How to Graze All Day to Lose Weight
Losing weight can be a difficult challenge, and diets can cause a state of constant hunger that can exacerbate the difficulty. Grazing throughout the day is a good way to keep hunger pangs low and to avoid binging on large meals. When you go long periods without eating, your body switches into a saving mode, converting ready energy into fat. Eating small amounts throughout the day gives your body more time to digest and shifts your metabolism into a constant schedule that is conducive to losing weight. When grazing, however, pay attention to what you eat.
Instructions
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Grazing Your Way to a Thinner You
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Stop grazing on whatever is at hand. Foods most available for snacking often are full of empty calories, with little nutritional value. They also are high in carbohydrates, with little fiber or protein. To lose weight by grazing, you must be disciplined.
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Create snack packs to carry with you each day. Fill them with healthy, nourishing and satisfying foods. Nuts, dried fruit and chopped vegetables all make good snacks throughout the day. Foods such as dried seaweed are even better. Most types of edible seaweed are full of vital nutrients, are high in protein and have little to no carbohydrates or fat.
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Develop a few small meals you can eat throughout the day to supplement your grazing. Quinoa, a grain-like crop known for its edible seeds, and other protein-rich grains make an excellent base for a small, bento-style meal you can eat hot or graze on cold over the course of a day.
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Choose foods you enjoy and fill you up but are rather insubstantial. Air-popped, unbuttered popcorn will allow you eat large quantities without consuming a lot of calories. Many fibrous vegetables, such as celery, are excellent for grazing.
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Limit yourself to one or two treats each day, and choose treats are not too high in sugar. Berries are a tasty treat without refined sugars or carbohydrates. Add a treat such as blueberries and reap the added benefits of increased antioxidants.
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Track your grazing in a notebook to see how much you are eating each day. Using a calorie calculator, determine how much of a calorie deficit you need to meet your weight-loss goal. If you are exceeding that number in your daily grazing, phase out more calorie-rich foods, such as nuts, and substitute nutrient-rich but low-calorie options, such as seaweed.
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Tips & Warnings
Dieting should not be overdone. Personal health should come first. Consult a nutritionist or doctor before starting any diet to ensure that your target weight is healthy for you. If you feel chronically fatigued or light-headed while dieting, consult a physician immediately.
