If you’re struggling to lose weight or keep it off, restrictive diets may not be the best way to reach and keep your ideal weight. Instead, healthy eating habits can lead to sustainable weight loss, and skinny people are a good place to start.
Take a look at a few of the best eating habits of the skinny, which might help you lose the extra pounds or simply stay at your target weight without having to resort to diets with severe calorie restrictions.
Focus on Eating
Step away from any screen whenever you’re having a meal or a snack. Multi-tasking is the wrong way to go when it comes to eating. Without enjoying your food, you’ll feel less full, even if your stomach is at the limit. Enjoy every bite and you’ll get a much more filling sensation, plus you’re more likely to exercise natural portion control and not overeat.
Customizing Your Order When Eating Out
One of the best eating habits of the skinny is the way they remove any obstacles in the way of eating what they want. Whether it’s ordering a hamburger without the bun or making sure that there are no saturated oils in your meal, make the right choice and don’t be afraid to say no to complimentary bread when you’re eating out.
Enjoying Foods with a High Water Content
Whether it’s soups or salads, water rich foods end up as more filling and help you keep your appetite in check. Numerous studies have shown that starting a meal with a broth helps you take in less calories. You should also grab a glass of water before your meal in order to maximize the effect. Staying hydrated also has a good impact on your digestion.
Letting Go of Leftovers
If you’re still not used to portion control, try one of the best eating habits of the skinny and just stop when you’re full. Stop finishing your plate when it’s more than you need and don’t touch your kids leftovers if you’re a mom. Food waste may be a global problem, but you can’t fix it by finishing everything on your plate.
See also: 10 Weird Reasons for Weight Gain
Take a Multivitamin
Some skinny people have a lot of help from their genes, but others simply make sure that they get all the important nutrients. Weight gain can be caused by vitamin and mineral deficiencies, no matter how much you eat. Start taking a daily multivitamin and to make sure that you’re getting all the important nutrients.
Saying No to “Meh” Foods
Focusing on the food they really enjoy is definitely one of the best eating habits of the skinny. That doesn’t mean eating junk, it just means stopping when a certain food isn’t satisfactory. If it feels “meh” after the first bite, put it away and forget about it. Don’t waste your palate with foods that you don’t enjoy, especially if they’re mostly empty calories.
Weighing Yourself Regularly
Becoming obsessed with scales is bad, but weighing yourself once or twice a week means you can start course correcting early if you’re gaining weight. Don’t do it daily, and don’t focus on diets that promise big results in just a few days. You’ll be hard pressed to find many thin people who say they diet regularly.
Not Skipping Meals
If you miss a meal, your metabolism slows down. You’re not only more likely to overeat later, but the risk of storing fat is also higher. Making sure that you don’t skip any meals, especially breakfast, is one best eating habits of the skinny. When you’re really hungry, you’ll also have issues with impulse control, and you risk choosing unhealthier options to fill up.
They Avoid Drinking Calories
Frozen coffee drinks can easily go over 500 calories while one cup of black coffee is almost calorie free. Just avoid sweet drinks and binging on alcohol, which can also make a big dent in any calorie plan. Skip the liquid calories and you’ll be able to indulge more at meal time.
More: Skip These Foods for Flat Abs!
Stay Active
Even if you start following all the best eating habits of the skinny, there’s one more piece of the puzzle. Some thin people are fidgety, but stretching from time to time instead of staying put always helps. If you keep moving, you’re also less likely to develop type 2 diabetes and heart disease.