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GOOD NUTRITIONAL HABBITS
February 03, 2012
There are a lot of ways of losing weight. It almost becomes impossible to keep up with how to lose weight at time. Here we bring you the top 25 that will guarantee your weight loss:
1. Good nutritional habits are at the cornerstone of an athletic, energetic and fit body.
2. Discipline is the name of the game; just when you thought that hard earned Saturday is the day you get to splurge, hold back as this may render your past 6 days’ effort futile.
3. Quantity is the killer, quality isn’t (when it comes to weight management).
4. Micronutrients (vitamins, minerals etc.) are as essential as macronutrients; without delving into too much detail, pop a one-a-day multivitamin and make sure the formula contains adequate amounts of vitamin D-3 as well.
5. Macronutrient (Carbohydrates, proteins, fat, water) management is essential in ensuring success from your diet.
6. Don’t eliminate fats just because they are called “fats”; dietary fat is different from body fat and is responsible for numerous processes in the body including absorption of vitamin D.
7. Manage your salt (sodium chloride) intake as it retains body water (water retention). We only need about 2mg/day!
8. Don’t emphasize protein intake; although proteins are responsible for building and repairing muscles, we tend to think that the more we eat of it, the more it will benefit us by giving us that lean look.
9. Eating above your daily caloric intake will result in weight gain; eating below it will cause weight reduction. Hence, determine your equilibrium point.
10. Anything eaten in excess, be it lean proteins, will get stored in the body as fat (in the adipose tissue).
11. You needn’t count calories, however, make that extra effort to determine the approximate caloric content of the food(s) you’re thinking about.
12. Refrain from “subconscious” eating and know what you’ve eaten during the course of your day (that’s why they recommend keeping food diaries!).
13. A lifestyle approach is warranted where discipline is the key.
14. Weight management is as much of psychological issue as it is a physiological one, therefore, learn to understand and outsmart yourself before you try to fight your instincts. For example, if you have a sweet tooth, tickle your taste buds with a “piece” of your favorite chocolate everyday rather than deprive yourself the whole week and resort to consuming the whole chocolate slab at weekend!
15. Though carbohydrates should form the bulk of our diet, we must develop the ability to differentiate between complex and simple carbs as well as from low-glycemic to high glycemic carbs.
16. Give your diet the attention that it needs; be aware of the groceries that are coming into your house.
17. Exercising excessively may do more harm than good, hence, be calculative.
18. Eat a healthy, big breakfast and eat small healthy snacks every 3 hours so you’re not hungry while waiting at the dinner table.
19. Avoid alcohol.
20. Cutting calories too much slows down metabolism.
21. Graze like a cow, don’t hog like a pig (I don’t know why cows are fat!)
22. The “brown bread” available at your nearest pan shop isn’t really wheat/fibre bread. Though it has all the calories, it does not offer the benefits of wholesome foods.
23. Learn to tame your taste buds, though healthy food needn’t be tasteless and bland, high calorie food usually is.
24. Avoid the temptation to eat out as much as you can; if you must, choose food items intelligently and avoid creams, cheeses, deep fried stuff.
25. Believe in yourself and stay focused!
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