Lasting weight loss without restricting diets

By Ms. Preeti Seth, Entrepreneur and Founder of Pachouli Wellness Clinic

Every New Day Is Another Chance You Give To Yourself, and by doing small little things you can reinvent your HEALTH. 

These Small little things if you would include in your regular diet, you would see the visible positive signs. 

1. Eat Breakfast Every Day – It is often seen that we intentionally or unintentionally skip morning breakfast may be because of our working schedule or otherwise. However, it’s not the right practice because this leads to long fasting hours and that is not good for us. In normal household terminology, we say that breakfast breaks the overnight fasting period. It replenishes your supply of glucose to boost your energy levels and alertness, while also providing other essential nutrients required for good health.
   
2. Eat as many vegetables as possible – Yes, you may eat as many vegetables and you can still lose or maintain weight without excessive physical activity. A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower the risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect on blood sugar, which can help keep appetite in check.
   
3. Go for the Grain – By substituting whole grains for refined grains like white bread, cakes, cookies, and pretzels, you add much-needed fiber and will fill up faster so you’re more likely to eat a reasonable portion. Choose whole-wheat bread and pasta, brown rice, bran flakes, popcorn, and whole-rye crackers.
   
4. Drink Water Regularly – Yes it helps you lose or maintain your weight, we also call it “Water Therapy”.

Do you want to Know  How it works? A good quantity intake of water leads to proper hydration which leads to losing weight. Extra water can replace empty, sugary calories many people drink with meals. Water also seems to speed up your metabolism, and it takes up space in your stomach so you feel more full. This is because water can increase satiety and boost your metabolic rate. Some evidence suggests that increasing water intake can promote weight loss by slightly increasing your metabolism, which can increase the number of calories you burn on a daily basis.

5. Sleep Well and Avoid Stress – Stress affects the production of stress hormones and the GI system, which can lead to changes in appetite and metabolization. A person can use a variety of self-help techniques to decrease stress. Not getting enough sleep can affect hormones that regulate your appetite, making you eat more food than you need. Some people cope with stress by eating junk food regularly. In response to stress, your body releases a hormone that promotes visceral fat.
   
6. Chew Thoroughly  – It’s quite simple in layman’s language Chewing food thoroughly slows down your eating pace and reduces the number of calories you take in, which can lead to weight loss. It can’t get simpler and easier than this, be observant and watch your food and gulp it slowly for better and effective results.
    
7. Choose fruit — fresh or frozen, stewed or baked — for dessert –  Small and little changes in your dietary habits can become enablers to your healthy life. It all counts toward your daily produce quota. Dried fruits are healthy but high in calories, so eat them sparingly.
   
8. Use Smaller Plates for Unhealthy Foods – Not that we say don’t cheat once in glory but just reduce the portion of that cheat. It isn’t that difficult, give it a try and I promise you won’t regret it. Eat what you want to, just reduce the portion and frequency of unhealthy meals.
    
9. Trim Portions – We also recommend eating small, frequent meals and snacks (every 3-4 hours), to keep your blood sugar levels steady and to avoid overindulging. It is proven that small but frequent meals work wonders instead of 3 meals a day concept. By just reducing your meal portions by 10%-20%, you would manage to lose weight. Most of the portions served both at home are bigger than you need. Pull out the measuring cups to get a handle on your usual portion sizes, and work on paring them down. Alternatively move to small bowls, plates, and cups, and trust me You won’t feel deprived because the food will look plentiful on the dishware.
   
10.  Add More Steps – Get yourself a pedometer or there are step watcher apps also available these days and gradually add more steps until you reach 10,000 per day. Throughout the day, do whatever you can to be more active — pace while you talk on the phone, take the dog out for an extra walk, and march in place during television commercials. Having a pedometer serves as a constant motivator and reminder.
    
11. Switch to Lighter Alternatives – Whenever you can, use the low-fat versions of salad dressings, mayonnaise, dairy products, and other products. “You can trim calories effortlessly if you use low-fat and lighter products. Choose smarter substitutions: Use salsa or hummus as a dip; spread sandwiches with mustard instead of mayo; eat plain roasted sweet potatoes instead of loaded white potatoes; use skim milk instead of cream in your coffee; hold the cheese on sandwiches, and use a little vinaigrette on your salad instead of piling on the creamy dressing.

Before I conclude this article I have to tell you one thing, which we seldom forget is – “Love your body because you only have one”.