Posts Tagged ‘diet’

“Can I be on a diet and still lead a normal life?”

This question might sound kind of funny at first but it is a serious concern for the person who is devoted to their weight loss program and doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardize their chances of success.

Most people who ask this question are really asking if they can eat out while trying to lose weight.  And my answer is, of course you can, as long as you use some common sense!  Here are some things you can do to stay on course when eating at a restaurant or someone else’s house:

• Eat something filling and healthy, such as an apple, before going out to eat.
• Try everything but take small servings  of the high calorie dishes.
• Spend more time talking to the people you’re with than eating.
• Drink water between bites to make yourself feel fuller.
• Try to limit eating out to once per week.

Think of it this way:  you eat 21 meals a week.  If you over do it at one of those meals, you probably won’t sabotage yourself.  However, if you find yourself going out for a big burger or sub for lunch 5 days a week, you might not really be committed to your weight loss program.

If you truly want to succeed, hoping to lose weight but clinging to your old eating habits is not going to get you where you want to be – that’s what got you where you already are!

If you haven’t done so already, take a second right now to sign up for my FREE 40 Healthy Weight Loss Tips.

So you can’t lose weight even though you’ve been following your weight loss plan faithfully.

It’s so frustrating!  Let’s take a look at your weight loss plan and see where you can tweak it to get the results you want.

1. Are you dieting but not exercising?

Steady, permanent weight loss requires a combination of decreasing the number of calories you take in and increasing the number of calories you expend.  Exercise revs up your metabolism to keep your body burning calories efficiently.

2. Are you exercising but not dieting?

Exercise is great for your fitness but will not help you lose weight if you continue to overeat between workouts.  It takes a lot of exercise to burn just one pound of fat so, if you want to see results, you need to reduce the amount of fuel coming in so your exercise efforts can work on burning fat that is already in storage.

3. Is your diet too restrictive?

Your body requires a healthy balance of carbs (50% of your daily intake), protein (15%) and fats (35%) in order to keep working like it should.  If you give it the wrong fuel, it will become sluggish and unable to do it’s work of burning calories.  And if you limit yourself to too few calories, your body will go into starvation mode and cling to every single fat cell.  You will feel weak and miserable, plus your weight loss will stop.

4. Are you doing the wrong exercise?

For optimum weight loss, you have to include a combination of cardio and strength training in your exercise plan.  If you are using cardio alone, you are missing out on the calorie burning benefits that building muscle provides.

If your weight loss program hasn’t been as effective as you had hoped it would be, try one of these easy fixes!  And don’t forget to share these ideas with anyone else you know who might need them!

Myth or Fact?

Have you ever noticed that, if something is said often enough, people tend to accept it as true?  Let’s talk about 5 of these diet myths which need to be purged from your knowledge base – they are simply not true!  Some of them might even be sabotaging your health, fitness, or weight loss goals.

• Myth #1:  Carbs are bad for you. Fact:  This myth is only partially true.  It should be amended to say that “white carbs” are not good for you.  These include foods like white rice, white bread, and sugar.  Whole grains such as brown rice and whole wheat products are a vital part of a healthy diet.  In fact, the Department of Health recommends that 50% of our daily calories (energy) should come from carbs.
• Myth #2:  Vegetarians can’t build muscle. Fact:  You can build muscle on a vegetarian diet as long as you include protein.  Animal protein is not the only kind of protein.  Good vegetarian sources of protein include beans, nuts, and dairy products.  Optimally, 15% of your daily calories should come from protein.
• Myth #3:  Low fat = low calorie. Fact:  Many products labeled low fat are very high in calories because of high sugar content.  Remember, fat does not make you fat; eating more calories than you burn causes you to gain weight.  Fat is actually a necessary part of a healthy diet.  It should make up 35% of your daily calorie intake.
• Myth #4:  Low fat milk has less calcium than whole milk. Fact:  Milk’s calcium is in the watery part of the milk.  It is not in the creamy part which is skimmed off to make skim or low fat milk.
• Myth #5:  Eating past 8:00 at night causes you to gain weight. Fact:  Once again, weight gain is directly related to the total number of calories you eat during the day, not the time of day you eat them.  Although some people may not be able to sleep well after eating a late meal or snack due to heartburn, etc., it will not cause them to gain weight as long as they have not exceeded their daily calorie needs.

What other diet myths can you think of? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

OK, let’s say you just can’t make yourself count calories or go on a traditional diet.

Diets make you feel deprived so, after a couple of days, you rebound and stuff yourself with everything in sight. Not ready to “call Jenny?”  Can’t stand Weight Watchers?  Then start small!

Make some teeny, tiny, hardly noticeable changes to your eating habits and you will be surprised to see your weight slowly going down.  Here are some things to try:

• Use skim milk in your coffee.  If you miss your flavored creamer, try a sprinkle of cinnamon.
• Have high-fiber cereal for breakfast to keep you feeling fuller longer.
• Rather than using 2 tablespoons of mayo to make your tuna or chicken salad, use 1 tablespoon of mayo and 1 tablespoon of low-fat cottage cheese.
• Leave the cheese off your subs and burgers.
• No Big Gulps or Supersized sodas! Order the smallest size available, even kid-size if possible.
• When having salad, put only 1 tablespoon of dressing in the bottom of the bowl, then toss and toss until your vegetables are coated.
• No crackers or cheese with your salad.
• Use light margarine rather than butter.
• Dip your chicken in barbecue sauce instead of honey mustard.
• Craving popcorn? Microwave a 100 calorie snack bag.

The following choices cannot be called “healthy” but will save some calories when you feel that you just have to have them:

• Eat bacon rather than sausage.
• Order thin crust pizza, not pan pizza.
• Grab a yeast donut instead of a cake donut.
• Eat angel food cake in place of cookies.
• Going out for ice cream?  Get the sugar cone, not waffle.

These small tweaks can lead to small amounts of weight loss, perhaps a pound per month.  You obviously have to make bigger changes for more dramatic results.  But it’s a start! Once you see how effortlessly you can make these small changes, it will be easier for you to begin making larger ones.

What small tweaks have you made to cut calories? Please tell us about them in the comments!

And please be sure to share this post with your friends and followers.

Happy Heart Month!  The American Heart Association has designated February as American Heart Month.  The idea is to remind people to maintain heart health by paying attention to their diet and exercise habits.

Years ago heart attacks were much more common in men but these days heart disease is an equal opportunity problem!  It is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.

There are many conditions that can affect the health of your heart such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, peripheral artery disease, obesity, tobacco use, second hand smoke, and diabetes.

Below are the healthy lifestyle dietary guidelines recommended by the CDC:

1. Choose lean meats and poultry without skin and prepare without added saturated and trans fat.
2. Select fat-free, 1%, and low fat dairy products.
3. Cut back on foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to reduce trans fats in your diet.
4. Cut back on foods high in dietary cholesterol.  Aim to eat less than 300 mg of cholesterol each day.
5. Cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars.
6. Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt.  Aim to eat less than 2,300 mg. of sodium per day.  All persons who have hypertension, all middle-aged and older adults, and all African Americans should consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day.
7. If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation.  That means no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.
8. Keep an eye of your portion sizes.

As far as exercise goes, try to add more physical activity to your usual daily routine and include 20 – 30 minutes of sustained cardio activity (walking, dance, etc.) a minimum of 3 days per week.

February 5, 2010 is National Wear Red Day.  Show your support for the fight against heart disease – wear red this Friday!