How many times have you tried a diet, only to find that you couldn’t stick with it or that the weight you lost came back? Or maybe none of them succeeded. Many people will try many different techniques to lose weight in addition to diet, only to find again that they continue to struggle to achieve that ‘elusive’ goal.
In a recent study, thousands of people said they were following their doctor’s orders to eat healthy and get vigorous exercise. However, his weight was still on and he usually gave up, deciding that the ‘diet gurus’ must have the right answers. When the researchers assessed the calorie intake of these people, they found that most people ate an average of 400 calories more per day than they thought. In a week, that’s 2800 calories, which can result in a weight gain of about one pound a week.
This article will discuss some diets and eating methods that are ineffective, or just downright wrong, and then suggest how to actually make changes that produce weight loss results.
abundance of good things
If you’ve improved your food choices, good for you! If you’re still not losing weight, watch your serving size. Too much of a good thing can also pack on the pounds if the result is more calories taken in than burned. If you eat well but still can’t lose weight, try keeping a food diary for 3-5 days to see how well you’re eating. Don’t just list the foods you eat, weigh and measure your foods to make it clear how many calories each serving is providing you. After weighing and measuring your foods for a week, you’ll have a more clear picture of what makes up one serving and how many calories you’re actually consuming each day.
“Lite” fares may go up
Another mistake people make is thinking that foods that are labeled ‘fat free’, ‘low fat’ or ‘reduced fat’ mean they can eat more without guilt. However, keep in mind that the flavor has to come from something. So if a food is low in fat, it may be high in sugar, which means the calorie level remains the same, if not higher. As a result, you end up eating more and find that your weight is slowly increasing in your weight loss journey.
These low-fat options can be good, but continue to treat these foods as an occasional treat and eat them in the same amounts as you would the full-fat versions. Depending on taste, you may want to stick with your higher-fat version and eat it less often or eat it in smaller amounts.
we can drink our calories
A regular soda, a sweetened tea, a smoothie, etc., all provide calories. It is estimated that about 20% of the calories we consume each day come from the fluids we drink. Research has shown that even calories from these sources do not satisfy hunger. Experts say that just one regular soda every day can add 15 pounds to your body in a year.
what do you drink regularly? I love the Starbuck Frappuccino®, but I know that if I drank one every day I would be adding almost 300 calories a day to my food intake! In a week, this would result in 2100 calories. It takes 3500 calories to equal one pound.
skipping meals
This is a very common mistake that dieters make. They believe that if they skip meals, they will consume fewer calories throughout the day. However, your body becomes accustomed to a certain number of calories each day, so if you don’t get them in the first half of your day, you’ll likely crave food later in the day, making up for the deficit. Unfortunately, evening meals are typically high in fat and low in healthy nutrients.
One suggestion is to never skip breakfast or lunch, and if you are not very hungry at dinner, eat half or half of what is served to you. Increase your water intake, especially 30 minutes before your meals. If you are not in the habit of eating breakfast, at least start the new habit with some protein and fruits. Once you get into the habit of eating lightly at night, you’ll eventually wake up hungry.
If you travel a lot or feel you are too busy to stop and eat, keep some ‘portable’ foods with you. Even a meal replacement bar is better than skipping it altogether. Many foods keep well, such as cooked and cooled vegetables or cut fruit, along with some crackers and a protein such as string cheese or peanut butter. Today there are many small, portable coolers that you can take with you in a car or on a plane.
If it goes in your mouth, does it matter
It’s not uncommon for people to wonder why they aren’t losing weight because they’re eating a very healthy, moderate diet. They’re not skipping meals, they’ve cut out ‘junk’ and they watch serving sizes.
However, they forget about snacking in between meals! A good rule of thumb is that each mouthful should average 25 calories: therefore, an ‘extra’ four mouthfuls a day results in an extra 100 calories for that day. An excellent site with suggestions for reducing those extra things is at this link: http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftmar03.htm, Do you quickly grab a handful of chips when you pass the kitchen? At work, do you stop at the vending machine to ‘satisfy your hunger’ in the afternoon? Or maybe you grab a few bites of ice cream out of the container when you’re tired, stressed, or mad. All these ‘little’ extras add up! If you eat 100 extra calories every day, you’ll put on about a pound of weight in a month.
Again, keeping a food diary over 5 days helps people become realistically aware of the ‘hidden’ extra calories they eat at a time when they were not even consciously aware. In a previous program I offered, clients would keep a food diary for 30 days, the same way they would daily journaling for me. Every single client who joined the program discovered how many times they ate something they weren’t aware of, and each one of them successfully lost weight on the program!
When I see nutrition clients who struggle to control their eating, snacking, and craving habits, I often encourage them to keep more fruit on hand. If you have a sweet craving, eating fruit instead will satisfy that craving, help you lose weight, and keep you healthy because of the high antioxidant foods it contains.
Does life end on Saturday and Sunday?
This is one of my favourites! Weekend ‘free days’ became popular with a special diet and exercise programme. However, what I see in my clients is that if they cannot gain control over their eating as a ‘natural’ part of life, then taking a weekend ‘off’ is not going to help create new, healthier habits. are getting. It’s so easy to pack on extra calories in just two days! If there is a food you avoid because either you consider it a ‘bad’ food, or you don’t feel you can control your servings of that food, you can still ‘allow’ it on the weekend If you give in, you are depriving yourself of learning to manage the food and may actually continue to struggle with it for the rest of your life. Wouldn’t it be nice to feel at peace with a troublesome food every now and then instead of always avoiding it as the ‘enemy’?
eat nutrient-rich foods
Although 66% of all Americans are overweight or obese, there are people who manage to control their weight without much struggle. how do they do it? This article is not focusing on exercise, but as a personal trainer, I can attest to the benefits of consistent exercise. Another key is eating foods that are ‘nutrient-dense’, high in moisture and low in fat. These are foods that fill you up without a lot of calories. Several studies from Penn State University have identified specific foods that fit this category: examples include water, broth-based soups, vegetables and especially green leafy vegetables. Adding vegetables to mixed dishes increases the nutrient density and lowers the calories of the dish. Add water-rich vegetables like broccoli, carrots or tomatoes to chili, stews and even macaroni and cheese. Studies have shown that people will eat the same amount of food, but because of the increased ‘bulk’ they eat fewer calories.
I always suggest to clients that they can find one change at a time. Review the tips above and determine what small change you can make today. Work on just that one change until it becomes a habit or a natural way of eating. Only after it has become second nature should you work on the other change. Making slow, small changes that incorporate healthy habits that are worth following will ensure that a year from now you will be lighter than you are today.
Source by Marjorie Geiser
