From Flab To Fab: Tips For Healthy Eating

From Flab To Fab: Tips For Healthy Eating

Taking down your hot, Swarovski-studded, for-special-occasions-only denim jeans from its special nook in the closet, you are surprised to discover that it has shrunk to an alarmingly skimpy level. Struggling to fit in its 24-inch waistline, you take the deepest, deep breath you could muster in order to lock the zipper and hook the button, never mind if you turned into a scary shade of blue for a few seconds.

Your excess weight coupled with a plummeting self-esteem has lowered down your sense of self-worth. Blame it on the binge session you've had over the holidays. Or the senseless munching of junk food while watching your fave sitcom. Then again it could be due to the unhealthy choices of meals you've picked while doing your grocery.

Now, you have decided to fight back! And what better way to do this than to take control of your eating habits. Here are vavavoom tips to gain back that svelte figure without starving yourself.

1. Eat slowly. Try to chew your food 30 times before swallowing it. Not only do you get to exercise your jaw muscles, you will also feel fuller in a shorter span of time. This may be a bit discomforting at first, but once you get the hang of it, it will be a breeze.

2. Indulge in water therapy. Down a glass of water, tea, or coffee 20 minutes before every meal. This will trick your brain that your stomach has been filled and it will signal you to eat less than usual. This strategy is also an effective way to ease hunger pangs. Take note that you should avoid sodas because they have high caloric value and may “silently” contribute to gaining unwanted pounds.

3. Put less food on your plate but spread it out. Food distributed all over will be an optical illusion that you are going to eat a lot, even if you are really trying to cut down your intake.

4. Eat only when you're hungry. Common sense? Apparently not, as plenty of people unconsciously pig out when they are an emotional wreck. Since comfort food offers a source of instant gratification that pep talk can't easily provide, make sure you guard yourself against this pitfall.

5. Use sugar sparingly. If you are used to pouring three tablespoons of sugar in your coffee or juice, it would be a much better idea to slash it to one tablespoon. Refined sugar has a calorie-boosting property which you don't really need at the moment.

6. Nix butter, oil, margarine, cream, mayonnaise and other tasty but calorie-laden dressing. They can pack in the pounds without you knowing it.

7. Avoid concentrated food like custard cake, chocolate mousse, ice cream and other sumptuous desserts. Take a bite if you must, but do not consume the entire serving by yourself.

At the end of the day, you hold the key to your eating habits. It's up to you to decide whether you want to be drool-worthy fab or sickeningly flab.