While there are plenty of fad
diets that may help you lose weight, they also leave you feeling hungry and
food-deprived. For all those who don't have the time or inclination to undertake
a crash diet or even hit the gym, we've got some great news. If you want to slim
down the healthy and painless way, try the following strategies. After all, it's
not what you eat but how you eat.
CHEW MORE, EAT LESS Studies show that the longer time you spend chewing, the
lesser calories you consume. Chewing for longer prevents over-eating, by giving
the brain more time to receive signals from the stomach that it is full. It is
not only great for digesting, but it also helps in limiting your portion size.
Try chewing your food 35 to 50 times per mouthful.
DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST No matter how late you are running to work, avoid missing
breakfast. There is a reason why it is called the most important meal of the
day. Your body (rather your brain) expects to be refueled a few times each day,
so when you skip breakfast, you feel so hungry that when lunch time comes, you
overeat or maybe choose foods items that are not the healthiest choices. Missing
breakfast slows down your metabolism. More importantly, always eat your
breakfast, within an hour of waking up, as your body has gone without food the
entire night.
CONCENTRATE ON YOUR FOOD How many times has your mother reprimanded you to not
talk, read or watch TV while eating food? Not without a reason. When you are
multitasking during meal times, your brain isn't focussing on the amount of food
that you are consuming and you are more prone to piling on pounds. This doesn't
mean that you cannot enjoy a meal with your friends. You can do so, but just pay
attention to what you are putting in your mouth!
DON'T OVERCOOK YOUR MEALS Overcooking food kills or reduces the number of
nutrients your meal contains, and when you don't get enough nutrients, you don't
feel satisfied and soon start to get junk food cravings. To combat this, try
eating more raw foods like sushi and salads. Steam, bake, blanch or grill
vegetables and grill or bake meat and fish. Avoid microwaving.
FRUITS BEFORE MEALS It is advisable to eat fruits at least 30 minutes before any
heavy meal. This way, the fruits will digest quickly. Eating fruits on an empty
stomach detoxifies your system and supplies you with a great deal of energy for
losing weight.
HAVE SMALLER MEALS, MORE OFTEN Ideally, you should eat five to six times per
day, with a two to three hour break between each meal or snack. Eating more
frequently gets your metabolism going and keeps it working at an elevated level
continuously throughout the day. But don't use this rule as an excuse to
overeat.
AVOID EATING AFTER 8 PM It's good to eat your last meal before eight in the
evening. This way you don't land up binging on a snack before dinner time. If
you find it hard to resist, have some herbal tea or brush your teeth after
dinner immediately to switch your mind off from the idea of eating.
THINK AND DRINK While everyone knows it's necessary to drink at least eight to
10 glasses of water, very few know when one should consume it. When you drink is
as important as what you drink. If you drink water in-between meals, the liquid
slows down digestion, diluting the acid in your stomach and so the nutrients
from the food that you eat are not well absorbed. To avoid this try to drink
water 15 minutes before or after a meal, and if you really need to drink while
you eat, limit yourself to small sips only.