Eating rules may sound little bit commanding and scary, but in fact, they are really simple to understand and practice. Weight loss can be a difficult process, however, if you make the right lifestyle changes and make just a simple effort you will succeed and live happier and healthier life. Generally, you shouldn’t follow any demanding eating rules in order to lose weight, but you should just stick to some main habits and reach for high-energy foods.
Your body wants fuel to work out, and the source of this fuel is food. That is why some people report feeling hungrier when they begin to exercise. If you are trying to lose weight, this can be counterproductive—except you find the correct balance of healthy and filling nutrients.
The standard American diet is loaded with simple or refined carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, and white flours, and soda, pastries, and many other sugary drinks and foods. These carbs that lack the fiber consisted in complex carbs (fruits, veggies, and whole grains), are metabolized by our body really fast. Therefore, while you might feel raring to go after consuming them, the energy boost will soon be followed by a huge energy fall, making it very hard to give your all during your exercises.
Additionally, if many of the foods you consume are metabolized rapidly, you will find yourself feeling hungry often, which might mean more snacking and of course, a higher intake of calories. In order to keep from eating back all the calories you’ve burned, you should stick to a well-balanced diet based on six amazing science-backed components.
The Best Eating Rules for Weight Loss
Just follow these simple eating rules that can help you stay full longer and speed weight loss.
- Water
Research from Stanford Prevention Research Center claims that water can promote weight loss in 2 ways. First, drinking plenty of water—at least 4-5 cups a day—was associated with a 5-pound weight loss over a year. In accordance to the researchers, water increases the energy amount or calories our body burns. Second, replacing water for sugary drinks—sports drinks, sodas, sweetened milk, teas, flavored drinks, and coffees—resulted in more weight loss. The number of pounds lost depended on how many sugary drinks were replaced with water, and how many were consumed in the first place.
Still, don’t think you could give up your mochaccinos and sodas?
Then you should consider this: It’s been proven that when people consume some amount of calories, they are hungrier and even more likely to overeat at their next meals when those calories are in fluid instead of in solid form. Paraphrase: If you eat a 205-calorie snack, you will be more pleased afterward and consume less later than if you drink a 205-calorie drink. Frequently drinking calorie-dense drinks can increase both your calorie intake and your hunger throughout the day.
- Fiber
You should consume at least 20 grams of fiber a day from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Fiber can keep you feeling full longer—a huge benefit when you are trying to lose weight. According to a great study from Brigham Young University College of Health and Human Performance, women who consumed more fiber significantly decreased their risk of gaining weight. Every single gram of fiber consumed correlated to a half pound less body weight. The experts suggest that the higher fiber intake led to a decrease in total calories with time.
- Good fats
These include omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids, found in nuts, oils, certain fish, avocados—and yes, even dark chocolate! Consume 3 to 4 servings per day.
A research published in the journal Appetite demonstrates how these fats—besides being great for the heart—may help you feel fuller longer after eating. The research contributors with a higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids (up to 1,300 milligrams per day, either from a supplement or from foods) started feeling less hungry after their meals, compared with a lower omega-3 intake (not more than 260 milligrams daily). Less hunger means an easier time keeping calories in check and less munching.
A more detailed Australian study has been done on walnuts, a great source of monounsaturated fats. The participants in the research follow a well-balanced low-fat diet, either without or with walnuts. Both groups consumed the exact same number of calories and lost about the same amount of weight at six months. But during the next six months of the yearlong research, the people who ate walnuts continued to lose body fat and weight, while the group of non-walnut-eaters stopped losing—although they were still following this diet.
- Vitamin D and Calcium
Try to strive for 3-4 servings of vitamin D and calcium D-rich foods every day. These great nutrients often appear together in foods, mostly dairy.
Vitamin D and calcium work together in the body, mainly to strengthen our bones. However, if the latest study is any indication, both of these nutrients can flex some muscle in the weight loss success. The prime source of vitamin D and calcium are dairy foods.
Vitamin D by itself can play a great role in weight control. Vitamin D holds on an extra body fat so that our body cannot use it. This apparent deficiency interferes with the act of the hormone leptin; whose work is to tell the brain that you are full. Moreover, if you cannot recognize when you are satiated, you are more likely to overdose.
You can also use a vitamin D supplement. The latest studies suggest that this nutrient can be a factor in protecting you from everything from memory loss to heart disease and even chronic pain. Evidence are mounting that we need more than the recommended daily doses, particularly as we age because mature skin produces less of this vitamin (and sunscreens block the ability of the body to use sunlight in order to produce vitamin D). That is why the leading professionals in vitamin D study are now recommending a daily intake of 1,000 IU of this vitamin.
Daily Recommended Calcium Intake:
- 1, 000 milligrams – males and females ages 19 to 50,
- 1,200 milligrams – males and females age 51+
Daily Recommended Vitamin D Intake:
- 200 IU – males and females ages 19 to 50,
- 400 IU – males and females ages 51 to 70,
- 600 IU – males and females age 71+.
- Protein
Try to eat about 3-4 servings of lean protein (as pork loin chops, turkey, white meat chicken, lean beef sirloin, and fish) a day. Besides being an essential nutrient, protein aids to keep you feeling full longer that is a huge benefit when you are trying to lose weight.
- Green Tea
Green tea should be a part of your eating rules for weight loss process. Simply sip at least three cups of green tea each day. Catechins, the potent antioxidants consisted in high amounts in green tea, have been proven to be supportive in promoting weight loss, precisely belly fat. In case caffeine is a concern for you, decaf tea can be a great option. Certain decaffeination processes, though, could lower the antioxidant content so you may want to consume an extra cup or two.
In a research at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, participants who consumed the equivalent of three cups of green tea daily lost twice as much weight as those not consuming tea. The group who consumed tea also lost significantly more belly fat than the group who didn’t.
You can chill your green tea after brewing for a nice cold drink, or consume it freshly brewed for a warming hot drink. Citrus fruits, like lime, lemon, grapefruit, and orange, along with green tea can also help you lose weight. Citrus juice can be also a good choice.
Conclusion:
Eating rules can make a change in your life and can help you lose weight faster. If you eat more ‘mindfully’, slowing down, savoring food, and turning off the TV, you can enjoy food more, eat less, be in touch with how hungry you are, and be more satisfied with yourself.
Keep in mind that by setting these eating rules you will develop lifestyle habits that will help you lead well-balanced diet, and maintain your weight in a really healthy range. Remember, a short-term “diet” that you usually “go on” and “go off” isn’t the answer to long-term weight controlling.
Consult your doctor in case you should have a recommendation to a Registered Dietitian (RD), who can provide personalized dietary advice taking into consideration your lifestyle, health issues, and food likes and dislikes.
Reference: Prevention.com Nutrition.gov In.nutrition.gov Tuftsjournal.tufts.edu