Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 2: What to do
• Method 2 of 2: What to eat
• Tips
• Warnings

Regardless of who you are, it is in your best interest to maintain a healthy diet and healthy weight. In today's society, this can be more difficult than it sounds. Use the following tips to start a healthier lifestyle today.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: What to do

1. 1 Determine your daily calorie intake. Depending on your age, weight and activity level, you may need more or fewer calories just to exist. Knowing how many calories you need will help you determine how many calories you can cut each day.
   • You can find this information on the Internet or calculate it yourself. As always, it is best to get professional help - your doctor can determine how many calories you need to consume.
   • If you are limiting your diet to 1,700 calories per day, be sure to include exercise. They may not burn that many calories, but this will give you the opportunity to eat more. Please note that you only need calorie restriction and counting at the beginning, soon the eating habits will be worked out to automatism.
2. 2 Keep a food journal. Taking detailed notes of what you eat will help you understand your eating habits and what food groups you may be missing out on. Don't forget to include drinks!
   • Another great thing about a nutrition magazine is that it keeps you accountable and keeps you motivated. You will have to take a look at what you are consuming, and this can force you to change your diet. If your opinion is not enough for you, ask a friend for help. He will review your food log several times a week to make sure you are on the right track. This will help you stay on course.
     • Record healthy substitutions you make (such as low-fat yogurt instead of cookies) or particularly good decisions in a journal. What was the benefit? What is not? Have you noticed any patterns?
3. 3 Reduce serving sizes. If you like a large plate filled with food, fill it with delicious salad or steamed vegetables (as long as it doesn't conflict with your calorie management plan).
   • It is especially difficult to control portion sizes in restaurants. You can order as many food as you want, but you must eat a specific serving size (for example, fruit should be about the size of a tennis ball, vegetables should be about the size of a baseball, and carbs should be about the size of a puck). WebMD offers a handy tool for sizing portions, including mixed meals. Whatever you order, pack the leftovers and take home. It will also save you money!
4. 4 Eat slowly. You have 20 minutes before the brain receives the satiety signal. If you eat slowly, you will consume fewer calories. Slow eating literally keeps you from overeating.
   • Slow eating not only lowers your calorie intake, but allows you to truly enjoy the flavor of your food. Savor every bite and you will be in tune with satisfaction.
5. 5 Maintain motivation and practice positive thinking. In this case, a good diet does not mean a specific goal. You need to make changes to your diet that will become a healthy habit in a few weeks. You don't want to spend your life counting calories and being afraid of every weigh-in. Positive thinking will help you better than any other motivation.
   • Come up with a non-food reward. Reward yourself with a massage or a bath instead of eating, or just buy flowers for your home. Find ways to make your diet and exercise enjoyable.

Method 2 of 2: What to eat

1. 1 Get rid of unhealthy foods. In general, processed foods are higher in calories and fat. Indeed, more than practically anything else. This not only damages your waistline but also your overall health.
   • And, the truth is quite repulsive. Citrus juices, not made from concentrate, that you store in the refrigerator, languish in tanks in their factories for months. Companies do not always inform responsible organizations about new additives, so some of the ingredients are not known at all. Unfortunately, even a simple ham sandwich every day significantly increases your chances of getting heart disease due to the nitrates and other chemical preservatives in meat. If that doesn't convince you, nothing will convince you.
2. 2 Drink water or H2O. Sodas, juices, and energy drinks of all kinds often contain far more calories than you need with modest exercise, so they contribute to weight gain. Water, low-sugar fruit drinks, and teas are best. Avoid alcohol - it just dehydrates the body and adds unnecessary calories. Drink two glasses of water before each meal to help you feel full even before you start eating.
   • Water is not the lesser of two evils; its benefits are astounding. It helps muscles, cleanses the skin, reduces appetite, works with the kidneys, and also aids bowel movements. Don't you buy it yet? 500 ml of cold water can speed up your metabolism by 30% in just 10 minutes after you drink it. In a separate study, participants who significantly increased their water intake lost more than 7 kg in three months (they also tracked their calorie intake). Make it a habit to carry a bottle of water with you.
3. 3 Spread over fruits and vegetables. If you are not keen on drinking more water, fruits and vegetables are a good alternative source of fluid. These are low-calorie foods made up mostly of water. But what is the most interesting thing? They are also full of vitamins and nutrients.
   • A diet rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of certain cancers and other chronic diseases. Fruits and vegetables also provide essential vitamins, minerals, fiber and other substances that are important for good health and contribute to a leaner waistline.
   • If you do not know how many fruits and vegetables you need to eat, use an online calculator.As a rule, we all need more.
4. 4 Add low fat dairy and lean meats. A recent study found that the more servings of dairy that adults consume, the higher the percentage of total calories from saturated fat (definitely not good). And other studies have shown that a diet high in red meat increases the risk of heart disease and cancer. What is the answer? Go for lean and lean.
   • Some dairy products contain impressive levels of two nutrients we need: calcium and protein. Each serving of skim milk, yogurt, cottage cheese and cheese is high in protein and calcium. A glass of low fat kefir will give you one third of your recommended daily calcium intake and 17% protein.
   • Protein portions of meat, poultry, or fish should be the size and thickness of your palm. Unlike animal proteins, most plant proteins are incomplete, meaning they lack some of the building blocks of amino acids. Combined (like rice and beans or hummus with pita bread) they are full and contain all the essential amino acids found in animal protein.
5. 5 Include good carbohydrates and fats in your diet. Getting rid of bad foods altogether can be tempting, but the body needs fats and carbohydrates. In fact, we need fat just to survive. It gives us energy, makes the skin glow and supplies certain vitamins to the body. When it comes to carbohydrates, they are high in fiber. These carbohydrates are absorbed slowly by our system, which will help prevent spikes in blood sugar levels.
   • Unsaturated fat is what you need. Switch to canola, walnut and olive oil, as well as nuts, avocados, olives and legumes.
   • Choose complex carbohydrates. Choose brown over white: whole grains, oats, brown rice, and quinoa.

Tips

• Healthy eating is a lifestyle and a lifelong choice, not a change over several months. Improve your diet now so that it becomes a habit and makes your life better in the near future. In a few years, your choice will be a low-calorie homemade pizza, not a greasy one.
• Talk to your doctor about any significant or dramatic changes in your diet.

Warnings

• Don't overload yourself. We often strain too hard to lose weight, but it’s harmful if you’re not used to it.
• Whatever you do, don't starve yourself. Your body will slow down all functions.