Ready to Stop Yo-Yo Dieting? Keep Reading...

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Are you a yo-yo dieter? If you are, you are indeed not alone. The process of losing a significant amount of weight, before regaining all or most of it, and then repeating the process time and time again is a frustrating experience shared by people all over the world (trust me, I know firsthand!!)

Just as you feel like you are making progress and getting somewhere with your weight loss, you find yourself slipping back into bad habits, and before you know it, you are back where you started. In some cases, people end up even heavier than they were initially. Managing your weight in this way is neither healthy nor sustainable, and will not do your self-esteem much good either, as you may feel like you are continually failing yourself. If you are ready to break this cycle, here are a few tips to help you on your way.

Think about your attitude towards food, and any issues that you may have

When it comes to weight loss, this is one of the most important things that you can do. You will never be successful in losing weight if you haven’t considered your feelings and attitudes towards food and diets, and if you don’t deal with any underlying issues surrounding it, nothing will work in the longer term. It may be something simple, but more often than not, there are a variety of factors which, when combined, have made you gain the weight or stopped you from losing any. Perhaps you comfort eat, or eat out of boredom? Are you disorganized, so end up grabbing that calorific takeout on your way home from work? Maybe you are an inexperienced cook and don’t know how to prepare healthy meals. Working out the reasons behind the problem will help you to gain much more control over the situation. If you feel like you have some extreme emotions or issues when it comes to food, you may want to consider speaking to a counselor or therapist to help you regain control and deal with them.

Clean Out The Kitchen

It can be incredibly difficult to follow any healthy eating plan if your kitchen is full of unhealthy and high calorie/carb or nutritionally devoid snacks and food. If you have a family or roommates, get them on board too, so that you can’t use the excuse that they are available for them. Dispose of anything that isn’t providing your body with nutritional goodness - anything overly processed, salty and prepackaged, or full of added sugar or preservatives. Ready meals and jars of sauces may be convenient after a hard day at work, but they, as a whole, are relatively devoid of nutrition. Do a big grocery shop and fill your cabinets and refrigerator with fresh fruit and vegetables and healthier alternatives. Don’t completely deny yourself a treat - a piece of chocolate here or slice of cake there isn’t going to hurt, and in fact, can be a part of a balanced diet, but make sure it is an occasional treat.

Research Healthy Eating Plans

There are hundreds of thousands of eating plans out there, and it is essential to do your research and find one that is suitable for you - some will only make yo-yo dieting worse as they aren’t sustainable for more than a few weeks. Others can be implemented as a life long healthy eating plan rather than a short term diet. This noom review gives you an idea of one such plan you may want to take a look at. However, speaking with your doctor or a nutritionist that can tailor a plan specifically for you is always a good way to go!

Learn To Cook

For many people, especially these days where we rely heavily on convenience foods, an inability to cook is one of the main reasons why people struggle to maintain a healthy weight. Learning to prepare exciting, yet healthy meals, means you are less likely to pick up Chinese takeout or reach for the cookie jar just because you want something satisfying to eat. Invest in some herbs and spices and learn how to use them in your everyday meals and slowly build up your repertoire. Look for healthy swaps where possible - can you swap that heavy cream out for natural yogurt? If time is an issue, as it is for lots of us, could you invest in a slow cooker so that you can walk in after a day at work to a hearty and healthy home cooked meal? Experiment with flavors and recipes, and most importantly, have fun with them.

LETS GET SOCIAL…

Want To Wow This Summer? Eat A Balanced Diet!

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Ladies love to look great every single day, but summer is the most important season on the calendar. When the temperature rises, the clothes come off and we tend to spend more time in social situations. So, when you are out with the girls baring more skin, it’s vital to be on top of your game. Plus, there is the beach to think about when you go on an inevitable summer vacation. For these reasons, women have wondered about the best way to wow. Well, The Kashonna Files can confirm it is all about your diet. If you are a non-believer, here are the reasons why. 

Photo Credit

Photo Credit

Nutrients Make Skin Glow

A balanced diet has a range of different nutrients, from L-lysine to cod liver oil and vitamins A to D. And, all of these elements have lots of benefits for a person’s skin. Why? It’s because they contain antioxidants which improve skin tone by reducing damage to the cells. Also, they keep skin less dry and moister, so there is less chance of an outbreak of spots. And, if that wasn’t enough, they can tackle conditions such as eczema and shingles. Studies show that butternut squash is the most powerful food to flatten bad skin.

And Thicken Hair

Don’t you get jealous when you see a woman on the street with luscious locks? Well, there is no need to anymore as the same nutrients that affect your skin work wonders on hair, too. It is mainly down to lysine as this is one of the amino acids which boost the production of keratin. Keratin, in general, is a skin protector as it limits the damage of external and internal factors, such as the cold and stress. Quite simply, it is the guardian of hair, so consuming more will increase volume. Methionine, Glycine and Proline are three other amino acids to implement into your diet for hair growth.

Weight Loss

It isn’t a secret, but it is worth remembering that a balanced diet helps to regulate body weight. Of course, losing a few pounds is always a good way to look and feel good, especially in the summer. To begin with, there is less reason to be anxious about because your body has fewer flaws. Also, there is the fact that losing weight is a health benefit. With less fat in your system, all of the bodily systems and functions are more effective. This can affect everything from skin to muscle tone and beyond.

Improves Mood

It’s easy to own the physical benefits, but the mental side of a balanced diet is very important, too. Let’s face it – everyone wants to enjoy the summer. The sun is out, so are the people, and everyone is having a good time. If you are not, it will affect your appearance. To begin with, you will seem as if you have a bee hive in your mouth, which isn’t attractive. Plus, a bad mental attitude can lead to stress.

 

And, the more you have in your system, the worse your body will look this summer.