|
Avoid sugar-free shit. To give it a sweet taste, companies invariably put aspartame or another artificial sweeter in their product, some of which have been linked with cancer. Your body responds to the sensation of "sweet" by sending acid to the stomach to break down the sugar. When there is none there, your brain starts telling you to eat some sugar so that acid isn't sitting in your stomach. So in the end, you'll probably give in to binges and gain weight.
There is an adaptive period between the time you renounce sodas and the time water starts to taste good again to you. It's the only thing your body wants to hydrate itself with, and man has never come up with a worthy rival. The problem is that soda can be addicting and so quitting can be somewhat difficult psychologically. You need to remember that your body is constantly filtering out toxins and renewing itself, and dumping syrup into it is doing it a huge disservice and is an easy way to die young or give yourself a life-threatening disease like diabetes. Try drinking it very cold if taste is a problem for you. After your taste buds accustom themselves to it, you will be able to distinguish between water sources and begin to enjoy it more. Try to drink 8 glasses a day. At first this will seem like a lot, but I found that eventually I was compelled to drink more water.
Eating high-fiber foods is a must. Your body expends 7 calories in digesting 1 gram of fiber. If you check nothing else on a products nutritional info, check its fiber. There are so many types of bread, for example, that are nothing but wheat gluten--this is awful. Get bread with 3 grams of fiber per slice. Whoever said eating oatmeal is also right--it has both high fiber and protein.
After your body has been asleep for 8 hours, your metabolism is really low and you need energy quickly. Make eating soon after waking a priority, and the rest of your day should be easier because your body has been given the tools necessary to start up right.
Generally, the old saying has it: eat like a king for breakfast, a prince for lunch, and a pauper for dinner. The huge caveat here is: stop when you are full. It is more of a guideline than a rule. In fact, many "naturally" thin people are constant snackers. The key here is to separate your hunger (physical need for food) from your appetite (psychological desire for food), and learn to gauge when you are truly hungry (a slight pang or gurgling from your stomach are signs that it is time to eat).
When you eat your food, chew very, very slowly. Chew each bite of food 100 times before swallowing. Not only does this allow you the time to recognize when you are full, but it helps your body's digestion.
That's all I can think of for now. I hope some of it is helpful.
|