Many of us are constantly struggling with weight gain & obesity. There are so many different kinds of diets out there and it’s very likely that you have already tried some of them. They may seem to work for a bit, helping us put off weight in the beginning, however after some time, the weight just seems to come back. At times, the number on the scale seems even higher than what we were at prior to dieting and that can be very discouraging. So here are some tips around losing weight and five types of food that could help aid in your journey to a healthier weight.
We often hear that the culprit to gaining weight is calories. However, taking on a diet that severely restricts calories can actually backfire. Why is that the case? That’s because when you don’t eat enough, your metabolism slows down, and when that happens, it can affect your goal of losing weight. When you revert back to how you were eating before you’re more likely to gain weight. That is one of the main reasons why people may just lose weight for the first few months but gain it all back and maybe more later.
Avoid unhealthy foods at all cost. An unhealthy diet affects your entire body – your brain, gut, and hormones. It could also lead to inflammation. In addition, highly processed foods and sugars don’t make you feel full. You can burn through a bag of chips feeling like you can eat more. In fact, it could also cause you to eat more calories than if you had eaten a healthy diet. Also, processed foods don’t have much nutrients or fiber in them, so they are more likely to be quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and cause an insulin surge. This in turn can make you feel hungry and cause you to overeat.
If you’re looking for a diet to help you lose weight but at the same time keep you feeling full and not deprived, try a Mediterranean diet. Here are five food categories you can try to incorporate into your diet:
- Non-starchy veggies.
- Low-fructose fruits (eg. Berries)
- High fiber carbs (eg. Whole grains, legumes)
- Unsaturated fats (eg. Olive oil, fish)
- Quality proteins (eg. Salmon, shellfish)
When you deprive yourself of certain foods to the point where you are feeling hungry often, you’re not happy and you’re more likely to rebound and binge eat. Maintaining a high quality healthy diet means that you choose to eat foods in those categories most of the time and then occasionally treat yourself to some ice cream of pizza once in a while. You often hear this, but diet alone cannot help you maintain your weight, you must also incorporate exercise. So try to make it a good habit of working out everyday for at least 15-30 minutes! You can also try taking apple cider supplements to help promote a sense of fullness throughout the day to help you prevent your from overeating.
