Misunderstood
It's true. Eating healthy doesn't have to be a pain in the butt! When you hear the word "diet", you probably think of salads and veggies and other bland foods. Dieting has become such a mainstream, inaccurate word. It has become synonymous with not eating at all, when in fact, not eating at all can stunt weight loss.
The Correct Way To Do It
Will eating healthy be hard from time to time? Absolutely. Nothing worth-while is ever easy to accomplish. But what people need to understand is that it's completely possible. You will need to cut back on unnecessary sugars and fats (you already know this). What I did was cut out all ice cream, regular soda, and french fries at the beginning. What I DIDN'T do was cut out ALL of the bad foods from my diet. Why? It's unrealistic. Will you lose weight if you just eat salad and carrots for a year? Yes, but chances are you will gain it all back when you're done with the diet. What I'm trying to say is that it is necessary for people to include foods like pizza, burgers, and hot dogs in their diets even when they're trying to lose weight because it provides them with a more realistic, long-term, life-changing diet. With that being said, those items do need to be consumed in trace amounts. Substitute white bread for whole-grain bread. Many people don't understand how bad white bread really is for you. It is enriched flour that chemically transforms into sugar during digestion. Instead of having fries as a side at a restaurant, ask for cottage cheese and throw some salt and pepper on it. If you find yourself in a hurry and decide to get fast food, IT'S OKAY. But remember, no fries and stay away from the white bread. Here's an example. You wake up late and don't have a chance to make breakfast. You decide to run through McDonald's on the way to work. One healthy alternative to the salad is to order two Sausage McMuffins (or whatever you decide to eat). Get a bottle of water to drink and don't get a hash brown. When you get the McMuffins, peel off the top muffin and throw it away. Eat just the sausage, egg, and cheese. This may sound messy, but it's a pretty easy and fast alternative to making breakfast at home. In this case, you actually will feel more full because you get two McMuffins rather than just one and a bunch of worthless bread. Small, simple steps like this can help you lose weight quickly. When trying to decide what to eat, always consider this rule: "Will this food actually make me full? Or is just a good-tasting treat?".
Portions Are Pertinent
The BEST way to lose weight is to overhaul your portions. The tradition (at least here in America) is, and always has been revolving around the three-meals-a-day plan. But in all honesty, there's a better way. Eating 4-5 meals a day is one of the best things you can do to increase metabolism, ultimately resulting in fat melting right off. These meals, however, must be smaller than what you may previously considered a meal. As you can see in the picture above, the meals consist of more hearty, fulfilling foods, rather than a burger and fries for example. Remember this: "small, but often".
The Outcome
If you stick to these simple, commonsense-like rules, you will lose weight in no time. If you don't see immediate results, don't fret. It takes 3500 calories to burn one pound of fat. This will not happen overnight! But, on the bright side, it is a mathematical certainty that, if you stick to the "small, but often" plan and do your daily runs with me, you WILL burn fat for every 3500 calories. Just remember, we're all in this together. You're not the only one who has to eat healthier. I'm not the only one who has to eat healthier. We are all similar and working together will help us inspire ourselves to stay committed. If you have any questions or comments, please, feel free to e-mail me at wxyzgarrett@yahoo.com. I'm no fitness expert, and I don't claim to be. But these are the rules I live by when trying to lose weight and so far, I've lost 30+ lbs. Hopefully you will decide to join me and share the rewards of feeling better!
