Weight Loss Wednesdays

 

Yesterday I had said one of my goals this year is to lose the weight I gained last year (25 lbs) and how I am already down 5 lbs. So I figured it would be a good idea to do a little series where I give tips to losing weight, keeping it off, and my progress. One thing I wanted to blog about originally was health since I am getting my masters in nutrition, and know a little information about it ;). For some reason never really got around to it.

Weight loss is easy right? Burn more calories than you take it, but we all know its not as simple as that. At the same time there is no miracle drug or foods we should exclude completely from our diet that will just magically take the weight off. Its all about balance and eating things that will nourish our bodies the right way.

This weeks topic: Portion Control
I love food (one reason I got into nutrition in the first place) to the point were if I really like something I have a very difficult time putting it down even when I’m super stuffed. Its something called will power which I lack greatly. Portion control has helped me in many ways. First, I have acid reflux and if I eat a large meal it can cause this state to increase for a time (not good).  Eating smaller more frequent meals can help reduce the symptoms of this. Second, I have another condition, which has not been pin pointed exactly the cause, when I eat a medium to large meal I get extremely tired to the point were I feel like I am going to pass out and I need to take a nap. But when I started eating small meals this condition has subsided immensely.

Last and most important part about portion control is that it allows you to enjoy your favorite foods just less of them. You don’t want to cut out certain foods completely. If anyone is like me, once I tell myself I can’t have something I crave it a hundred times more (hence my love for dairy and my allergy to it). So allow yourself to have a small piece of chocolate (like the fun sized ones) once in awhile and not the whole regular candy bar or 5 potato chips instead of the whole bag.

Remember a good rule of thumb for meal time is to have at least half your plate be full of veggies (without a lot of added fat or salt). Eat slowly, enjoy you food, and listen to your bodies cues so you don’t overeat.

Losing weight is a temporary goal and the main goal should be to have an overall healthy lifestyle. Once you lose the weight you can’t just go right back into old habits you will gain the weight all back. Stay tuned for next Wednesday when I talk about the importance of a plant based diet and what that means!