How to Outsmart Weight Gain

The pothole of weight gain is a sad reality for many people. Typically, we gain weight when we eat more than what we can burn off. For some people, the problem is associated to genetic or environmental factors, to their lifestyle or other health conditions.

Unfortunately, the typical process is this: weight loss gets along euphorically with a sense of pride at having accomplished what so many people find hard, followed by hopelessness at having gained the weight back.

Food not only provides nutrition; the whole process of eating is also a social occasion. So, it's so easy to fall in the trap of losing weight easily and gaining it back just as rapidly as it was lost, then struggling to lose it again.

Certainly, there are things we can do to outsmart weight gain. It takes dedication, but it produces enduring results. Here are some useful tips:

- Make breakfast your best friend

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Many people skip breakfast because they believe that by eating breakfast they will put on weight. In effect, this is wrong. Actually, in the morning, our metabolism works better.

By skipping breakfast, we are more likely to feel tired because our brain and body will soon run low on fuel. Breakfast is the first meal of the day after 10-12 hours of fast during the night. Our body has fully consumed the reserves of energy of the previous day, and the levels of glucose in the morning are low.

Eating a healthy breakfast helps restoring the levels of our energy back to normal. High fiber cereals with skimmed milk are a good source of energy. You can add some fresh fruits or eat a fresh fruit salad that will get you through lunchtime and will provide you with vitamins and minerals.

- Avoid processed foods

Convenience foods are rich in preservatives. Canned foods high in sodium, packaged snack foods such as chips and cheese snacks that are high in calories, frozen fish sticks and frozen dinners, white breads and pastas baked with refined white flour, sugary breakfast cereals, packaged cakes and cookies, boxed meal mixes, and processed meats, all are a NO, NO. Instead, shop fresh fruits and vegetables from your local grocery store, avoid chips, prefer whole-wheat pasta and bread, and cook fresh fish and chicken. Try to reduce your read meat intake to twice a week the most. Choose lean cuts of meat and remove fat from your steaks.

- Avoid alcohol consumption

Even if you are invited to your best friend's barbecue, do not drink that beer or glass of wine. Once you slip into the pleasure of alcohol consumption, you'll have hard time getting back to normal again. Liquor calories count as much as food calories and sometimes even more. So think twice before saying "cheers!"

- Eat lots of proteins

A high-protein diet can help you better control your appetite and calorie intake. Proteins reduce blood lipids and burn fat for fuel without making you hungry. So, not only you lose weight, but your brain receives lower levels of appetite-stimulating hormones. Eggs, dairy products, beef, poultry, fish, shellfish, nuts, seeds, black beans and lentils are rich source of proteins.

- Eat lots of fiber

Fiber is a great nutrient that can help you outsmarting weight gain. Eating foods that are high in fiber such as fruits, vegetables, whole-grain, beans and legumes will clean your digestive tract and will release constipation symptoms.

- Exercise regularly

Try to add small amounts of movements to your day if you don't exercise already. Add more steps to your day; sit on a bounce ball while you watch TV; take the stairs to your apartment; park a block away; pace while you talk on the phone; climax to 40-45 minutes of daily activity. Small changes can make a big difference.

- Keep track of your weight

Weigh yourself on a regular basis, once or twice a week so that you know where you stand. It's better to stop when you can control your weight gain before it reaches large amounts.

- Enjoy being on a diet

Maybe the most important part of your effort to lose weight is to enjoy what you do. If you deprive yourself and you feel you don't deserve this, then it will definitely boomerang to you.

All the above work perfectly together and produce long lasting results. You have the choice to believe in yourself. You have the choice to take back control of your life and love yourself. You have the choice to take control over your own image. Being overweight can adversely influence how you see yourself. So, at the end of the day, it's your choice.