Healthy Eating Tips for Losing Weight
Follow these healthy eating tips and you could soon get closer to your weight loss goals. Losing weight isn’t rocket science, in fact it is surprisingly easy once you know how.
1. Eat more starchy foods – many people think that starchy foods like potatoes, rice and pasta are fattening but they do actually contain fewer calories on a gram for gram basis than fat. Choose wholegrain rice and pasta, eat your potato skins and try to include something starchy in every meal. You’ll feel full for longer which will help to keep you from snacking later.
2. Eat plenty of fruit and veggies – the recommendation is to eat at least five portions of fruit and veg every day but realistically speaking how many people actually do that? Even with the best of intentions many people find it easier said than done. Fruit juice can count as one portion just so long as it is 100% pure and unsweetened, apart from you can always chop a banana or sprinkle a few strawberries onto your breakfast cereal and reach for a piece of fruit for a mid morning snack instead of a cookie.
3. Eat plenty of fish – fish is good for you and is literally packed with protein, vitamins and minerals. You should try to eat fish at least twice a week with one of those being oily fish for the fantastic Omega 3 fats they provide. There’s a great choice of oily fish including salmon, trout, mackerel, fresh tuna, herring, pilchards and sardines. Frozen and canned fish does count but remember that some canned fishes have a high salt content, which leads to our next weight loss tip . . .
4. Cut down on the salt – even people who don’t sprinkle salt over their plate can still be getting too much salt. Many soups, breakfast cereals, breads and sauces have already got lots of salt added. Salt raises blood pressure and high blood pressure increases your chances of having a stroke or heart disease.
5. Eat breakfast – some people think that skipping breakfast will help them to lose weight but in actual fact this is very far from the truth. Eating breakfast is actually helpful for people who want to lose a few pounds. Healthy breakfasts include whole meal cereals with a little sliced fruit and low fat milk, alternatively how about some whole wheat toast. Just eat something!
6. Drink plenty of water – this helps to stop us from becoming dehydrated. We should drink more than a liter of fluid each day – water, fruit juices and milk all count but steer clear of sodas and fizzy drinks.
7. Cut out alcohol – if you seriously want to lose a few pounds then this is one important step – alcohol is laden with empty calories. You get no goodness from it but it sure helps to pile on the pounds. If you do want to have an alcoholic drink you should choose a glass of wine over beer every time.
Following a few of these simple tips and guidelines really will help you to lose weight but remember that slowly, slowly is the key. This is not a diet, it is subtle lifestyle changes which can help you to lose weight and keep it off.
