While looking at old family pictures, you realize something troubling. You’ve been trying unsuccessfully to lose weight for a long time. While you attempt to eat healthy and exercise regularly, you always seem to fall short of your intended mark. Because you understand you must be doing something wrong, you’re thinking about enlisting professional help. If you can relate to this common scenario, consider the following four reasons you might benefit from nutritional counseling.
Time Meals Perfectly
One of the most prevalent mistakes serial dieters make is to skip important meals. Many people desperate to drop some pounds forgo eating breakfast in the mornings. They falsely assume that forsaking this first meal of the day will allow them to save calories to consume during lunch and dinner. Unfortunately, this assumption is fraught with error. Whenever you skip meals, your body goes into starvation mode. Because your body doesn’t know when it will receive another meal, it begins to transform available food stores into unwanted fat. Skipping breakfast can also cause you to crave sugar during the midmorning hours. To prevent wild fluctuations in blood sugar levels and adequately fuel your body, you need to eat something every few hours. A dietician can show you how to time your meals to maximize energy and weight loss.
Gain Inspiration for Healthy Meals
If you’re struggling to trim your waistline, you might need an education in nutrition. Many people believe falsely believe they eat healthy when they don’t. For instance, you might think pound cake is a safe dessert to consume because it doesn’t contain sugary icing. While this type of cake may not contain frosting, its batter is filled with waistline expanding items such as flour, sugar, and butter. A nutritionist can introduce you to healthy food options. This individual can also inspire you in the kitchen by providing you with recipes for tasty entrees, side dishes, and desserts.
Learn Beverage Basics
When trying to lose weight, many people solely focus on the food they put into their mouths. They completely ignore the beverages they’re drinking. Unfortunately, many, if not most, beverages available at your favorite supermarket are packed with sugar and empty calories. A nutritional counselor can steer you to the safe drinks at the grocery store. Obviously, water is the preferred beverage of those who strive to control their weight. But, low-fat milk and 100 percent fruit juices are acceptable alternatives to be enjoyed in moderation.
Control Cravings
Are you a sugar addict? Perhaps you can’t survive a day without indulging in one of your favorite crunchy snacks. Many people experience cravings for certain types of foods on a regular basis. By seeking nutritional counseling, you can learn how to manage your particular types of cravings in a responsible manner. For example, if sugar is your downfall, your dietician might introduce you to a plethora of healthy fresh fruits. If you tend to reach for a bag of potato chips, cheese puffs, or pretzels whenever you’re stressed, a nutritionist can help you select healthier crunchy foods such as:
- Carrot sticks
- Celery sticks
- Nuts
- Kale chips
- Sweet potato chips
Sadly, many people never realize their dreams of achieving lasting weight loss. They jump from one fad diet to the next without ever learning how to eat correctly. If you’re tired of constantly being disappointed with your results from the latest diet trends, speaking with a nutritional counselor might help. Once you learn how to power your body with healthy foods, you will likely never feel the need to try another fad diet again.
