by We come across friends, family, peers, and colleagues. The majority of them want to lose weight. Unfortunately, due to lifestyle changes and food intake, people are gaining weight across age groups. However, weight loss is more challenging than gaining weight. Somehow, the weight creeps in through our bodies, and when we realise that we are overweight, it becomes tough to shed our set patterns. However, the secret is dietary modification and lifestyle changes.
Weight reduction is often associated with sophisticated meals such as salads and drinks. But one can approach it differently. Interestingly there is an easy way out. Even though it seems monotonous and excessive, eating the same foods daily can help you lose weight.
How Does it Work?
A more varied diet can be related to fat storage and weight gain. It is especially true when one consumes a variety of snacks rather than just one. Furthermore, diverse tastes and textures might lead to overeating. Eating a broad range of meals might lead to eating more and consuming more calories in general. If you don’t get used to what you eat regularly, you’re more inclined to consume food for pleasure. Instead of curbing hunger, food becomes an outlet for a sensory experience. Also, our customs and cultures associate food with togetherness, celebrations and expression of emotion. So, we embrace overeating as a habit that ultimately leads to weight gain. When we restrict ourselves to eating a few food items, we tend to eat less.
When you have fewer options, it’s easier to pay attention to your body’s signals and recognise when you’re full. Binge eating and not knowing when you’re full are two common reasons for weight gain.
Pros of Eating Same Food
Increased Intake of Nutrients
A diet consisting of a few nutrient-dense items can easily outperform a diet composed of many less nutritious options. Since eating the same meal can be restrictive, you’re more inclined to stick to home cooking rather than going out. This meal should consist of quantities of vegetables, fruit, nuts, whole grains, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and omega-3 fatty acids. On the other hand, it should reduce the intake of processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and sugar-sweetened drinks.
Reduced Calorie Intake
When it comes to weight gain, calories are a significant determinant. As per studies, food habituation lowers total calorie intake in people when they repeatedly eat the same meals. Habituation refers to learning wherein a person’s response decreases with repeated exposure to stimuli. The presence of an extensive range of foods to try leads to inadvertently postponed feelings of fullness or contentment from your meal, causing you to eat more. As per research, consuming the same meals daily assists 66 % of American adults who are overweight or obese lower their calorie consumption.
Reduces Stress
Consuming the same item daily reduces the stress of meal planning and food preparation and establishes a routine and an order. Due to the busy modern lifestyle, adults today already have plenty of prior engagements. Therefore, not worrying about deciding on the type of meal helps relieve stress and simplify things to maintain a balanced diet. Furthermore, concentrating on limited types of products and using them to make meals throughout the week is a good strategy. It ensures that all the food items you purchase get utilised and nothing goes to waste.
Cons of Eating the Same food
Increased Pesticide Exposure
There are also drawbacks to lowering diversity in your diet: increased pesticide exposure. Our source for specific food items like vegetables or fruits remains the same. These food items can have chemicals such as pesticides and insecticides. Repeatedly buying the same food item for consumption can result in the constant intake of these chemicals. Therefore, if you eat the same food items every day, getting the most excellent quality is essential. It’s a good idea to buy organic foods. It will lead to fewer pesticides and other toxins. Aside from opting for organic, it’s crucial to be mindful of foods that might be dangerous in large concentrations.
Contributes to Food Intolerance
The gut microbiome may suffer due to a lack of diversity in your diet. Your microbiome alters when you consume a substantial amount of the same diet over a longer time. A lack of diversity may exacerbate intolerances and sensitivities. Food intolerances and sharpness can increase by a diet that is extremely limited in variety. Your stomach may produce less of the enzymes needed to break them down. Moreover, this can further result in experiencing physical problems such as pains, etc., when eating items you don’t eat otherwise.
Slowed Metabolism
Eating the same meal daily might result in a slowed metabolism, which is bad in the long term. The things you consume regularly affect your metabolism. Food digestion is a metabolic factor that contributes to your daily energy requirements. Therefore if you consume the same item regularly, your daily metabolic output will be the same. On eating more food than needed, the body’s basal metabolism increases slightly to compensate. Eat less, and your weight will drop, but your energy consumption will decline. As a result, it decreases your basal metabolism to compensate for your intake shortage.
Foods to Add to Your Daily Diet
Lean Protein
A high-protein diet can assist you to control your hunger, allowing you to lose weight. You can lower the hunger hormone ‘ghrelin’ and increase multiple satiety hormones by substituting carbs and fat with protein. As a result, there is a significant reduction in appetite, which is how primarily protein aids weight loss. It can make you instinctively consume fewer calories. Protein is essential for healthy growth and development and the maintenance of muscular mass. Having protein-rich food in every meal can help maintain blood sugar levels and prevent blood sugar spikes. It is a regular occurrence when you consume carbohydrates exclusively. Intake of protein daily can boost concentration and energy levels in a person.
Protein requirements vary depending on gender, age, and weight. Furthermore, protein requirements differ depending on the amount and type of activity a person engages in and whether or not they are pregnant or breastfeeding. As per studies, an adult requires 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. Food items containing protein include eggs, chicken, soy, legumes, beans etc.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Add cruciferous vegetables. They have low-calorie content and are rich in fibre. They give the feeling of being fuller for longer and prevent overeating. Intake of vegetables keeps the calorie count under check. With time, this can result in a reduction of overall caloric consumption and weight loss.
Glucosinolates are sulphurous chemicals found in cruciferous plants. These are good for your health. As per studies, glucosinolates have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties, influencing cell networks and genes. Glucosinolates prevent cancer from spreading by changing the enzymes involved, avoiding the transcription process, and stopping cellular proliferation. It also protects against myocardial infarction and other inflammatory illnesses due to its anti-inflammatory properties. The chemicals could also aid in the treatment and prevention of metabolic syndrome.
According to the USDA, people should consume 1.5 to 2.5 cups of cruciferous vegetables every week. As per studies. Three servings of vegetables slow down ageing and a reduced risk of diseases such as slowed cognitive activities, Alzheimer’s etc. Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, radish, cauliflowers etc.
Nuts and Seeds
According to research, eating nuts can be helpful to one’s health. Nuts are nutrient-rich foods that have no negative impact on weight. Indeed, when they are used to substitute other less nutritious items in the diet, they can aid in weight loss. Even though nuts contain many calories, research suggests that our body doesn’t absorb all these fats. It is due to a percentage of fat staying within the nut’s fibrous wall during digestion. It’s a common belief that nuts lead to weight gain due to fat content. However, fats related to health concerns are saturated and trans fats. Most nuts are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These are healthy fats.
Olive Oil
Olive oil, particularly extra virgin olive oil, is an effective weight-loss component. Crushing or cold-pressing olives and removing the fresh fat from the fruit yields extra virgin olive oil. It is the best grade olive oil. It is unrefined and unadulterated, and rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids aid weight loss, maintain a healthy heart and keep blood sugar levels constant. In addition, it encourages satiety, which keeps people from binge eating other processed or trans-fat sources that are high in empty calories.
Yoghurt
Yoghurt, which is high in calcium and protein, provides various benefits to overall gut health and weight loss. It enhances metabolism due to its high protein content. As a result, it aids in burning a significant amount of calories throughout the day. Yoghurt’s protein helps lose weight by giving the feeling of being full for a long time. Therefore, protein in yoghurt can help with weight loss by promoting fat and calorie burn and managing the appetite.
Precautionary Measures
It’s advisable to buy organic food items. Organic will reduce your exposure to chemicals and pesticides whether you eat the same item every day or a diversified diet. Ensure that all key dietary groups are included in your daily meal: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean protein, and healthy fats. Having the same hearty diet every day can help with weight loss, but only if you follow it for a short period. If you wish to stick to the diet in the long run, talk to a dietitian beforehand.
The Bottom Line
Eating the same food regularly helps to boost the weight loss process. However, it’s essential to include only healthy foods in your daily meal. Furthermore, you cannot undermine the importance of physical activities and an active lifestyle for weight loss. Therefore, it’s essential to balance and consume healthy food and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
