Losing weight is hard. Learn more about eating for weight loss and the quick changes you can make today!
There is no denying it; losing weight is hard. With so many ‘diets’ out there, where should you start?
Losing weight involves eating fewer calories than your body is burning on any given day. To achieve this, many people go on diets. However, there are many diets out there, all of which claim to help people achieve weight loss.
In 2014, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study comparing some of the most commonly used diets and included 7,286 individuals. The results demonstrated that all diets resulted in weight loss, with no one diet providing a huge benefit over any others.
While there is some evidence that an emphasis on certain food types may help you, the overall message is that all diets that restrict calories result in weight loss.
So, where does this leave us? What is the best approach to losing weight?
While diets can help you lose weight, keeping the weight off and staying healthy relies on changing your eating behaviors. Think of the way you eat as a lifelong commitment to eating in a certain way.
Weight loss might be your main goal, but nutrition is about more than calories.
You also need to be thinking about making the calories you eat ‘count.’ Your body receives most of the vitamins and minerals it needs to function from the foods you eat. Therefore, you want to make sure the foods you are eating are nutrient-dense (high in vitamins and minerals). This is where vegetables, fruits, nuts, and healthy oils become important.
Take a look at your diet with a critical eye and see if you have any ‘quick wins’ for weight loss and a healthier diet. A few common quick wins are:
1. Reducing your liquid calories.
Soda, alcohol, and juices are generally lots of sugar (i.e., calories) with relatively few nutrients. They also don’t fill you up! For example, cutting out two glasses of liquid calories/day could save you 350kcal/day. In 10 days, that is 1lb weight loss.
2. Reducing your intake of refined carbs.
Carbs have a clear place in the diet, and in fact, your body needs them to metabolize fats. However, it is very easy to overindulge in bread, pasta, or rice. Have you ever gone out for dinner and eaten most of the bread basket while waiting for your dinner to arrive? When you do eat bread or other carbs, try to opt for whole grain or seeded options. These foods have more nutrients than ‘white’ or refined versions.
3. Eating your veggies (and fruit).
Try to fill half of your plate with vegetables and fruit every meal. Adding in healthier foods will eventually displace some unhealthy and calorie-dense foods you may be used to eating.
4. Stop eating when you’re full!
Do not worry about ‘wasting’ food once you’ve already made it or bought it. Instead, pack up your leftovers and save them for another day. If you have children, the same idea applies to eating off of your kid's plates!
Remember, if you take in fewer calories in a day, make sure the ones you eat are full of nutrients. For example, swap potatoes with sweet potatoes, use healthy oils in your cooking, eat more lean meats (like fish, chicken, and tofu), and eat lots of vegetables. Finally, burning calories through exercise also counts towards your caloric deficit, so get moving!
For support in putting these 4 quick wins for weight loss into practice, download the TOVI app today. It's free!