Losing weight is one of the best things you can do for yourself this year. Taking this pursuit seriously isn’t just about looking great, but it’s also about living a healthier life. When you want to lose weight, you should know also that two of the best ways to speed up weight loss are through exercising and practicing good eating habits. The focus here is on the latter.
Being mindful of your eating habits can help you lose weight simply because you’re more conscious about what you’re feeding your body. The rule of thumb is to lose more calories than what you’re taking in, so you’ll start to notice the difference in your weight. Then, you can proceed with doing regular checks by using a continuous glucose monitor to ensure your sugar levels are still at a healthy level as higher ones may inhibit your progress. You’ll also want to focus your diet more on healthy food rather than junk foods.
With that in mind, here are five eating habits to accelerate weight loss:
1. Eat Enough Protein Sources
If you want to lose weight without necessarily losing muscle mass, then the best route to take is through eating enough protein sources. Eating a high-protein diet can keep your metabolism fast to ensure you’re burning as much protein as possible while keeping you satiated. This means you’ll feel less hungry as protein can curb cravings.
Just because you’re trying to lose weight doesn’t mean you should miss out on all of the essential nutrients you need. Otherwise, your body would cease to be healthy. Remember that your body needs protein for the repair and growth of your tissues.
To start with, here are some of the best sources of protein:
- Lean chicken breast;
- Tuna;
- Firm tofu;
- Low-fat yogurt;
- Squash and pumpkin seeds.
2. Cut Back On Refined Carbs
Refined carbs are one of the biggest culprits as to why you aren’t losing weight. If you want to lose weight quickly, you have to make it a point to cut back on carbohydrates, starches, and sugars. You can start by replacing the refined carbs with whole grains or a low-carb eating plan. When you do this change, you take in fewer calories and your hunger levels also go down.
These are some of the refined carbs you should avoid as much as possible:
- White rice;
- Regular pasta;
- Sugary breakfast cereal;
- Cornflakes;
- Potato chips.
3. Don’t Fear Fats
You can’t avoid fats from your diet entirely as you still need this. But rather than opt for unhealthy fats, you should go for healthy sources instead. It’s not doing you any good when you deprive yourself of its needed fat sources. When the body doesn’t have enough supply of fats, it may result in unpleasant effects like dry skin, hormonal imbalances, and poor digestion.
To give you an idea, these are some of the high-fat foods that are good for your diet and health:
- Avocados;
- Dark chocolate;
- Fatty fish;
- Chia seeds;
- Coconut oil.
4. Green, Leafy Vegetables
If you haven’t started incorporating green, leafy vegetables in your diet, now’s a good time for you to do so. They’re packed with a lot of nutrients and you can snack on them too. You can have quite a huge serving of your vegetables without having to worry about increasing your unhealthy carbs and calorie intake.
These are some of the best vegetables you should incorporate in a low-calorie meal plan:
- Broccoli;
- Cucumber;
- Cauliflower;
- Lettuce;
- Spinach.
Here’s why you should eat your greens in your pursuit to lose weight faster:
- It fights belly-bloating;
- It supports good bone health;
- It helps balance your body’s sugar levels.
5. Fill Up With Fiber
When you’re serious about resisting your diet cravings, it’s always good to fill up your diet with fiber. Moreover, not only does it help you lose weight, but it also feeds the good bacteria that live in your digestive tract, which is needed for your digestive process. Because fiber leaves you feeling full, your chances of overeating significantly reduce as well.
If you want to enjoy optimal health, the best recommendation is to fill your diet up with a daily intake of 25-30 grams of fiber from these healthy sources:
- Whole grains like wild rice and whole wheat pasta;
- Fruits and vegetables like berries, bananas, spinach, and carrots;
- Legumes like lentils and lima beans.
Conclusion
There are many diet trends today, but not all of these are necessarily effective. While there’s no single diet that fits the needs of everyone, there are healthy eating habits that are tried and tested.
Whatever eating habit you decide to practice, the most important thing to remember is to consult with your doctor or nutritionist. Each individual has dietary needs, so you need to be certain what you choose fits yours.
