When we see perfect-looking people we think that they must be on some kind of strict diet or going to the gym all day, every day, in order to maintain their figure. Or in other cases, we envy them for inheriting such a great metabolism. But did you know that recent studies have shown that there are in fact other factors involved in obtaining and maintaining the perfect body?
As you already know, the key towards achieving your weight loss purposes can be found in being truthful to oneself. How many times have you thought that you are doing everything as you should be but still gained weight? How many times have you told yourself, or nutritionists that it must be something wrong with you because you are living a healthy life but still struggle to stay fit? If you take a closer look, you will see that in fact, there are lots of habits that might appear harmless but, if practiced on a daily basis, make jeopardize your healthy lifestyle. So when you think about the torturing diets of skinny people, doesn’t it make more sense to think about what healthy habits they might have, habits that are helping them stay fit? The answer is “yes, it does”.
The Studies
In fact, there have been a large number of studies related to how skinny people live their lives, what healthy habits they have and how they are able to maintain a perfect weight. These studies have been conducted on normal people, who were not under strict diets, nor did they have a surprisingly great metabolism. What were the results? Are there magic tricks involved? Let’s take a lot at some of the most popular eating habits of the skinny, and understand better how they manage to stay in shape.
The following results are obtained by the University of Cornell’s Food and Brand Laboratory.
Eating Only Quality Foods and Products
According to the study, more than 65% of the people interviewed have been leading a healthy lifestyle, based on the purchase or quality foods and products. Also, they told the researchers that they are eating vegetable and fruits every day, especially for breakfast.
Eating quality foods is one of the key aspects of any diet, as processed or poor-quality meals will only ruin your metabolism even more and keep you from achieving your goals. Make sure that you are always paying attention to the list of ingredients and shopping from trustworthy places.
Home Cooking
Believe it or not, the majority of skinny people interviewed have confessed that they are preparing the majority of their meals at home, rather than going out to eat. Have you ever heard that the best strategy for leading a healthy life is buying only products with less than two ingredients and making all of your favorite meals at home? This is the best decision you can make for both your health and your weight loss purposes. By preparing everything at home (from salad dressing to taco shells) you are eliminating all those nasty preservatives, unwanted fats, sugars and many harmful ingredients that are found in processed or fast food.
Listening to Inner Signals
Knowing whether you are actually hungry of not is essential when trying to lose weight. Many times we end up eating out of boredom, to snack something in front of the TV or because we are nervous, excited or depressed. The people interviewed by the Cornell laboratory told the researchers that they barely never eat when they are not hungry. If you are having trouble with listening to your inner signals, make sure that you are drinking plenty of water, as in most cases, you will see that you were in fact thirsty rather than hungry.
No Guilty Feelings
The main reason behind abandoned diets is that people tend to let go of their diets if they cheated once. If you have a piece of chocolate in the middle of your diet, what’s the point of going forward, right? We also fail in our weight loss attempts due to the feelings of guilt we have when over eating and the psychological impacts that food has on us. But guess what? The people interviewed told the researchers that they rarely have guilty feelings when it comes to food or excessive eating, and they allow themselves the pleasure of enjoying a rich in calories meals every now and then.
Approaching Food from a Pleasure Perspective
Understanding the role played by food in our lives is mandatory when it comes to healthy leaving. As is understanding that what meals should bring us pleasure, and enjoying them is not something we can do in two minutes on the bus ride to work. Allowing yourself to approach food from a pleasure perspective means you need to take time to enjoy your meals, eat quality products and make sure that your diets include foods that you love (or healthier versions). By doing so, you will be able to enjoy your diet, rather than see it as torture.
As you can see, it’s not about eating green leaves and exhausting yourself at the gym all day, is about finding the perfect balance in your life, respecting your body and acknowledging the role played by food in your life. Little by little, you can improve your lifestyle and enjoy the long-term benefits, rather than spend your life going from one diet to the next.
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