Eating right plays a major role in the ability to stay lean and look great. Unfortunately, people confuse eating less with eating the right way. They assume cutting calories, sometimes dramatically, leads to improved looks. This approach might not be the best one. Instead, a better strategy would be to eat healthy, sensible foods that feed the body the nutrients it requires.
The Problem with Cutting Calories
Cutting calories doesn’t always help the cause of losing weight. For one, significant calorie reductions may lead to a quick loss of water weight. Water weight obviously isn’t the same thing as fat. Also, the body may enter “starvation mode” when a calorie deficit becomes too significant. When this happens, the body burns lean muscle mass in addition to fat. While weight drops, a physique may look smaller but not leaner. Again, muscle burns while significant fat may remain on the frame.
Cutting too many calories can set someone up for significant binge eating. Eventually, hunger takes over when the body is robbed its calorie needs. Switching from a low-calorie diet to binge eating means lost weight is coming back. Hence, this approach is dubbed “yo-yo dieting.”
Reducing Calories Slightly and Eating Sensibly
Cutting a few calories such as 500 per day may lead to gradual and reliable weight loss. Obviously, eliminating 500 calories per day won’t lead to massive weight loss in a couple of weeks. The gradual reduction in calories requires sticking with the new diet for several weeks. In essence, moderately reducing calories requires a change in lifestyle approach to eating. This isn’t entirely easy, but the effort is worth it. Actually, there is a way in which to make the change easier. Adding crossfit supplements such as protein powders, fish oil, and more could even help those wishing to add nutrients to support their new diet plan.
Check Out Hearty and Healthy Recipes
So, what do you eat when you change to a healthier diet plan? The number of choices are huge. Scores of outstanding recipes for low-calorie foods that taste great can be tapped for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Steamed brown rice and chicken for lunch isn’t exactly as high in calories as a cheeseburger and French fries. Granola cereal with bananas would be a step up over chocolate chip and whipped cream flour pancakes.
Those who don’t know how to make healthy and hearty meals do have the option of learning how to make them. Healthy eating recipe books provide all the necessary steps for making great food. Several of the recipes in well-written books aren’t even difficult to make. The ingredients may be common ones found in any and every supermarket in the world. Even a novice could likely cook three meals a day with no trouble.
The Disciplined Approach
Good food still comes with calories, too. While a lack of fat and sugar may mean fewer calories, eating too much of good foods means eating too many calories. Discipline is required when eating no matter what you eat. Those who discover scores of new healthy recipes through a unique cookbook may go wild making recipes. Their new hobby might come with a desire to eat a lot. This wouldn’t be a good idea as overeating always comes with consequences.
Making a host of different recipes is fine. Just be sure to spread them out and not use them to gorge several meals and snacks during the day. Always employ a disciplined approach to any eating habits.
Time Meals Effectively
Eating carbohydrates early in the morning allows the energy gained from them to be burned throughout the day. Eating lean protein and vegetables for dinner while going short on the carbs means they won’t be in the system while you sleep. Burning carbs isn’t exactly easy when sleeping. Choosing and timing meals allows you to get the most out of them. Ultimately, you want all your meals to work in your favor to help you stay lean.
