Well, diet is over! But in order to maintain the ideal weight, you need to behave smartly. Here’s how to do it!
– Use smaller plates for food. On large plates, the quantity appears small, so you serve more food.
– Eat as soon as you start to get hungry. This practically means that you should not let too much time pass from the moment you feel the first signs of hunger. The hungrier you are, the more greedily you will eat and the more likely you are to consume a larger amount of food since it takes 10-15 minutes for the message of satiety to reach the brain from the stomach.
– Do not fast for too long. Make sure to eat about every four hours. In this way, blood glucose levels are kept stable and you reduce the feeling of hunger. Attention: Do not eat a lot of sweets or foods with a high glycaemic index because two hours later hypoglycaemia is created and you eat again to overcome the lethargy you created with the sweets.
– Stick to healthy choices. Whenever you are hungry and want to eat something think about the alternatives between healthy options. If you are not very hungry, you can replace a meal with a low-fat yogurt and a piece of fruit, a bowl of cereal, a salad with fresh vegetables and low-fat cheese, or 1 cereal bar or a fruit salad.
– Yes, to carbohydrates but with conditions. Although you don’t have to exclude bread, pasta, rice and potatoes from your diet, it is advisable not to add fatty substances such as butter, margarine or oil to them and to consume them in small or moderate amounts. Carbs have 4 calories/g while fat has 9 calories/g. Typically, 100g of boiled potato has 65 calories while 100g of fried potato has 270 calories.
– Prefer whole grain products. That is, brown bread, wholemeal pasta, brown rice as they provide the fibre you need for good bowel function, create a greater feeling of satiety and have a low glycaemic index.
– Remove visible fat from your meals. Remove fat from meat before cooking and skin from chicken.
– When eating out avoid dishes with hidden fat. That is, milk creams, cured meats, fried, marinated, as well as salad dressings. It’s also a good idea to skip appetizers or make healthy choices.
– Before choosing canned products, read the labels. Prefer tuna in water instead of oil, pineapple in juice instead of syrup, etc.
– Eat fish and chicken more often instead of red meat. Fish and chicken have less fat and ensure a filling meal without getting fat.
– Prefer grilled, boiled or steamed foods. On the other hand, avoid fried or fried foods as well as foods with milk creams that are loaded with fat and in any case adopt a way of cooking with a low amount of oil.
– Choose low-fat dairy products. This applies to milk, yogurt and cheeses as well. In general, remember that even if adults are not on a diet, it is better for their health to prefer light dairy products. From the World Health Organization, light dairy products are now even recommended for children when there is a tendency to obesity
–Preferably use olive oil. It may have the same calories as other oils but it is rich in antioxidants. Olive oil does not become saturated even after boiling or frying, it retains its beneficial properties, but it thickens exactly the same as other oils or butters, so it needs moderation in its use. Nevertheless, it is the best of all fats.
– Say no to junk calories. As you did when you were dieting, continue to avoid high-fat foods, processed foods loaded with trans fats and alcohol as they load you with calories without nutrients (cookies, croissants, etc.).
– Moderate your sugar and salt consumption. This means that you should also consider the hidden amounts of sugar or salt found in various standard food products. When you eat standard products, it helps a lot to read their labels!!!
– Don’t forget to drink water. Even after the end of the diet, water contributes as an auxiliary factor in the effort to maintain the ideal weight. It helps the good functioning of the intestine, the elimination of toxins and the reduction of cellulite, the good health of the kidneys and moisturizes the skin.
– Increase your physical activity. If you don’t exercise try to walk or swim in the sea as much as possible. Exercise increases endorphins and creates physical and mental relaxation and well-being, it raises the metabolism for the next 8 hours if it is intense enough, compensating for the negatives of the sedentary life we usually live. And always remember: Exercise to lose weight and don’t wait to lose weight to exercise!