There was a time when people talked about health and fitness. These days, everyone is talking about weight loss. What’s going on? How have things changed? What can I do to change my weight, be healthy and fit, and enjoy doing it?
Here are the top 2 things I hear most often from people:
- I have heard about all these different diets and I don’t know which one to use.
- I have heard about all these different exercise and fitness plans and I don’t know which one to use.
First, I will share some information with you that you might not know. Then I’ll get into the ‘meat’ of what you desire to know.
To burn one pound of fat you need to create a deficit of roughly 3,500 calories. In other words, you can need to remove approximately 3,500 calories from your eating. There are several ways to accomplish this. First, reduce the number of calories you consume. Second, increase the number of calories you burn though physical activity. Third, use a combination of both.
Fad diets that promise dramatic weight loss results in little time are unhealthy and can do more harm than good. Your best chance for lasting success is to develop a sensible lifestyle based on a nutritious diet and moderate physical activity. Fatigue and dehydration can mask themselves as hunger, so try to get adequate sleep and drink plenty of water.
To be more successful and aware, consider tracking your eating habits and calorie intake for at least a couple of weeks. This can help you get a sense of appropriate portion control, prevent emotional eating and make you think twice about dining on high-calorie, low-nutrient foods. This will assist you with quickly recognizing which foods keep you feeling full longer.
Physical activity will burn calories, curb your appetite, and give you an emotional boost; all important when you are trying to avoid relapsing into old habits. The best kind of physical activity, for successful weight loss, is one that you enjoy and will stick with. Consider your gender, age, bone size and other factors.
As most experts recommend losing no more than one to two pounds per week, target your overall healthy weight by breaking your overall weight-loss into smaller targets. This may seem slow and tedious but remember that you did not gain the weight overnight and losing it successfully and healthfully should not happen overnight either … especially if you desire to keep the weight off permanently.
You can end emotional overeating once and for all. But first you will have to figure out what is eating you! Some research has demonstrated that stress make us eat. Not only are chronically stressed women the most likely to eat high-fat treats, but they also have the highest rates of disordered eating habits such as skipping meals and banning foods. Now, women are beginning to use food to cope with work, money, and family.
A craving does not come from hunger, and food will never satisfy it! When you are stressed, you release the hormone Cortisol, which pushes you to crave fatty, sugary foods. Check your body like your car; check your fuel gauge before you fill up. To prevent bingeing, eat before you feel signals such as irritability, light -headedness or headaches. If 10 seconds of contemplation reveals that you are not truly hungry, there are ways to lower your Cortisol without calories.
Do anything that lets you take a breath. Chat with a friend, watch a soap opera, go for a walk. Change your routine and your brain will begin to crave your brand of fun instead of sweet treats.
Ask yourself “Who does this belong to?” “Is this mine?” If you have ‘that feeling’ that it is not yours, return it to the sender. (Keep in mind that 98% of our thoughts, feelings, and emotions do not belong to you.)
Portion controlled packs that you purchase with the “100-cal” label are far from being your ally. Regular sizes of cookies and chips are loaded with artificial sweeteners, corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oil (the prime source of artery-clogging trans-fat). You will still feel hungry and unsatisfied after eating one of these bags because it lacks important hunger fighters, like protein and fiber. That means you will soon be reaching for bag number two.
The rule of do not eat after dinner may not apply to you. Your body does not magically store more fat and calories after a certain hour, so if your work out in the evening or feel famished, there is no need to go to bed with a grumbling tummy. You will slow your metabolism if you don t give your body fuel when it needs it. The trick is to choose a healthy snack. If you nibble at night you should start each day by planning ahead for those calories.
Use “clean” non processed food to help stabilize your hormones, maximize your metabolism, and drop pounds fast. Eat one breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and treat a day and watch up to 1 to 2 pounds a week disappear.
Energy drinks are often high in caffeine, which curbs feelings of hunger even if you have not fueled your body with food. For lasting energy, have a snack with complex carbs and protein, like a whole wheat pita with hummus for example.
- Spicing up your diet can keep your taste buds and ticker happy. Capsaicin, a compound that gives chili peppers their heat, may relax blood vessels and bring down blood pressure. Cook regularly with red pepper flakes to add flavor and health perks to dishes.
- Successful dieters, who recorded their eating habits at least once a month for several months (over a two year period), kept off three times more weight than those who did less frequent logging.
- Drinking two cups of water before meals helped people lose about 5 pounds more than those who said ‘no’ to water. According to researchers, water is filling, which led sippers to eat 75 to 90 calories less per meal.
- Eating foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as walnuts, salmon and flaxseed, nurtures your complexion from the inside out .Omega-3’s help increase skin’s elasticity and may spur collagen production.
- Medical studies show that you can defy your weight fate. Although DNA may predispose you to pack on the pounds, being active for 30 minutes a day can offset that genetic tendency by 40 %.
- Eliminate processed foods! They are often full of iodized salt, and though some iodine helps the thyroid, too much can suppress the gland’s ability to produce T3 and T4, two metabolic hormones.
- Eat enough! If you cut too many calories, your body begins pumping out stress hormones like cortisol and clinging to fat. Eliminating too many calories too quickly tricks your body into thinking that it needs to protect itself from starvation!
- The typical deli sandwich is more than enough for two meals. In fact almost any dish of food you order out is two to three times larger than a recommended serving. Downsize without depriving. When eating out, immediately ask for a ‘to-go’ container and portion the food into it. Eat what remains on your plate, and you are more likely not to overeat while dining out.
- Rolls and baguettes are equal to three or more servings of grains. Request whole wheat bread and ask for just three slices of deli meat, one slice of cheese and a dab of mayo or choose mustard. The typical protein portion per meal should be 5 ounces.
- Reach for 100-calorie packs when you snack. If you like convenience of grab-and-go packs, make your own at the start of the workweek. Try these:
o Six wheat crackers spread with two teaspoons
of peanut butter
o 15 almonds or cashews
o three-quarters of a cup of blueberries
o 15 chocolate-covered raisins
- Focus on healthy fat. It helps your body break down and absorb nutrients like vitamins A and E and beta-carotene in fruits and vegetables. Cutting too many carbs, calories, or grams of fat in an effort to lose weight could shortchange you of crucial vitamins and minerals. Eat smart!
- A hamburger can be seven to 11 ounces. A proper serving is five ounces. Eat just half and you can have the other half later as another meal.
- Despite what disciples of the low-carb craze profess, bread, the whole grain of course, is an ally in the battle of the bulge, because the complex carbohydrates it contains provide filling fiber. The carbs in white bread, crackers and pastries lead to weight gain.
- If you eat too many simple carbs (white rice, sweets, soda), you increase your levels of insulin, a hormone that tells your body to store calories as fat.
- Avoid going longer than 3 to 4 hours without eating. If there are too many hours between lunch and dinner, choose a snack that contains complex carbs and lean protein.
Learn to ask questions. What it is in the package? What is in/on the pre-made sandwich at the deli or refrigerator section? When was the last time I drank water? Does my body truly desire what I am about to put in its mouth?
These and many other questions will serve you well on your path to hitting your target.
