Be Creative in Meal Prep to Prevent Food Boredom

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The science of losing weight says cutting calories will allow you to reach your weight loss goals more quickly than exercise, but once you’ve shed unwanted pounds, being more physically active helps to prevent regaining lost weight.

If the number of calories you consume equals the number burned, you maintain that body weight. So, the science suggests that a deficit is needed in how much energy you consume or how much you burn, or both.

Despite the common statement that you should workout harder to lose weight is really misleading. That’s because the real goal is reduce body fat while maintaining or building on your muscle weight for a healthier fat-burning body.

Science-Based Tips to Support Your Best Effort

The scientific factors affecting weight loss are somewhat complex. Consider the tips below and apply them to your weight loss and weight management journey:

1) Focus on Changing Bad Habits – Creating new habits for where and how you eat can be as important as making better food choices. Eating in the car, at your desk, or in front of the television are all examples of distracted eating.

2) Be Creative in Meal Prep - There are many different meal-prepping methods that can be mixed and matched depending on your unique needs. Choose the most appealing method first and then experiment as needed.

3) Something Sweet & Something Savory – From a homemade bag of trail mix to a roast pork dinner with all the fixings, creating a menu plan with tasty foods to satisfy your sweet and savory sensory appetite. This can reduce food cravings and boost satiety.

4) Monitor Your Body’s Feedback – Self-monitoring your body’s feedback can be as simple as pausing at mid-meal to notice the digestive process or to become more aware of bodily signals and sensations.

Stress and weight gain are scientifically linked for known reasons. Cortisol releases hormones that often lead to emotional eating, which can totally wreck your menu plan and sabotage your best weight loss efforts.

Balance Your Macronutrient Intake for Lasting Results

The Department of Agriculture’s food pyramid suggests you limit your consumption of fat, sugar, and ingredients that contain little to no nutritional value. What often gets overlooked is the need understand recommended portions. For meat, it is only three ounces. The good news is that the science fully supports the weight loss concept of relying on a personalized approach for modifying eating habits and your exercise regimen.

Every day your body processes the calories from the food you consume and based on a number of variables will decide what to do with them. Generally speaking, the body will burn some for fuel, use some to rebuild muscle, and store the excess as fat. To personalize your menu plan, it is important to understand that all diets consist of reductions to some portion of macronutrients to achieve the best balance of carbs, fats, and protein that your body requires for healthy living.