The bodies of the models who are slim and toned are sometimes the envy of many people. If you want to have a slightly model-like body, you can try some changes in your diet. Models typically follow a diet consisting mostly of fruit, vegetables, complex carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats, but low in saturated fat, sugar, and processed foods. You should also exercise and follow other healthy lifestyle guidelines to complement a healthy diet.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Choosing Healthy Food
Step 1. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables provide the nutrients your body needs and because they are relatively low in calories, you can enjoy them in more quantities than high-fat foods. This will make you fuller.
If you're having trouble eating enough fruit and vegetables, try juicing them
Step 2. Eat complex carbohydrates
Carbs are also important for a healthy diet, but try to eat whole grains instead of refined carbohydrates. Brown rice, whole grain pasta, and oats are better choices.
Step 3. Don't forget protein
Protein is very important because it keeps you full and energized for a long time so you don't overeat. Protein also requires more energy to digest than carbohydrates, meaning more calories are burned.
Good sources of protein are meat and fish. You can also get protein from eggs, lentils, legumes, cheese, yogurt, whole nuts, and peanut butter
Step 4. Know the difference between good fats and bad fats
Moderate amounts of polyunsaturated fats are good for consumption, which can be found in nuts, olive oil, avocados, and fatty fish. Limit the consumption of saturated fat contained in meat and dairy products, by choosing low-fat versions.
Step 5. Don't eat processed foods
Anything made with chemicals or additives is considered a processed food. This includes white bread, bacon, and potato chips. Processed foods are not good for you because they are usually high in calories, bad fats, and sugar, but low in protein, fiber, and nutrients. This means that you will not feel full for a long time so you will continue to eat more calories.
Processed foods are also addictive. It's hard to avoid at first, but once you get used to eating fresh food, you'll be happy with the results
Step 6. Beware of sugary drinks
If you drink soda, juice, or sugary coffee, you are consuming extra calories. The body does not process liquid calories in the same way as solid foods. So, you will likely still feel hungry after drinking it.
Diet soda is also bad for weight loss. Although free of calories, diet soda still triggers insulin production and fat storage in the body. According to studies, people who drink diet soda often are more likely to gain weight than people who don't drink it
Step 7. Drink water
In addition to sufficient body fluids, drinking also makes you eat less. The body sometimes misinterprets thirst for hunger. So if you feel hungry between meals, try a drink and see if you feel full afterwards.
- Try to drink eight glasses of water every day.
- If plain water is too boring, add fruit or herbs for flavor.
Part 2 of 3: Get Rid of Bad Habits
Step 1. Don't skip meals
Deliberately not eating can slow down your metabolism and also lead to overeating because afterwards you will be very hungry.
Eating small snacks between meals is also helpful for some people. If a snack can help you avoid overeating when it's time to eat, go ahead! For best results, try a nutrient-dense snack that contains 200 calories or less
Step 2. Stop eating when you are full
Many people finish their plate without stopping to think about whether they are actually still hungry. Try to eat mindfully, stop after you've finished half your plate and ask yourself if you're full or still hungry. Don't block your body's right to eat if you're still hungry, but stop when you realize you're full.
- Eating slowly will help give your body a chance to digest food and signal that you are eating enough.
- Try practicing the hara hachi bu method, which means eating until you feel about 80% full.
Step 3. Don't eat for emotional reasons
You might not notice it at first, but the next time you reach for a snack between meals, ask yourself if you're feeling angry, lonely, or tired. If the answer is yes, think of something else you can do to make you feel better. You can lift your spirits by walking or calling a friend.
Step 4. Don't obsess over food
You do have to decide what good food to eat, but choose a more relaxed approach. A weight loss program will be much more successful if healthy eating becomes a daily habit that you don't really think about.
- Try to think more about the healthy foods you will choose than the unhealthy foods that should be avoided. Also, try to find healthy foods that you really enjoy. If you do these two things, you may not crave unhealthy food anymore.
- Instead of making the foods you really like taboo, allow yourself to eat them every once in a while. In fact, abstinence actually causes overeating. So, pampering yourself once in a while will be healthier. This means that you can still eat chocolate or fatty meats, as long as it's not too much.
Step 5. Don't forget to bring preparations
Always carry healthy snacks with you whenever you go out, such as raw vegetables and fruit, nuts, and low-fat yogurt. This is to avoid temptation if you are hungry and at that time there are no healthy food options.
Step 6. Don't keep junk food in the house
Junk food will be much easier to avoid if it is not readily available in your home. When you want to pamper yourself, head to the store and buy your favorite snack in single-meal sizes. Bringing it home will only invite you to eat it in excess.
Part 3 of 3: Implementing Other Healthy Habits
Step 1. Try counting calories
If you need to structure your diet to achieve your goals, keep track of what you eat and calculate the number of calories consumed using the online calorie counter. Then, compare that number to the number of calories you actually need. You can use an online Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) calculator.
- Use this information to reduce calories to a safe amount. A moderate reduction in calories, combined with a moderate increase in activity, will go a long way toward achieving your weight loss goals.
- Never eat less than 1,200 calories per day unless instructed to do so by your doctor.
- To help keep track of calories while you're on the road, try downloading a phone app.
Step 2. Use emergency healthy diet tricks
If you have to slim down for an important event, make sure you diet in a healthy way.
- Promote healthy eating habits by making sure everything you eat is high in nutrients and vitamins.
- An easy trick to follow is not to eat foods that cause inflammation. Common causes of inflammation are alcohol, cereals, and sugar. So, eat more green vegetables and look for supplements that contain the amino acid glutamine. That way, you'll look and feel less bloated during an important event.
Step 3. Exercise
Try to exercise at least 30 minutes every day, preferably more than that. You can combine structured exercise like jogging or yoga with everyday activities like climbing stairs, and make it a part of your lifestyle.
- Evaluate your activity level using a pedometer. This tool can give you an idea of how much you move in a typical day and how much activity you should add to your daily routine.
- Ideally you need a combination of different types of exercise that allows you to focus on different muscle groups.
Step 4. Get plenty of sleep
In order to function at its best, the body needs adequate sleep to restore energy and regenerate. Try to get eight hours of sleep every night. If that's not possible, see if you can get 15–30 minutes more sleep each night. Anything can help!
Tips
- Don't be disappointed if you don't feel the results right away. It may take some time for your goal to be reached.
- Small changes in lifestyle can make big changes. If you feel overwhelmed by all the changes needed to reach your goal, start one at a time.
Warning
- If you have an eating disorder, seek professional treatment right away.
- Don't set unrealistic expectations. Everyone's body is different and you may not be able to have a body like your favorite model. Instead of comparing yourself to others, try to be the best version of yourself.
- There are many unhealthy ways to lose weight, but all of them are not worth it. Choose a healthy diet and an active lifestyle so that you not only look great, but also feel good.
- Don't stop eating altogether, even for one day. This can lead to many health problems and even weight gain.
