6 Simple Habits To Maintain A Healthy Weight

Start These 6 Simple Habits Today to Maintain a Healthy Weight

There are lots of articles on how to lose weight – but fewer articles on how to maintain a healthy weight – or just eat a little more healthily. If you are at (or close to) your ideal weight, then it’s good to know how to keep that measurement perfect, while still enjoying your food AND keeping healthy.

It can be tempting to rely on fast food when you’re busy, and also at holiday times. But it’s important to enjoy fast food as an occasional treat rather than the norm.

The following 6 simple tips will help you to maintain a healthy weight.

#1 Ditch the Electronics

Most of us have a cell phone or tablet – and it’s so quick and easy to check email or scroll social media that we often do so while we’re eating.

That’s a problem – if you multitask while eating, your brain doesn’t notice how much you’re consuming.

Instead, use your mealtime as a break, both physically and mentally. Allow your mind to catch up with all the information it has received.

Ideally, try to eat outside – your garden or balcony, or find a park bench where you can breathe in fresh air and digest your meal properly before starting work again.

#2 – Don’t Skip the Most Important Meal!

Coffee is great – but you need more for breakfast. It’s tempting to skip the most important meal of the day, but don’t.

Breakfast can be healthy, filling AND quick.

Keep wholewheat bread or bagels close to your toaster.  While you are putting on your shoes, toast your bread, put your topping on, and head out.

If you are looking for something heartier, make breakfast burritos. Include veggies and eggs for added protein. This is also a great activity to do with the children. Create an assembly line and make enough for the week. Now the kids can tell their friends they made their own breakfast. It’s a win-win.

#3 – Replace a Meal with a Healthy Smoothie

A healthy smoothie contains more vegetables than fruit. Adding leafy greens such as baby spinach to a tasty smoothie ups its health content. Add a few berries for natural sweetness, and plain greek yogurt (unsweetened) for protein, and you’ve got a healthy breakfast or lunch with no cooking.

Use frozen ingredients as they are often already prepped, or take half an hour over a weekend and peel and chop some fruit and veggies. Then store them in individual portion sizes for the week ahead, and you’ve got an instant meal-replacement smoothie!

Click the picture below to get some yummy healthy smoothie recipes – these are really, really useful if you are going to a party or eating out, and need something low-calorie but healthy and filling for one meal, to counteract a heavier meal later.

#4 – Don’t Lapse on your Days Off

When you do have a chance to relax and sleep in, old habits tend to creep up. This is the best time to check your diet. Use this time to try new healthy recipes and incorporate the ones you love into your weekly meals. This is also a good time to prepare snacks for when you’re on the go.

Treat yourself to a well-balanced meal a few times a week. Salmon and asparagus are great on the BBQ. For indoor meals try using your crockpot or slow cooker. A hearty stew with lots of vegetables is always a welcome meal.

#5 – Eat the Rainbow

You need a variety of food to give you a broad range of nutrients. Don’t keep eating the same old, same old!

When making your next salad, add some red peppers and mushrooms for added protein.

When you feel like something sweet, add fresh sliced strawberries, bananas and/or apple to a little Greek yogurt. For added crunch add some nuts.

Each week try something new and begin enjoying eating fruits and vegetables again.

#6 – Use Smaller Plates

It sounds silly, but when you use a smaller plate for your food, your brain thinks you’re getting more food than you really are.

It’s a variation of the Delboeuf illusion. Experiments show that when people are presented with 2 plates of food, they choose the meal on the smaller plate. Why? Even though both plates contain exactly the same amount of food, people think they’re getting more to eat on the smaller plate.

It’s a great idea to use a smaller plate at home for your main course and a large plate for salad or vegetables.

When dining out, ask for a side plate for your meal. Put some of your main course on it. If you are still hungry later, you will have leftovers to reach for.

A Lovely Quote!

To maintain a healthy weight, the idea is to change your habits and way of thinking about food. Before long, you will enjoy cooking good food and eating well.

“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.”

Francois de La Rochefoucauld (French author)

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Warm regards,

P.S.  Don’t forget to download your FREE recipes for yummy smoothies that will keep you feeling full!  Click here.