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Coping with Dietary Changes When Trying to Lose Weight
When most of us decide that it’s time to lose some weight, our first thought
is to reduce the amount of food that we eat daily. If we eat less than what
our body needs each day, our excess fat should be utilized to make up the
difference and we will lose weight. Unfortunately, losing weight is never
that simple. It’s nearly impossible to just change portion size, skip a meal
or replace a meal with a fruit or diet substitute and not be hungry. The key
to successful weight loss is eating less of the high sugar and fat content
foods and more of the healthier kind. Exercise is also part of any dieting
program.
The reason that fad diets are so appealing is that they offer simple
solutions to weight problems and tell you how to lose weight quickly and
easily without making any changes to your lifestyle or eating habits. There
are pills to boost your metabolism to burn fat rapidly. There are diet
drinks to replace foods. Turn on the TV, read a magazine or surf the
internet and you will be overwhelmed by the sheer number of weight loss
products on the market today. Pair up the product with a picture of an
attractive young woman in a bikini as an endorsement and many dieters will
buy it. Fad diets may be unhealthy because you are not getting all of the
nutrients your body needs. Although losing 10 pounds in 10 days sounds
appealing to dieters, losing more than 3 pounds a week may increase your
risk for developing gallstones. Diets with less than 800 calories per day
could bring on heart rhythm abnormalities, which can be fatal.
Let’s look at some dietary changes you can make as part of your diet. When
you eat junk food, you get little in the way of calcium, protein, vitamins
and iron. The more processed foods you eat, the more salt you increase in
your body. This causes bloating and can lead to vision and cardiovascular
problems. Most of us love fried foods. Too much fat in your diet will raise
your blood cholesterol levels and cause plaque to form in your arteries.
This can lead to hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) and heart
disease. Instead of trying to eliminate all fat from your diet use fats
derived from plants (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated). This will help
lower your cholesterol levels. Too much protein in your diet is not good
either. You will become tired more quickly after meals because protein takes
a long time to digest. Too much protein can lead to high cholesterol or
calcium loss from the bone, promoting osteoporosis or gout. High-protein
diets may also strain your kidneys and liver.
You don’t have to live on nothing but bread and water for your diet to work.
You need to eat nutritious foods with a balance of carbohydrates, fats,
proteins, vitamins and minerals. There are lots of substitutes for the foods
you should avoid. Instead of fatty meats, you can eat lean meats, such as
fish or chicken. Salads and vegetables should be a big part of your diet.
Things don’t have to taste bland, but salt intake should be limited. Drink
at least 64 ounces of water per day. Avoid sugary drinks. Instead of
candies, try fruit. The natural sugar in fruit will satisfy your sweet
tooth. Vitamin supplements should be discussed with your physician.
Food preparation is important. You will have to cut back significantly on
fried foods. Try grilling, broiling, baking or stewing your meats. This way
you get the most nutritional and the least empty calories. There are dozens
of food shows on TV. Watch and learn. Many shows will discuss the
preparation of wholesome foods and expand the range of foods that you can
eat.
For some, it is not easy or convenient to prepare balanced nutritious meals.
You may want to investigate buying prepared meals at your super market or
using a service that delivers them to your home. Some diet programs offer
their own menu of prepared meals. The content and cost varies on the diet
program you are enrolled in. Costs are somewhat less if you use their bulk
purchase option. It’s a good idea to make sure that you can customize your
own menu and only order the meals you prefer. A variety of pre-prepared
meals are distributed by Jenny Craig, Seattle Sutton, and Weight Watchers.
Your diet will work only if you are accountable to yourself. Keep a food
diary to record your successes and non-successes alike. If you see that
eating fewer fried foods and less junk foods results in losing weight, you
have learned a valuable lesson. Be your own food policeman. Eliminate
unhealthy foods in your cupboard and replace them with nutritional ones. You
can also join a support group. It helps to have someone you can talk to 24/7
who understands your problem. They can give you tried and true advice. In
time, you’ll learn how to control your eating habits and weight loss will
become easier and more permanent.
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