Last year dramatically changed the balance we had in our life (if any), and many of us are facing now the difficulty to come back to this new normal, and regain control on our weight and on the way we eat.
I’ve had one too many baking frenzies during the past lockdowns, and adjusting to a different rhythm in which we are not required anymore to actually go out to reach our job on a daily basis, can be a real challenge, as we tend to be less active than we were before.
If you are struggling to find your new balance, you might want to have a deep dive in these 5 tips to regain control on your weight, and discover that we actually can do it, and be more healthy as well.
- Swap all your bread, cereals, and pasta for its wholemeal version. It might seem a little thing but it is actually incredibly helpful! Wholemeal products contain more fibre, whilst the white varieties have had the outer husk removed. This means that for the same amount of product, the wholemeal option contains less calories, as fibre are not assimilated by our organism, and it makes us feel full for a longer period of time. Furthermore, fibre is an essential part of our diet, and helps keep our digestive system healthy, and contains precious nutrients that get lost when the outer husk is removed.
Wholemeal bread - Stop adding sugar and to your tea and coffee, and choose sugar free drinks. This is pretty intuitive of course, but the point is that often we don’t realise how many empty calories we are adding to our diet, as we tend not to count a tea or a coffee in our daily intake. The same goes for ready drink we might have during the day, if we can swap them for a no sugar version, the drink will go back to be what it is supposed to: a way to hydrate ourselves, and to have a little break, instead of calories bomb that does not add any nutrient to our diet!
Sugar contains only empty calories - Trim the fat from your meat before cooking it, and favour grilling to other way of cooking meat. Meat represents the greater source of unsaturated fats, which are the “bad” fats that contribute to weight gain and to many cardiovascular diseases. By trimming the fat and grilling meat or sausages you can ensure you take away the unhealthy part of it, as grilling allows the fat to drain away whilst you cook.
Grilling is the best way to cook meat - Add more vegetables to your pasta, soups or sandwiches. This is a clever way to reduce the calories of what you eat! Try to reduce the amount of other ingredients and top up on various vegetables, to make up for the difference. Firstly, vegetables are rich in fibre, so they help you feel fuller. Secondly, they have a much lower caloric value. Thirdly, they provide many vitamins and mineral, and in this way is easier to reach your 5 a day.
Add vegetables to your meals - Use only unsaturated fat when cooking and use them sparingly. As said before, saturated fats (like butter, cream, cheese, lard, suet) are quite problematic for our health, as they provide a high number of calories (almost double the amount you find in carbohydrates), and they tend to be accumulated into our body, obstructing the arteries, and leading to coronary heart diseases, and obesity. Reducing the quantity of fat you use while cooking, and swapping it for unsaturated fat (like olive oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil) helps you stay healthier and control your weight at the same time. To help you distinguishing between the types of fat, just try to remember that saturated fat come from animal products, whilst unsaturated ones come from vegetables!
Olive oil is a healthy unsaturated fat
Try these easy tips to control your weight straight on, and you’ll marvel at the difference that they can make. Let me know in the comments if you are already doing some of the above, or if you are willing to give it a go.
Stay healthy lovely people, and remember: it’s much easier than you think!