Diet Not Working Try These 5 Tips!

Diet Not Working Try These 5 Tips! pexels.com 1. “Counting calories, but not eating real food” Many individuals (especially younger individuals, i.e. college students) tend to think that so long as you’re under a certain amount of calories every day, you’re eating healthy. This is not the case. You can count calories all you want, but if you aren’t eating what your body needs, and if you’re still filling it with junk, your diet is not going to work. In other words, processed foods aren’t going to cut it. You need fiber, healthy fats, protein, fruits, and veggies, etc. If you’re eating refined carbs and sugar, you’re not going to see the results that you want. Think the healthier you eat, the better you’ll look. 2. “Starting the day with carbohydrates” It sounds counterproductive, but it isn’t. That morning bowl of cereal isn’t actually helping you (especially if you’re eating Cookie Crisp or other unhealthy options) and neither are the orange juice or jelly covered toast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and, for the most part, we waste it on unhealthy foods that are defeating our health streak before we can even begin. Basically, you should be targeting 15 grams of protein in the morning. So what would this mean in terms of breakfast foods? You should be eating yogurt and granola, protein shakes, eggs, etc. Anything that you can classify as healthy and that has that protein that you need to kick-start your day. 3. “Not getting enough sleep” This is probably going to be our biggest battle if you aren’t sleeping well, your body isn’t doing well. So stop with the all-nighters or the late night parties every weekday because this is going to make you more susceptible when the flu runs around your campus and it’s going to completely diminish your health productivity as well. You need sleep, your diet needs sleep, and your health needs sleep. If you aren’t sleeping well (or just refuse to go to bed), you’re more likely to overeat. You’re also more likely to gain weight. So what is a healthy sleeping routine? 8 hours minimum. That doesn’t mean skip your 9 a.m. class, that means go to bed before 1 a.m. Adjust your schedule to accommodate and you will feel and look better, guaranteed! 4. “Eating when not hungry” We’re all far too guilty of it, and we know that we’re doing it as it happens, but it’s an unconscious habit that’s hard to kick. Basically, when you’re feeling bored, or stressed, or tired, or thirsty, or you’re sitting there doing nothing, your body will believe that it’s hungry. Stop feeding it! If you’re finding yourself snacking for no reason throughout the day, you need to make some changes. There are, luckily, a few ways to correct this. For one thing, utilize a hunger scale, ranked 1-10 (1 being starving and 10 being overly full). If you are below a 4 on the hunger scale, you can eat. If you are above a 4, don’t. If that’s too difficult to master, you can make note of the times you’re watching TV and feeling hungry, determine if you’re just bored or if you’re actually ready to eat, and do something to keep yourself busy if you aren’t actually hungry. Basically, you can use your hunger as a bored-ometer if you’re hungry but you shouldn’t be, you’re probably bored and trying to fill some time. So do something more productive and come back to the TV a little later! 5. “Hanging with the wrong crowd” Most often, this is going to be your friends and family that aren’t supportive of your weight-loss efforts. In these circumstances, individuals are more likely to regain the weight or to stop their diets altogether. A new study also revealed that individuals are the most likely to cheat on their diets when they’re out with friends and family, as it’s very easy to be manipulated into having a “cheat day,” etc. Basically, don’t accept where you are. If you want to continue to eat healthy, don’t let others talk you out of it. Stick to your diet, and if you’re worried about cheating when you go out, don’t eat out. Invite friends over for some healthy snacks or for a home-cooked meal. Don’t let them manipulate your diet you’re in charge. Start implementing these diet tips into your everyday routine and you’ll be back in that swimsuit and ready for summer in no time!