7 tips for Weight Management on a Gluten Free Diet
Successful Weight management does not need to be a struggle. Let’s do this! The first thing to keep in mind when you launch on a Gluten-Free diet is that your body may experience symptoms similar to withdrawal. The average American gluten filled diet is packed with all kinds of addictive stuff…highly processed carbs, tons of sugar and salt, and of course calories. It will take a period of time for your system to adjust and for you to figure out just how to function without all the added unnecessary empty fuel. Stay the course. Your body will thank you.
Here are some success tips for Gluten-Free Weight Management:
1.Plan Your Meals.
Your body may be feeling a bit haywire with constant cravings and hunger… Think of this as a good sign…your body is healing and discovering how to absorb nutrients…this is good. Work thru this by creating a daily and weekly meal plan. Plan the whole week, don’t leave it to catch as catch can. Thinking it out means less wasting time during the chaos of getting out the door or rushing to get dinner on the table after a long day. It also ensures that you will have what you need to start your day off right and keep you going thru the day. So PLAN and plan to be flexible.
2. Sugar & Salt
Dump the Calories. Avoid manufactured and highly processed sugar and focus on lowering your sugar intake in general. Aside from sugar housing tons of calories, Sugar is also an inflammatory that contributes to an unhealthy stomach microbiome and an unhealthy digestive track and joint pain. Work toward satisfying your sweet tooth thru natural fruits. Until then, enjoy new alternatives that are without excessive processing like honey, maple syrup, agave syrup, date sugar, coconut sugar, molasses.
3. Eat Your Veggies!
Bulking up on veggies is the way to curb your hunger pangs. I know, I feel you cringing…”But, i’m not a big veggie person”… Start being one. This is one of the big keys to weight & hunger management with a side benefit of health management. Find recipes for cooking great veggies in bulk so you can store a quantity in the fridge for quick lunch and dinner options like salads and side dishes. Nothing better than roasted veggies with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Bulk up your salads with crunchy satisfying veggies like cucumbers, roasted carrots, roasted or pickled beets, toasted pumpkin seeds or other favorite nuts, add dried or freeze dried fruits, I love freeze dried apples in my salad…be creative and have fun creating deliciousness. At least half of your meal intake should be veggies.
4. Good Fats.
Are you surprised that there are good fats? As far as good fats…dive into olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil. All Great in salad dressings…all great with cooking. (Coconut oil use over medium heat only.) Substitute coconut oil for butter in recipes and it all make your baked goods more moist and increase shelf life…YUM. It also has a lot of side benefits like lowering your appetite and improving your skin & hair.
5. Make Your Proteins Count.
Lean Protein is the key. Chicken, fish, tempeh, beans are all great proteins. I love chickpeas! Salads, dips, stir-fries, mixed vegetables sautés…you name it chickpeas add great protein and lots of bulk to a meal all while keeping the calories down. The have the added benefit of having lots of fiber so they also help to boost your metabolism. Here is a list of foods that boost your metabolism: green tea, eggs, nuts & seeds, blueberries, lean protein, Green Veggies like spinach, asparagus and cucumbers.
6.Get your Sweet Tooth on!
Snacks & Dessert are all about good choices. Make sure you incorporate them into your daily menu so you are not feeling deprived, so you have something to look forward to as a treat and that you can count on as a great snack between meals. Planning snacks and dessert at regular intervals will give your mind and stomach the needed fuel to get to the next meal. It’s like running a tag-team race. breakfast gets you to mid morning stack which gets your to lunch which gets you to your mid afternoon snack which keeps you going until dinner and finish off with a treat an hour or so before bed. A well planned day of food will keep your hunger in check and you won’t be obsessing and distracted about food all day. Plan for your success!
7. Get Moving.
There is no getting out of it…exercise will make a difference. I’m not talking about hardcore join a gym or start prepping for a marathon. A simple 15 minute walk after lunch and/or dinner is all it takes. You can add in more time as you can or add other fun activities like biking, hiking, speed window shopping at the mall, Cleaning your home, visit the zoo or aquarium in your city to make walking fun, swimming…tons of great exercise outlets that can be jumped into with little or no investment.
Check with your doctor before launching on a new exercise or diet regime to be sure you are fit and without allergies.
