Have you ever thinking about changing your diet habits to proper nutrition. An accelerated daily routine and regular snacking with junk food negatively affect health, so switching to a healthy diet becomes not a whim, but an urgent need. The proper diet allows us to get rid of extra weight, establish digestion and improve well-being. The main thing is not to deviate from the new rhythm and make it the principle of everyday life.
Switching to proper nutrition is sometimes quite difficult. And very often it happens due to a lack of understanding of how to do this in the right way. You can take several steps to start eating good food without breakdowns. You need to know the daily calorie intake, energy value and also take into account your daily routine.
We recommend you consider a few simple steps you can begin with the transition to proper nutrition and, what is the most important thing, without harm to health.
Avoid junk food
The very first step that you need to take on the path to proper nutrition is to exclude the so-called “food garbage” from your menu. It includes:
• sugar and products that contain sugar;
• white pastries and white flour products;
• sausage and semi-finished meat products;
• fast food;
• sweet juices, soda, and soft drinks;
• mayonnaise, ketchup and non-natural sauces.
These products are of low nutritional value, which does not bring any benefit to the body. These are high-calorie foods that are very quickly stored in fat too. Most of these foods do not saturate the body, so you will constantly feel hunger and eat an excess rate of food. Having cleared your diet from this group of products, you will already take a huge step towards proper nutrition and weight loss.
Avoid alcohol
The next step involves the exclusion of another group of products – alcohol drinks. When changing your diet habits, we recommend giving up alcohol completely, at least during the period of weight loss. Why is it better to avoid alcohol:
• According to research, alcohol acts neurons that control appetite, which makes the body to feel very hungry;
• Even a small dose of alcohol provokes a food breakdown when you start to eat a lot healthy and unhealthy food due to loss of control;
• Alcohol slows down the metabolism, so the losing weight process in your body will be at a lower speed;
• Alcoholic drinks very often come with snacks that will add extra calories.
By the way, weak alcohol cannot be attributed to high-calorie foods. 100 ml of dry red wine contains 80 kcal, 100 ml of beer – 45 kcal. Therefore, some people treat themselves as a glass of dry wine or a glass of beer once a week without sacrificing weight loss.
However, remember that in the first months of the ‘transition’ to proper nutrition, you are most vulnerable. Eating habits are still unstable and the risk of breakdown is very high.
Establish water intake schedule
The next step of the path to proper nutrition is to establish a water intake schedule or, in other words, start drinking water. This step, on the one hand, is very simple, but at the same time, it is very effective for losing weight. For one thing, water influence almost all biochemical processes in the body, including the breakdown of fat. Secondly, water suppresses appetite. The benefits of water in the process of losing weight are invaluable, while its energy value is 0 calories.
Do not forget to drink 1.5-2 liters of water per day (this is about 6-8 glasses of 250 ml). At first sight, it will seem to you that such an amount of water is unrealistic to drink in a day, but gradually you will be able to make it your good habit.
• Drink one glass of water after waking up;
• Drink one glass of water before meals (for 20-30 minutes);
• Drink one glass of water before and after exercise;
• Drink one glass of water 30-60 minutes before bedtime.
Lest that you will not forget to drink water, install any app on your phone. There are many mobile apps that remind you of drinking mode. Also, try to keep a bottle of water with you (at work and at home).
Establish a diet
This step is the most difficult, but also the most important. At this stage, many forget the idea of proper nutrition or follow extremely strict diets. That is why, at the first stage of the ‘transition’ to proper nutrition, it is better to establish at least a diet in general. The intricacies of the distribution of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats will be considered in the following steps. So, the general diet will look like this:
• Full breakfast (7 a.m.)
• Snack №1 (10 a.m.)
• Lunch (1 p.m.)
• Snack №2 (4 p.m.)
• Dinner (7 p.m.)
• Snack 1 hour before bedtime: kefir, cottage cheese (9 p.m.)
The main rule of proper nutrition: to eat every 3 hours in small portions (200-250 g). This means that you do not have to take long breaks between meals. You do not forget about breakfast (breakfast should be within an hour after waking up). You do not starve yourself between meals and make nutritious snacks. Forget about the rule “do not eat after 6 p.m.”, and always have dinner. Skipping breakfasts, meager lunches and canceling dinners will slow down your metabolism and with a 99% chance will lead you to a breakdown.
At the same time, your breakfast, lunch, and dinner should be full portions of food. But at the first stage of the ‘transition’ to proper nutrition, accustom yourself at least to a proper and balanced diet about every 3 hours. The interval between meals should not exceed 4 hours.
Such nutrition increases metabolism and accelerates the process of losing weight, and also provides the body with the necessary energy and nutrients. You will cease to be constantly hungry and stop living with the feeling that you are on a diet.
Set your heart on a new lifestyle
If you want not only to lose weight but to save the result and maintain it throughout your life, then you need to remember one more important principle of proper nutrition. Proper nutrition should be part of your life, but not a short-term step for losing weight.
Many people argue in this way: “Now I follow a proper diet, get rid of excess weight, and then I will eat whatever I want.” But this is an erroneous opinion. Weight may not be static; it varies depending on your diet. If you balance proper nutrition and erratic nutrition, you will get a weight swing.
As you can understand, these rules are quite widespread, but not many practice them. Start with your dream: imagine what you will achieve when you go through all these steps. Do not forget about your motivation and move to your goal.
