Savvy Girl’s Guide to Losing Weight while still Eating a Lot!
June 23, 2022
Written by
Lyn Cacha
Are you looking to shed some pounds, but like me, love eating and hate hard core exercise (I mean, forget morning yoga instead of lying in or climbing the steps at the office instead of riding the elevators)? Believe me, you can actually eat more and still shrink - so long as you eat the right foods. Here’s my cheat sheet:
Begin with soup! Start every meal with a rich, thick soup. Avoid heavy creamy soups though, go for low-calorie soups such as dumpling soup, chicken soup, split pea soup, and cabbage soup. Soup stays in your stomach for a longer time, and it also makes you feel full for a longer time, which means eating less at the next meal!
Graze often. One way to lose weight is to eat more often. This may seem counter-intuitive; but eating more frequently can actually help you lose weight. When you eat more often, your body burns more calories digesting food. Additionally, regular little intakes of low-calorie, high quality snacks can help boost your metabolism and keep hunger pangs under control.
Get Plant Protein into your diet. Protein helps boost metabolism. Metabolism is the process through which your body burns calories, and a higher metabolism means that you'll burn more calories throughout the day. Protein also helps to keep you feeling fuller for longer, so you're less likely to snack on unhealthy foods or overeat at mealtimes. The fiber in plant protein is higher than in meat, and more fiber is good for your digestive system and helps lower your cholesterol. Besides being high in fiber, most plants have very little saturated fat. Protein rich plant-based foods include:
· Tofu
· Tempeh
· Edamame
· Lentils
· Chickpeas
· Beans
· Quinoa
· Potatoes
· Kale
&
· Nuts like almonds, walnuts,pistachios, cashews, peanuts, and pine nuts. Some of these nuts can be found in Arlene’s Kebab with Pistachio which provides more than 50% of your daily protein requirement!
Water, water & more water. If you want to lose weight, you should definitely drink more water. Water helps to flush out toxins and excess fluids from your body, which can help you lose weight. It can also help boost your metabolism and suppress your appetite. Also, it's calorie-free, so you can drink as much as you want without worrying about gaining weight. If you don't enjoy the taste of water, try these tips to add some pizzaz. Add slices of lime, orange, cucumber or lemon or enhance water with freshly picked mint leaves. Here are 22 easy ways to drink more water.
Fruit swap! There are plenty of delicious fruits that can help you lose weight while still enjoying their sweetness and flavor. Fruits like grapefruit, apples, and berries are all low in calories and high in fiber, making them great for weight loss. And, of course, watermelon is one of the best fruits for weight loss since it’s almost entirely made up of water. So, instead of a unhealthy junk snacks or sweet desserts, grab some fruit!
6. Go Flexitarian. A flexitarian diet is a plant-based diet that allows for occasional meat consumption. This approach can be helpful for those who want to eat fewer animal products but still enjoy the occasional burger or steak. Studies have shown that plant-based diets can help with weight loss, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and reduce the risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions. And since a flexitarian diet includes some animal products, it's a more flexible and sustainable option than a vegetarian or vegan diet. If you're interested in trying a flexitarian diet, there are plenty of delicious plant-based recipes available online.
The easiest way to lose weight and keep it off is by making long-lasting changes to your eating habits and lifestyle. After many, many years of pigging out on the wrong things, the above six ways are what I have found to be the most sustainable and longest-term adaptations to my eating habits that have kept me full longer, trimmer and healthier.
