Many a time weight watchers with diabetic condition were told to adopt a low Glycemic Index food as the chosen diet. What is meant by low Glycemic Index (GI) food? GI measures the effect of certain carbohydrate foods on the blood sugar levels when taken. Carbs are classified into high, intermediate and low GI foods depending on the speed of conversion into glucose that impacts your blood sugar levels. A GI of 55 and below is considered as low.
Studies have confirmed that refined carbs when taken will cause the insulin in your body to be released quickly in order to convert the simple sugars to glucose for use by the body cells. Your body in turn craves for more food and sugar and insulin are again released to metabolize the sugar conversion. This process when repeated becomes detrimental to the body as insulin is overproduced. Even a slightest thought of taking a certain food may cause your insulin level to rise though there is no physical intake of the food. When this happens, your body metabolism is confused and may soon develop into a condition called insulin resistance.
The GI diet is a step ahead when comes to taking carbs as part of a weight loss diet plan. Under the high protein and low carbs diet, your carbs intake is reduced drastically and your body naturally crave for more food so you may ended up consuming more protein and fats as a result. You know that taking high protein food may lead to other health complications due to its saturated fats content. With the low GI food, your carbs content is maintained as part of a balance meal. Instead you substitute with complex carbs that are slow to cause a rise in blood sugar levels as the digestion and conversion is much slower due to its complex nature. In this way, your low GI food helps your body to respond to insulin more efficiently. Glucose is transported slowly into your bloodstream to keep your body's energy level well balanced. As a weight loss strategy, you'd feel less hungry between meals. With low GI food, your weight can thus be controlled and managed and yet become more healthy. Your concentration should improve as well as your energy level.
The benefit of taking a low GI food has been well documented and one should take heed of the long term health benefits. Whether or not you have an insulin problem, consume low GI foods as part of your diet and you'll be on the way to a healthy weight loss.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Lose Weight Without Starving Yourself
Many people believe that weight loss is a painful thing. To shift those stubborn pounds you must go hungry all the time. Many are afraid to even set a weight loss goal because they can't stand the thought of going hungry and the frustrations that it brings.
For a lot of people it's just better to be overweight than to suffer hunger pangs.
Well who can blame them?
If the only way to lose weight or stay slim was to go hungry all the time very few people would be at their ideal weight and the vast majority of the planet would be extremely overweight! It isn't necessary.
Our body is a marvellous device. It is truly amazing! Its natural rhythm and internal workings tell us when we are hungry. It has a self protection mechanism that lets you know when you need to stock up on fuel. A hunger signal is the body notifying you that you NEED to eat in order for you to sustain a healthy level of energy and have the reserves necessary for healing, repair and maintenance of your cells. Serious hungry pangs are a strong self-preservation signal from the body that it is in danger and needs food immediately to restore it's balance. This signals should not be ignored!
Your body has no idea that food is in plentiful supply and that it is one of the cheapest commodities of the 21st Century. Your body is acting the same way your ancient ancestor's bodies worked. The general design of the human body hasn't changed one bit since then. When your ancient ancestors where living in caves they relied on their ability to hunt for food to feed themselves. Sometimes they would go days or weeks without a kill and the body would send them warning signals that they were in serious danger. When they did eat the body immediately, being still in self-preservation mode, stored as much of the energy as it could in reserve as FAT! Your body works in exactly the same way today.
Starving yourself just doesn't work. It goes against nature to think that you can starve yourself and lose weight. Of course you can get the exception when people just don't take in anywhere near enough food to sustain themselves but we all the effects of this kind of dieting!
So, we know that starvation diets don't work and you don't want to spend 2 hours a day in the gym. How do we lose weight then? Well the good news is you do not have to go hungry to lose weight. Nor do you need excessive amounts of exercise. The truth is, eating regular nutritional meals and allowing your body to fill itself to satisfaction is the key to reaching and maintaining a healthy, slim body. By not allowing yourself to go hungry you will in fact avoid overeating - which is the very thing that usually happens when you break a starvation diet.
One method is to eat five or six, fairly small, healthy meals divided up throughout your day. Instead of eating three large meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner, divide the same quantity of food into 6 meals instead and eat an extra small meal between a small breakfast and lunch, one between lunch and dinner and if you are hungry later have another one. Try to avoid having the last meal close to bedtime, anytime up to 2 hours before bed is all right.
Don't wait when you feel hungry. Eat as soon as you can. If you wait for a long period of time before you eat your body will go into panic mode, think that you don't have enough resources to feed it and you will overeat! Therefore, eating frequent yet smaller meals will help to keep your body satisfied and you will be less likely to over-indulge.
Do not miss a meal in the hope that it will help burn some extra calories. You may believe that by skipping a meal you will save some calories or fat intake, but, as you have seen, the opposite tends to happen. In addition, if you go for a long period without a meal you are much more likely to over-indulge when you get fed-up and can't take the starvation any more.
Did you also realise that by skipping meals you are actually slowing down your metabolism? Because your body thinks there is a food shortage it not only stores extra fat but it also slows down the amount of fat it burns. The body's natural survival instinct is triggered, you put on extra weight and burn fewer calories and fat. As the body burns fat to convert into energy you will find that you become lethargic and tired. Starving yourself just doesn't work!
In addition to eating smaller more frequent meals you should also teach yourself to eat slower. Place your knife and fork down between every bite and chew for a few seconds longer than normal. It can take us up to twenty 20 minutes to realize that the body is full and completely satisfied. When you eat at a fast pace "stuffing" food into you before you have time to recognise the "full" signal your body is sending your brain. When you eat at a slower pace you start to recognise these signals from your body and train yourself to identify them at an earlier stage.
Take an extra 15 minutes extra a day. To some of you this may sound like a lot. But all you have to do is split it up throughout the day. Leave for work with an extra 5 minutes to spare and walk to a bus stop further away from or park the car 5 minutes further away than you usually do. At lunch take a 5 minute stroll or take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk to the local shop instead of driving. It is easy to complete 15, 30 or even an hours exercise everyday if you split it up like this. And remember don't starve yourself, it just doesn't work!
For a lot of people it's just better to be overweight than to suffer hunger pangs.
Well who can blame them?
If the only way to lose weight or stay slim was to go hungry all the time very few people would be at their ideal weight and the vast majority of the planet would be extremely overweight! It isn't necessary.
Our body is a marvellous device. It is truly amazing! Its natural rhythm and internal workings tell us when we are hungry. It has a self protection mechanism that lets you know when you need to stock up on fuel. A hunger signal is the body notifying you that you NEED to eat in order for you to sustain a healthy level of energy and have the reserves necessary for healing, repair and maintenance of your cells. Serious hungry pangs are a strong self-preservation signal from the body that it is in danger and needs food immediately to restore it's balance. This signals should not be ignored!
Your body has no idea that food is in plentiful supply and that it is one of the cheapest commodities of the 21st Century. Your body is acting the same way your ancient ancestor's bodies worked. The general design of the human body hasn't changed one bit since then. When your ancient ancestors where living in caves they relied on their ability to hunt for food to feed themselves. Sometimes they would go days or weeks without a kill and the body would send them warning signals that they were in serious danger. When they did eat the body immediately, being still in self-preservation mode, stored as much of the energy as it could in reserve as FAT! Your body works in exactly the same way today.
Starving yourself just doesn't work. It goes against nature to think that you can starve yourself and lose weight. Of course you can get the exception when people just don't take in anywhere near enough food to sustain themselves but we all the effects of this kind of dieting!
So, we know that starvation diets don't work and you don't want to spend 2 hours a day in the gym. How do we lose weight then? Well the good news is you do not have to go hungry to lose weight. Nor do you need excessive amounts of exercise. The truth is, eating regular nutritional meals and allowing your body to fill itself to satisfaction is the key to reaching and maintaining a healthy, slim body. By not allowing yourself to go hungry you will in fact avoid overeating - which is the very thing that usually happens when you break a starvation diet.
One method is to eat five or six, fairly small, healthy meals divided up throughout your day. Instead of eating three large meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner, divide the same quantity of food into 6 meals instead and eat an extra small meal between a small breakfast and lunch, one between lunch and dinner and if you are hungry later have another one. Try to avoid having the last meal close to bedtime, anytime up to 2 hours before bed is all right.
Don't wait when you feel hungry. Eat as soon as you can. If you wait for a long period of time before you eat your body will go into panic mode, think that you don't have enough resources to feed it and you will overeat! Therefore, eating frequent yet smaller meals will help to keep your body satisfied and you will be less likely to over-indulge.
Do not miss a meal in the hope that it will help burn some extra calories. You may believe that by skipping a meal you will save some calories or fat intake, but, as you have seen, the opposite tends to happen. In addition, if you go for a long period without a meal you are much more likely to over-indulge when you get fed-up and can't take the starvation any more.
Did you also realise that by skipping meals you are actually slowing down your metabolism? Because your body thinks there is a food shortage it not only stores extra fat but it also slows down the amount of fat it burns. The body's natural survival instinct is triggered, you put on extra weight and burn fewer calories and fat. As the body burns fat to convert into energy you will find that you become lethargic and tired. Starving yourself just doesn't work!
In addition to eating smaller more frequent meals you should also teach yourself to eat slower. Place your knife and fork down between every bite and chew for a few seconds longer than normal. It can take us up to twenty 20 minutes to realize that the body is full and completely satisfied. When you eat at a fast pace "stuffing" food into you before you have time to recognise the "full" signal your body is sending your brain. When you eat at a slower pace you start to recognise these signals from your body and train yourself to identify them at an earlier stage.
Take an extra 15 minutes extra a day. To some of you this may sound like a lot. But all you have to do is split it up throughout the day. Leave for work with an extra 5 minutes to spare and walk to a bus stop further away from or park the car 5 minutes further away than you usually do. At lunch take a 5 minute stroll or take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk to the local shop instead of driving. It is easy to complete 15, 30 or even an hours exercise everyday if you split it up like this. And remember don't starve yourself, it just doesn't work!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
The Weight Loss Cure - What Is The Book About?
Obesity is a very spread problem nowadays and people all around the world are searching for solutions, whether they activate in health clubs, follow diets or other methods in order to lose weight and lead a healthier life.
The variety of solutions found does not mean that others do not appear day by day. One of them is the new book of Mr. Trudeau about weight loss. His main idea, presented in the book, is that the pharmaceutical companies prescribe medications, while other treatments can be as or more viable for certain conditions. This idea is not new, indeed, but the method he describes in his book may be a solution for weight loss. He describes in his writings home remedies and holistic treatments that can be used successfully today, as they have been for thousands of years.
Mr. Trudeau is known for his actions against treatments based on pills or diet and against the overuse of prescriptions of medication by the pharmaceutical companies. In his book about weight loss, he presents people another method for obtaining better and healthier results in their fight against obesity. He proved that his treatment is right by applying it to himself and losing weight.
His results were great, once he started the treatment described in his book. In six weeks, he lost no less that 45 pounds, and that, without any exercise. What happened was that his eating routine dramatically changed. In fact, this is the idea presented in the book: that you can look weight by following the instructions and your metabolism increase in the same time as the appetite decreases. The results cannot be denied. Mr. Trudeau looks a lot younger and healthier and thinner since the beginning of applying the treatment he is preaching about.
Many of you have tried a lot of recipes and treatments to no avail. This book may be the right answer for you. Anyhow, as with any other diet or treatment, consult with your doctor first as such a drastic change in your weight may trigger some health issues. Mr. Trudeau has tried many different diet and weight loss programs, but he always experienced a loss of weight followed by a gain of weight, so with no positive results.
If you are looking for an answer to your problem, maybe this book is the key. Read it and maybe this will work for you better than any of the other weight loss plans you tried so far.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Jenny Craig How Does Her Diet Work?
Many people have tried the Jenny Craig diet. This diet consists of getting a meal plan from their offices where their consultants work. They usually ask you a series of questions and then they make for you a calorie plan. They establish what amount of food you should eat every day so you can lose weight. They also make up for you a menu that you must put on your refrigerator and follow it. You must buy the foods from the menu also from Jenny Craig's offices. Once a week, you get to see your consultant that weighs you and sells you more food.
What kind of foods are used?
Mainly, the Jenny Craig diet food contains proteins, carbohydrates and fats. But there is a certain combination of them in the menu, as the protein amount is higher against lower amounts of fats and carbohydrates. Vegetables are great for the diet, because they are rich in nutrients and water, but they have fewer calories. The foods are quite delicious and they must be consumed five or six times a day.
How much does it cost?
As many good things, the Jenny Craig diet comes with a cost. The original plan costs 36 dollars for six weeks, but there are variation in the price according to the meal plan you are trying. When you follow the Jenny Craig diet, you buy your food for the entire week from them and prices are a little steep. You can get to 125 dollars a week.
How do you get help?
The weekly consultations are a great help for those trying to lose weight. Many people appreciate this as it is important to have support when you try something like this. You can see your evolution from week to week and you can get strongly motivated to continue. They also have a private discussion board where you can talk to the others about your experiences.
The results people claim to have when following the Jenny Craig diet are pretty good. Of course, the fact that it is a little too costly is a drawback when you want to try such a diet. Also, you may not want to hold back from the idea that the companies offering such products as organized diets make a lot of money from people suffering from obesity. If it is worthy to give it a try and make some expenses, though, the Jenny Craig diet is a good product.
Diet Comparisons
Some sort of miracle pill or eating plan that makes fat go away and never ever return. That's actually the second part of the big wish: how to make sure that all the weight lost through dieting stays lost through the years.
The more diets published in magazines and on the Internet, the more people are confused about what dieting really means and about the right way of bringing your body back in shape. The growing number of overweight people has turned weight loss into an industry like never before and the market is growing every year. It seems that nowadays all one needs is a fashionable idea and a flair for marketing in order to make a lot of money or garner a lot of popularity by proposing some sort of weird diet, despite the lack of professional expertise in this field.
And there is a LOT of diets out there. We're going to go here only through the best-known diets, since a review of all the diets floating around the industry would be beyond the scope of this article.
So let's start with one of the latest fads of the dieting world: the Atkins diet. Pretty much everybody's head of the Atkins diet, largely due to the flood of articles praising the extraordinary results, not to mention the loads of good mail from satisfied customers. The biggest thing in favor of this diet is that it lets you eat high fat dairy products like cheese and butter. However, the Atkins diet has fallen from its lofty perch over suspicions of increasing the risk of heart diseases, not to mention the proved fact that bigger number of followers complain of diarrhea, weakness, muscle cramps and rashes. The debate over the scientific fundamentals of this diet is still raging.
Next comes the Zone diet; another well-known eating plan. This diet is the brainchild of Barry Sears and it's all about eating the right mix of foods in order to reach the proper hormonal balance. This state of balance, which is called the "Zone", lets the body take in calories and use them through the day without putting anything aside as fat. Unfortunately, this diet does some serious discrimination among foods without any scientific basis. Starchy vegetables, whole grains and beans are banned, although these foods are not in conflict with the principles of the diet. The American Heart Association says the Zone diet lacks essential nutrients while promoting high-protein foods.
The Jenny Craig diet is next on the list. One of the longest running diets, Jenny Craig started this business in the early 1980s and it's still around. The basic idea of this diet is a trade off: you don't have to choose recipes, do the shopping and the cooking, but you have to buy the Jenny Craig prepackaged food. And that runs to some $100 per week. Plus the membership costs. Plus the vegetables and fruits which are not included in the prepackaged food. If you can afford it and if you can stick to it, the diet is pretty good. However, similar low-calorie foods can be bought at the grocery store and you don't have to discuss this with a Jenny Craig expert that insists on your eating the prepackaged food because he gets a percentage of the sale price.
From sunny Florida comes the South Beach diet. This one has the right idea and wrong approach combination down pat. Don't get me wrong, a lot of people have managed to lose weight with this diet and it actually works. But the question is: can you really stick to it? The first phase of the diet will eliminate most foods containing carbohydrates from your daily consumption. Fortunately, this phase lasts two weeks. Unfortunately, second phase focuses on a half-hearted return of whole grains and fruits and lasts... as long as necessary. If reaching the desired weight takes you one year, then that's exactly how long this phase is going to last. And if you don't like the foods allowed by this diet then you're out of luck. There are no alternatives.
And yet another veteran dieting program around is Weight Watchers. This is actually one of the best diets around because it puts all the management tools in the hands of the user. If you are really committed to losing weight, you have all the information you need to do it. And a lot of people who are going through the same thing are going to be there to help you. If having company during difficult times helps your willpower, then you are probably going to lose all that extra weight. If, on the other hand, you don't like the idea of being constantly under peer pressure, then this diet is not for you.
As you can see from this short review, there are a lot of diets out there, dozens more than we've been able to cover here. The best thing to do when choosing a diet is to do as much research about it as possible. See what people who tried it have to say. Then see what doctors and dietitians have to say about it. Between those singing praises and those trying to prove the diet wrong you can probably get the truth yourself. Still, pay special attention to what the doctors have to say. If they tell you a certain diet will put your body to risk then think twice before trying it.
The more diets published in magazines and on the Internet, the more people are confused about what dieting really means and about the right way of bringing your body back in shape. The growing number of overweight people has turned weight loss into an industry like never before and the market is growing every year. It seems that nowadays all one needs is a fashionable idea and a flair for marketing in order to make a lot of money or garner a lot of popularity by proposing some sort of weird diet, despite the lack of professional expertise in this field.
And there is a LOT of diets out there. We're going to go here only through the best-known diets, since a review of all the diets floating around the industry would be beyond the scope of this article.
So let's start with one of the latest fads of the dieting world: the Atkins diet. Pretty much everybody's head of the Atkins diet, largely due to the flood of articles praising the extraordinary results, not to mention the loads of good mail from satisfied customers. The biggest thing in favor of this diet is that it lets you eat high fat dairy products like cheese and butter. However, the Atkins diet has fallen from its lofty perch over suspicions of increasing the risk of heart diseases, not to mention the proved fact that bigger number of followers complain of diarrhea, weakness, muscle cramps and rashes. The debate over the scientific fundamentals of this diet is still raging.
Next comes the Zone diet; another well-known eating plan. This diet is the brainchild of Barry Sears and it's all about eating the right mix of foods in order to reach the proper hormonal balance. This state of balance, which is called the "Zone", lets the body take in calories and use them through the day without putting anything aside as fat. Unfortunately, this diet does some serious discrimination among foods without any scientific basis. Starchy vegetables, whole grains and beans are banned, although these foods are not in conflict with the principles of the diet. The American Heart Association says the Zone diet lacks essential nutrients while promoting high-protein foods.
The Jenny Craig diet is next on the list. One of the longest running diets, Jenny Craig started this business in the early 1980s and it's still around. The basic idea of this diet is a trade off: you don't have to choose recipes, do the shopping and the cooking, but you have to buy the Jenny Craig prepackaged food. And that runs to some $100 per week. Plus the membership costs. Plus the vegetables and fruits which are not included in the prepackaged food. If you can afford it and if you can stick to it, the diet is pretty good. However, similar low-calorie foods can be bought at the grocery store and you don't have to discuss this with a Jenny Craig expert that insists on your eating the prepackaged food because he gets a percentage of the sale price.
From sunny Florida comes the South Beach diet. This one has the right idea and wrong approach combination down pat. Don't get me wrong, a lot of people have managed to lose weight with this diet and it actually works. But the question is: can you really stick to it? The first phase of the diet will eliminate most foods containing carbohydrates from your daily consumption. Fortunately, this phase lasts two weeks. Unfortunately, second phase focuses on a half-hearted return of whole grains and fruits and lasts... as long as necessary. If reaching the desired weight takes you one year, then that's exactly how long this phase is going to last. And if you don't like the foods allowed by this diet then you're out of luck. There are no alternatives.
And yet another veteran dieting program around is Weight Watchers. This is actually one of the best diets around because it puts all the management tools in the hands of the user. If you are really committed to losing weight, you have all the information you need to do it. And a lot of people who are going through the same thing are going to be there to help you. If having company during difficult times helps your willpower, then you are probably going to lose all that extra weight. If, on the other hand, you don't like the idea of being constantly under peer pressure, then this diet is not for you.
As you can see from this short review, there are a lot of diets out there, dozens more than we've been able to cover here. The best thing to do when choosing a diet is to do as much research about it as possible. See what people who tried it have to say. Then see what doctors and dietitians have to say about it. Between those singing praises and those trying to prove the diet wrong you can probably get the truth yourself. Still, pay special attention to what the doctors have to say. If they tell you a certain diet will put your body to risk then think twice before trying it.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Weight Loss through Yoga loose weight effectively!
Yoga has long been touted as a relaxation technique that tunes the body, mind, and spirit into working in harmony. But many fitness experts and yoga teachers now say that yoga also leads to effective and lasting weight loss where other techniques have either failed or shown minimal results.
Any weight loss program includes regular exercise and a healthy diet. But what's even more important is sticking to the program. This is hard for most people as hectic schedules hinder exercise time, and day-to-day stress brings on emotional eating. Here's where yoga can help you.
Yoga is first and foremost a very effective form of deep relaxation. Even the most basic breathing exercises and poses (asanas) which define your first yoga session will help you clear your mind and better deal with stress. This positively affects your state of mind toward yourself and your life. As you are more relaxed, you will find it easier to control and eventually eliminate emotional binges and snacking between meals. The deep breathing exercises (pranayama) enhance concentration and inner strength, which help you stick to a diet or an alternative exercise routine.
Yoga tones and strengthens every muscle in your body. It also stimulates glands that secrete hormones which increase metabolism and alleviate depression. As you reach more advanced levels of yoga, you get more nimble and find it easier to work off excess fat. The pranayamas increase oxygen intake, thus facilitating smoother functioning of every organ in your body. An hour of yoga leaves you feeling rejuvenated, which means that you feel better throughout the day and tackle even mundane household chores more energetically, thus burning more calories.
If you are obese or excessively overweight, yoga is only an indirect way of getting in shape. It preps your mind and body for weight loss. So, if you initiate the other required steps in addition to your yoga sessions, you will soon be on your way to a lighter you and much healthier lifestyle.
Any weight loss program includes regular exercise and a healthy diet. But what's even more important is sticking to the program. This is hard for most people as hectic schedules hinder exercise time, and day-to-day stress brings on emotional eating. Here's where yoga can help you.
Yoga is first and foremost a very effective form of deep relaxation. Even the most basic breathing exercises and poses (asanas) which define your first yoga session will help you clear your mind and better deal with stress. This positively affects your state of mind toward yourself and your life. As you are more relaxed, you will find it easier to control and eventually eliminate emotional binges and snacking between meals. The deep breathing exercises (pranayama) enhance concentration and inner strength, which help you stick to a diet or an alternative exercise routine.
Yoga tones and strengthens every muscle in your body. It also stimulates glands that secrete hormones which increase metabolism and alleviate depression. As you reach more advanced levels of yoga, you get more nimble and find it easier to work off excess fat. The pranayamas increase oxygen intake, thus facilitating smoother functioning of every organ in your body. An hour of yoga leaves you feeling rejuvenated, which means that you feel better throughout the day and tackle even mundane household chores more energetically, thus burning more calories.
If you are obese or excessively overweight, yoga is only an indirect way of getting in shape. It preps your mind and body for weight loss. So, if you initiate the other required steps in addition to your yoga sessions, you will soon be on your way to a lighter you and much healthier lifestyle.
Planning Your Diet
Some people even plan on when they will have sex. Hence, the birth of hump day. Why not spend a few minutes and plan out what you will eat? If you are reading this, you have the time so. So sit back and follow these seven easy steps. Don't blink, if you do it will be over. It is really that simple.
1. Mini meals are great.
They tell people with certain disease that they should eat several small meals each day. They say that a person should eat something every two hours. Well, that isn't too impossible to do. I would suggest that you start out every four hours. Keep it like you normally would any of your other meals. Make sure you have your protein and your fiber. Have some veggies and some fruit to balance everything out. Don't make your mini meal a bucket of fried chicken. I know that since it is a mini meal, the temptation doesn't seem as great. I mean, if you only slip up in a mini meal, who is watching?
These are a great way to avoid hunger and improper snacking throughout the day. Just make your mini meals up and eat them every time that you have planned. If you plan on eating every two hours, every two hours it is. It doesn't take a road map to figure this out.
2. Don't go over board.
This is easier said than done. You need to have a specific amount that you are trying to reduce. If you are trying to reduce your meals by 10%, then you should stick to that. I'm not suggesting that you break out the calculator and count up every meal that you have. If you have been on a diet for very long, you already have a good idea how many calories things have. Don't eat with your eyes, eat with your mind. That will help you cut down on the amount of food that you eat.
3. Eat good tasting food.
From time to time let yourself go. Eat something that you know you shouldn't. If you get it out of your system, it will be easier to maintain your diet. If on the other hand you don't allow yourself to eat things you shouldn't from time to time, all you will do is hurt yourself in the long run. You are going to nibble each day on those things instead of just eating them occasionally.
4. Eat your calories, don't drink them.
Don't fill up on sodas and other drinks. You can get all your calories for one day in these if you do it too much. A few sodas here. A few cups of hot chocolate there. A few beers here. You get the point. That will put on the pounds easily.
5. Exercise.
You need to do this to keep fit. Not only will it keep you fit, but it will keep you mentally sharp as well. That can go a long way in helping you stick to a diet. If you are depressed, chances are you will end up eating fatty foods that will make you fat. When you consume all of that fat, it will make you more depressed. It is a bad cycle to start.
6. Make your meals last.
Chew your damn food son! I bet you heard that one as a kid. Well, it is true. Don't swallow your food. Instead, eat it slowly and enjoy the taste of it. If you do this, it will make you feel like you have actually ate something. If you swallow it down, you won't get the same benefit. You will continue to feel a void.
7. Discover your food triggers.
We all have these. When was the last time you went grocery shopping and you looked at a bag of cookies and realized that you had to have them? I do this sort of thing all the time. You need to understand what foods trigger your response system. If you can do this, you can avoid situations that will make you eat things that you shouldn't eat.
Well, that wasn't so bad was it? There is no need to flip out when it comes to a diet plan. It is simple and easy. Just like anything in life, you should have a plan before you begin to do whatever it is that you are doing. The same is true with your diet.
1. Mini meals are great.
They tell people with certain disease that they should eat several small meals each day. They say that a person should eat something every two hours. Well, that isn't too impossible to do. I would suggest that you start out every four hours. Keep it like you normally would any of your other meals. Make sure you have your protein and your fiber. Have some veggies and some fruit to balance everything out. Don't make your mini meal a bucket of fried chicken. I know that since it is a mini meal, the temptation doesn't seem as great. I mean, if you only slip up in a mini meal, who is watching?
These are a great way to avoid hunger and improper snacking throughout the day. Just make your mini meals up and eat them every time that you have planned. If you plan on eating every two hours, every two hours it is. It doesn't take a road map to figure this out.
2. Don't go over board.
This is easier said than done. You need to have a specific amount that you are trying to reduce. If you are trying to reduce your meals by 10%, then you should stick to that. I'm not suggesting that you break out the calculator and count up every meal that you have. If you have been on a diet for very long, you already have a good idea how many calories things have. Don't eat with your eyes, eat with your mind. That will help you cut down on the amount of food that you eat.
3. Eat good tasting food.
From time to time let yourself go. Eat something that you know you shouldn't. If you get it out of your system, it will be easier to maintain your diet. If on the other hand you don't allow yourself to eat things you shouldn't from time to time, all you will do is hurt yourself in the long run. You are going to nibble each day on those things instead of just eating them occasionally.
4. Eat your calories, don't drink them.
Don't fill up on sodas and other drinks. You can get all your calories for one day in these if you do it too much. A few sodas here. A few cups of hot chocolate there. A few beers here. You get the point. That will put on the pounds easily.
5. Exercise.
You need to do this to keep fit. Not only will it keep you fit, but it will keep you mentally sharp as well. That can go a long way in helping you stick to a diet. If you are depressed, chances are you will end up eating fatty foods that will make you fat. When you consume all of that fat, it will make you more depressed. It is a bad cycle to start.
6. Make your meals last.
Chew your damn food son! I bet you heard that one as a kid. Well, it is true. Don't swallow your food. Instead, eat it slowly and enjoy the taste of it. If you do this, it will make you feel like you have actually ate something. If you swallow it down, you won't get the same benefit. You will continue to feel a void.
7. Discover your food triggers.
We all have these. When was the last time you went grocery shopping and you looked at a bag of cookies and realized that you had to have them? I do this sort of thing all the time. You need to understand what foods trigger your response system. If you can do this, you can avoid situations that will make you eat things that you shouldn't eat.
Well, that wasn't so bad was it? There is no need to flip out when it comes to a diet plan. It is simple and easy. Just like anything in life, you should have a plan before you begin to do whatever it is that you are doing. The same is true with your diet.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Men and Obesity: A Rising Trend
Men rarely worry about their weight. Recent surveys have shown that most men know little or nothing about health and nutrition, and a very small percentage are interested in learning more. Since men have a more carefree attitude than women, they are more likely to eat what they want without paying heed to daily caloric intake or long-term consequences. Even if they are overweight and they know it is bad for them, men will rarely take steps to overcome obesity till they get a wake-up call in the form of a heart attack or a diagnosis of diabetes.
Since men are the sole breadwinners in most households, they spend most of their time at work. They constantly worry about project deadlines, the promotion, the mortgage and bills. Such high levels of stress make even ten minutes of exercise a day seem like a daunting task. Add to that the hassle of making healthy food choices through the day and most men would rather not bother at all. Also, society and the media have always focused more on women looking good and maintaining their weight. So, men rarely have any motivation to watch their weight.
Forget the cosmetic factor; obesity is disastrous to health. If you are obese, you are at a higher risk of developing many adverse health conditions:
• Gallbladder disease, gallstones
• Liver disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Gout
• Osteoarthritis
• Certain types of cancer
• Heart disease and stroke
• Sleep apnea
• High blood pressure
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Men who are obese are more likely to die of cancer of the prostate, rectum, and colon. They also project lower levels of strength and endurance than obese women. Recent research shows that obesity increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease . There has also been a significant rise in the number of premature deaths among obese people.
Take heart in the fact that it is never too late to begin your fight against obesity. A few small steps starting today can ensure a longer, a healthier life and more fulfilling life.
Since men are the sole breadwinners in most households, they spend most of their time at work. They constantly worry about project deadlines, the promotion, the mortgage and bills. Such high levels of stress make even ten minutes of exercise a day seem like a daunting task. Add to that the hassle of making healthy food choices through the day and most men would rather not bother at all. Also, society and the media have always focused more on women looking good and maintaining their weight. So, men rarely have any motivation to watch their weight.
Forget the cosmetic factor; obesity is disastrous to health. If you are obese, you are at a higher risk of developing many adverse health conditions:
• Gallbladder disease, gallstones
• Liver disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Gout
• Osteoarthritis
• Certain types of cancer
• Heart disease and stroke
• Sleep apnea
• High blood pressure
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Men who are obese are more likely to die of cancer of the prostate, rectum, and colon. They also project lower levels of strength and endurance than obese women. Recent research shows that obesity increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease . There has also been a significant rise in the number of premature deaths among obese people.
Take heart in the fact that it is never too late to begin your fight against obesity. A few small steps starting today can ensure a longer, a healthier life and more fulfilling life.
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