When we want to lose weight, we may initially consider opting for a dedicated diet plan, but if we only have a few pounds to lose, this may not be necessary. Below are 7 powerful strategies that can help us to lose a few pounds easily without the need of a dedicated diet plan, and they can be equally effective if we need to shed more than just a few pounds.
1) Make weekly meal and snack menus in advance.
Prior to the start of each week, we should make a schedule of all the meals and snacks that we plan eat each day. Our next task is to make a detailed list of all the healthy foods we need to purchase at the supermarket that make up the ingredients of the meals and snacks we are going to create. Now we need to go shopping to buy the things we need, but we must stick rigidly to our list and not buy extra items or be tempted to deviate and buy foods that will prevent us from losing weight.
2) Keep a food intake diary.
We need to honestly write down every morsel of food that we eat each day. Simply by knowing we have to write down everything we eat will make us less likely to eat foods we should not be eating. Before retiring for the evening, we should take a look at everything we have eaten that day. Did we virtually maintain a healthy diet plan today? If we deviated a little more than we should have, we should keep this in mind and aim to try harder to keep on track tomorrow.
3) Limit refined sugar intake to once a week.
To lose weight, we do not necessarily have to give up our favourite sweets, but we do have to restrict the quantity we eat. We should choose a certain day of the week when we will permit ourselves the indulgence of one of our favourite sweets, but only a small serving. We must not convince ourselves that we can have an entire day of cheating where we can eat all our favourite fattening foods and still shed some weight. This will not happen. Once we have achieved our weight loss goal, we may be able to have a little more flexibility to indulge ourselves with a few extra sweet treats, but we will still have to limit our intake so we do not gain weight again, or slip back into our old bad habits.
4) Include protein in each meal and snack.
If we eat a small serving of lean protein with each meal and snack, we will find that we will feel less hungry between meals. Ideal examples of lean protein include chicken or turkey breast, lean cuts of pork or beef, fish and seafood, nuts, beans, or tofu. A small portion of these protein elements is usually sufficient to keep us satisfied for a few hours.
5) Eat low-fat where possible.
With all sources of saturated fat, we should select low-fat varieties. We should choose lean cuts of meat, drink skimmed milk, and eat low-fat yoghurt and cheese. We should also include heart healthy fats in our diet like the type of fat that comes from olive oil, salmon and mackerel, avocados, and nuts. These fats are good for our heart, skin, hair, nails and brain, as well as keeping us feeling satisfied and full after eating.
6) Choose grilled, steamed, or baked methods of cooking.
Does our diet consist of lots of fried foods? Alternatively, we should switch to grilling, baking or steaming our foods. This may take a little time to get used to, but eventually we will begin to appreciate the improvement in taste and enjoy how much lighter the food is when it is not saturated with fat or covered in batter or breadcrumbs. The food will also look more appealing as the colour of vegetables in particular will retain their colour better as well as retaining more nutrients.
7) Drink water instead of sweet, flavoured beverages.
Some diets permit the consumption of diet sodas and other sugar- free beverages but because of the chemicals and artificial sweeteners they contain, they are not good for us. Rather than being dependent on these drinks, we should get into the habit of drinking only water. To break this habit may be challenging, but in time we will find that we will not miss those flavoured drinks and our body and health will be improved by making this simple sacrifice. If we find drinking water alone difficult, we can add a little lemon juice, or a few tablespoons of fresh fruit juice to make it more palatable.
