Realistic Dieting Tips (I've picked up)

"Don't eat rice"

"Don't eat dis"

"Don't eat dat"

"Drink cerasee tea"

"Drink Donkey Tree bark to lose weight"

You've all heard them, the fads, the herb bushes, the healthy products..and I have tried probably about 70% of them. I think the goals of most will have a "lose x pounds" especially as new years resolutions because as we see it, we really want to lose a couple of pounds. The clothes don't fit, there's a little "tyre" around the waist etc etc.

I was (read: still am) the same way. A fair amount of things I eat I shouldn't be eating. My "Cheat Days" turn into "Cheat Weeks" if I don't mind myself so I'm definitely still learning because, as the topic says, we are talking realistic scenarios here. What I try to focus on however, is to eat a little healthier, have a reasoning with myself about what I'm really putting into my body and not tie food and by extent the amount of food I'm eating with how I'm feeling in relation to any emotions other than "feeling hungry". 

So here are some tips I have picked up, tried to keep and use daily as it relates to dieting:

1. Change eating habits slowly

Sometimes why nothing happens is because you're moving from one extreme to the next. Many readings on healthy eating will tell you portion control is meat the size of your fist, veggies 3/4 of your plate and rice or starch of the remainder. Realistically speaking, making that jump from a box full of food to that will not work. What I will tell you is adjust the amount of food you consume per meal. For example, if you're used to buying a large lunch box of food, and a typical Jamaican "cooked lunch" will include: rice and peas, two pieces of chicken, shredded veggies and 2 spoons of gravy (I love, love gravy), opt for half of the rice, more veggies and one spoon of gravy. Then you can adjust to a medium lunch which less rice, more veggies and so on. You'll eventually find out that you didn't need that large lunch box with all the trimmings and you are still full without it.

2. Instead of eating 3 "heavy" meals per day, try 5 or 6 lighter meals per day

With Calorie Calculators like these, you can find out how many calories you should be consuming per day, how many calories you should be consuming if you want to lose pounds etc. and divide the needed calories into 5 or 6 and have these small meals every 3 hours so you won't feel like you're starving. When starting out this may seem daunting because we are busy people and most of the reasons why we gain weight is that we miss meals and when we do eat, it is something unhealthy. What I do is have snacks like crackers (like Miss Birdie biscuits :)) and snack between meals. Be careful how many you have though, because eating an entire pack of crackers will make those calories add up. Try having about 9 in one sitting or for water crackers, try about 4.

3. Don't jump on too many "Challenge" bandwagons

By right, if you are serious about losing weight, you have to look at changing your eating habits. Of course, you can try the "No Cabbage Challenge"' or the "Flat Belly" which of course may work and you may lose pounds from those challenges. After the Challenge is up, you gain the weight right back to where you were (or even more). Those are temporary solutions, it is essentially a yo-yo diet and as such leaves you with the same weight you had (or more) and makes you frustrated. 

4. Don't live in fast food restaurants.

Now, no one knows more about fast food restaurants than I do. I had patties for breakfast, a burger combo for lunch, fried chicken for dinner. Another day, another restaurant. I'd do this every day of the week and more on weekends. How do you stop? Try getting to a vantage point where you can see the person in the restaurant preparing your food. While I was at my favourite burger spot ordering my usual combo, I could see where one of the workers was preparing my burger. She did in a clean manner and used hand sanitizers and so on. After which, she took bun that looked like it was in a food freezer and put it in the microwave, took the meat patty (which looked like it came from the food freezer as well and put it in the microwave, slapped on a whole bunch of mayonnaise and the other condiments and put everything together. It didn't sit right with me then and now I I have significantly cut down the amount of times I go to my burger joint..which led me to cut down my other fast food eating habits.

5. Learn to cook

Immediately following #4 is this point. No one is telling you to study to be an international chef and cook the most fancy foods. Youtube, online recipes, friends and I could go on and on, are sources of how to cook. Get a George Foreman grill or if not, learn how to sear chicken breasts. When you cook from scratch it allows you to determine the ingredients that go into your food and what goes into your body. It saves money, you know exactly where that baked chicken came from and it opens the gateway to eating healthier.

6. Try to make majority of foods in your pantry be healthy (or switch to a less caloric alternative).

I'd buy bread every 2 weeks. My bread would be done in a week's time. I would buy 24 Ramen noodles and store them in the pantry. I cut it to 12 and when I make them these days I break the noodles in half (I'm trying to change lol). I have had a love for rum liqueurs for a while and I used to drink them, let's say often. Nowadays, if I'm drinking, I drink beer and/or add it as one of my snack meals based on the amount of calories it has. All I'm saying is, stop buying 2 tubs of ice cream for whenever you think you'll need it. Don't buy that pack of muffins from the supermarket because there was a price drop on it.   You don't need that temptation love! There's chop suey mix around the Veggie isle for when you're not in the mood to prepare it. Buy that instead.

7. Reason with yourself about what goes into your body

Have an honest reasoning with yourself about what goes into your body. Do some research about how much of any one food you're putting into your body. Read labels of snacks and food and if you're into calorie counting (I give them a once over most times), check calories on food items. For example, for my snacks I look at labels and if the calories per serving for the snack isn't worth it (as in, it won't make me full or provide sustenance till my next meal), then I won't bother with it.

8. Eating based on feelings other than sustenance

There are occasions where you "feel for" a particular type of food but this shouldn't be in your regular habit..primarily because if you start, it's going to be difficult to stop. If I'm not careful, as I've said, my cheat day will turn into a cheat week (currently weaning myself from this). How do you prevent this cycle? For your cheat meal have ONE sitting of that lovely unhealthy food and after getting dispose of it. After which I have some green tea or a healthy snack and try to fit myself back in the healthier eating cycle.

9. Faking healthier eating habits does not transcend to continuity

That is, if you don't like broccoli don't force yourself to eat it. If you don't like the other veggies that everyone raves about when they eat, try mixed vegetables. If you don't like "green juices", start with (not too sugary) fruit juices then you can maybe step up to having carrot juice then maybe to cucumber then add a fruit to make it tasty to your liking. I could not tell you I don't use salt or sugar in whatever I consume and I won't tell you I don't eat rice. What I will tell you is substitute with a healthier alternative, put in some tomatoes and cucumber in that meal, cut down the rice and try sweet potatoes or boiled bananas. Remember you're trying to change your eating habits and lifestyle with what you put in your bodies..so faking is a sure fire way for this to be over before you can say "How else can I lose weight?"

Lata!

Gibbie Gibbie