Just because you are trying to stay fit does not mean you need to completely eliminate the foods that give you joy. You do not need to go on restrictive diets where you stuff your face with vegetables and lean meat all day, only to have a tiny cheat meal over the weekend.
There are many ways to continue enjoying your favorite foods while staying fit. It’s all about balance and portion control. This means that there will never be a day you will have to give up on eating ice cream or pizza. Never associate guilt with food, as this will only harm you in the long run.
Here are some ways to stay fit while still enjoying your favorite foods:
Contents
⦁ Change The Order Of Your Meal
Always make sure that your plate contains vegetables, protein, and carbohydrates. You need the best of all three worlds. However, start with the veggies and protein when you begin eating, leaving the carbs for the last.
The trick is to satiate most of your appetite with fiber-rich foods. By the time you start eating the carbs, you will already be mostly full. This way, there are fewer chances of you overindulging on the carbs that are more calorie-dense. Another advantage of limiting your carb intake is that it will ensure that your blood sugar levels remain balanced. This does not mean that you cannot eat carbs. It simply means that you need to limit how much you eat.
⦁ Hydrate
When trying to stay fit, many people underestimate how important hydrating is. Not only does drinking an ample amount of water help you stay healthy, but it also ensures that your body continues to function properly and that your hair, skin, and nails remain strong.
You must aim to drink at least 72 ounces or more of water every day. The more water you drink, the better your body will function. Drinking more water helps increase the rate of your metabolism while ensuring that you burn calories quickly. If you make this a habit, you will be less prone to diseases, and your immune system will strengthen. Moreover, you will never mistake thirst for hunger, reducing the probability of you snacking at odd hours.
⦁ Be Active
It doesn’t matter what kind of fitness regimen you follow. Even if you work out every day for an hour, you should still continue to be active during the rest of the day. Try to squeeze in as much physical activity as you can in your daily life.
This means that instead of taking your car out to drive to the grocery store, walk instead. Whenever you go to school or work, do not take the lift. Instead, make your way to the staircase. If you have a desk job, keep an alarm for every hour and make sure you get up, stretch, take a walk, or do some squats when the alarm rings. Try to complete your daily steps every single day. It doesn’t matter what you do; you should just try to move your body instead of staying in one spot all day.
⦁ Understand What A Portion Size Means
Just because you can eat your favorite foods does not mean that you should go overboard. Like we mentioned before, balance is the key. You should eat mindfully so that you do not overeat. Learn what a portion size is and stick to that. Just because the pasta you ordered at a restaurant came in a bowl does not mean you have to finish it. Usually, these servings are enough for an entire family.
With junk food, calories add up quickly, so you may not even realize you are overindulging. You can eat your favorite chocolate every day, but you must make ensure that you do not eat an extra couple of bars. Satisfy your cravings but know when it is time to stop. Moreover, stop eating when you are full. This means that even if there is food on your plate, put it in the fridge or get it packed so that you can eat later.
⦁ Get 7 To 8 Hours Of Sleep Every Night
Do not underestimate the importance of a good night’s sleep every night. A bad sleep cycle can completely wreck your metabolism, as well as your immune system. When you do sleep at night, your brain and body start to suffer. This causes a decrease in the hormones that suppress hunger, leading metabolic function to fall.
This makes it easier for the human body to crave food, increasing your chances of overeating. You end up indulging and consuming calorie-dense foods only because you start to feel hungrier. This makes it harder to burn the fat off your body. So, start sleeping on time so that you can establish a healthy sleep routine. Wake up at the same time every day. Do not consume any caffeine or alcohol before bed so that there is nothing interrupting your sleep cycle. Soon, you will be waking up without an alarm clock!
⦁ Find Low-Calorie Versions Of Your Favorite Foods
If you want to stay fit while enjoying your favorite foods, all you have to do is look for healthier, low-calorie options or find ways to prepare the food differently. For example, if you love pizza, look for thin-crust options or whole-wheat bread crusts. If you love chocolate, instead of snacking on milk chocolate high in calories and sugar, have dark chocolate containing lesser sugar and higher antioxidants.
Conclusion
There are loads of ways you can swap out unhealthy foods and make them healthier. You may have to experiment with a couple of recipes, but that’s what makes this process so fun. You get to choose what to include in your diet based on what you enjoy eating. Staying fit is not about eating bland chicken pieces and steamed broccoli every single day. It is about establishing a healthy eating regimen and making it a lifestyle.
