Before you reorganize your pantry or do a detailed cleansing of your fridge, step away from the salad you’re dreading eating because there’s some good news: You don’t necessarily need to eat vegetables to lose weight! You guys, you heard that right!
Don’t get me wrong, vegetables are great for you and contain a plethora of vitamins and minerals for overall health, but pounds are shed by simply consuming fewer calories than you expend (or burn) each day. BUT, the energy deficit over time is responsible for dropping pounds on the scale, NOT the amount of veggies you eat.
How to Lose 10 Pounds If You Hate Vegetables
Vegetables, however, can be a great tool in your weight loss journey! They can help bulk up meals and increase your fiber content to keep you feeling fuller longer as you are dropping your daily caloric intake.
They are nature’s multivitamin, and they can help fill the void if your new diet is lacking in food variety. I do have some sneaky ways to get them into your diet without you even tasting them (I will share below), I am also going to give you my top 5 tips to lose those last 10 lbs—no veggies required.
- Drink an extra quart of water a day. Sounds so simple, and it is. Just drink more water to reduce cravings, increase mental clarity, and increase your metabolic rate! Studies have proven that drinking 17oz of water can increase your metabolic rate for up to an hour!
- Eat breakfast and every 3 hours thereafter. Time to skip skipping breakfast! Deprivation is a thing of the past and has been proven to slow down our metabolic rate and decrease our energy levels. Start your day out right by giving your body the fuel it needs. By feeding our bodies every 3 hours from breakfast, we are keeping our “metabolic flame” stoked!
- Eat protein at every meal. Protein is not only the building block for our muscles, but it’s also the most immediately satiating macronutrient. By eating a protein-rich diet, we will naturally feel full much more often. Before I allow myself any carbs, I make sure to eat protein first. It will stop me from overdoing it every single time!
- Reduce sugar and sodium intake. No, I did not say REMOVE sugar and sodium. Just “reduce” because a life without a little sweet and savory is no fun at all! But keep in mind that sugar and salt will both act like magnets for water in your body, and consuming too much will result in an increased number on the scale—for many people as much as 10-15 extra pounds!! So, reduce the sodium and the sugar and watch that number naturally drop!
How to Trick Yourself into Eating Veggies
- Blend a couple handfuls of spinach into your next fruit smoothie. Trust me, you won’t even taste it. Green smoothies just LOOK more disgusting than they actually are! We call them “hulk shakes” for our kids, and they absolutely LOVE them!
- Try baking some kale! You’ve heard it once, you’re hearing it again…baked kale for the win! This time, you need to actually try it. With a little olive oil cooking spray and sea salt sprinkled over the top, and with the right baking (I do 400 degrees for 5 or so minutes), you will literally think you’re eating chips!
- Go green with your next batch of pancakes! In a food processor, combine 2 handfuls of spinach with your pancake mix (I love Kodiak Cakes). You’ll have fun pancakes that even your kids will love, and you’ll be getting the phytonutrients you need!
Like with most things in life, it’s all about balance. That includes what you eat, but don’t forget how important it is to also just move…every dang day no matter how tired you are. Try moving for five minutes per day.… It may sound like very little, but by committing to something small and sticking to it, you are setting yourself up for success! Whether it be moving or just adding in different nutritional changes every day, you’re already on the path to transformation. How are you sneaking in those veggies (or are you 😉)?
xo,
Related reading:
Taste the Rainbow: Best Ways to Eat More Fruits + Veggies
Top 5 Reasons to Fall in Love with Zoodles & My Favorite Zoodle Recipes
Kale Sweet Potato Salad
Go Green or Go Home! Top Tips for Sneaking in Those Veggies
How Colorful Are Your Veggies?
2 Responses
Too live we must eat, I mostly was choosing the wrong food, but I am making changes, the salads look delicious my kind of food.
Love this! Thank you for sharing, its so hard to stick at healthy eating when you are trying to lose weight but fussy with some foods!