If you’re tired of trying every diet under the sun and struggling with your weight, you’re not alone. The most recent data released by the Centers for Disease Control and prevention has revealed that American men and women are continuing to gain weight rapidly, with the average BMI now close to the cutoff for obesity.
The good news is that there’s a practical approach to eating that men and women can adapt to any lifestyle, including eating meals prepared outside the home. This diet does not recommend cutting out any type of food, such as sweets, carbs, or fats. There’s no restriction involved.
The emphasis of this diet is not so much on what you eat, but how much you’re eating. Serving sizes can be quite unhealthy, especially at restaurants. It’s important to learn what a healthy portion of a variety of foods is and to keep in mind that what you would normally be served in a restaurant is often a serving for two, or even more in some cases.
A great way to avoid overeating at a restaurant is to split one entree between 2 people, or to take home a portion of your meal for the next day’s lunch. Of course, the best way to guarantee that you’re not eating something especially unhealthy is to cook most of your meals at home.
You may have heard this before but a rule of thumb is to fill most of your plate with low carb, nutrient dense veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, carrots, etc. If you’re having a side salad, use only a small teaspoon of dressing (preferably homemade). Limit your consumption of whole grains and starchy vegetables, and avoid refined grains and sugars.
Lisa R. Young, a registered dietitian and adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University encourages people to “get over their fear of carbs — if you’re eating the right kinds of grains in the right amounts, they don’t make you fat. They make you full — and provide you with a battalion of disease-fighting nutrients.”
It’s easy to lose track of how much or how often you’re eating. If weight gain and portion control is an issue for you, it’s a great idea to jot down everything you consume for at least a week so that you can determine what it is that you need to adjust in your diet.
It’s okay to incorporate comfort foods into your diet a few times a week so that you don’t feel deprived and binge large amounts of junk food in one sitting after a stretch of restricting. Of course it’s not a good idea to have sweets or any kind of unhealthy food every single day, but you don’t need to cut them out entirely like some diets may suggest.
Making sure that your diet mostly consists of nutritious foods is the best way to fuel your body, maintain your weight, and keep yourself satisfied so that you’re not constantly reaching for unhealthy items. Small adjustments and mindfulness is the key to longterm success.
