Writing this article is a challenge because it is difficult not to repeat topics (eat slowly, sit, drink more, exercise…), until I stopped to think about my own experience and saw what had really worked for me.
Eight years ago I went on a diet with CLARA's nutritionist, Dr. Mº Isabel Beltrán. I had had two children more or less in a row and I needed to take the weight off my shoulders.
But not only was it to find the diet that worked best for my needs, which in my case was to lose weight and reduce my stomach, there were also many new habits that I was incorporating into my day to day and that I want to share with you because it really is what has kept me lean, healthy and energetic today.
Writing this article is a challenge because it is difficult not to repeat topics (eat slowly, sit, drink more, exercise…), until I stopped to think about my own experience and saw what had really worked for me.
Eight years ago I went on a diet with CLARA's nutritionist, Dr. Mº Isabel Beltrán. I had had two children more or less in a row and I needed to take the weight off my shoulders.
But not only was it to find the diet that worked best for my needs, which in my case was to lose weight and reduce my stomach, there were also many new habits that I was incorporating into my day to day and that I want to share with you because it really is what has kept me lean, healthy and energetic today.
Eat what you like
Eat what you like
Ok, to lose weight you have to eat more fruit and vegetables, less carbohydrates … But, within what your diet dictates, you can adapt the new eating model to your tastes. I confess that I don't eat everything. For example, I love oatmeal and I have no problem eating it for breakfast almost every day and, on the other hand, I cannot stand raw tomato, pepper or onion. So the typical gardened salad put me back and with that excuse I ate very little salad. Until I put the batteries in and realized that there is no more versatile dish than salad, which has a thousand possible combinations that do not have to include any of these foods.
Practice a sport that you are passionate about
Practice a sport that you are passionate about
If they told me a few years ago, I would have laughed. Me, passionate about a sport? I was envious of the girls who did yoga, because they live it with passion. I had tried it, but it's not my thing. The only thing I really liked was swimming, but due to allergy problems, I was able to do it less and less regularly. Until one day I tried a Pilates class and something changed. I had a good time, I didn't feel clumsy like in other sports and I saw that it suited me. Not only did it help me shape my body and define it, but it helped me a lot with my back pain. So, from my experience, what you have to do is try and try until you find what helps you to be regular in your workouts. It can be hiking, cycling, skating, zumba or any other form of dance … Whatever makes you move at least three times a week giving it your all …
Keep a diary of what you eat
Keep a diary of what you eat
Trust me, we tend to think that we eat less than we actually do. Before going to Dr. Beltrán's office, I did the test of writing down everything I ate a day (I wrote it down in a diary for a whole week). I promise you that I was not aware of the "extras" that I ended up adding when accompanying a coffee with a cookie one day after having already had breakfast, of how much we ate in vermouth on weekends, of the wide sleeve that I had between meals. .. Do the test, when you see the amount of superfluous things you eat throughout the day, you will see that you have a lot to cut calories from. Also, most of these foods are not made out of hunger, so you will easily do without it.
Have a real motivation
Have a real motivation
It has to be something that really makes you want to take care of yourself, to give up some things for the good of others. In my case, after two pregnancies, it was to see that my children needed a healthy mother, who respected their body and was a good model for them in terms of diet and habits. But that's my experience, for someone else it may be that their clothes look good because they are passionate about fashion (I must say that this happens to me a bit too. Working at CLARA it is very difficult that the rags do not drive us all crazy …
Pamper yourself (especially on special days)
Pamper yourself (especially on special days)
Many times, a bun, a chocolate, a candy, is a pampering that we give ourselves in the form of food. I have learned that the solution to not honoring myself with food (especially in the days before my period) is to pamper myself in a different way. For example, giving me a massage or a salt bath, going to bookstores or shopping, if only to look, to try on clothes and see how I felt … Now I have a wide range of things that I love, that give me pleasure and that they have nothing to do with raiding the pantry. It's about you also finding those pampering that compensate you when you're down without adding calories.
Not always on a diet
Not always on a diet
There is no body that can resist it. In fact, at CLARA we always say that the best diet is the one that teaches you to eat in a balanced way, which is more of a way to eat healthily than a diet. Therefore, when you have reached the desired weight, you should be able to incorporate free meals to fit the commitments that we all have and not have to ask for a salad when you go out with friends or make a different meal at home on the weekend instead of sharing the one you do for the whole family. As long as the rest of the weekly meals are balanced, two or three weekly "transgressions" you have to be able to afford them.
Weigh yourself once a week
Weigh yourself once a week
When we go on a diet, it is easy for us to step on the scale every day to check that we are losing weight. As normal as forgetting about it once we have lost the kilos we wanted to lose weight. Well, neither one thing nor the other. We must weigh ourselves once a week and even more when we have finished losing weight, to ensure that we stay at the desired weight. Thus, if you see that the needle begins to point upward, you can take action before reaching greater …
Find your allowed snacks
Find your allowed snacks
Peck you're going to peck. It is normal that in the middle of the morning or mid-afternoon you feel like having a drink. But they must be snacks that take away your hunger without adding too many calories. In my case, it is usually a handful of nuts or a piece of fruit, although I confess that I love oven-roasted chickpeas and homemade popcorn. But they are a whim that I can afford. I accompany them with an infusion in the middle of the afternoon and arrive without hunger to prepare dinner.
Don't go constipated
Don't go constipated
In general, a balanced diet, by getting you to eat enough fruits and vegetables and keeping sugar and white flours at bay, can help prevent constipation. But there are people who need a bonus despite this, or others, like me, who have occasional problems going to the bathroom. In my case it is a hormonal issue and I usually have problems before the arrival of the rule. For this reason, as I already know myself, on those days I usually reinforce my breakfast with flax seeds that I have soaked overnight. I also try to eat more kiwis, which work wonders for me.
Make a "shock" from time to time
Make a "shock" from time to time
Mamen, the director of CLARA, usually does intermittent fasting as soon as she sees that she has been eating a little out of control for a while, has been able to do less sport or feels more bloated for whatever reason. I admit that I don't see myself able to go 16 hours without eating, so I do what Dr. Beltrán calls a "shock day." It is about having breakfast and eating a yogurt with a piece of fruit. In the middle of the morning, have a fruit and in the afternoon, a yogurt. For dinner, light vegetable cream (no potato or cream). And to drink, during the day, vegetable broth and infusions. It seems that with this "shock" my body is still in calorie burning mode. Try what the formula is for you.
