5 habits that foster weight loss

Let’s face it: the hardest part about losing weight isn’t about knowing what to eat. You’ve heard it a thousand times: eat lots of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean protein. The real challenge is changing your habits to make those healthy choices part of your everyday routine without feeling too deprived. Dr. George L. Blackburn, who directs the Center for Nutrition Medicine at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, has treated countless overweight and obese people over his 40-plus-year career. The following are five proven strategies that many of his patients have found helpful toward their goal of lasting weight loss: 1. Make time to prepare healthy meals. Home-cooked food tends to be far lower in calories, fat, salt, and sugar than restaurant food and most processed food. But it takes time and effort to choose recipes, go to the store, and cook. Take a close look at your weekly schedule to see if you can carve out a few hours to devote to meal planning and shopping, which is more than half the battle, says Dr. Blackburn. It could be on Sunday afternoon or in 15- to 30-minute increments throughout the week. To save time in the kitchen, take advantage of pre-cut vegetables and cooked whole grains (like brown rice) from the salad bar or freezer case. And stock up on easy, wholesome snacks like fruit, nuts, and low-fat cheese sticks. 2. Eat slowly. The next time you sit down for a meal, set a timer (maybe the one on your kitchen stove or smartp...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Diet and Weight Loss Health Healthy Eating Source Type: blogs