The Leaf | Healthy Weight Loss Blog

If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, then you might have noticed a common struggle that tends to come up again and again: the concept of willpower. Or, more specifically, the lack thereof it. People who are trying to lose weight frequently say that they struggle with the willpower to overcome temptations. So often, this makes people feel frustrated, weak and even defeated. So much of this comes from what we’ve been told or taught about dieting in the past. That’s the idea that “dieting” is all about giving foods up. Frankly, that model sets people up for failure from the start. Being told that certain foods are off limits seems to make most people crave them more. And it’s nearly impossible to eliminate entire sets of food groups from your diet, as so many eating plans do. But when people begin one of these plans, and they ultimately fail, it often sets them further back—sometimes to the point of just giving up entirely. We’re here to say that it doesn’t have to be that way. Let’s

Keeping track of what you eat may be the most important thing you can do for your weight loss success: In a study from 2019 , people who tracked what they ate for three months—without any other changes—lost an average of five pounds. That’s one reason Nutrisystem created NuMi, our free tracking app . It has Nutrisystem recipes and hundreds of grocery foods  already programmed in, so keeping a food diary is easier and simpler than ever. Using a smartphone app to track what you’re eating has been shown to be easier to adhere to than using a paper diary or a website: In one study , scientists found that people who used apps to track their food logged three times more often than people who used paper journals, and almost three times as often as people who tracked via a website. NuMi isn’t just a food journal, though: It’s a weight loss journal, helping you to log your weight and measurements, keep track of activity—even connecting to a Fitbit device if you have one—and keeping tabs o

Who doesn’t love fried chicken? “Don’t rub it in,” you’re thinking. “With all the fat and calories, I’ll never have fried chicken again.” Part of that is true. Just 3.5 ounces of fast food fried chicken has almost 400 calories and over 29 grams of fat. It’s neither slimming nor healthy. But you can have fried chicken again! The magic of the air fryer—a countertop appliance that uses hot air to mimic deep-fat frying with little or no oil—puts “fried” chicken on the menu, crispy coating and all. And it’s all guilt-free! Satisfy your fried chicken cravings with these 10 Nutrisystem-tested-and-approved healthy air fryer chicken recipes. 1. Air Fryer Honey Mustard Chicken Bites This marinade is as simple as it is heavenly: spicy brown mustard, honey and black pepper. Simple coat bite-sized pieces of boneless chicken breast in half the marinade. Ten minutes later, it’s into the air fryer for eight minutes per side. Finally, toss the chicken in the rest of the marinade. At only 144 c

Shorter days, less sun and chilly temps have a way of bringing you down. The winter blahs are real and for some people, it may develop into seasonal depression. Food is not a fix. However, a growing body of research suggests that your diet and certain healthy superfoods may influence (and even improve) your mood. One recent study, published in the journal PLOS ONE , found symptoms of depression dropped significantly among a small group of young adults who ate healthier for three weeks—which meant, in part, increasing their intake of fruits, veggies, whole grains and fish. In the peer-reviewed journal Psychiatry Research , a meta-analysis of 21 studies from ten countries investigated the connection between diet and depression risk. They found that a healthy eating pattern high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and low-fat dairy products may decrease the risk of depression, whereas a diet high in red or processed meat, refined grains and fat may increase the risk of depression

Set it and forget it: That’s the way you want to cook during the week when work, kids, school activities and sports all collide. And truth be told, you don’t mind making weekend meals the same way, either. Slow cooker dinners are your solution when you’re short on time (and energy). Plus, when that slow cooker recipe also happens to be super-high in protein, you can consider it a win for your waistline. A high-protein diet keeps you fuller for longer and helps your body build muscle. Protein is also more thermogenic than carbohydrates and fats (meaning it requires more energy for digesting and absorbing). This means that you’ll burn more calories eating a high-protein food compared to something higher in carbs and fat. Get energized and stay satisfied with protein-packed meals that are delicious and nutritious! Here are 10 high-protein slow cooker dinner recipes that are made easy in your slow cooker: 6 Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes to Get in Your Protein Read More 1. Slow