Losing weight effectively will always require cutting calories in some way or another. If the excess weight was due to a diet based on convenient, fast foods then some people may be tempted to try cutting calories by simply reducing the amount of total food eaten. In other words, the diet of highly processed foods is the same but food portions are reduced in order to lose weight. For this technique to be effective it will require a strong motivation. Without strong self-discipline the dieter may struggle because previous eating habits always means there's a strong temptation to eat a bigger portion or have extra foods, even if its "just for today". After cutting calories this way it is too easy to refer back to old eating habits by increasing the size of food portions to what the individual was used to.
Cutting Calories and Increased Appetite
When people cut food intake right down they often experience an increased appetite and a general craving for food. Some believe this is because they are eating less however, it may actually be driven by a deficiency or lack in the correct amount of certain nutrients. In other words, the appetite is trying to force the individual to eat more food in the hope that eventually these nutrients will be consumed. Most convenient foods are low in nutrients so if only fast, processed products form the basis of the diet then the appetite may crave the consumption of more food in order to gain essential nutrition.
If the dieter is exercising to lose weight the body requires more essential nutrients to aid recovery and growth of muscles. A diet devoid of nutrient dense foods may only cause further cravings and a larger boost in appetite. Cutting calories by reducing the amount of high-energy, fast foods is an effective way to lose weight permanently but only if other processed foods are replaced with healthy, nutritionally dense foods that are low in calories.
Cutting calories will be more effective if we learn to eat healthy meals regularly. This requires the introduction of healthier choices into the diet by gradually replacing each meal with low calorie, highly nutritious food or varieties. The dieter must veer away from the idea that they are "on a diet" by changing eating habits for the long term. Calories will automatically reduce when nutritiously dense foods replace high-energy package foods for most meals. An occasional treat should be left for when one has earned it by achieving a small goal or weight loss target.
Cutting calories by replacing high-energy packaged food with nutrient-dense foods, examples of these are....
Fresh fruits including dried fruits
Vegetables
Fresh fish
Lean meats
Poultry
Eggs
Natural yogurt
Natural nuts & seeds
Wholegrain foods & ingredients (wholemeal breads, pasta & brown rice)
Benefits of Eating Bananas