Health: Losing Weight Without Eating Nothing But Salads

farmers-salad

When it comes to diet and exercise, everyone has their opinion health. Most will tell you that you must cut calories to lose weight and gain a more fit figure. Some will tell you you have to at least 1-2 salads/day and stick to nothing but the leafy greens. Why has salad become the international symbol for dieting? The most important part of losing weight isn’t in the salad, it’s in a variety of dietary restrictions:

You Don’t Need Salads To Lose Weight

Can you eat salads and lose weight? Absolutely! If you’re someone who enjoys the leafy flavor of a salad and can mix and match the perfect healthy ingredients, by all means, crush a salad every day if you want to. But most people get tired of eating the same bland flavors and salads day in and day out. If you do eat up a salad, make sure to have a variety of proteins, dressings, and veggies to be more filling without overdoing it.

More Health: Stop The 1200 Calorie Diets

Proper Portions Are Key

When it comes to overall health, nothing will help you shed weight like proper portioning. Not only is it good from a calorie deficit standpoint, but it also helps you make better choices when it comes to the food you select. Proteins have similar calorie counts as long as you portion them correctly. However, once you start seeing the calories in your vegetable choices you can learn to double portion for bigger meals. For instance, calories on a portion (150g) of green beans are ~47 calories. If you pair them with a portion of food like shrimp at 70 calories (depending on the size), you can double up both serving sizes for a larger meal on a day you’re more active. 94 calories added to 140 calories, throw in a serving of rice at 100 calories and you have a pretty hearty meal, without blowing your intake sky high. The pairing of foods becomes a lot easier when you’re more aware of the proper portions.

Set Your Routine

It doesn’t matter how well you plan out your day around your schedule, if you don’t make it a routine it doesn’t matter. Pick a day to do your shopping, meal prep, and other planning and stick to it. The excuse “well I just don’t have the time” comes from the people who just don’t have the routine. Sure things come up that cause you to pivot from time to time, but stick to the routine. When those moments arrive, pivot, but then find your way back to your routine. Once it becomes second nature, you’re going to be more aware of making the time to accomplish things.

Let the Gym Come To You

While you actually have to leave the house and go to the gym in most instances, you don’t have to go all day every day to get results. You can even skip a few days, so long as you stick to your routine consumption. Don’t push yourself to overdo it. Don’t ignore when your body says to take a break. The majority of your health and fitness comes from your day-to-day activity and the calories consumed. The gym absolutely helps, but you don’t have to punish yourself. You should note how you feel when you go when you leave, and after a few days off. Stick to it, and get used to it being a positive thing, not a torture device.

Getting in shape is tough. Everyone wants to be healthy. Losing weight is easy but having discipline is hard. Stick to it. You’ll get there.