Eating right is the most fundamental part of health. Unfortunately, there are so many diets out there and it’s hard to know where to start. Additionally, many diets get into very complicated macronutrient ratios and eating schemes. However, before getting into the weeds of the latest fad diet, it’s worth starting with ensuring that you’re following a few basic principles which, while seemingly obvious, ultimately often make a larger overall impact on weight.
1.) Don’t try to do it all once. Behavior change around eating is hard. By trying to completely change the way you eat overnight, you set yourself up for failure. Instead, just change one problematic food/habit at a time. For example, instead of changing your entire diet, simply start by cutting out alcohol except on the weekend. Some other ideas would be: don’t get an appetizer when you go out to eat, stop eating fast food, or skip desert when dining out.
2.) Eat real foods. Our bodies were not designed to digest processed foods. Processed foods tend to be especially calorie dense and have high levels of acellular carbohydrate and sugar, which cause rapid increases in blood glucose and insulin levels. In other words, they’re a recipe for storing excess fat. An easy to remember a way to find real foods is through “shopping the perimeter” of the supermarket. This is where the vegetables, eggs, meats, and nuts are as opposed to the packaged and processed foods in the center aisles.
3.) Only eat when you’re hungry. Sure, this may sound simple, but it’s so important. It’s very clear we don’t need to eat 3 meals a day and 1-2 meals is more than sufficient to meet most people’s needs. Try to skip whichever meal of the day is most difficult to fit into your schedule or the meal you’re least inclined to eat out of hunger. This change alone can make a huge difference for your waistline.
4.) Limit portion sizes. If something comes in a larger package, don’t eat directly out of the package. Pour it into a smaller bowl. This is especially important for cheat foods like ice cream, chips, and candy. And read the serving size on the label. You’ll be surprised how small they can be.