At our Spring Hill Weight Loss Clinic, we have already seen many people who incorrectly associate weight loss with starvation. For these people, it is very common to try to lose weight by drastically limiting their food intake.  Unfortunately, after a few days of maintaining this new and very unhealthy pattern, the body starts to rebel. This is not surprising as the body needs calories to survive. Because of this, many fall into the yo-yo dieting trap. If you want to lose weight, decreasing your caloric intake by half overnight is the worst strategy you can apply because no one is able to maintain such a regimen for a long period of time.  Your body will simply make it impossible. Not only will you not lose any weight — worse, your body will store the fat in case of ‘emergency’ (the emergency being not having enough energy to go on). As a result, you will feel miserable throughout this ordeal you’re putting yourself through. If you’d like to lose weight in a healthy and effective way, read on to get a couple of tips from our Spring Hill, FL dietitian – Susan.

How can you lose weight without starving? 

If you want to lose weight, the best possible approach you can adopt is moderation. You have to understand that things won’t just magically happen overnight. “All good things take time!” as our Spring Hill dietitian likes to say. Any drastic strategies simply won’t do – your body is not designed for fasting, not eating enough calories, or pushing it to (or beyond!) its limits. All you need to do is take small steps on this journey to weight loss. Think of all the small changes you can make in your usual lifestyle; changes, that are going to benefit your health and are easy to maintain. Here are a couple of examples:

• Cut back on the sugar.

If you usually take 2 teaspoons of sugar in your tea or coffee, try 1. At first, your beverage may seem a bit bitter but after a week your taste buds will get used to it and you will enjoy the taste!

• Add veggies and fruit to your meals.

Make sure to have some vegetables or fruit with every meal. They’re healthy, contain almost no calories and they fill you up for longer as they are rich in fiber.

• Snack wisely.

If you like snacking, take care of the quality of your snacks. Homemade potato chips or popcorn taste just as good as the store-bought (if not better!) but they are much, much healthier and lower in calories.

• Squeeze in exercise to your routine.

If you don’t normally exercise, try something nice and easy at the beginning, just to get your body started and get used to your new lifestyle. Try the 7-minute-workout (you can find that online) or simply take a 20-minute walk around your block.

• Give up alcohol.

It’s the best thing you can do for your health and weight. Alcohol is extremely caloric and harmful to your body (after all, it is a poison), and mixed with those fuzzy colorful, and sugary drinks, it’s a match made in hell. Stay away from that – or at least reduce your intake – if you want to keep your stomach flat.

• Make food swaps.

Do you often eat fast food for convenience especially when you’re on a tight schedule? If you’re on-the-go most of the time and can’t help but rely on fast food sometimes, the best way to go is to make food swaps. For instance, instead of grabbing a regular burger, ask if you could swap the buns for more lettuce. You can also try swapping a full meal with a protein shake, which is also easy and quick to prepare.

• Get your protein from lean sources.

If you want to lose weight and maintain it, protein is your best friend. It’s best to get your protein from lean sources, such as chicken breast and fish. Furthermore, these lean meats have fewer carbs and fat.

• Manage your stress.

Do you eat more when you’re stressed? Scientifically, stress releases the hormone cortisol, which can boost your appetite for comfort foods such as sugary and fatty treats. To keep yourself from stress-eating, try to practice relaxation techniques and breathing exercises, which you can do in place of grabbing a bag of chips or chocolate.

• Get extra sleep.

Getting enough sleep is one — getting extra sleep is another but it can do wonders for your metabolism. As much as possible, sleep in for an extra 30 minutes on top of your 6 to 8 hours of shuteye.

Learn More about Batista Weight Loss & Wellness

You see, dieting isn’t about turning your life upside down. You don’t have to sacrifice everything in order to look and feel good. After all, what is the goal of losing weight?  You want to feel great in your body and you want to be healthy to enjoy your life longer. It’s counterproductive if you make your life miserable in the process, right? Take our Spring Hill dietitian Susan’s word – change your approach to dieting and you will change your life and achieve your goals! Our online weight loss doctor also offers virtual consultations. Aside from weight loss tips, we can also provide you with other safe and proven weight loss options, including ultra slim shot injection. If you’d like to find out what else you can do to keep your losing weight efforts fun, contact us today – we are looking forward to helping you!

The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE, and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.