Using a bit of creativity, there should be no excuse why you can’t follow a diet on a strict budget. There are so many healthy foods that are extremely cheap, although they may require some extra time to prepare compared to convenience foods. Junk food may be addicting, but it is overall more expensive to eat a lazy diet of McDonalds and frozen pizza in comparison to a wholesome home-cooked dish. Simply calculate prices of local supermarket prices and you will realize that you will be saving so much money.
Track Your Calories!
Before you even think about prices, get an idea of how many calories you need to be consuming in order to reach your goal rate. Using online calculators, you should get an idea of your BMR and you should eat as low as 500 calories less than this figure per day. Hitting that number, but making sure to eat a balanced diet is still really important. That’s why Nutrisystem for men can make such a big difference for the people that want to lose weight, but don’t have the time.
Once you have a calorie goal down, using a food tracker like Crono-o-meter to visualize how many calories are in each permissible food item. Use your creativity to put together meals and you may consider adding more vegetables after realizing your diet may be deficient of vitamins or minerals.
Get Rid Of Addictive Substances
Caffeine and sugar are substances that are abused by many to function throughout the day but they are a hindrance towards your weight loss goal. Caffeine has an effect that makes you perky and then crash in multiple cycles throughout the day. When you have these crashes, you may crave high-sugar snacks that will end up making you fat. Sugar also has a drug-like response in your brain that is addictive in itself. If you choose to have some coffee, you may at least use a calorie-free sweetener.
Don’t Starve Yourself
It is true that extremely low calorie diets may have quick results in the beginning, but the effect on your metabolism will ruin long term results. Think of eating at a moderate calorie deficit with frequent meals or snacks throughout the day that are healthy and nutritious. If you are somebody that is already underweight or significantly lacking muscle, you should consider eating at a calorie surplus for awhile before thinking about fat loss.
Eat Filling Foods
One of the biggest problems that overweight people have is their addiction to calorie dense foods that are not filling. Eating a bowl of greasy popcorn or a bowl of sugary cereal will leave you hungry for more. Eating vegetables and protein will leave your belly satisfied at a fraction of the calories. You should also consider hitting your minimum fiber goals so that meals are filling and they will keep your regular.
Stick To A Plan
One of the biggest reasons why dieters may reach for convenience foods is because of their inability to plan out their meals. Try cooking a bulk batch of chicken, brown rice and broccoli so that you will have meals ready to grab when you are hungry. Going to Chipotle for a burrito bowl may blow your entire food budget for just a small amount of food that could have been cheaply made at home.
Compare Prices And Consider Alternatives
It is not set in stone on which foods will be the cheapest for your diet since prices vary every where. Compare which legumes, whole grains, and meats are the cheapest in bulk so that you can optimize your food budget. Some leafy greens or veggies may not be readily available so consider alternative vegetables that are affordable in your area. Be sure to stock up on bulk purchases when you see really cheap deals at the grocery store.
Stay Calm!
You may start to find yourself panicky or cranky because of the drop in calories in your new diet. Your energy levels should stabilize and you should be able to remain calm within several days into your new diet. Think of this change in eating as a new lifestyle rather than a short term solution to a long term problem. Do not succumb to cravings of junk food and you should quickly see results in the mirror. Your weightloss will improve your overall health and your self-confidence in general.
