Introduction
Hello everyone! As a post-95s generation person who has struggled with weight since childhood, I've experienced too much pain in weight loss. Watching food videos daily and seeing feast photos in social media feeds makes my mouth water, yet I have to control my diet. The worst part is that every time I diet, the effects don't last long, and the weight rebounds faster than a rocket.
Honestly, I totally understand the struggle when facing all the tempting food on delivery apps. Especially when tired after work, looking at all those high-calorie foods, it's so easy to just order them. Not to mention weekend gatherings with girlfriends - who can resist a table full of delicious food? The result is the numbers on the scale shooting up like a rocket, which is devastating.
However, after years of exploration, I finally found a way to eat healthily without starving. Now I can maintain my figure while enjoying food - it's amazing! Today I'll share my experience with you, guaranteeing that you can both eat happily and lose weight easily.
Advance Planning
The first trick I want to talk about is advance planning. I remember when I first started meal planning, I would spend an hour every weekend planning what to eat for the next week. To be honest, it felt really troublesome at first, and I almost gave up. But! Once you develop this habit, it's like discovering a new world!
My current method is to make a cup of tea every Saturday afternoon, open my meal prep notebook, and start planning next week's menu. You might think this is too serious? But wait until I tell you about my changes, you'll be amazed. First, I no longer have situations where I'm hungry at lunch but don't know what to eat. Second, I can quickly finish shopping at the supermarket every time, without buying randomly due to lack of planning. Most importantly, after planning like this, my snack expenses directly decreased by more than half!
And you know what? I found that advance planning really helps avoid impulse consumption. For example, I used to order takeout randomly when hungry, but now because I've planned what to eat, I won't be tempted by various foods. I remember once, my colleagues ordered a bunch of fried chicken and fries in the office, and the smell drifted to my desk. But because I had already prepared a healthy lunch, I actually didn't give in! I'm impressed by my own willpower.
Through planning, I also found that my diet structure has become more reasonable. Before, I might eat the same things for a week, but now I can eat different ingredients every day. Like chicken breast with broccoli on Monday, salmon quinoa rice on Tuesday, avocado whole wheat sandwich on Wednesday... every meal is something to look forward to.
My current planning method is like this: first list out the staple foods and main dishes for seven days, then match vegetables based on nutritional balance principles. Then write down the grocery list, and finally mark which ingredients can be bought enough for a week at once, and which need to be purchased twice to ensure freshness. This not only ensures nutritional balance but also avoids food waste.
Sometimes when friends see me planning meals so seriously, they say I'm too particular. But when they see that I lost 13 pounds in three months without any dieting pain, they all start asking me for advice. Really, compared to those extreme dieting methods, advance planning is incredibly comfortable.
Batch Preparation
After planning, let's talk about implementation. Batch meal prep is absolutely my winning strategy! I remember when I first tried it last year, my mom said I must be too idle to make things so complicated. But when she saw that I could have fresh salads for lunch every day and prepare a nutritionally balanced dinner in 15 minutes every evening, she was immediately convinced and now prepares meals with me.
I suggest everyone start with the simplest things. For example, my current plan is: spend about two hours every Sunday afternoon preparing staple foods needed for the week, like brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, and oats. After steaming, divide them into containers and store in the refrigerator. Then wash and cut various vegetables and pack them separately. For meat, I cut chicken breast into small pieces, marinate them, and divide into several portions for freezing.
After preparing like this, cooking on weekdays is super easy. For example, one of my recent favorite dishes: put cut broccoli, carrots, and bell peppers in the oven for 15 minutes, during which you can wash your face or tidy up the room. When the vegetables are roasted, take out the pre-cooked brown rice, sprinkle some pistachios or cashews, and a delicious and nutritious dinner is ready.
Plus, batch preparation can save you a lot of money. I used to think healthy eating was expensive, but it was mainly because I had no plan and often bought ingredients that went bad in the end. Now with advance planning, buying enough for a week at once is both fresh and economical.
Mindful Eating
Speaking of eating, I really need to talk about mindful eating. Do you also often scroll through your phone and watch dramas while wolfing down food? I used to be like that - after finishing meals, I couldn't even remember what I ate, and often overate without realizing it.
Now I've developed the habit of mindful eating, and the effect is really great. Before each meal, I first put down my phone and take five deep breaths. Then carefully observe the food's color and smell its aroma. While eating, I also consciously feel the texture of the food and chew slowly. It might feel very affected at first, but once you get used to it, you'll fall in love with this feeling.
And you know what? This simple habit actually naturally reduced my food intake by one-third! I used to eat too fast, and by the time my stomach signaled fullness, I had already eaten too much. Now eating slowly not only allows me to truly enjoy the food's taste but also feel satiety in time.
I also found that mindful eating helps me build healthier eating habits. For example, now I can better distinguish between real hunger and just wanting to eat psychologically. And because I carefully feel each bite of food, I no longer binge eat like before.
Smart Use of Tableware
Speaking of this, some people might think it's exaggerated, but the choice of tableware is really important! My current plates are smaller than before, and this small change helped me easily reduce food intake by 20%. And because the plate is smaller, the same amount of food actually looks more satisfying.
Recently I also discovered an interesting method, which is using chopsticks to eat Western food. Yes, using chopsticks to eat salads and pasta. It might feel a bit uncomfortable at first, but this makes you eat slower and easier to feel fullness.
Also, I use transparent glass cups to drink water, so I can more intuitively see how much water I've drunk. Because many times when we think we're hungry, we're actually thirsty. Ensuring adequate water intake every day not only helps digestion but also prevents mistaken eating.
Smart Substitutions
In my opinion, the most important thing about healthy eating is finding suitable substitutes. For example, I used to be super addicted to milk tea, feeling uncomfortable if I didn't drink it for a day. Now I substitute it with homemade fruit tea. I slice lemon, lime, strawberries, or blueberries and steep them in water, which is not only pretty but also refreshing. And homemade fruit tea doesn't have to worry about excessive sugar content.
Snack substitution is also important. I used to grab a handful of chips while watching shows, now replaced with roasted almonds or cashews. Although nuts are also high in calories, they have high nutritional value! And now I pre-portion them, only taking a small pack each time, so I won't eat too much at once.
I particularly like using yogurt instead of ice cream. Find a nice glass, put in Greek yogurt, add fresh fruit and a little honey - it's both delicious and healthy. On weekends, I also make some sugar-free brownies using bananas and oats as base, completely worry-free about gaining weight.
Summary and Outlook
Through these small changes, I naturally lost 22 pounds in half a year, and the key is that this weight has maintained until now! And now I not only eat healthily but particularly enjoy the process of preparing food. Every time I'm busy in the kitchen, looking at the carefully prepared ingredients and smelling the fragrant aroma, my mood becomes especially good.
Most importantly, this healthy way of eating isn't painful at all. I can still dine out with friends, just being more mindful of food choices and portions. I can also make delicious and healthy dishes at home, without worrying about nutritional imbalance.
Actually, healthy eating isn't difficult, the key is finding a method that suits you. I hope through my sharing, I can help everyone find their own path to healthy eating. Next time I plan to share how to maintain healthy eating when dining out, remember to follow me!
Which of these suggestions do you think is most practical? Or do you have any other useful healthy eating tips? Welcome to share and exchange experiences with me in the comments!
