Many people claim to be experts when it comes to weight management and healthy living. Sadly, many of those methods may not be effective for various individuals, especially as needs and goals differ.
If your goal is to manage your weight and stay healthy, these five strategies are effective and exceptionally useful for your weight management journey without complications.
- Eat Whole Foods
Whole foods not only fill you better, but they are also more nutritious and safer than sweet junk foods. Instead of snacking on sugar-loaded junk, opt for foods packed with useful nutrients like protein, fiber, and water. Examples of these types of foods include avocados, bananas, peas and lentils, whole grains, vegetables, brown rice, pasta, and black beans. These whole foods make you feel full for longer periods and can help avoid hunger pangs and that strong urge to binge on unwholesome food.
- Drink Water Before Meals
Water isn’t just a healthier alternative to liquid junk foods like sodas, fancy coffee drinks, fruit juices, liquors, and cocktails, it also aids digestion and metabolism. In addition, drinking a few glasses of water about 20 to 30 minutes before eating will make you feel full faster and cut down on excessive eating. Drinking water at least three times every day — before breakfast, lunch, and dinner—can help you cut up to 250 calories off your daily diet.
- Use Smaller Plates
Using smaller bowls, plates and glasses can help you eat smaller portions and avoid overeating. Studies show that using giant plates may cause you to serve larger portions and eat too much. When you combine smaller plates with slower eating and chewing, you’ll be able to eat less and keep your weight in check.
- Get Active
Combining healthy eating habits with an active lifestyle has amazing benefits for your weight management goals. The more exercise you can do, the better. But exercising doesn’t have to be a chore or bore you to death. Instead, find any exercise that’s convenient and more fun for you, and stick to it.
- Get Good Quality Sleep
A regular sleep schedule is important for good health, and poor sleeping habit is one of the biggest risk factors for weight gain. Studies show that people who sleep up to 8 hours per day lost more weight — particularly in the abdominal region — compared to those who get 6.5 hours of sleep or less.
While these 5 tips are a good starting point for managing your weight, it doesn’t really end there. It’s also important to reduce stress, plan your meals ahead, eat mindfully, fast intermittently, and be kind to yourself.
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