12 tips to stabilize your weight after dieting
Phew, we've (finally) been able to lose those extra pounds...but in order not to get them back right away, we give you 10 essential tips for applying without moderation.
Stay awake!
I've been on a diet for several weeks. Between healthy eating, moderate physical activity, and motivational advice, you've managed to reach your healthy weight. Congratulation ! But beware, there is no doubt about indolence: bad habits are only waiting to return ... Also, to maintain your beautiful figure without depriving yourself, here are 12 tips to apply daily, without moderation.
eat smart
Post-diet, there's no doubt going back to eating anyway. Without getting caught up, it's a matter of eating smart: "Eating should be a mindful and mindful act," explains Damien Galtier, a registered dietitian and nutrition expert who specializes in therapeutic education. So we avoid devouring a plate of pasta in two minutes in front of an episode of Game of Thrones.
At mealtime, we focus on tastes, textures, sensations... and take our time! 10 minutes is the minimum. "It's good whether you eat at the table, at your desk or on the street!", adds the expert. Thus, the feeling of satiety comes naturally, we don't eat too much and we don't eat too much.
Mix foods well
The diet version of the diet, we understand it well: green foods (almost) to taste, yellow in moderation and red from time to time. Except that after the diet, we no longer walk around with our color code on the bottom of the handbag.
The idea to keep in mind is to automatically associate foods that appear 'red' to us (i.e. more fat, sweeter than others) with 'green' foods (those rich in nutrients, not too sweet, salty or greasy). "If you eat a plate of french fries, for example, mix it up with some lettuce leaves, suggests Damien Galtier. And for a chocolate cake, add fresh fruit."
In this way, your body will benefit from a wide range of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats and proteins) and you will then feel full: no more snacking!
Be organized on a daily basis
Saturday night: The fridge is empty and it's too late to go shopping? Too bad, it would be fast food...stop! Damien Galtier warns that "the best way to maintain a balanced diet is to be organized." Also, to avoid snacks and compulsive meals with 4000 red points, we prepare our menus in advance, write the shopping list little by little, and plan in advance so that we are not surprised. "If you know you have a busy week ahead, feel free to cook on the weekend and freeze some small meals. Or consider buying easy processed foods that won't take much time in the kitchen." Simple but effective!
Ask the right questions
Here, a craving for sweets! What if, before putting your nose in the fridge, we asked ourselves the right questions, just to avoid cravings? "It's about differentiating between hunger and a simple desire to eat," says Damien Galtier. So before jumping on the muffin tin, we sit for a few minutes quietly and analyze how we feel.
Are we hungry because we feel lonely, sad and bored? If so, the best solution is still to take your mind off things: go out, make a phone call to a girlfriend, watch a movie... It's good to think of something else. And if, on the contrary, we are really hungry, we return to a healthy and balanced snack, for example a fruit, or a slice of whole wheat bread with ham or one of the low-fat dairy products.
Don't give up on sports
Thirty minutes of physical activity a day is the minimum to maintain a nice figure. But if you don't have time to run to the gym every day, you'll be content with adopting good fitness reflexes on a daily basis: take the stairs instead of the elevator, get off the bus stop early, etc.
Swimming, jogging, tennis... It doesn't matter the sport: the most important thing is regularity. A little effort a day, the main thing is to stick to it! Bonus for those still undecided: exercise releases endorphins in the body, the hormone of pleasure and well-being
keep zain
Stress is enemy number one when watching your weight. In fact, when we are under stress, we tend to have cravings for fatty and sugary foods and store fat more easily, especially in the abdominal area. And all because of cortisol, the stress hormone. Also, to keep our new silhouette, one word: Relax!
First, before each meal, we take a moment for ourselves: calm down, close our eyes, breathe deeply, and relax. A few seconds is enough. Then, every week (and that, even if we had a plus reservation), we book an appointment for a pampering: a good hot bath, a manicure, a one-on-one picnic. Then, we're on the offensive again...and underestimate the risk of compensating for our food anxiety!
abuse management
With the end of the system, our social life came back again. Restaurants, appetizers, barbecues with friends...don't doubt deprive yourself. Obviously the next day we feel guilty. Don't panic: excess is made for it. First, we focus on the day of detoxing based on light foods (vegetables, white fish, fruits, low-fat yogurt, etc.), and above all, we remain attentive to our feelings: we do not force ourselves to eat if we are not hungry.
Then we consider wetting the well (water, broth, infusion ... 1 liter minimum) to promote elimination and avoid fat storage as much as possible. Finally, if we have the courage, we will walk in the fresh air for at least 30 minutes, not forgetting to breathe well, to eliminate toxins.
Sleep well
Bad nights make you fat: This is the result of a recent American study conducted by the University of California. Using magnetic resonance imaging techniques, researchers have realized that lack of sleep has an effect on the area of the brain responsible for the mechanisms of hunger and desire to eat. As a result, when you sleep poorly, you are more likely to be drawn to fatty and sugary foods, and thus accumulate kilograms from snacks.
Plus, lack of sleep also affects our mood... and as we know depression leads straight into the cupboard! To avoid this, we put some simple tips into practice: avoid alcohol and caffeine in the evening, bet on soothing colors in the bedroom, reduce light and noise while sleeping, and prepare a small dose with bedtime...anything that goes to sleep like a baby.
keep diary
A food diary is a bit like a slimming coach. Moreover, it's proven: According to a 2012 study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, women who use one have less difficulty than others in maintaining a healthy weight. How it works ? Every evening, we set aside five minutes to write down everything we ate and drank during the day, as well as the physical activity you did.
Excel table, memo on smartphone, notebook draft, pasting... All mediums are good: the idea is to be able to undo our caloric intake and, therefore, to be able to detect excesses more easily than they need to be compensated. In short, an effective and unrestricted way to stay slim on a daily basis...
Drop the scale...
... for sewing gauge. In fact, our weight is not a sufficient indicator when you want to monitor your figure: from day to day, it can vary ... and give us cold sweats. Tailoring tape measure is used to tactilely monitor the evolution of our silhouette. We use it once a week to measure the hips, waist and thighs. We note the results in a small notebook for a reliable and objective overview of our situation.