Weight loss is 80% nutrition, 20% physical activity but a lot of people underestimate the calories in their food while they overestimate the calories they burn from exercise.
However, counting calories can be a bit daunting on a weight loss journey so here are 5 tips to help you eat less without feeling deprived.
Drink more water
Staying hydrated on a weight loss journey is very important. Not only does it make you feel full, it boosts your metabolism thereby helping you lose weight faster.
You can drink more water daily by starting your day with water, drinking water before each meal and in between meals.
Eat more vegetables
Vegetables are high volume, low caloric and low carbohydrate meals we should all incorporate into our daily diet. They are also high in fiber which helps to relieve constipation, lower blood cholesterol, and control blood sugar.
The easiest way to get adequate intake of vegetables is by eating a large plate of salad every day. Also, Africa is rich with a luxury of vegetables so you should eat green leafy vegetables, okra, cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes, onions and so on. Remember, consistency is key
Eat every meal using the plate method
The plate method emphasizes that half of your plate should be vegetables, a quarter proteins and the last quarter should be carbs as opposed to the African way where we fill our plates with carbs with just a little bit of vegetables and protein. When serving your meals, the first item should be vegetables, then protein and little carbohydrate food such as rice, yam, potatoes etc.
Snack on protein
Protein sources such as eggs, nuts, nut butter, fish, chicken, shrimp, and snails are very good snack options. Protein keep you full for longer, helps regulates blood sugar level, boosts metabolism thereby increasing fat burning; they are also relatively low in calories.
When next you want to eat a snack, read the food label.
Keep it simple
When starting a weight loss journey, it’s important to focus on simple habits such as drinking more water, walking for 30 minutes a day, eating more fruits and vegetable than going on a very restrictive diet.
When you view weight loss as a marathon instead of a sprint, you will lose weight sustainably without depriving yourself.
Adebusola Adefeso is a Medical Doctor, Certified Personal Nutritionist and a Weight loss Expert.
She’s the Founder of Fit4healthng, a weight management, health and wellness company.
She became passionate about weight loss, health, and wellness after seeing a lot of patients suffer from diseases that could have been well managed if they were at a healthy weight; she personally addressed her own belly fat struggles.
She does not only offer her professional expertise but also incorporates her first-hand knowledge of weight loss and healthy living in providing simple and actionable strategies for her clients.
She has used her successful lifestyle change to touch the lives of thousands globally.
She’s a strong believer in empowering people for a healthy lifestyle and she has shared her expertise on platforms like docotal, thriveglobal, newmumshub, smooth FM etc.
