We're paying more these days not only at the gas pump but also at the grocery store. Blame it on rising oil prices, disappointing crop yields, global warming, and/or the weak dollar. What it all means is that shoppers are looking for ways to save money when they're food shopping without sacrificing nutrition.
Planning Can Help You Save Money on Food
Planning ahead is the most important step to getting more bang for your buck at the grocery store. Take inventory of what you have on hand so you don’t overbuy, create a detailed shopping list based on your needs and weekly menu plan, and take into account how you plan on using leftovers.
Have a light snack before you go shopping, and stick to your grocery list to help avoid impulse purchases or costly mistakes like falling for the displays at the end of the aisles. Before you plan your weekly menu, check the ads to see what’s on sale and use coupons to take advantage of sales and money-saving coupons. You can even sign up online to receive coupons and email alerts from your favorite grocers.
Healthy Food Is Cheaper Food
Eating healthier foods can actually save you money. The researchers found that when families went on weight loss diets, they not only lost weight but reduced their food budgets. The savings came from reducing portion sizes and from buying fewer of the high-calorie foods that tend to increase the amount spent at the grocery store. People tend to spend a lot on those "extras" -- foods that add calories but little nutritional value, like sodas, bakery items, and chips.
You can get more for your money if you consider the nutritional value of food for the price. For example, sodas and flavored drinks deliver mostly empty calories and could easily be replaced with less expensive sparkling water with a splash of a 100% fruit juice like cranberry.
Compare food prices based on the number of servings you'll get, along with the food's nutritional contribution. The ideal food is nutrient-dense, not calorie-dense, and the least expensive may be fresh, frozen or canned.
And if you're craving something sweet?
Save money by passing on calorie-dense cakes and cookies; instead, opt for seasonal fruit. Fruit is fat-free, high in nutrients and fiber, and a natural energizer. Look for sales or coupons for light ice cream or nonfat frozen yogurt to enjoy with your fruit, and you have a delicious, fat-free, low-calorie dessert.
Here are 10 simple strategies to beat the rising cost of food and help your grocery dollars go further:
1. Buy produce in season. Check the food section in your newspaper to find the best buys for the week, based on fresh produce in season. Food in season is usually priced to sell. During the summer months, corn on the cob can cost as little as 10 cents an ear; at other times of the year, it may cost 10 times as much. Also, shop your local farmers' market for great deals on local produce.
2. Use sales and coupons. Planning meals around what's on sale can lower your grocery bills, especially if you also use coupons (make sure they're for item you would buy anyway). Sunday newspapers are full of coupons and sales circulars to get you started. It's also a good idea to stock up on staples when they're on sale. "Buy one, get one free" is basically a technique to get you to buy twice as much as you need at half the price. At some markets, though, the product rings up half-price -- so you don't have to buy more than one to get the savings. Use your freezer to store sale items that can be used at a later date.
3. Brown-bag it. Making lunch and taking it with you is a great money-saver and an excellent use of leftovers for meals at work, school, or wherever your destination. Packing your lunch not only saves you money, but you can control all the ingredients so they are healthy and low in calories. Pack a simple sandwich, salad, soup, wrap, and/or a hearty snack of cheese. Use freezer packs and containers to keep food at the proper temperature unless you have access to a refrigerator.
4. Think frozen, canned, or dried. Next time you're gathering ingredients for a recipe, try using frozen, canned, or dried foods. They may be less expensive than fresh, yet are equally nutritious. Produce is typically frozen, canned, or dried at the peak of ripeness, when nutrients are plentiful. Fish and poultry are often flash-frozen to minimize freezer damage and retain freshness. With frozen foods, you can use only the amount you need, reseal the package, and return it to the freezer. If it's properly stored, there's no waste. Canned foods are often sitting in a bath of juice, syrup, or salty water, and usually require rinsing. Dried fruits are concentrated in flavor and a great substitute for fresh fruit. Also consider using powdered or evaporated versions of milk in soups, casseroles, mashed potatoes, or desserts. Buy the form that gives you the best price for your needs.
5. Save on protein foods. When possible, substitute inexpensive, vegetarian sources such as beans, eggs, tofu, and legumes for more expensive meat, fish, or poultry. Eat vegetarian once a week or more to increase your consumption of healthy plant foods while saving money. Eggs are an excellent, inexpensive source of protein that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You could also try using a smaller portion of meat, fish, or poultry and extending the dish with whole grains, beans, eggs, and/or vegetables.
When you do buy meat, choose smaller portions of lean cuts. For example, lean cuts of beef are those that include the terms "loin" or "round." (You can tenderize lean cuts of meat mechanically or by marinating it.) You can also buy a whole chicken and cut it up instead of paying the butcher to do it for you, or buy the cheaper "family pack" and portion it into airtight freezer bags.
6. Waste not, want not. Before you toss perishable food into your grocery cart, think about exactly how you'll use it. Using leftover vegetables, poultry, or meat in soups, stews, salads, and casseroles minimizes cost and demonstrates your creativity in the kitchen. For example, have a roasted chicken for dinner one night, and use the leftovers for dinner the next night. Try topping a bed of fresh greens with vegetables, fruits, and slices of leftover chicken. Add a loaf of whole-grain bread, and presto! You've got a nutritious meal in minutes. You can also eat leftovers for breakfast or take them with you for lunch.
7. Go generic. Consider buying store brands instead of pricier national brands. Many grocery companies buy national-brand products made to their specifications and simply put their own label on the products. Read the ingredient list on the label to be sure you're getting the most for your money. Ingredients are listed in order by weight. So when you're buying canned tomatoes, look for a product that lists tomatoes, not water, as the first ingredient. Also look for simpler versions of your favorite foods.
8. Buy prepackaged only if you need it. Unless you have a coupon or the item is on sale, buying prepackaged, sliced, or washed products comes with a higher price tag. Still, people living alone may find that smaller sizes of perishable products or bags of prepared produce eliminate waste and fit their needs best, despite the extra cost. You can also save money (and boost nutrition) by passing up the aisles with processed foods, cookies, snack foods and soda.
9. Buy and cook in bulk. Joining a bulk shopping club, like Sam's or Costco, can be cost-effective if you frequent the club regularly. Bulk purchases can be a great way to save money -- as long as they get used. You might also look in your community for shopping cooperatives that sell food in bulk at a substantial savings. Prepare food in bulk and freeze into family-sized portions, which saves time in the kitchen.
10. Plant a garden. For benefits that go beyond cost savings, plant your own produce. There's nothing better than a summer-fresh tomato from the garden. Tomatoes even grow well in containers if you don't have space for a garden, and some neighborhoods offer community gardening spaces. Start small, and see how easy it is to grow fresh herbs or a few simple vegetables. And if you invest a little time in freezing or canning your harvest, you can enjoy summer's bounty all year long.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
How to Raise Metabolism
1. Take regular exercise
This should be aerobic exercise that makes you breathe more heavily. Exercises that build muscle are also useful. The harder you work, the faster your metabolic rate will be.
2. Eat Breakfast
To stop the "fast" from the evening, to "start" your metabolism going and ensure that your body burns calories willingly, eat breakfast and then eat regularly throughout the day. If you do not break the "fast" your body will think it needs to conserve energy and slow down your metabolism.
3. Eat a Balanced Diet
This helps to maintain a good supply of nutrients which in turn keeps your metabolism working smoothly.
4. Avoid Pills
For the sake of your health and weight, avoid all supplements that claim to offer fat-burning and weight loss benefits. Remember, if you do not take your eating and exercise habits, you will not keep your weight off.
5. Increasing Lean Muscle Mass
This is probably the best and most obvious way to create a more constructive metabolism. It is natural that the more muscle we have the more calories we will burn...even at rest! Muscle takes energy to make it work but fat does not, it just sits there. Try moderate resistance training to start off. Even 15 minutes of stretching will help get you started in the right direction.
6. Engaging In Aerobic Exercise
Aerobics are great! This will ensure that your body fat will decrease while at the same time your lean muscle mass will increase. Even after you have finished exercising your metabolism will remain higher for a period of time, working more efficiently. You will then burn more calories no matter what you're doing…working, driving, even watching television!
7. Make Sure to Eat and Eat Regularly
Yes, that's right, eat! Also, make sure you avoid crash diets where you starve yourself. Restricting your calories too much will result in a loss of lean muscle tissue slowing your metabolism down. And we don't want that! Make sure to also spread your meals out evenly throughout the day. Smaller, more frequent meals are generally considered better. Try a minimum of four. This way, your body will not think it's starving itself and won't be as likely to store the food as fat. This is usually the case when you only eat two or three meals during the day.
One of the number one mistakes that individuals make when trying to lose weight is not eating enough foods. In other words, reducing calorie intake less than the Basal Metabolic Rate required for their body. The formula for determining your BMR is below.
Increase metabolism by eating smaller meals through the day. Eat 4 to 6 six small meals, 2 to 3 hours apart. Include energy foods such as whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits in your diet.
8. Park further away and walk. Use the stairs instead of the elevator when possible. Walk to the post office instead of getting into the car. Take your dog on a daily walk. Do more activities around the house to burn energy instead of wasting money on pills and potions that don't work.
Incorporate a walking routine to increase metabolism at least three to four times a week. Walk 30 to 40 minutes each time. This is the best way to increase your metabolism.
9. Never eat sporadically, plan each meal. The common mistake is to skip meals and eat too little during the day. This makes you vulnerable for eating junk food later in the day. Eating to lose weight takes planning.
_________________________________________
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) Formula
Your Basal Metabolic Rate shows the number of calories your body needs to operate. This doesn't account for any activity, it's simply the energy needed to sustain a heartbeat, breathing and normal body temperature. It measures the body at rest, not sleep, at room temperature.
Formula:
BMR for males = 66 + (13.7 x w) + (5 x h) - (6.8 x y)
BMR for females = 655 + (9.6 x w) + (1.8 x h) - (4.7 x y)
where:
h = height in centimeters (inches x 2.54)
w = weight in kilograms (pounds ÷ 2.2)
y = age in years
This should be aerobic exercise that makes you breathe more heavily. Exercises that build muscle are also useful. The harder you work, the faster your metabolic rate will be.
2. Eat Breakfast
To stop the "fast" from the evening, to "start" your metabolism going and ensure that your body burns calories willingly, eat breakfast and then eat regularly throughout the day. If you do not break the "fast" your body will think it needs to conserve energy and slow down your metabolism.
3. Eat a Balanced Diet
This helps to maintain a good supply of nutrients which in turn keeps your metabolism working smoothly.
4. Avoid Pills
For the sake of your health and weight, avoid all supplements that claim to offer fat-burning and weight loss benefits. Remember, if you do not take your eating and exercise habits, you will not keep your weight off.
5. Increasing Lean Muscle Mass
This is probably the best and most obvious way to create a more constructive metabolism. It is natural that the more muscle we have the more calories we will burn...even at rest! Muscle takes energy to make it work but fat does not, it just sits there. Try moderate resistance training to start off. Even 15 minutes of stretching will help get you started in the right direction.
6. Engaging In Aerobic Exercise
Aerobics are great! This will ensure that your body fat will decrease while at the same time your lean muscle mass will increase. Even after you have finished exercising your metabolism will remain higher for a period of time, working more efficiently. You will then burn more calories no matter what you're doing…working, driving, even watching television!
7. Make Sure to Eat and Eat Regularly
Yes, that's right, eat! Also, make sure you avoid crash diets where you starve yourself. Restricting your calories too much will result in a loss of lean muscle tissue slowing your metabolism down. And we don't want that! Make sure to also spread your meals out evenly throughout the day. Smaller, more frequent meals are generally considered better. Try a minimum of four. This way, your body will not think it's starving itself and won't be as likely to store the food as fat. This is usually the case when you only eat two or three meals during the day.
One of the number one mistakes that individuals make when trying to lose weight is not eating enough foods. In other words, reducing calorie intake less than the Basal Metabolic Rate required for their body. The formula for determining your BMR is below.
Increase metabolism by eating smaller meals through the day. Eat 4 to 6 six small meals, 2 to 3 hours apart. Include energy foods such as whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits in your diet.
8. Park further away and walk. Use the stairs instead of the elevator when possible. Walk to the post office instead of getting into the car. Take your dog on a daily walk. Do more activities around the house to burn energy instead of wasting money on pills and potions that don't work.
Incorporate a walking routine to increase metabolism at least three to four times a week. Walk 30 to 40 minutes each time. This is the best way to increase your metabolism.
9. Never eat sporadically, plan each meal. The common mistake is to skip meals and eat too little during the day. This makes you vulnerable for eating junk food later in the day. Eating to lose weight takes planning.
_________________________________________
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) Formula
Your Basal Metabolic Rate shows the number of calories your body needs to operate. This doesn't account for any activity, it's simply the energy needed to sustain a heartbeat, breathing and normal body temperature. It measures the body at rest, not sleep, at room temperature.
Formula:
BMR for males = 66 + (13.7 x w) + (5 x h) - (6.8 x y)
BMR for females = 655 + (9.6 x w) + (1.8 x h) - (4.7 x y)
where:
h = height in centimeters (inches x 2.54)
w = weight in kilograms (pounds ÷ 2.2)
y = age in years
Aging and Metabolism
Weight gain is a common occurrence as people get older because the body's metabolism slows as we age. Thankfully, exercise can help mitigate this weight gain.
After age 45, the average individual loses around 10% of their muscle mass per decade. This equates to losing about one-third to one-half a pound of muscle each year and also gaining that much in body fat. Because muscle mass burns a lot of calories compared to fat, the total number of calories needed goes down.
How Aging Impacts Metabolism
Many studies have been done to understand why people gain weight as they age and the answer is clear – the change in body composition accounts for the vast majority of the decline in metabolism.
There are also a growing number of studies, however, that suggest that body composition does not account for all of the weight gain associated with the aging process. Decreases in the calories used by the body's organs, such as the heart and liver, also seem to occur as the body ages.
Physical activity plays a role in both body composition and metabolism during the aging process. Research shows that most individuals gradually reduce their level of physical activity as they age, which further reduces their number of calories needed to maintain weight. Less activity also means less use of the body's muscles, which contributes to the general decline in muscle mass and subsequent changes in body composition.
Overall, these age-related changes means that the average 50 year-old woman needs around 300-500 fewer calories per day than she did in her twenties to maintain the same body weight. So for those who gain weight while aging, the reason is not necessarily eating more; but rather eating the same, while needing fewer calories.
Aging and Exercise
Is there anything that can help to slow this part of the aging process? Fortunately yes. Exercise appears to help a lot. Several studies have shown that resistance (i.e. weight) training alone can boost metabolism and offset the decline seen with aging. There is also some research that suggests that endurance (i.e. aerobic) exercise can be beneficial in offsetting the decline in metabolism and associated weight gain with aging. ---Weight Watchers Research Department
Stay tuned to tomorrow's post, I will tell you even more ways to increase your metabolism!
After age 45, the average individual loses around 10% of their muscle mass per decade. This equates to losing about one-third to one-half a pound of muscle each year and also gaining that much in body fat. Because muscle mass burns a lot of calories compared to fat, the total number of calories needed goes down.
How Aging Impacts Metabolism
Many studies have been done to understand why people gain weight as they age and the answer is clear – the change in body composition accounts for the vast majority of the decline in metabolism.
There are also a growing number of studies, however, that suggest that body composition does not account for all of the weight gain associated with the aging process. Decreases in the calories used by the body's organs, such as the heart and liver, also seem to occur as the body ages.
Physical activity plays a role in both body composition and metabolism during the aging process. Research shows that most individuals gradually reduce their level of physical activity as they age, which further reduces their number of calories needed to maintain weight. Less activity also means less use of the body's muscles, which contributes to the general decline in muscle mass and subsequent changes in body composition.
Overall, these age-related changes means that the average 50 year-old woman needs around 300-500 fewer calories per day than she did in her twenties to maintain the same body weight. So for those who gain weight while aging, the reason is not necessarily eating more; but rather eating the same, while needing fewer calories.
Aging and Exercise
Is there anything that can help to slow this part of the aging process? Fortunately yes. Exercise appears to help a lot. Several studies have shown that resistance (i.e. weight) training alone can boost metabolism and offset the decline seen with aging. There is also some research that suggests that endurance (i.e. aerobic) exercise can be beneficial in offsetting the decline in metabolism and associated weight gain with aging. ---Weight Watchers Research Department
Stay tuned to tomorrow's post, I will tell you even more ways to increase your metabolism!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Recognizing Hunger Signals
One reason that many of us are not at a healthy weight is because, somewhere along the line, we stopped listening to our body signals that naturally tell us when we're hungry and when we're full. The signals are still there, but we're out of practice when it comes to paying attention to them. Learning to recognize those signals again can help you get to a healthy weight and stay there.
Hunger signals tell us when to eat, what to eat, and when to stop. There are three types of hunger signals:
1. Hunger is a sensation (stomach growling, feeling hunger pangs) that makes you want to eat. It is partly controlled by a region of your brain called the hypothalamus, your blood sugar level, how empty your stomach and intestines are, and certain hormone levels in your body.
2. Fullness is also called satiety (say "suh-TY-uh-tee"). It's a feeling of satisfaction. Nerves in your stomach send signals to the brain that the stomach is filled. Increased blood sugar, the activity of the hypothalamus, and the presence of food in the intestines all lead to this feeling of fullness.
3. Appetite is a desire for or an interest in food. It is linked with the sight, smell, or thought of food. Appetite can override hunger and satiety, such as when you continue to eat even after you feel full. You can also have no appetite for food even though you are hungry, which may happen in a stressful situation or during an illness.
Distractions get in our way
As we grow up, lots of distractions lead us away from a natural way of eating:
...For most of us, food is everywhere-in grocery stores, corner markets, vending machines, and the office break room, to name just a few. It can be hard to pay attention to your hunger signals as you go about your day.
...You may skip breakfast because you'd rather sleep in. So when lunchtime rolls around, you're extra hungry and eat more than you should.
...You may watch TV, read, or use the computer while you eat. This can distract you so that you stop paying attention to what or how much you're eating or whether you're full enough to stop eating.
...You may often eat so fast that you barely even taste your food or pay attention to how full you really are.
...Stress or other emotions cause many of us to reach for food-not because we're hungry, but because food comforts us or helps us celebrate.
...Most of us are influenced by larger serving sizes. Research shows that when people are given larger portions, they eat more.
All these distractions can cause you to ignore your body's signals. You stop paying attention to how hungry you are or how full you are. Over time, you lose the skill of listening to and obeying your body's signals. Learning to get back in touch with your hunger signals can be one of your best tools for getting to a healthy weight and staying there. Your hunger and fullness signals are still there. You just have to learn how to listen to them again.
Figure out where you are now
First, find out what signals you are following. Keep a food journal for 2 weeks, or longer if you need to. Write down not only when and what you eat but also what you were doing and feeling before you started eating. Using the hunger scale below, write down where you were on the scale before you ate and where you were afterwards.
When you look back at your food journal, you may see some eating patterns. For example, you may find that you almost always eat dinner in front of the TV. You may find that you always eat an evening snack, even when you're not hungry. You may find that you often snack when you "feel" like you want to eat (because of boredom, stress, or some other emotion), but you're not truly hungry.
Use a hunger scale
A hunger scale can help you learn how to tell the difference between true, physical hunger and hunger that's really just in your head. Psychological hunger is a desire to eat that is caused by emotions, like stress, boredom, sadness, or happiness. When you feel hungry even though you recently ate, check to see if what you're feeling is really a craving brought on by something psychological.
When you start feeling like you want something to eat, rate your hunger on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being starving and 10 being so full you feel sick. A rating of 5 or 6 means you're comfortable-neither too hungry nor too full.
1-Starving, weak, dizzy
2-Very hungry, cranky, low energy, lots of stomach growling
3-Pretty hungry, stomach is growling a little
4-Starting to feel a little hungry
5-Satisfied, neither hungry nor full
6-A little full, pleasantly full
7-A little uncomfortable
8-Feeling stuffed
9-Very uncomfortable, stomach hurts
10-So full you feel sick
To eat naturally, the way a baby does, eat when your hunger is at 3 or 4. Don't wait until your hunger gets down to 1 or 2. Getting too hungry can lead to overeating. When you sit down to a scheduled meal, stop and think how hungry you are. If you feel less hungry than usual, make a conscious effort to eat less food than usual. Stop eating when you reach 5 or 6 on the scale.
When it's time to eat, make healthy choices
For your body to be truly satisfied, your meals need to be balanced. This means that each meal should contain:
...Carbohydrate. You get this from grains, fruits, and vegetables.
...Protein. You get this from meat, fish, eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, dry beans, and nuts.
... Fat. You get the kinds of fat that help you stay healthy from: Fish, walnuts, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil; Olive, canola, and peanut oils; most nuts; avocados; and olives. These have monounsaturated fats. Safflower, corn, sunflower, sesame, soybean, and cottonseed oils. These have polyunsaturated fats.
Learn when to stop eating
Try to stop eating before you get too full. Too full is uncomfortable. It means you ate too much. Get in touch with what "satisfied," or "pleasantly full," feels like for you.
...Relax before you start eating, and then eat slowly. Remember that it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that you're full.
...Stop a quarter of the way through your meal, and check your hunger level. If you're still hungry, keep eating, but stop again at the halfway point. No matter what your parents taught you, you don't have to clean your plate.
...Learn what proper portions are. We're used to restaurant portions, but restaurant portions usually contain much more food than we need.
Don't deny yourself
Lots of people think that healthy eating means never having dessert or french fries or any of the things they love to eat. That's wrong. Your appetite, which can include a desire for sweets or other less-than-healthy treats, is a strong body signal. And part of keeping your body at that "satisfied" level on the hunger scale is eating tastes that you like and want.
If we try to have an eating plan that cuts out all treats, we probably won't stay with that plan. In fact, we're more likely to go "off the wagon" and eat too much of those foods. But it's important to recognize when it's your appetite talking instead of your true hunger. Knowing which body signal is talking can help you control what you are eating.
If you're eating healthy and listening to your body signals, a piece of birthday cake or an occasional order of french fries can fit into your healthy eating plan. When the holidays come around, it's okay to eat the traditional foods you love. Just keep listening to your body signals and eat only enough to reach that "satisfied" level.
A few more tips
...Let yourself feel some hunger between meals. Mild hunger is a good thing. After all, it's a sign that you're not overeating. Teach yourself to appreciate hunger pangs as a natural part of life, as a sign that you're a healthy eater.
...Give cravings 10 minutes. When you suddenly feel the need to eat, tell yourself that you will wait 10 minutes. If it was only a craving, you will have forgotten about it by then, and the urge will be gone. If 10 minutes goes by and you still have the urge to eat, you may be starting to get hungry.
...Don't eat more now because you think you might not have time to eat later. Eat what your body needs now, and worry about later, later.
...Some people find that it's easier to schedule lots of small meals throughout the day. Other people do better with "three square meals." Whichever you choose, try to eat on a regular schedule every day, according to how hungry you usually get. Eating regular meals can help you be more aware of hunger and fullness.
...Does leaving food on your plate drive you nuts? Take smaller servings. Save leftovers for another meal. Share plates with someone. Ask yourself what's more important-a few bites of "wasted" food, or your health?
...When you eat, make your food the main attraction. Sit down at the table with your family. Don't eat in front of the TV. Don't read while you eat. Give your attention to what you are putting in your mouth, how it tastes, and how your body reacts to what and how much you're eating.
Now that you have read this information, you're ready to start listening to your body's hunger signals!
Hunger signals tell us when to eat, what to eat, and when to stop. There are three types of hunger signals:
1. Hunger is a sensation (stomach growling, feeling hunger pangs) that makes you want to eat. It is partly controlled by a region of your brain called the hypothalamus, your blood sugar level, how empty your stomach and intestines are, and certain hormone levels in your body.
2. Fullness is also called satiety (say "suh-TY-uh-tee"). It's a feeling of satisfaction. Nerves in your stomach send signals to the brain that the stomach is filled. Increased blood sugar, the activity of the hypothalamus, and the presence of food in the intestines all lead to this feeling of fullness.
3. Appetite is a desire for or an interest in food. It is linked with the sight, smell, or thought of food. Appetite can override hunger and satiety, such as when you continue to eat even after you feel full. You can also have no appetite for food even though you are hungry, which may happen in a stressful situation or during an illness.
Distractions get in our way
As we grow up, lots of distractions lead us away from a natural way of eating:
...For most of us, food is everywhere-in grocery stores, corner markets, vending machines, and the office break room, to name just a few. It can be hard to pay attention to your hunger signals as you go about your day.
...You may skip breakfast because you'd rather sleep in. So when lunchtime rolls around, you're extra hungry and eat more than you should.
...You may watch TV, read, or use the computer while you eat. This can distract you so that you stop paying attention to what or how much you're eating or whether you're full enough to stop eating.
...You may often eat so fast that you barely even taste your food or pay attention to how full you really are.
...Stress or other emotions cause many of us to reach for food-not because we're hungry, but because food comforts us or helps us celebrate.
...Most of us are influenced by larger serving sizes. Research shows that when people are given larger portions, they eat more.
All these distractions can cause you to ignore your body's signals. You stop paying attention to how hungry you are or how full you are. Over time, you lose the skill of listening to and obeying your body's signals. Learning to get back in touch with your hunger signals can be one of your best tools for getting to a healthy weight and staying there. Your hunger and fullness signals are still there. You just have to learn how to listen to them again.
Figure out where you are now
First, find out what signals you are following. Keep a food journal for 2 weeks, or longer if you need to. Write down not only when and what you eat but also what you were doing and feeling before you started eating. Using the hunger scale below, write down where you were on the scale before you ate and where you were afterwards.
When you look back at your food journal, you may see some eating patterns. For example, you may find that you almost always eat dinner in front of the TV. You may find that you always eat an evening snack, even when you're not hungry. You may find that you often snack when you "feel" like you want to eat (because of boredom, stress, or some other emotion), but you're not truly hungry.
Use a hunger scale
A hunger scale can help you learn how to tell the difference between true, physical hunger and hunger that's really just in your head. Psychological hunger is a desire to eat that is caused by emotions, like stress, boredom, sadness, or happiness. When you feel hungry even though you recently ate, check to see if what you're feeling is really a craving brought on by something psychological.
When you start feeling like you want something to eat, rate your hunger on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being starving and 10 being so full you feel sick. A rating of 5 or 6 means you're comfortable-neither too hungry nor too full.
1-Starving, weak, dizzy
2-Very hungry, cranky, low energy, lots of stomach growling
3-Pretty hungry, stomach is growling a little
4-Starting to feel a little hungry
5-Satisfied, neither hungry nor full
6-A little full, pleasantly full
7-A little uncomfortable
8-Feeling stuffed
9-Very uncomfortable, stomach hurts
10-So full you feel sick
To eat naturally, the way a baby does, eat when your hunger is at 3 or 4. Don't wait until your hunger gets down to 1 or 2. Getting too hungry can lead to overeating. When you sit down to a scheduled meal, stop and think how hungry you are. If you feel less hungry than usual, make a conscious effort to eat less food than usual. Stop eating when you reach 5 or 6 on the scale.
When it's time to eat, make healthy choices
For your body to be truly satisfied, your meals need to be balanced. This means that each meal should contain:
...Carbohydrate. You get this from grains, fruits, and vegetables.
...Protein. You get this from meat, fish, eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, dry beans, and nuts.
... Fat. You get the kinds of fat that help you stay healthy from: Fish, walnuts, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil; Olive, canola, and peanut oils; most nuts; avocados; and olives. These have monounsaturated fats. Safflower, corn, sunflower, sesame, soybean, and cottonseed oils. These have polyunsaturated fats.
Learn when to stop eating
Try to stop eating before you get too full. Too full is uncomfortable. It means you ate too much. Get in touch with what "satisfied," or "pleasantly full," feels like for you.
...Relax before you start eating, and then eat slowly. Remember that it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that you're full.
...Stop a quarter of the way through your meal, and check your hunger level. If you're still hungry, keep eating, but stop again at the halfway point. No matter what your parents taught you, you don't have to clean your plate.
...Learn what proper portions are. We're used to restaurant portions, but restaurant portions usually contain much more food than we need.
Don't deny yourself
Lots of people think that healthy eating means never having dessert or french fries or any of the things they love to eat. That's wrong. Your appetite, which can include a desire for sweets or other less-than-healthy treats, is a strong body signal. And part of keeping your body at that "satisfied" level on the hunger scale is eating tastes that you like and want.
If we try to have an eating plan that cuts out all treats, we probably won't stay with that plan. In fact, we're more likely to go "off the wagon" and eat too much of those foods. But it's important to recognize when it's your appetite talking instead of your true hunger. Knowing which body signal is talking can help you control what you are eating.
If you're eating healthy and listening to your body signals, a piece of birthday cake or an occasional order of french fries can fit into your healthy eating plan. When the holidays come around, it's okay to eat the traditional foods you love. Just keep listening to your body signals and eat only enough to reach that "satisfied" level.
A few more tips
...Let yourself feel some hunger between meals. Mild hunger is a good thing. After all, it's a sign that you're not overeating. Teach yourself to appreciate hunger pangs as a natural part of life, as a sign that you're a healthy eater.
...Give cravings 10 minutes. When you suddenly feel the need to eat, tell yourself that you will wait 10 minutes. If it was only a craving, you will have forgotten about it by then, and the urge will be gone. If 10 minutes goes by and you still have the urge to eat, you may be starting to get hungry.
...Don't eat more now because you think you might not have time to eat later. Eat what your body needs now, and worry about later, later.
...Some people find that it's easier to schedule lots of small meals throughout the day. Other people do better with "three square meals." Whichever you choose, try to eat on a regular schedule every day, according to how hungry you usually get. Eating regular meals can help you be more aware of hunger and fullness.
...Does leaving food on your plate drive you nuts? Take smaller servings. Save leftovers for another meal. Share plates with someone. Ask yourself what's more important-a few bites of "wasted" food, or your health?
...When you eat, make your food the main attraction. Sit down at the table with your family. Don't eat in front of the TV. Don't read while you eat. Give your attention to what you are putting in your mouth, how it tastes, and how your body reacts to what and how much you're eating.
Now that you have read this information, you're ready to start listening to your body's hunger signals!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Why weight loss requires strength training
Did you know that basic strength training (weight-bearing exercise) is crucial for successfully losing weight and keeping it off?
Calories in, calories out. If you have a calorie deficit, you're going to lose weight, if you consume extra calories, you'll gain body fat. While that's true, it's only part of the picture. Sure, you need a calorie deficit to lose weight, but how does your body actually use calories? It's your lean body mass, that muscle mass underneath your body fat, that burns calories 24/7, allowing you to actually eat more calories without gaining weight.
If you manage to keep all of that muscle mass and bone density in place while you are losing body fat, then you can maintain the high metabolism that's associated with that lean body mass even while you are dropping body fat. But if you starve yourself, you're going to lose all the muscle resources you already have. It's a mistake a lot of people make. They try to lose body fat by starving themselves, and as the body fat vanishes from their body, their muscle mass also disappears.
While it eliminates this muscle mass, your metabolism begins to slow. Remember, it's the lean body mass that's burning calories day in and day out, even when you're doing nothing. If you reduce that muscle mass by allowing it to go away (by not challenging your muscles), then your metabolism is going to slow. A lot of people end up at a place where they've lost the body fat and they're lighter, but it's suddenly so much easier to put on body fat. They don't have the muscle mass they once did, they're not automatically burning calories, and if they overeat just a little bit, they'll start packing on the body fat again.
The solution to all of this, the strategy I want to focus on here, is to engage in strength training while you are losing body fat. If you get rid of enough body fat in this way, then those muscles may begin to show -- if you're a man. If you're a woman, don't worry, you're never going to bulk up. A lot of women are mistakenly afraid of strength training. They think they're going to have this competition muscle-bound body from lifting a couple of weights. That is not the case at all. Women are not built to puts on lots of muscle mass, so don't be afraid that you'll bulk up.
When you have a high percentage of body fat, that body fat is stored not only in the tissues that are obvious -- such as your hips and your midsection, your arms and legs and so on -- it's also stored intramuscularly, which means it's stored within the muscles of your body. It's sort of like the marbling of beef from a cow. If you slice a muscle from a cow, there's some fat inside the muscle -- that is the same kind of fat that's in our muscles when we have a high percentage of body fat.
That fat takes up a lot of space in the muscle, so it actually makes the muscle look bigger, because there's fat inside. When you start losing body fat, even if you're engaged in strength training, that intramuscular fat will begin to vanish. So even if your muscle mass begins to grow -- which, again, is very difficult for women to accomplish -- your overall muscle size is probably going to be smaller when you're at a lower percentage of body fat. The net change in your muscle size is going to be almost nothing, unless you really start to do strength training on a regular basis for a period of a year or two, and then you might actually begin to put on a little bit more muscle.
It's very easy for your body to shed useless muscle. So if you're not using a muscle, your body will get rid of it over a few months. It's gone. But to gain that muscle back -- now that takes some effort! That could take months or years of strength training. So, if you decide you're going to starve yourself while you lose weight and get down to the minimum weight possible, and afterwards you engage in strength training, then you're going to find that it's a much more difficult process to gain lean body mass than it was to slim away what you had to begin with. Building lean body mass is a huge challenge.
One thing to keep in mind when you're using the bathroom scale is that when you first start limiting your calories, your body is going to start burning through its glycogen stores. Glycogen is basically a fuel stored in your body. It stores sugars together with water and locks them up in the tissues and organs of your body like an energy battery, ready for you to use at a future time.
There's water locked in with those calories. That water weighs a lot. So when you start restricting your calories, the first thing your body burns is this extra storage of energy, this extra glycogen. And the glycogen causes you, as it's burned, to shed water. You might look at the scale and think, gee, I lost 5 lbs, but you really lost no body fat whatsoever. It was just water, because your body released glycogen. What usually happens to people when their glycogen store has reached zero is they get really hungry, they think they're in a starvation panic, and then they overeat. Their glycogen stores fill right back up, they gain the 5 lbs back, and usually they overate to such an extent that they store another half a pound of body fat or so. Now they're half a pound heavier than when they began and they lost no body fat whatsoever. It was just a game of glycogen and water storage they saw reflected on the bathroom scale.
There's a system of strength training called static contraction training that is outstanding for maintaining current muscle mass and even enhancing it if you choose to go that far. The best thing is that it takes very little time. Just 15 seconds per muscle group per week. If you engage that muscle for 15 seconds with high intensity contraction, then your body gets the signal that, hey, it needs that muscle. It needs to keep it around. And your body decides NOT to let that muscle go. It just keeps it, because it figures you need it.
Remember, your body has a lot of wisdom, and it's trying to conserve calories. The body wants to get rid of muscles it doesn't need, and in order to keep those muscles, you have to prove to your body that you need them. You can essentially fool your body by engaging in strength training, giving it the message that it needs to hold on to those muscles in order to survive. So in as little as 15 seconds per muscle group, you can tell your body to hold on to your muscle mass. That's a 15 second bicep curl, for example, or a 15 second chest press, or a 15 second leg curl…you get the idea.
Women are additionally benefiting from this system -- when you're dealing with the potential for osteoporosis when you get up in your years, bone density becomes crucial for your overall health. There is no better way in the world to make sure you have strong bone density than to engage in high intensity, short duration strength training exercises.
The key is, as with all forms of exercise, to be sure to work with a qualified health professional before attempting this, especially some of the more high intensity exercises. You may want to ease your way into it and check with your naturopath, doctor or physical therapist to make sure you're ready for this. You don't want to injure yourself -- that would set you back weeks. So take it a little bit at a time. Remember, your body will adapt slowly, so ease into it slowly. By doing all of this, you'll be able to conserve the incredible muscle mass that you have underneath that body fat right now.
The other benefit to doing this is that strength training will greatly increase the speed of your weight loss effort. It will double the effectiveness of any weight loss program you're on. Losing weight by calorie restriction alone is very, very difficult.
Calories in, calories out. If you have a calorie deficit, you're going to lose weight, if you consume extra calories, you'll gain body fat. While that's true, it's only part of the picture. Sure, you need a calorie deficit to lose weight, but how does your body actually use calories? It's your lean body mass, that muscle mass underneath your body fat, that burns calories 24/7, allowing you to actually eat more calories without gaining weight.
If you manage to keep all of that muscle mass and bone density in place while you are losing body fat, then you can maintain the high metabolism that's associated with that lean body mass even while you are dropping body fat. But if you starve yourself, you're going to lose all the muscle resources you already have. It's a mistake a lot of people make. They try to lose body fat by starving themselves, and as the body fat vanishes from their body, their muscle mass also disappears.
While it eliminates this muscle mass, your metabolism begins to slow. Remember, it's the lean body mass that's burning calories day in and day out, even when you're doing nothing. If you reduce that muscle mass by allowing it to go away (by not challenging your muscles), then your metabolism is going to slow. A lot of people end up at a place where they've lost the body fat and they're lighter, but it's suddenly so much easier to put on body fat. They don't have the muscle mass they once did, they're not automatically burning calories, and if they overeat just a little bit, they'll start packing on the body fat again.
The solution to all of this, the strategy I want to focus on here, is to engage in strength training while you are losing body fat. If you get rid of enough body fat in this way, then those muscles may begin to show -- if you're a man. If you're a woman, don't worry, you're never going to bulk up. A lot of women are mistakenly afraid of strength training. They think they're going to have this competition muscle-bound body from lifting a couple of weights. That is not the case at all. Women are not built to puts on lots of muscle mass, so don't be afraid that you'll bulk up.
When you have a high percentage of body fat, that body fat is stored not only in the tissues that are obvious -- such as your hips and your midsection, your arms and legs and so on -- it's also stored intramuscularly, which means it's stored within the muscles of your body. It's sort of like the marbling of beef from a cow. If you slice a muscle from a cow, there's some fat inside the muscle -- that is the same kind of fat that's in our muscles when we have a high percentage of body fat.
That fat takes up a lot of space in the muscle, so it actually makes the muscle look bigger, because there's fat inside. When you start losing body fat, even if you're engaged in strength training, that intramuscular fat will begin to vanish. So even if your muscle mass begins to grow -- which, again, is very difficult for women to accomplish -- your overall muscle size is probably going to be smaller when you're at a lower percentage of body fat. The net change in your muscle size is going to be almost nothing, unless you really start to do strength training on a regular basis for a period of a year or two, and then you might actually begin to put on a little bit more muscle.
It's very easy for your body to shed useless muscle. So if you're not using a muscle, your body will get rid of it over a few months. It's gone. But to gain that muscle back -- now that takes some effort! That could take months or years of strength training. So, if you decide you're going to starve yourself while you lose weight and get down to the minimum weight possible, and afterwards you engage in strength training, then you're going to find that it's a much more difficult process to gain lean body mass than it was to slim away what you had to begin with. Building lean body mass is a huge challenge.
One thing to keep in mind when you're using the bathroom scale is that when you first start limiting your calories, your body is going to start burning through its glycogen stores. Glycogen is basically a fuel stored in your body. It stores sugars together with water and locks them up in the tissues and organs of your body like an energy battery, ready for you to use at a future time.
There's water locked in with those calories. That water weighs a lot. So when you start restricting your calories, the first thing your body burns is this extra storage of energy, this extra glycogen. And the glycogen causes you, as it's burned, to shed water. You might look at the scale and think, gee, I lost 5 lbs, but you really lost no body fat whatsoever. It was just water, because your body released glycogen. What usually happens to people when their glycogen store has reached zero is they get really hungry, they think they're in a starvation panic, and then they overeat. Their glycogen stores fill right back up, they gain the 5 lbs back, and usually they overate to such an extent that they store another half a pound of body fat or so. Now they're half a pound heavier than when they began and they lost no body fat whatsoever. It was just a game of glycogen and water storage they saw reflected on the bathroom scale.
There's a system of strength training called static contraction training that is outstanding for maintaining current muscle mass and even enhancing it if you choose to go that far. The best thing is that it takes very little time. Just 15 seconds per muscle group per week. If you engage that muscle for 15 seconds with high intensity contraction, then your body gets the signal that, hey, it needs that muscle. It needs to keep it around. And your body decides NOT to let that muscle go. It just keeps it, because it figures you need it.
Remember, your body has a lot of wisdom, and it's trying to conserve calories. The body wants to get rid of muscles it doesn't need, and in order to keep those muscles, you have to prove to your body that you need them. You can essentially fool your body by engaging in strength training, giving it the message that it needs to hold on to those muscles in order to survive. So in as little as 15 seconds per muscle group, you can tell your body to hold on to your muscle mass. That's a 15 second bicep curl, for example, or a 15 second chest press, or a 15 second leg curl…you get the idea.
Women are additionally benefiting from this system -- when you're dealing with the potential for osteoporosis when you get up in your years, bone density becomes crucial for your overall health. There is no better way in the world to make sure you have strong bone density than to engage in high intensity, short duration strength training exercises.
The key is, as with all forms of exercise, to be sure to work with a qualified health professional before attempting this, especially some of the more high intensity exercises. You may want to ease your way into it and check with your naturopath, doctor or physical therapist to make sure you're ready for this. You don't want to injure yourself -- that would set you back weeks. So take it a little bit at a time. Remember, your body will adapt slowly, so ease into it slowly. By doing all of this, you'll be able to conserve the incredible muscle mass that you have underneath that body fat right now.
The other benefit to doing this is that strength training will greatly increase the speed of your weight loss effort. It will double the effectiveness of any weight loss program you're on. Losing weight by calorie restriction alone is very, very difficult.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Week Three Results!!
Total pounds lost this week 21.8!! Good Job everyone! After a couple of weeks of dieting, you are starting to make healthy eating a habit. So keep it up! If you are on the opposite end and getting bored, read up on the blog to keep motivated!
We also have an 18th person joining our team!!
Cheryl McClellean -1
Linda Bayliss -1
Sandy Bayliss -1.9
Chelsey Best -1.6
Amy Walsh -0.2 FF
Andy Walsh -2.5
Jodi Beachy -2.5
Jenn Vaske +1.2 FF
Angie Michel -1
Camille Opp -1
Erin Maxwell -1.2
Todd Maxwell -2.6
Tom Jackson -6.8
Lori Becker +0.5 FF
Katrina Brown +0.8 FF
Isiah McGee -1
Devin Rowling 0 FF
We also have an 18th person joining our team!!
Cheryl McClellean -1
Linda Bayliss -1
Sandy Bayliss -1.9
Chelsey Best -1.6
Amy Walsh -0.2 FF
Andy Walsh -2.5
Jodi Beachy -2.5
Jenn Vaske +1.2 FF
Angie Michel -1
Camille Opp -1
Erin Maxwell -1.2
Todd Maxwell -2.6
Tom Jackson -6.8
Lori Becker +0.5 FF
Katrina Brown +0.8 FF
Isiah McGee -1
Devin Rowling 0 FF
Thursday, September 22, 2011
8 Common Diet Mistakes and how to Fix them!
1. One-Food Wonders
One diet promises that you can lose 10 pounds in a week by eating as much as you want -- as long as what you're eating is cabbage soup. Or grapefruit. Or cookies.
Bad idea.
If you go on an extreme, short-term diet, you're setting yourself up to be very hungry and then bingeing. By cutting out entire food groups, you're also prone to nutritional shortfalls and boredom. Eventually, you're going to crave the foods you're missing. Even when the diet works...it doesn't teach you how to maintain your weight loss. It's just a gimmick to restrict calories.
Some of the one-food diets can also have unpleasant side effects. Grapefruit acts as a diuretic, which can lead to dehydration. It can also make you gassy and can interact with some drugs, such as those that treat high blood pressure and abnormal heart rhythms.
Fix It: The bottom line is, if a product or diet sounds too good to be true, it probably is, steer clear of any diet that promises fast results. Weight loss should be a gradual process in which you lose no more than half a pound to 1 pound a week by eating a well-rounded diet.
2. Misguided Vegetarianism
More than 7 million people in the U.S follow a vegetarian diet. Most of them do it with the best of intentions. Either they love animals too much to eat them, or they're opting for what they see as a healthier lifestyle. A healthy vegetarian diet has been linked to lower rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
What many people don't realize is that vegetarian doesn't necessarily mean low-fat or low-calorie. If you're eating carbohydrate- or starch-rich foods, calorically, you might be eating more. In other words, if cheese, pasta, and smoothies are the foundations of your vegetarian diet, you can still gain weight and be unhealthy.
Fix it: Make vegetables the centerpiece of each meal. Add whole grains, fruit, and other healthy non-meat foods. Make sure you get enough protein from vegetable sources like beans, nuts, and tofu and essential amino acids from foods like brown rice.
3. Too Much of a Good Thing
A steady stream of research touts the benefits of one food or another. Chocolate, red wine, olive oil, avocados, and nuts have all had their day in the dietary sun.
True, these foods have health benefits and are nutrient rich, but that doesn't mean more is better. For instance, chocolate, olive oil, avocados, and nuts are all high in calories. One tablespoon of olive oil has 120 calories. Red wine is alcohol, which in large quantities can raise your risk for heart problems and cancer.
Fix It: It's OK to add a healthy ingredient into your diet. But do it in moderation and as part of an overall healthy eating plan. That means a little olive oil, not a couple of glugs. Or a handful of nuts, not the whole bag. You get the idea.
What about so-called superfoods, like the açai berry -- an antioxidant-rich fruit from Central and South America -- which supposedly have amazing health benefits? Take the hype with a grain of salt. There is no such thing as a superfood, the benefit of the food is only going to be as good as your entire diet. Different foods work synergistically for your entire health. The big picture is what counts.
4. Snubbing Carbs
On the flip side of the so-called superfoods are foods that get demonized. If you purge your diet of them, you could pay a price, nutritionally. Carbohydrates are a prime example. You do want to cut down on white bread and white rice, because these and other refined grains are low in nutrients. The U.S. government's guidelines recommend that at least half of your grains are whole grains.
Fix it: Don't cut carbohydrates entirely from your diet. Carbs are the primary foods for energy. Whole-grain bread, oatmeal, and brown rice are high in fiber and rich in B vitamins like folic acid, which are nutritional essentials.
5. Fat-Free Fallacy
There was a time when "low-fat" and "fat-free" were dieters' mantras. Food manufacturers catered to this trend by introducing trimmed-down versions of their products, such as fat-free cookies and low-fat salad dressings -- and many people promptly went overboard. But fat is no longer the dietary bad guy. Doctors and dietitians stress that fats are good for us. We need them.
Fat is a component of every cell in our body. In order to be as effective as possible metabolically for our cells to do their jobs, we need to have fat in our diet. Fat is especially important at every meal when you're dieting, fat helps you stay full. It satiates you. If you cut all of the fat out of your diet or have very little fat, your blood sugar doesn't stay stable for as long a period of time and you notice that you're hungry sooner.
Fix it: Choose healthier fats -- unsaturated fats from plant sources -- and not too much. Nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils like canola or olive oil are the healthiest kinds. Fatty fish are a great source of heart- and brain-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
6. Diet Martyrdom
How many of us have punished ourselves for putting on a few pounds by going into a state of denial? We deny ourselves sweets, fats, and just about every food that makes us happy. Cutting out your favorite foods only sets you up for failure. When you feel hungry all the time, you're more likely to binge.
Fix it: Don't give up your favorite foods. Just eat them in moderation.
It's all about small splurges without being overindulgent when it comes to very calorie-dense foods, combine sweets with healthy foods, like drizzling melted chocolate over strawberries, or adding a few chocolate chips into your granola.
7. Gorging on Grazing
Another recent dieting trend is substituting six small snacks for the old three meals a day. Grazing does have advantages. It keeps your blood sugar level stable throughout the day, so you don’t get as hungry. The trouble with grazing is that you're eating throughout the day, which can spell calorie trouble. If you're used to eating fuller meals and then you start grazing, it's very easy to graze on larger quantities than what you should be eating, so you might end up eating more calories.
Fix it: Pace yourself. Eat mini-meals about every two to three hours, limiting each to 200-300 calories.
8. Unsustainable Approach to Weight Loss
If you're trying to lose weight, do it in a way that's going to last. Or the pounds are going to come back. When you're going on a diet, the most important thing is to find a way of eating that suits your lifestyle. Ask yourself when it comes to any new diet, 'Can I eat this way for the rest of my life?' If the answer is 'no,' that's probably not the diet for you.
Fix it: If you want to lose weight, instead of going on a radical diet, make tiny changes in your life. Add more fresh fruits and vegetables to your meals. Eat a healthy breakfast every morning -- a habit that research shows can help control your weight. Move more, too. Aim for 30-60 minutes of exercise into every day.
One diet promises that you can lose 10 pounds in a week by eating as much as you want -- as long as what you're eating is cabbage soup. Or grapefruit. Or cookies.
Bad idea.
If you go on an extreme, short-term diet, you're setting yourself up to be very hungry and then bingeing. By cutting out entire food groups, you're also prone to nutritional shortfalls and boredom. Eventually, you're going to crave the foods you're missing. Even when the diet works...it doesn't teach you how to maintain your weight loss. It's just a gimmick to restrict calories.
Some of the one-food diets can also have unpleasant side effects. Grapefruit acts as a diuretic, which can lead to dehydration. It can also make you gassy and can interact with some drugs, such as those that treat high blood pressure and abnormal heart rhythms.
Fix It: The bottom line is, if a product or diet sounds too good to be true, it probably is, steer clear of any diet that promises fast results. Weight loss should be a gradual process in which you lose no more than half a pound to 1 pound a week by eating a well-rounded diet.
2. Misguided Vegetarianism
More than 7 million people in the U.S follow a vegetarian diet. Most of them do it with the best of intentions. Either they love animals too much to eat them, or they're opting for what they see as a healthier lifestyle. A healthy vegetarian diet has been linked to lower rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
What many people don't realize is that vegetarian doesn't necessarily mean low-fat or low-calorie. If you're eating carbohydrate- or starch-rich foods, calorically, you might be eating more. In other words, if cheese, pasta, and smoothies are the foundations of your vegetarian diet, you can still gain weight and be unhealthy.
Fix it: Make vegetables the centerpiece of each meal. Add whole grains, fruit, and other healthy non-meat foods. Make sure you get enough protein from vegetable sources like beans, nuts, and tofu and essential amino acids from foods like brown rice.
3. Too Much of a Good Thing
A steady stream of research touts the benefits of one food or another. Chocolate, red wine, olive oil, avocados, and nuts have all had their day in the dietary sun.
True, these foods have health benefits and are nutrient rich, but that doesn't mean more is better. For instance, chocolate, olive oil, avocados, and nuts are all high in calories. One tablespoon of olive oil has 120 calories. Red wine is alcohol, which in large quantities can raise your risk for heart problems and cancer.
Fix It: It's OK to add a healthy ingredient into your diet. But do it in moderation and as part of an overall healthy eating plan. That means a little olive oil, not a couple of glugs. Or a handful of nuts, not the whole bag. You get the idea.
What about so-called superfoods, like the açai berry -- an antioxidant-rich fruit from Central and South America -- which supposedly have amazing health benefits? Take the hype with a grain of salt. There is no such thing as a superfood, the benefit of the food is only going to be as good as your entire diet. Different foods work synergistically for your entire health. The big picture is what counts.
4. Snubbing Carbs
On the flip side of the so-called superfoods are foods that get demonized. If you purge your diet of them, you could pay a price, nutritionally. Carbohydrates are a prime example. You do want to cut down on white bread and white rice, because these and other refined grains are low in nutrients. The U.S. government's guidelines recommend that at least half of your grains are whole grains.
Fix it: Don't cut carbohydrates entirely from your diet. Carbs are the primary foods for energy. Whole-grain bread, oatmeal, and brown rice are high in fiber and rich in B vitamins like folic acid, which are nutritional essentials.
5. Fat-Free Fallacy
There was a time when "low-fat" and "fat-free" were dieters' mantras. Food manufacturers catered to this trend by introducing trimmed-down versions of their products, such as fat-free cookies and low-fat salad dressings -- and many people promptly went overboard. But fat is no longer the dietary bad guy. Doctors and dietitians stress that fats are good for us. We need them.
Fat is a component of every cell in our body. In order to be as effective as possible metabolically for our cells to do their jobs, we need to have fat in our diet. Fat is especially important at every meal when you're dieting, fat helps you stay full. It satiates you. If you cut all of the fat out of your diet or have very little fat, your blood sugar doesn't stay stable for as long a period of time and you notice that you're hungry sooner.
Fix it: Choose healthier fats -- unsaturated fats from plant sources -- and not too much. Nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils like canola or olive oil are the healthiest kinds. Fatty fish are a great source of heart- and brain-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
6. Diet Martyrdom
How many of us have punished ourselves for putting on a few pounds by going into a state of denial? We deny ourselves sweets, fats, and just about every food that makes us happy. Cutting out your favorite foods only sets you up for failure. When you feel hungry all the time, you're more likely to binge.
Fix it: Don't give up your favorite foods. Just eat them in moderation.
It's all about small splurges without being overindulgent when it comes to very calorie-dense foods, combine sweets with healthy foods, like drizzling melted chocolate over strawberries, or adding a few chocolate chips into your granola.
7. Gorging on Grazing
Another recent dieting trend is substituting six small snacks for the old three meals a day. Grazing does have advantages. It keeps your blood sugar level stable throughout the day, so you don’t get as hungry. The trouble with grazing is that you're eating throughout the day, which can spell calorie trouble. If you're used to eating fuller meals and then you start grazing, it's very easy to graze on larger quantities than what you should be eating, so you might end up eating more calories.
Fix it: Pace yourself. Eat mini-meals about every two to three hours, limiting each to 200-300 calories.
8. Unsustainable Approach to Weight Loss
If you're trying to lose weight, do it in a way that's going to last. Or the pounds are going to come back. When you're going on a diet, the most important thing is to find a way of eating that suits your lifestyle. Ask yourself when it comes to any new diet, 'Can I eat this way for the rest of my life?' If the answer is 'no,' that's probably not the diet for you.
Fix it: If you want to lose weight, instead of going on a radical diet, make tiny changes in your life. Add more fresh fruits and vegetables to your meals. Eat a healthy breakfast every morning -- a habit that research shows can help control your weight. Move more, too. Aim for 30-60 minutes of exercise into every day.
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