Written By: Debjani Arora | Updated : March 21, 2018 7:54 PM IST
Many people think that eating home-cooked meals will make them stick to a healthy diet. Of course, your mom is not going to cook a fancy lasagne laded with cheese or add dollops of butter on your paratha like your favourite delis do. Even if you are a singleton and love cooking, chances are you are going to stick to preparing food in less oil and the choicest of herbs that will make your food appetising and nutritious. Yes, opting for home-cooked meals is beneficial especially for those who are trying to count every calorie they consume and have been desperate to see a magical number pop up on their weighing scale. But wait let me tell you one thing, getting food from home at work is a good idea to aid your weight loss goals, but it might not help if you don t mentally plan or train your brain to eat that meal.
Not getting the drift right? Okay, let me explain. If your mother, spouse or maid is cooking for you then you probably have no idea what is going into your lunch box, until you open it during your break when you are hungry like a wolf. Chances are the humble dal-chawal and sabzi combination might not seem very appetising at that time. There is also a high possibility that you might trade your healthy dubba with a colleague (who is yearning for a home cooked meal) for a cheesy pizza from a restaurant or deli. There in a jiffy, all your attempts to eat healthy and fight the fat go down the drain. Does this sound similar to your story? Well, don't lose hope. We all have bad days with food or should I say, we have compatibility issues with healthy food combination for the most part of our days, which plummets our weight loss attempts.
So, one way to stick to healthy eating and eat home cooked meals is by packing your own lunch. As you pack, tell yourself right at the start of the day what you are going to eat through the day. Pack your lunch, snack and other munchies like nuts or wheat flakes on your own. Tell yourself while packing the box when do you need to eat which food. In this way, your brain will know what to expect during lunch and snack times. You will not stray from your food itinerary and won t give your brain a chance to think about your comfort food or crave for that sugar-laden pastry for dessert. This trick helps as it also induces mindful eating and prepares you to stick with your home cooked meals over ordering butter chicken from the restaurant. When you brain knows what to expect during meal times it also helps to lessen chances of stress eating. Here is why you should not eat the pizza when stressed.
Even if you stay alone and pack lunch for yourself every day do a small self-talk while packing your food. Remind yourself what you have to eat and when. This helps the brain to stay focussed on healthy eating and chances are you will stick to your diet plan for the day without cheating on it.
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