Lose Weight and Never Diet Again

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be difficult. I think we all know how to eat healthy, but the question is whether we want to. If I asked you to compare a big mac, and a salad sandwich, I know you could tell me which was more nutritional. But which would you choose to eat? Like everything else in life, eating healthy is all a matter of choice.

Fad diets can work in the short term, but they are often not nutritionally sound, because they limit or restrict certain foods. Due to this limiting factor, they are also difficult to stick to. Because let’s face it, the more we can’t have something, the more we want it.

A good way to start eating healthy is by reading labels. Because you may find that foods you thought were healthy, aren’t. To keep it simple, start by reading the fat content on nutritional labels, and bare in mind that, on average, we should only be eating 30 grams of fat a day. One big mac has more than 20 grams of fat (not including fries!), and it might still leave you hungry.

Eating healthy doesn’t mean that you can’t eat a lot. In fact the reverse is true. If you choose to eat low fat foods, you will find that you can eat more than usual and still stay under 30 grams of fat a day. The trick is finding low fat food that you enjoy. To make it easier, start with small changes in your diet, for example, from a full cream to a non-fat milk.

Another helpful hint is to eat 5 or 6 small meals during the day, rather than just three big meals. Nibbling on healthy foods (fruit, low-fat cereal bars etc) between meals might "spoil your appetite", but when your goal is weight loss isn’t this a good thing? Eating more often (not more food!) during the day will also increase your metabolism, so you will burn more calories even when you are sleeping!

There are no good or bad foods, just the amounts we eat them in. I emphasis moderation, because just like it is not sensible to eat a kilogram of chocolate in one sitting, it is not healthy to eat a kilogram of broccoli in one sitting either. But my advice is to never stop eating the foods you love, just eat the low fat varities. Your taste buds will be kept happy, and your arteries or thighs don’t have to pay the price! Until next time, happy eating!

Tina,