individuals might use that 10 percent for additional lean protein or healthy fats. If you ate well during the day and have allotted calories left over for a small splurge, enjoy a miniature chocolate bar or a small portion of your favorite snack. Splurges are allowed (more on this later).
This is not a starvation diet. It’s important to consistently fuel your body throughout the day with a balanced menu of whole, unprocessed foods. Don’t omit any of your essential macronutrients, as you need protein for muscle building, carbohydrates for energy, and fat for brain health. Eating small meals will keep your blood sugar levels stable and will minimize your chances of overeating.
Dieting is a progression. For example, you can’t expect to run a marathon without spending weeks or months training for it, and you can’t expect to overhaul your diet overnight. Like training to run a marathon, the diet starts slowly and makes small adjustments until you have established lifelong good habits. You need to build your mental discipline and physical strength to lose weight. If you weigh 200 pounds, you are eating an average of 3,500 calories daily, but starting immediately on a 1,200-calorie/day diet will doom you to failure. Your next weight-loss stop should be to eat like a 190-pound person, cutting down your total calories slowly. Start by consuming 3,000 calories a day and watch your body change. Change always begets change, and at each diet plateau you reach, you can lower your caloric intake or alter your proportion of macronutrients.
6. PLAN YOURTREAT MEALS, WHICH YOU CAN HAVE IN MODERATION. If you follow a strict 30/30/30 diet plan, then the remaining 10 percent can be used for a light, planned splurge. A splurge is when you consume something outside of your normal diet. For example, since I am a busy working mother, moderation is my mantra. Normally my daily 10 percent (of my total daily intake) is used to eat the leftovers of my child’s meal or a square of dark chocolate. However, if I have eaten well all week, without any treats, I top off the week with a satisfying portion of chocolate cake! It’s up to you to apply the 10 percent to either daily intake or weekly intake.
Planned treat meals are different from unplanned ones because you own your action and you understand why it’s important for your overall plan. Most diets fail because they don’t leave room for change and, most of all, for balance. Being able to moderately splurge is my saving grace and will become yours also! When you treat yourself to a favorite not-so-healthy dish once in a while, it not only gives you mental satisfaction but it also surprises your body. And surprising your body improves your metabolism because it breaks the pattern of caloric deficit. A treat meal speeds up your metabolism and therefore speeds up the rate of weight loss.
However, a meal only works if you get right back on track immediately after it. There is no guilt involved, so don’t skip the next meals, overexercise to compensate, or beat yourself up for allowing that indulgence.
7. STOP EATING THREE HOURS BEFORE BEDTIME. I saystop eating before bedtime for a few reasons. First, there’s a lot of late-night snacking for many folks, especially in front of the TV. This can lead to mindless eating and taking in calories that you not only don’t need but also aren’t even enjoying consuming. If you stop eating after dinner, you’re less likely to plow through a quart ofice cream or a bag of chips while watching your favorite show. Also, you’re giving your digestive system a solid break from processing foods, the welcome overnight fast that’s broken with breakfast the next day. As your body prepares for slumber, you become less active, requiring fewer calories. If you consume a lot of calories at this point and overcompensate for your body’s caloric expenditure, those extra calories turn into stored fat.
8.MEASURE YOURSELF EVERY THREE WEEKS. A number on a scale is
This is not a starvation diet. It’s important to consistently fuel your body throughout the day with a balanced menu of whole, unprocessed foods. Don’t omit any of your essential macronutrients, as you need protein for muscle building, carbohydrates for energy, and fat for brain health. Eating small meals will keep your blood sugar levels stable and will minimize your chances of overeating.
Dieting is a progression. For example, you can’t expect to run a marathon without spending weeks or months training for it, and you can’t expect to overhaul your diet overnight. Like training to run a marathon, the diet starts slowly and makes small adjustments until you have established lifelong good habits. You need to build your mental discipline and physical strength to lose weight. If you weigh 200 pounds, you are eating an average of 3,500 calories daily, but starting immediately on a 1,200-calorie/day diet will doom you to failure. Your next weight-loss stop should be to eat like a 190-pound person, cutting down your total calories slowly. Start by consuming 3,000 calories a day and watch your body change. Change always begets change, and at each diet plateau you reach, you can lower your caloric intake or alter your proportion of macronutrients.
6. PLAN YOURTREAT MEALS, WHICH YOU CAN HAVE IN MODERATION. If you follow a strict 30/30/30 diet plan, then the remaining 10 percent can be used for a light, planned splurge. A splurge is when you consume something outside of your normal diet. For example, since I am a busy working mother, moderation is my mantra. Normally my daily 10 percent (of my total daily intake) is used to eat the leftovers of my child’s meal or a square of dark chocolate. However, if I have eaten well all week, without any treats, I top off the week with a satisfying portion of chocolate cake! It’s up to you to apply the 10 percent to either daily intake or weekly intake.
Planned treat meals are different from unplanned ones because you own your action and you understand why it’s important for your overall plan. Most diets fail because they don’t leave room for change and, most of all, for balance. Being able to moderately splurge is my saving grace and will become yours also! When you treat yourself to a favorite not-so-healthy dish once in a while, it not only gives you mental satisfaction but it also surprises your body. And surprising your body improves your metabolism because it breaks the pattern of caloric deficit. A treat meal speeds up your metabolism and therefore speeds up the rate of weight loss.
However, a meal only works if you get right back on track immediately after it. There is no guilt involved, so don’t skip the next meals, overexercise to compensate, or beat yourself up for allowing that indulgence.
7. STOP EATING THREE HOURS BEFORE BEDTIME. I saystop eating before bedtime for a few reasons. First, there’s a lot of late-night snacking for many folks, especially in front of the TV. This can lead to mindless eating and taking in calories that you not only don’t need but also aren’t even enjoying consuming. If you stop eating after dinner, you’re less likely to plow through a quart ofice cream or a bag of chips while watching your favorite show. Also, you’re giving your digestive system a solid break from processing foods, the welcome overnight fast that’s broken with breakfast the next day. As your body prepares for slumber, you become less active, requiring fewer calories. If you consume a lot of calories at this point and overcompensate for your body’s caloric expenditure, those extra calories turn into stored fat.
8.MEASURE YOURSELF EVERY THREE WEEKS. A number on a scale is
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