CONSIDER VEGGIES A FREE FOOD IN YOUR WEIGHT LOSS PLAN
When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s easy to focus on all the things you are denying yourself.
Salty snacks and sweet treats can be had in moderation, but you can’t lose weight if you’re regularly consuming bottomless bags of chips, giant hot fudge sundaes and pasta slathered in butter-laden sauces.
Dwelling on that can leave you feeling pretty glum. Time to change your outlook: Focus on what you can have.
Whether you’re counting calories, simply avoiding unhealthy foods or following a different weight loss strategy, there are several foods that can be consumed in any amount without derailing your weight loss goals.
Free foods
In fact, the list ranges from A (asparagus) to Z (zucchini). Of course we’re talking about colorful vegetables, which are high in water and fiber content, not to mention vitamins and phytonutrients. In many weight-loss programs, non-starchy vegetables are considered free foods.
“This is because they provide very few calories and lots of nutrition, including fiber to help control your hunger,” said Kerry Grann, a principal research scientist at Amway who works on BodyKey by Nutrilite™ products and programs.
The key is to train yourself to look to those free foods when you feel like you need something to nosh but don’t want to hinder your weight loss efforts. Kerry has some advice.
Think about your ‘Why?’
“First, remember why you want to lose weight – whether it is to look better, feel better, get healthier or have more energy,” she said. “Your reason for losing weight belongs to you, so remember it when you need a little extra motivation.”
Follow your weight loss plan
A good weight loss plan based on scientific research includes the right amount of food needed to provide you with necessary nutrition while getting you to your goal weight and keeping you there. Making vegetables part of that plan is key.
“Put veggies on half your plate at meals,” Kerry said. “Or, if you are cooking, add them to things like pasta, soup, casseroles or even eggs. This way you can take a similar serving size, but it will have fewer calories and be more filling.”
There are several easy swaps to make to increase your vegetable intake while reducing other types of foods you eat. Use cauliflower rice instead of white rice, spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles instead of pasta, lettuce wraps instead of breads, buns or tortillas, to name a few.
Keep vegetables at the ready
“Keep a batch of clean, cut raw vegetables in your fridge or lunchbox so they are readily available when hunger or cravings strike,” she said.
Meal prepping is a great strategy here. Take one day or afternoon a week to plan and prepare snacks and meals for the rest of the week. This removes any excuse for not having a healthy option when the hunger pangs hit.
Dress your veggies
If you don’t like vegetables plain, Kerry suggests dipping in hummus or a low fat dressing. “Just remember that your dip is not a free food!”
Distractions can help
If the crunch of celery or radishes just can’t take the place of a potato chip and all you can think about is heading to the vending machine or cupboard, shake things up.
“Distract yourself,” Kerry said. “Call a friend, go for a walk, or start doing any activity that takes your mind off of food.”
Sometimes that means a major change in your daily habits: No more sitting down with your favorite snack to binge the latest TV shows. But once that habit is broken, so is the craving that came with it.
Still a no-go? Consider swapping out your chips for more nutritious, pre-portioned options that are less likely to derail your weight loss efforts, like BodyKey™ Slim Popcorn, BodyKey™ Whole Grain Tortilla Chips or BodyKey™ Zesty Protein Snacks.
Learn more
To learn more about BodyKey products, click on the links below. And you can find more great recipes in other blogs on urthmart21.blogspot.com
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