Change isn’t easy for most people. Moving to a new apartment, changing jobs, or taking the plunge into married life are all events that cause the average guy to break into a sweat. Luckily, not all changes are stressful. Take, for example, changing your diet. Wouldn’t it be empowering to be able to lose a few pounds and feel good about the way you look?
When breaking old, bad habits, or starting a new, healthy habit, give yourself a hand by making the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard. When it comes to changing your diet, keeping healthy food within reach and getting rid of the junk food may be the way to go. If you’ve given thought to eating more healthily, but never summoned the will to commit to it, these sneaky tricks can give you the boost you need to start eating better now.
1. Portion Control
A first, and somewhat obvious, step to losing weight is eating less. Use an online calculator to determine how many calories, grams of protein, and fat you should consume daily, based on your height and activity level. Take those numbers and post them on the fridge or in your journal, then break your meals down into portions that stay within the guidelines.
If you keep high-calorie snacks in your pockets, your desk drawer, and your glove compartment, there’s a good chance that you’re eating more than you should. You don’t want to go hungry, so swap out those bad snacks for something healthy, such as plain almonds.
You know you need protein, but that doesn’t mean you need a 20 ounce Porterhouse steak. Foods high in protein can also be high in calories and saturated fat, so restrict your meat portions to the size of a deck of playing cards.
Eliminating sugary treats cold-turkey can backfire, so ease into the idea of saying goodbye to them slowly. If you love dark chocolate mochas in the afternoon, order a small one instead of a large. Or, when you walk past a table laden with cookies on your way to an afternoon meeting, take just one. If you’re treating the family to ice cream on a Saturday afternoon, get a kid-size scoop in a bowl, sans sprinkles.
2. Fiber is Fabulous
You may have first heard about fiber from your grandparents, but that doesn’t mean it’s just for the retired set. Everybody, of every age, needs a certain amount of soluble fiber in their diet every day. The recommended amount for adult men is 38 grams. Where to find fiber? Look for whole grains, beans, fruit, and vegetables. Popcorn and potatoes are good sources as well. When trying to add fiber to your diet, avoid processed, bleached flour products, such as white bread and flour tortillas.
In addition to keeping your bowels moving right along, fibrous foods fill you up quickly and help you stay feeling full between meals. A whole apple, including the skin, has 4.4 grams of dietary fiber, which makes it a healthy snack. Also, foods which are high in fiber tend to have other nutritional value, such as protein and vitamins, as well.
3. Simple is Best
Foods which take a lot of time to prepare often have the most fat and carbohydrates. For example, fried chicken. Each piece of chicken is dipped in egg, coated in bread crumbs, and then deep-fried in fat. Yes, it’s delicious, but it should only be eaten on special occasions. Compared to chicken that is sprinkled with herbs and cooked on the grill or under the broiler, fried chicken is much more labor-intensive and much less diet-friendly. Other simple cooking methods include steaming and sautéing.
Even simpler than cooking, eating raw food is a healthy option as well. Meats should always be cooked, of course, but raw vegetables are a delicious, nutrient-dense, filling food. Pair them with mayo from hamptoncreek, Greek yogurt, and fresh dill stirred together instead of store-bought dressing, for an even healthier dinner. Whether you prefer cut-up veggies on a platter or a tossed salad, very little is easier on a weeknight than eating raw.
Changing your dietary habits can be done without trauma if you take small steps at first. Cutting back on portions, filling up on fiber, and keeping meal preparation simple are the easiest ways to get started. By making these simple changes throughout the day, you can trick yourself into eating a better diet, and watch the pounds melt away.