Does your weight go up and down and up again in just a matter of months? Maybe, what you’ve been doing is yo-yo dieting. You starve yourself to hit a weight goal in a certain period, then go back to your old, unhealthy eating habits after a while.
Yo-yo dieting is harmful to your body, as your waistline is not the only thing that suffers from your weight cycle. Repeated crash dieting can also have a negative impact on your insulin and metabolism. If you want to end this unhealthy weight cycle, here are a few tips for you:
Learn not to resort to food when stressed
More often than not, a session of stress eating leads to a binge. Make a list of relaxing strategies that don’t involve munching on sweet treats, such as meditation and exercise. Whenever you feel anxious, pick one from the list quickly, and stay away from your kitchen.
Go for a long-term goal
Just like how you saved up to buy that lifted truck for sale or studied day and night to finish your dissertation, you need to set a long term goal and determine action plans when dieting. Consider asking help from a professional trainer to motivate and guide you through this journey.
Learn to cook
Start cooking your own meals instead of ordering food to go or going to the nearest fast-food restaurant. When you cook your food, you will learn more about food ingredients and nutrition. The next thing you know, you’re picking organic, healthy items than processed food in the grocery.
Love the veggies
As you learn to cook dishes, try to include or increase your servings of vegetables. Be sure to eat these veggies at the beginning of your meal to curb your appetite. This way, you’re less likely to overeat high-calorie food on your plate like pork and beef, as well as starchy sides.
Limit alcohol intake
You may be used to drinking beer or having a glass of wine every dinner, but to stop yo-yo dieting, you need to limit your alcohol intake. Alcohol doesn’t only increase your calorie intake but also stimulate hunger and weaken your self-discipline. In turn, you get more servings than usual.
Don’t focus on numbers
It’s normal to feel disappointed when you don’t see any change in your weight if you’ve been following a strict diet and workout plan for weeks. However, it would be better if you learn not to focus on numbers. After all, your weight can fluctuate depending on the time of the day or amount of water in your body. Stick with your plan, and you’ll see positive results after several months.
Above all, learn to change your perspective towards dieting. Once you realize that reaching your weight goal is not all about getting thin for a while so you can fit in your wedding dress or summer bikini, you’ll be more committed to attaining a healthy weight. Yo-yo dieting is unsustainable; what you need is a gradual approach to switching to realistic lifestyle changes.
