Knowing How to Diet

Knowing the proper way to diet is so important when starting one. Dieting is not about just cutting calories and losing weight, it is about making healthy lifestyle changes that will affect you for the rest of your life. Knowing the facts and what you need to do will make it much easier for you to do. Here are some steps in which to change your bad habits into good ones.

Eat Smaller Meals More Often

First you want to eat smaller meals instead of larger ones. By planning six meals per day instead of three you are already going to be helping with your weight loss. You should have 3 moderate size meals such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and then in between you should have 3 small meals that would be considered snacks. By eating smaller meals at each sitting you are speeding up your metabolism and not feeling so hungry that you overeat. By snacking on things like veggies, yogurt, and other small items you keep the cravings at bay so that you can eat healthier regular meals.

Make Realistic Goals

You should also start out with the goal of baby steps. By overdoing it right from the beginning you are setting yourself up for failure. Try making smaller goals that seem more realistic. For example, if you want to lose 30 pounds, your first goal should be to lose 10 pounds. That way you won’t feel that you have to get the full 30 pounds off in a month or two. Take your time and ease into it, because if you jump right into and exert yourself you just won’t have the energy to keep up with your new healthier lifestyle.

Eat Food that Tastes Good

Make sure to eat food that tastes good. Nowadays there are so many cookbooks that give you healthy alternatives to boring, bland food, that are still just as low in fat and calories. Also, it is okay to splurge once in a while. It is not realistic to think that you won’t be able to ever eat chocolate again, but you do need to be able to do it in moderation.

Not Drink your Food

Another good tip in knowing how to diet is to know to eat your food and not drink it.  Too many people are filling up with empty calories found in sodas, juices, and alcohol.  These all add up and take away from the food that you should be eating. The best way to avoid that is to just drink water or diet soda. Do not let the pounds add on just because you can’t put down the coco-cola.

You Must Exercise

There is no way around it; you must exercise if you want to lose weight. You need to be able to burn the calories that are coming into your body. If you don’t then although you may still lose some weight when you eat the right foods, you will plateau and fail to lose anymore. Plus, exercise makes you look better because instead of flab you will have a nicely toned body.

Understand what Triggers your Cravings

Lastly, know what triggers your cravings. If you know you love cookies then allow yourself one box a month of low fat cookies that you ration to yourself. You have to understand what you really love and then work with it to make your body and mind happy. Dieting isn’t easy, but it can be done if you have the right mindset and know the facts about dieting the right way.