Top 8 eating habits that will allow you to lose weight without gaining it back

Perhaps the most challenging part of the weight loss process is keeping it stable. Our brain thinks that all goals have been achieved and we can relax. And then you start eating unhealthy snacks, craving sweets, and consuming calories uncontrollably. A little time passes and it becomes clear that you need to start all over again.

However, according to Eat This, Not That!, good eating habits that can be developed simultaneously with active weight loss will help you escape from this vicious circle. They won't hurt those who don't have weight problems either as these habits will allow you to maintain a normal weight without excessive effort and self-restraint. They will also be good for your overall health.

Increase your fiber intake

Dietary fiber is low in calories and high in volume, which means it provides a long-lasting feeling of satiety and prevents overeating. At the same time, they are extremely beneficial for intestinal health, help to absorb a lot of nutrients, help regulate blood cholesterol levels, and even participate in strengthening the immune system. The list is impressive, isn't it?

And it's not hard to find fiber: it's found in almost all plant-based foods. Vegetables, berries, fruits, bran, whole grain bread and pasta, legumes, brown rice: all these foods are rich in dietary fiber. Women are advised to consume 21-25 grams of fiber per day, while men should eat 30-38 grams.

Try bulk nutrition

This is a relatively new approach to nutrition that involves consuming fairly large amounts of food that is low in calories. It helps a person not to suffer from hunger while losing weight. And this feeling is perhaps the biggest fear and obstacle for those who want to lose weight.

Another advantage of bulk nutrition is that there is no need to count calories. You just sit down to eat when you're hungry and stop eating when you feel full. It's probably not hard to guess what will help you organize a healthy diet. That's right, it's fiber-rich foods that should be added to every meal. Also, try replacing high-fat protein foods with lower-fat alternatives.

Include protein in every meal

Protein is essential for maintaining muscle mass, and it also makes you feel fuller than other macronutrients. That's why it's important to consume it with every meal.

Here are some ideas on how to enrich your diet with protein:

• Breakfast: low-fat Greek yogurt, egg white scramble, or almond and banana butter.
• Lunch: sandwich with lean turkey, hard-boiled eggs, chickpeas (in a salad or in the form of hummus or other options to your liking), low-fat crumbled cheese.
• Dinner: lentil soup, shrimp or tofu, grilled chicken in a grain bowl.

Divide snacks into portions in advance

If you eat healthy snacks (such as fruit chips or nuts) straight out of the bag, it's easy to miss the moment when you've eaten enough, continue eating and overeat. That's why experts recommend packing snack foods in advance. Over time, you will learn to distinguish the size of your portion by eye and you won't even need a kitchen scale or measuring cups.

Give preference to whole foods over highly processed ones

Even if the sausage label has words like "low-calorie" or "fitness," you still can't be completely sure how much fat, protein, salt, or sugar it contains. Cooked meat is another matter, where you know exactly how much of what was added during the cooking process.

Here, too, we can offer some ready-made ideas:

• store-bought breakfast cereal can be replaced with cereal oatmeal with nuts or bananas;
• potato chips can be replaced with air-fried sweet potato slices or homemade cabbage chips;
• orange juice may contain added sugar, a good substitute for it is a whole orange, which is also rich in fiber;
• factory-made mayonnaise may lose out to homemade hummus or guacamole.

Consume unsaturated fats with every meal

Don't be afraid of fat. It is a very valuable component of nutrition, which is necessary for heart and brain health and can even improve the appearance of hair and nails. But you should give preference to monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Unlike saturated fats, they do not harm blood vessels. They are easily found in plant-based foods such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil. So, it's better to season your salad with a spoonful of olive oil and, say, flax or sesame seeds for flavor, rather than sour cream or mayonnaise.

Fill half of your plate with vegetables

There's nothing wrong with eating potatoes, macaroni and cheese, or steak from time to time, especially if you fill half of your plate with vegetables. These can be raw vegetables in the form of a salad, stew, sauté, or just grilled vegetable slices. Choose options to your liking. Omelet? Add tomatoes and mushrooms to it. A fruit smoothie? A little carrot will only make it more interesting. And so on. There is no better way to enrich your diet with a wide variety of nutrients than to add more vegetables. It can be fruit for breakfast, it's also healthy.

Eat more legumes

As we've already found out, foods that are high in protein and fiber and low in fat are ideal for keeping you slim. And what is the name of the food that meets all these characteristics? Legumes! Lentil soup, black beans in your morning omelet, chickpeas in your salad, mashed peas instead of mashed potatoes. Try eating legumes at least once a week to start with. And gradually increase their share in your diet. They give a good feeling of satiety and significantly enrich the diet.