To start eating clean for weight loss, your diet needs to consist of real food, plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean meat and whole grains. This is will start to put you on the right track to a healthy weight.
But there are a few things you can do to speed things up. This is particularly important if you have a lot of weight to lose or are pre-diabetic.
Free Report: 20 Simple Ways To Burn More Calories & Be More Active5 Tips For Eating Clean For Weight Loss
1. Watch The Sweeteners
Clean eating cuts out all white sugar and artificial sweeteners. Natural sweeteners like honey, agave syrup and maple syrup are usually allowed though. While they are fine to use in moderation, be careful about not going overboard. Replacing your sugary treats with “clean” versions that contain just as many natural sugars won’t help you lose the weight and isn’t good for your blood sugar.
2. Be Careful With Carbs
One of the best ways to lose excess weight is to curb the consumption of simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates include:
- Sugar
- White carbs (rice, bread, pasta)
- Desserts, pastries
- Artificial syrups
- Candy and cookies
- Soda and energy drinks
Instead, fill your plate with low carb, non-starchy vegetables, add a few berries and go easy on the potatoes.
Tracking carbohydrate consumption for a few days can help you get a feel for what clean foods are high in simple carbs and how lowering your intake makes you feel.
3. Stay Full With Plenty of Protein And Healthy Fat
With sugars and carbs out of the way, what should you eat? After all a big salad will only satisfy you for so long. Make it up with plenty of lean protein and healthy fats. Both take a longer time to digest and will help you stay full.
Include things like chicken, low fat cottage cheese, Greek Yogurt, ground turkey etc. with each meal or snack. Nuts are another great option full of healthy fats. Be careful of portion sizes though. The same holds true for healthy fats like cold-pressed olive oil or avocados.
4. Don’t Forget The Water
Often we think we’re hungry when we’re actually thirsty. Try drinking a glass of water first. Not only will it fill you up with zero calories, staying well hydrated also makes it easier for your body to process body fat into energy your body can use. In other words, drink your water and melt that fat right off your body.
5. Move Around More
Eating the right type of food in appropriate portions will make a huge difference when it comes to your weight. But so will moving around. This doesn’t mean heading to the gym each day or going for a 5 mile run. While those are great options, even moving around just a little more can have a positive impact.
Go for a short walk after dinner, park a little further away at the mall or dance around the kitchen to your favorite music. Not only will this burn extra calories, it also puts you in a better mood and kicks your metabolism into high gear.
How To Make Your Lifestyle More Active
The road to significant and prolonged weight loss is simple: create a calorie deficit by consuming far less calories than your body burns. The greater the calorie deficit, the more significant the drop in weight will be. You can create a healthy calorie deficit with an active lifestyle plan and eating clean for weight loss.
To help leverage new habits into a lifetime of good foods and better fitness download my free report 20 Ways To Make Your Lifestyle More Active. Once you choose a healthy lifestyle, you’ll never have to worry about dieting again.