Just take a minute to think about it though. What are you eating and how are you going about your day-to-day? Do you eat sensibly? Do you stop eating when you’re full? Are you eating enough vegetables and fruits? Do you drink water? Are you active? Answering these questions may just help you come to grips with what you’re not doing and help you lose a few pounds.
However, it is difficult to make these self realizations and change your lifestyle. We know that. So we’re here to help you look at life without the diet goggles and show you that you can take off a few pounds without starving yourself, which, by the way, makes you gain weight.
First, keep this in mind: It takes 20 days to make or break a habit. With that being said, get on the healthy track and make your habits good ones.
Eat slowly: This is hard for those of us with two jobs, three kids and a house to clean. Regardless, take time to enjoy your food and eat it slowly. This has been a diet secret for year, but how many of us practice it? Try to set a timer for 20 minutes and eat your food past that amount of time. That’s how much you should slow down.
Sleep More: Another thing that’s really hard to do, but if you put your mind to it and get your life in order before going the morning, you can get to bed earlier. We’ve mentioned this in previous articles found on LatinoDr.org. When you sleep, your body recuperates and regenerates. Your body also needs fat to sleep and meanwhile, you’re not eating but burning away calories. Don’t sleep your life away, though!
Eat More Soups: Eating and drinking warm liquids helps you feel fuller. Soups, though, allow for your food to cook by poaching, which is healthier than frying or using anything else to cook it on a pan like butter or oils. Making soups and stews are quite easy and enjoyable especially during the winter time. Latinos eat caldos like it’s their job. Caldo de pollo, de res, fideo. It’s a cultural staple. Keep it up in your own home and add vegetables and herbs. Be careful not to use too much salt though. And watch it when you’re eating soups in restaurants and out of cans. They add a lot of salt for flavor.
Keep Those Skinny Jeans: We all used to hear it growing up: “One day, I’m going to fit into those jeans from when I was 18!” Mami and tia were convinced that they were going to slim down and so should you! Don’t ditch all the skinny clothes you have lined up in the closet. Keep something that’s at your goal size and aim to get back there. If you don’t get all the way there, at least you’ll say you tried and lose a few pounds anyway.
Limit the Alcohol: Alcohol makes losing weight complicated. It adds unnecessary calories to your diet, throws your metabolism off kilter and makes you sluggish, especially after a hangover. So limit the alcohol and you’ll find that keeping on your daily routine will be easier.
Yoga It Up: According to the National Dietetic Association, women who practice yoga weigh less. And we’re sure men do too. The connection here is a balanced mind for a balanced sense of life, including diet. The self-awareness that yoga brings, keeps yogis from overeating.
Stop Eating When You Feel Kind Of Full: You know that point in the meal when you feel your pansa expanding and you think you won’t be able to finish what’s on your plate, but you take a deep breath and do it anyway? Teach yourself to stop instead of taking that next bite. We know, we know, the “don’t move from this table until you’ve finished everything on your plate” is fully ingrained in your head, but now, it’s OK to stop.
Chew Gum: When you feel hungry, chew gum with a strong minty flavor. The taste will keep you from eating other things before dinner time or lunch time and the chewing will keep your mouth occupied so that you don’t go for any other filling snacks.