It's the most wonderful time of the year! The holidays have passed, and the big, home-cooked feasts and hearty leftovers are finally gone. For those who want to revamp their health and wellness, the start of 2016 presents a blank canvas to paint a new picture and a healthier lifestyle.
Here are four easy tips to revamp your diet without breaking the bank.
1. Eat regular meals.
Missing a meal almost always leads to overeating at the next meal. As a result, it is super important to eat regular meals to maintain energy throughout the day and choose more balanced and nutritious foods. Meal prepping is a great way to make sure that you always have something to eat. Plan out your meals each day or week, and make sure to pack enough healthy options to keep you satiated throughout the day.
2. Drink water 30 minutes before eating.
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"Always start meals with a glass of water"- Shane Allen
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One study recruited a group of 84 overweight adults for a 12-week experiment. Everyone was given general wight loss advice, then assigned to one of two groups. One group was told to drink 16 ounces of water 30 minutes before their meals while the other group was told to simply imagine their stomachs were full before meals. Findings showed that the group that drank at least 16 ounces of water lost an average of three more pounds than the group that didn't increase their water intake. Results also showed that the more water that participants drank before meals, the better their weight loss.
3. Don't grocery shop while hungry.
If you've ever gone grocery shopping while hungry, you know the tangled web you wove. On an empty stomach, everything in the grocery store looks gooooooood, especially those Oreos and Zebra Cakes. As a result, it is best to avoid shopping while hungry. One study found that when compared to participants who had eaten before shopping, those who had not eaten were much more likely to purchase more high-calorie products.
4. Avoid diet sabotagers.
Diet sabotagers come in two forms: food and folks.
Certain foods are notorious for being high in fat, carbs, and sugars. These are the foods that you want to avoid if you are looking to adopt a healthier lifestyle or lose weight. Starchy carbs and sugary extras are diet sabotagers! Both pack on pounds much quicker and with negative side effects such as increased blood glucose levels.
People can also sabotage your diet (we all have that one friend who always wants to meet at the food trucks for lunch)! The key to success in these situations is having the willpower to say, "No," or finding a healthier alternative. For example, instead of meeting at the food trucks for lunch, suggest a walking lunch where the meeting not the food is the focus.
SOURCES
1. Stookey, JD, F. Constant, and BM Popkin. "Drinking Water Is Associated With Weight Loss in Overweight Dieting Women Independent of Diet and Activity." Drinking Water Is Associated with Weight Loss in Overweight Dieting Women Independent of Diet and Activity 16.11 (2008): 2481-488. Pub Med. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.
