Good Eating Habits For Better Health and Weight Loss

Dr. Purushothaman
October 15, 2013

Bad eating habits are the number one reason for significant weight gain. People who have gained to much weight ought to watch out what they eat for an active and healthy lifestyle. The following are a few useful tips that will help you crush bad eating behavior and assist in your weight loss effort.
1. Count your calories:
For most people who want to reduce weight, it is normally recommended to take less than 1500 calories a day, some diet plans go even as low as 1200 calories, so do consult your doctor or dietitian to find out the exact number for you. Watch out the labels on the foods you eat, if you are not certain how many calories are there in a food then use the internet to find out. My personal favourite website is calorie-count.com.
Making changes in food habits is not about leaving everything and start eating fruits and salads. The secret behind a weight loss program is directly related to you enjoying every bit of it. Individuals who force themselves into a tough diet plan often stop in the middle and eventually regain their weight. Start making changes in your lifestyle gradually. Start eating foods slowly and try to take pleasure in the true flavour of that food. Make sure you are not adding toppings like ranch or cheese which can significantly increase the calorie counts of your foods. Stay away from deep fried items like fries and fried meats too. Stop buying garbage foods like chips, chocolate biscuits and regular soda's too.
Healthier meals like cereals in breakfast with fat free milk are a great starter. Multigrain and wheat breads are a great way to curb your hunger. Some changes in your eating habits are certainly necessary for a successful weight loss.
2. Control your sugar:
Sugar is one of the biggest culprit for weight gain. Even though it looks just like a flavouring item, it is just loaded with calories. Cakes, pies, ice creams, shakes are just terrible foods for people who are overweight.
When you go out, next time stop at a nearby juice store and have fresh squeezed juice. Juices like apple, carrot and orange are great for your body. People who do not like carrot, mix it with 50% orange juice and it will enhance the flavour substantially.
3. Be careful with reduced fat items:
Often a food which is labeled reduced fat, tends to make us less guilty when we eat. Therefore it is common to eat a food which is 15% low in fat and we eat 50% more than we would have normally eaten. You know what I am saying, the net calories consumed are actually greater if we do not pay enough attention. It is a good idea to have reduced fat items but with a caution.
4. Meet people with cautious dieting habits:
Make friends who have a habit of doing a careful selection of food items, they will introduce you to several tasty meals and treats which are low in calories and fat. Moreover when a food is appreciated in a group it mentally helps to enhance the liking of that food.
5. Veggies and low fat meats:
Veggies generally have lower fat than meats. Few meats like turkey and skinless chicken are also great options. The success of weight loss depends on how carefully we select our food items. Red meat is usually considered quite bad for individuals trying to lose weight. Broccoli and most salads are a good option too.
6. Drink water:
Water is a vital component of our body and if you drink lot of water it will fill your stomach for a while ad help you consume less food. Plan on drinking about 8 glasses a day.
7. Eat smaller meals.
Many believe that having smaller frequent meals is better than having few big meals.
8. Alcohol consumption:
Alcoholic beverages like beer are loaded with calories and we also tend to eat more junk food and bigger meals along with them. Alcohol can easily worsen our eating habits. Try wine instead and limit yourself to just one small glass of wine, not more than twice a week. Consuming less alcohol is anyway good for our body.
9. Additional things apart from eating habits that should be considered too
- Walk around, start playing outdoors and do exercises regularly.
- Reduce stress in life.
- Drastically cut the time you spend on TV, internet and video games.
- Avoid fast foods and dining outside as much as possible, instead try to cook food at home.
- Sleep well.

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