The fundamental method of losing weight is to control diet and increase physical activity. The following dietary tips can be helpful for weight loss.
Pre-meal preparations:
1. Drink soup before meals. Drinking soup can prevent the stomach from feeling hungry and can also make the main course consumed expand, preventing overeating.
2. Eat fruits before meals. Fruits are voluminous and can create a sense of fullness, reducing the amount of the main course consumed.
3. Have a small piece of fruit candy before meals. After blood sugar levels rise, the stomach does not feel excessively hungry, which can decrease the speed and quantity of eating, preventing overeating.
4. Avoid eating when not feeling particularly hungry, as it is likely to lead to overeating.
During meals:
1. Slow down the eating pace and chew each mouthful of food thoroughly. Many obese individuals eat too quickly, not allowing the brain enough time to perceive the feeling of fullness before overeating. Slowing down the eating pace can accurately perceive the feeling of fullness.
2. Avoid reading books or newspapers during meals. Concentrate on experiencing the sensations in the stomach and the diminishing interest in food.
3. Avoid drinking sweet beverages and alcohol during meals. Only drink water, tea, and low-fat soups.
4. Start by eating vegetables, seaweed, mushrooms, tofu, and other low-calorie dishes before consuming staple foods and animal products. This ensures that calorie intake is not excessive.
5. Eat vegetables while eating the main course, rather than waiting to finish the vegetables before starting on the main course.
6. Stop eating once interest in food diminishes, even if the meal is not finished.
Post-meal considerations:
1. Avoid eating peanuts, melon seeds, and snacks after meals. Also, avoid eating fruits like bananas and apples that have a certain calorie content.
2. Avoid drinking sweet beverages after meals.
3. Brush your teeth immediately after dinner. This not only protects teeth but also prevents snacking after meals.
4. Avoid sitting or lying down immediately after meals. Engage in light activities to help burn energy from the food.
Food choices:
1. Avoid using foods such as dumplings, buns, pastries, and desserts that contain oil, sugar, or meat as substitutes for rice and steamed buns as staple foods. These foods have much higher calorie content compared to rice and buns, making them more likely to cause weight gain.
2. Use tofu as a substitute for animal products.
3. Use chicken and fish instead of pork. Chicken has low fat content and high protein content, while lean pork contains about 25% fat, and ribs can have even higher fat content of 30% to 40%.
4. If using potatoes and sweet potatoes as dishes or snacks, reduce the quantity of staple foods, as they also contain starch.
5. Regularly consume dishes such as kelp, mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, black fungus, konjac, and others. These dishes have low calorie content and can create a sense of fullness in the stomach, which is beneficial for weight loss.
