Modern-day life leaves little free time for people to make themselves a nice and healthy meal. A kitchen today is a place with a microwave and a freezer, full of boxed, processed food. People pass through their kitchens, usually in a hurry, only to leave as soon as they can. We eat what we find, breakfast food is everything but breakfast, hot dog is a synonym for lunch and dinner is a box of what ever you find. Does it really have to be that way?
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Be determined to lose weight
Although modern life doesn’t leave much time for such things like grocery shopping -when you can eat what you already have in your freezer and rest all day in front of TV or on your computer. But you would be surprised to know how easy it is to cook a nice and healthy meal for yourself or your family. It is fun, and you are doing something that is helping your body stay fit or get into shape.
You will say: “I don’t know how to cook!” or “I don’t have time!” And I will say: “Have you heard about evolution?” You know the “survival of the fittest” concept. The strongest and healthiest ones survive and pass on their genes on the next generation. The same way you should help your kitchen evolve. All you need is to get a piece of mind into it, to have a strong will to be healthy or to lose weight.
The first important thing is to plan your meals. You can check your schedule and plan your meals for every day. Make sure you eat less caloric food at evenings and food with more fibers throughout the day. For example, today you will be working all day, so you will probably have to eat junk food. Well you don’t have to! Get up early, make yourself a nice healthy breakfast and fix yourself a lunch that you can eat at work.
Always bring a piece of fruit with you. When you cook for yourself, you can not only fix yourself healthy foods, but also you can surprise yourself with something you like. When you cook, you should be positive about what you are doing and about the food you are eating. Find a balance between what you like and what is healthy. So, you know what you will eat every day, you will plan it, you will balance the intake of proteins, carbs and sugar, you will eat, at least, a little bit healthier. The most important thing is to make a habit out of it.
The first step for losing weight is to balance your nutrition and to make it a habit. It will probably be hard for you at first, but don’t give up. Yes, you have all those obligations, assignments and you are so busy. But, you are doing this for yourself. You must be aware that losing weight is a process, an evolution of your attitude towards food and nutrition. You don’t live to eat, you eat to live.
Cooking has a positive effect on weight loss
Cooking for one’s self has many positive aspects. You will cook your own meals so you will know what you eat. If you want to lose weight you have to make sure that food you make is healthy and well balanced. Also, you will make an effort to cook, so you will feel better about yourself. Now, you are not just talking or thinking about losing weight, you are acting upon it. The planning and the very act of cooking is a very strong incentive which is a good start for the whole process of weight loss.
And, last but not least, cooking improves cognition. There are many studies suggesting that the brain’s metabolism is stimulated by cooking. Studies suggest that, when mankind invented cooking, the brain started developing rapidly. That is because cooking demands using your cognitive, sensor and motor skills. It can also develop creativity. Every aspect of cooking activates at least two functions of your brain. So imagine, you are cooking, loosing weight and practicing your mind.
Some people are talented for cooking and some do not even know how to turn on the oven. But you do not need to take up classes in order to learn. Here are some very easy recipes that don’t take much time.
Learning how to cook for yourself or your family is a process. You can start by mastering your favorite dish or something that your grandma made you, just make sure it suits you weight loss program. Take one step at a time and, after a while, you will not even check the recipes. You can also check for many cooking tips online. There are many recipes for great healthy dishes that are fast and easy to make. When you get comfortable, you can improvise and make up your own meals. Mix healthy food with something you really like, but make sure it is well balanced. Also, when you prepare yourself a meal, feel free to change your schedule.
If you crave for a certain kind of food – you should eat it. Your body probably misses something and it is trying to tell you that. Many studies have shown that children have perfectly balanced their nutrition after two weeks of study. So, listen to your body. The best way to evolve your kitchen activities is to follow Darwin’s rule – get rid of the weakest, the unhealthiest substances, do not make unhealthy meals and try not to have unhealthy snacks in your kitchen.
Make sure that your food looks nice when you eat it. You will enjoy your well prepared meal and you will be more satisfied afterwards. When you have enjoyed what you have eaten it is less likely to take comfort food. When you have had a nice meal and when you are satisfied with yourself, you may not lose weight but you, most certainly, will not gain it. I say this because many obese people feel some kind of emptiness. It needn’t be depression, but maybe a replacement for something they do not have or they have lost, or a reaction to frustration, or just everyday stress. That is why it is important for you to be happy with what you are doing – you are taking steps for something that is important to you.
When you feel depressed or anxious, your stress hormones are produced and your brain is trying to find ways to get rid of that feeling. That may lead to compulsive behavior – like compulsive eating or comfort food (which is usually unhealthy junk or snack food). That way you make a habit of eating every time you are frustrated, depressed or anxious. And after a while, you will probably gain weight. Instead of making eating your relaxation method, make cooking your relaxation. Also, it is necessary to mention that – in order to prevent having comfort food or an unhealthy craving, you need to stay away from substances that create them. For example, a lot of women love chocolate and sometimes you just have to eat some of it. Just make sure it is not that often or even better – plan a day or two a month when you can have any food you want.
Make losing weight fun
One of the ways to make your “cooking diet” easier is to have special cooking evenings for you, your family or friends. That way you can work on your cooking, try out new recipes and enjoy the company of you close ones. Also, invite your friends on a picnic – that way you can show them your new skill and spend some time outdoors.
Be more active
If you have time and resources it would speed up the process of loosing weight if you could exercise. If you do not have time to go to the gym, walk as much as you can. If you have a place you can work out, you should definitely find some time for that, at least two times a week. It would be good if you could get professional advice about the type of exercise that is good for you, considering your health, age and weight. After all, if you can not go to a fitness center and work out, you can always do it at home. There are many tricks and tips how you can at least relax yourself and do minimum exercise at your home. Make sure you are aware of different kinds of exercises that are good for you.
Remember that loosing weight is not a fast process. It takes a lot of decision making, strong will and changes. You need to focus on your goal and go for it. You will have ups and downs but remember why you are doing it. Maybe it will be hard but it will pay off.
Author Bio:
Camping, exercising and blogging are just some of the things Ivan Dimitrijevic is passionate about. He writes on topics related to online business, Weight Watchers Points calorie counting system reviews and exercise routines and has had articles published on various health and wellness related blogs . Ivan tries to lead a healthy lifestyle to set an example for his four year old daughter, so writing about health comes naturally to him.
