9 food rules to help you lose that belly

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Granted exercising plenty is crucial for increasing muscle mass and metabolism and changing body but it's your habits in the kitchen that will ultimately decide the results you achieve. As compiled from Esquire, here are some habits and diet tweaks to help you get more out of your weight-loss regime.

Carbs aren't the enemy
It’s easy to think of carbohydrates as evil. But the thing is, losses from carb-restricted diets tend to be mainly water weight and you can still, sensibly, consume the right carbs every day and see results. So keep eating the good stuff: granary toast or porridge at breakfast, bananas before workouts, brown rice or quinoa at lunch. And then limit dinner to just lean protein and some veggies.

Pick the right proteins

Focus on pushing protein high but keep it lean with fish, chicken, turkey and egg whites. Say goodbye to red meats. This will feed your muscles and satisfy the appetite but without the high fats and calories.

Meal-plan whenever you can
Try and write out breakfast, lunch and dinner for each day. If you want, you can even leave gaps for snacks. This will help create a structure around what you're trying to do, make you look forward to meal-times, and most importantly, doesn't leave you opening up the fridge and wondering what you're going to eat.

Fill up on veggies
Overstock on green vegetables and fill your plate so you're not relying on a piece of grilled chicken or fish to keep you sated on its own. There are lots of ways to add flavour to vegetables without increasing too many calories. Try out soy sauce, spinach with lemon and chilli, leeks and carrots with garlic and ginger.

Fill up on natural herbs
It's crucial that you invest in natural flavourings that will make your meals taste better and keep you feeling fuller for longer. These could be fresh chillies, chilli flakes, garlic, ginger, coriander, mint, parsley, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, limes and lemons and some Dijon mustard.

Realise that hunger isn't a bad thing
Feeling hungry while on a diet, contrary to popular belief, is actually good for you. Train yourself to see it as a sign that you are on the right path. This is a hard mental switch but when it comes, it can even help you enjoy meal-times more because you are ready for them.

Snack smart
You can snack on a diet, provided that you keep the right options. Almonds and walnuts are a good option or a handful of berries.

Make water your best friend
Regular intake of water is crucial for both keeping you hydrated and stabilising appetite, but herbal teas have also played a big part. They provide regular moments of flavour and structure throughout the day and that too, without any calories!

 Always remind why you’re exercising
It's easy to get bored by anything that restricts your lifestyle and fun, especially with regards to dieting. Therefore, you must find ways to remember that it'll all be worth it in the end. After all, there's nothing wrong with aiming high.

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