We can all agree that eating healthy is not for the faint hearted.
One minute you think you are winning only to be subdued by your hunger and unending cravings for junk foods.
Once more you are back to square one and your dieting efforts come crumbling down.
Dieting can be very hard especially when you have unsupportive friends and unhealthy foods readily available for consumption.
If you are trying to take control of your diet, here are some strategies you could implement to help you stay on track:
1. Drink water
If you’re guilty of drinking coffee, wine and juices throughout the day, you will be amazed at the amount of calories you are consuming.
Substitute your unhealthy beverages with the daily recommended glasses of water to limit rapid digestion causing an insulin spike and to stop your body from craving more sugar.
2. Plan your meals
When you have a meal plan you stick to, you have a higher chance of not losing track. When you know what you’ll be eating at any particular time it eliminates the possibility of giving into a craving.
Prepare the meals in advance and store them in air tight containers or resealable bags where you can just grab and warm. You also need to always have a healthy snack and a bottle of water with you every time you step out.
3. Exercise
Researchers have shown that high intensity work outs suppress hunger hormones. This works especially well when your body is sufficiently fueled. Otherwise, you will get hungry and eat more which shouldn’t be the case here.
Doing so before your meal increases the hormones that make you feel fuller while lowering the ghrelin levels.
4. Control your portions
Smaller food portions throughout the day helps to regulate your sugar levels. When you know you will be eating again after a few hours helps you to control your hunger and stabilize your insulin.
And whether you’re at the restaurant or at home use your eyes to measure how much is enough if you don’t have smaller plates.
5. Eat when you’re not hungry
Usually, we’re told to eat when we feel hungry. The problem with this is, you tend to overeat and this causes an insulin spike making you feel tired and before you know it, you are hungry again.
To beat this never-ending cycle, eat before you get too hungry or when you feel your body needs something small to feed on. This way you will eat less and your body will have the much-needed energy to keep you going. It is also a good idea to eat slowly.
