When Christmas is over, most people start to think about New Years resolutions. One of those resolutions usually revolves around eating healthier and losing weight. It’s the perfect time to start, New Year…New Beginning!
So here are a few tips to help you navigate through the end of this year and prepare for the New Year.
Balance Your Meals
Focus at first on balancing your meals. Each of your meals should contain a healthy mix of protein, and fat. If you focus on smaller meals stretched over six times per day (about every three hours), you’ll avoid the energy slumps and feelings of hunger that can knock people off their plan.
Drink Water
Stop drinking any thing other than water for thirst. You should drink at least 64 ounces of water each day (depending on your weight and how much watery fruits and veggies you consume). If you avoid drinking your calories, you’ll find that you don’t really mind and you will seem to lose weight without trying at first. If you say you don’t like plain water, then try adding some fruits to it. Lemons, limes, strawberries, or other berries are a great flavor enhancer. Other things to try are cucumbers, they make a very refreshing water additive.
Take Supplements
The only supplements most people need are vitamins D 3 and B 12. However, some people need magnesium supplements. If you have issues sleeping, you might try a magnesium supplement at night to help.
Add Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries and Seeds
The more you can add these ingredients to your food, the better. These foods are high in nutrition, protein, and macronutrients that your body needs to be healthy. They’re also low in calories and fat, but high in fiber and flavor.
Use a Smaller Plate and Serve Smaller Portions
It also helps to use a smaller plate. Did you know that plate size has increased (even in our homes) by 30 percent over the last 30 years? Don’t believe it? Check out your grandmother’s dishes or go to a thrift store with older dishes.
Check out older versions of Corelle dishes and you’ll realize how big our plates are today. If you check portion sizes from the 1950s compared to today, you’ll realize we are eating too much.
I have proof of this sitting in my very own china cabinet. My mother-in-law and I have the exact same pattern of china. When she passed away, I got her dishes. The dinner plates that she had are much smaller than the dinner plates that came with my china.
Eat More Non-Starchy Veggies
Adding non-starchy veggies to your meals will help you lose weight while also filling you up. Beans, asparagus, spinach, and more are all non-starchy veggies that will satisfy your hunger, give you more nutrition, and keep you from over-eating the meat and fat on your plate.
Get Your Entire Family Involved
Don’t cook separate meals for yourself, and don’t give your family food that you won’t eat. Instead, get everyone on the same page and involved in healthy eating. This isn’t a problem for my family because it is only my hubby and I, so we both eat healthy most of the time, but for some families, this may require a family meeting, and for others, the cook, shopper, and bill payer gets to decide what everyone is eating.
Depending on where you fall, it’s important to get everyone involved because then there are no temptations in the home to cause you to have food around that you can’t eat.
Eating well after the holidays may be tricky at first. Your body will crave the fat, salt, and sugar that you allowed yourself to enjoy during the holidays.
This food is slightly addictive too, so you may feel bad when you first stop ingesting it. But, within just a week you’re going to lose weight, feel better, and have more energy. It will pay off.
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