a great reason to let your imagination run wild, because you can eat them in any form. Bake, stew, make fresh salads and even smoothies.
Train your willpower
Always remember that all your efforts to organize a balanced diet will pay off with interest. Scientists have proven that people who are overweight are more unable to resist even minimal temptations than others. Therefore, your task is to train your willpower for the sake of your own health. If you are thinking about how to learn to limit yourself in food, then try to study psychology and self-control, be stronger than your weaknesses.
Keep a diary of what you eat
Statistics show that those who constantly keep a diary lose weight twice as fast as those who do not write down what they eat. Just imagine having to write down the words: “Donuts with jam, 6 pcs.” in the same column where such positions as “chocolate cake, 2 pieces” and “well done steak” already appear.
Movement is life
Treat weight loss like a game. Are you consuming calories? Then be sure to burn them. If you use up more than you eat, that's a small victory. In general, people have no problem getting enough calories. Problems arise when these same calories need to be spent. After eating I usually want to lie down. The stomach needs rest in order to more easily process everything that has been thrown into it. It transmits a signal about this to the brain. On its basis, the thought of resting after eating is formed.
Your task is not to consider this thought as a guide to action. Try to take a short walk after your meal. Just 30-50 minutes of walking a day will help you effortlessly lose a couple of extra pounds in a month. Strength training is an opportunity to get a beautiful and sculpted body. Remember that physical activity should always bring joy. This is one of the best ways to limit yourself in food.
What to do about it?
Don't make drama
“I’ll die without sweets!”, “It’s stronger than me, I don’t belong to myself when I see chocolate!” For some, the suffering from having to give up sweets is close to the suffering from having to saw off a leg. This is an addiction, and it has the same mechanisms as a drug, but still it is not a hard drug from which a person does not belong. Therefore, reducing the intensity of the drama is very useful. Moreover, stress forces you to eat more in a circle: stress from giving up sweets - a breakdown - even more stress from a breakdown - an even greater breakdown and stress eating.
Don't tyrannize yourself
The strictest healthy lifestyle regime and a complete ban on sweets for a person with addiction is the most disastrous option. The smartest option is to start counting calories and include some sweets in your daily calorie intake. Without harm to your figure and health, you can spend up to 20% of your daily calories on unhealthy foods.
Distinguish hunger from the desire to eat something
Many people understand hunger as a variety of things that are not related to physiological hunger. Hunger is caused by completely different mechanisms than cravings for a specific food. Thirst is also often confused with hunger and the desire to eat something sweet. So sometimes a glass of water helps.
Eat more protein
Getting enough protein helps you control your appetite and feel fuller longer (, ,).
Take a break
A slight desire for a certain food can become stronger if we are not able to get it immediately or if we think that we should not allow ourselves to eat it. The longer food is in the spotlight, the harder it is to fight it. When you start thinking about food, try to shift your attention to something else.
When a person thinks about food and struggles with himself, he cannot think about something else and concentrate on other tasks. Thoughts about delicious food block cognitive function, in part because they use the same parts of the brain. In other words, you can't concentrate on a task because your desire to eat something has taken over your brain.
Try using this. Food cravings use the parts of the brain that are involved in conjuring up pictures and smells. A study conducted at McGill University found that imagining vivid pictures, visualizing your favorite activities or doing something simply pleasant that does not involve food can greatly reduce spontaneous cravings for certain foods.
Avoid extreme hunger
In a very hungry state, a person tends to eat something very high in calories that will quickly provide energy. In addition, there is a risk of eating more than normal, because the feeling of fullness does not come immediately.
Avoid stress
Stress can trigger food cravings and influence eating behavior, especially in women (, , ). When stressed, women experience greater food cravings and eat significantly more calories than non-stressed women ().
In addition, stress increases cortisol levels in the blood. Glucocorticoids stimulate appetite and influence food preferences, forcing you to choose sweets, fatty foods and high-calorie foods.
Watch
Try to learn to understand your eating habits, the emotions that control your eating behavior, and distinguish between the desire to eat something and physical hunger. This will help you find a solution instead of acting rashly or impulsively ().
Get enough sleep
Lack of sleep increases cravings for high-calorie foods (,). People deprived of adequate sleep are 55% more likely to be overweight ().
