November 14th, 2008 — exercise, moderation, snacking, wellness
Dieting can be very stressful in many ways. It's never easy to start depriving yourself of food, and you'll undoubtedly experience not only physical stress but some emotional stress too. While it's hard to completely avoid all stress in your life, there are ways that you can make your diet less stressful. By using these techniques, you can be assured that you're not setting yourself up for failure. By removing the stressors from your diet, you'll be able to stay on track and get healthy.
Tip 1 -
Don't pick a diet that is going to deprive you. While the word diet is synonymous with deprivation, it doesn't have to be. So many people set themselves up for failure by picking a diet that is simply to hard to maintain. The main key is reducing the overall amount of calories that you're putting in to your body and increasing the amount of exercise. If you're not getting the right kind of fuel, you won't be able to exercise. Instead of picking a severe diet at first, go with one that is going to be easier. You'll be able to ramp up your efforts once you start to see results.
Tip 2 -
Understand that sometimes snacking is necessary. If you work long hours, chances are you're going to get hungry between lunch and dinner. Too many people beat themselves up about snacking and get all stressed out. The key is not avoiding snacking, the key is finding the right kind of foods to snack on. Instead of that high calorie candy bar, pick a treat that has a lot of protein in it, such as low fat cottage cheese. Your body may be telling you it needs sugar to keep going, but what it really needs is some protein to create real fuel. There are times when you simply run out of fuel, but don't put just any kind of fuel in your tank. By filling up with the right fuels you'll be able to de-stress and keep going longer.
Tip 3 -
Pick an exercise program you can maintain. Beating yourself up because you can't keep to an hour a day of heavy aerobics is not only stressful, it's unhealthy. You're not going to be able to run a marathon overnight. Stick with a small amount of exercise at first, until you start to build up your energy. Instead of a full hour, try a half hour for the first few weeks. It may take a bit longer to see results, but you're building a firm foundation for success.
The key is finding ways to avoid beating yourself up on your diet. We are usually our harshest critics and it becomes all too easy to succumb to that little voice that tells us we can't do it. By circumventing that voice and starting small, you'll be able to get over your diet stress and start seeing real results. A healthy diet takes work, and changes won't happen overnight.
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November 13th, 2008 — Weight Loss Journal, drink, food, healthy eating
Sometimes it is too easy to make excuses about eating the right foods. Whether it’s simply inconvenient, we feel that eating healthy deprives us, or the lure of unhealthy food is too strong, we end up putting off eating right until it may be too late. Here are five easy ways that you can start eating better, right now – today even, before you get into more unhealthy territory.
1. Start with dessert.
Sometimes, there is nothing quite like a dessert, especially after a good dinner. However, that simple little piece of cake may pack more than half of your day’s calorie allotment. This is the perfect opportunity to start sneaking some healthy food choices into your diet, and chances are, you’ll end up liking them just as much. Instead of having that piece of cake, try a piece of fruit. If that is too much, consider adding frozen yogurt instead. Making small changes like this during one meal will help you make bigger changes all day long.
2. Replace your snacks with something better.
Afternoon snacks are sometimes necessary to get us through a long day, but that doesn’t mean that you have to automatically reach for a candy bar. In fact, what your body really needs is a quick dose of protein. It will hold you longer and give you more energy than simple carbs. Instead of something sweet, go with a small serving of low fat cottage cheese, or a stick of low fat string cheese. Other great snacks include a small handful of peanuts, or almonds that contain healthy fats.
3. Throw out that soda.
Many of us have a nasty soda habit that can be hard to break. Start by replacing one soda a day with some sparkling flavored water. You’ll still get that carbonation, and the flavor will make the water a little more palatable. Once you’ve cut back on one soda, gradually increase your replacements until you’re no longer drinking any. It will be easier on your body to gradually wean yourself off of the caffeine. Soda is full of empty calories, and you should notice a big difference, even by cutting only one out of your daily diet.
4. Switch up your carbs.
Instead of reaching for a loaf of white bread in the store, go for a whole grain loaf. These carbs are a little better for you and will help you feel more satisfied. It can take a little getting used to, but after a week or two you may find that you actually prefer whole grain bread to white bread.
5. Skip the dressing.
If you eat a lot of salads, but can’t seem to lose any weight, the culprit may be your dressing. Replace any high fat dressings with either low fat vinaigrettes or switch to a lower fat version of your current dressing. Instead of putting it on your salad, place it on the side and dip your lettuce in. You’ll be surprised at how much you have left over.
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September 25th, 2008 — Meals, blood sugar, calories, grazing, healthy eating, moderation, proteins, snacking
For many of us, it's just too hard to get through the day without nibbling on something. If you have issues with your blood sugar being too low, or you are simply hungry during the day, snacking can be second nature. While snacking generally gets frowned upon, grazing is typically recommended for many diets. The key is finding the right balance so that you don't get overly hungry and you still feel satisfied throughout the day.
First, you need to set limits for your grazing behavior. It's one thing to graze on peanut butter cups all day, and it's another to graze on unbuttered air popped popcorn. One contains loads of fat and calories, the other has approximately 31 calories for a whole cup. You can really fill up on popcorn without filling up on calories. Figure out how many calories you are allowed each day and then how much you use for your regular meals.
That will give you the amount left over that you can eat while grazing. It is best to stick to a very low calories amount so that you don't end up sabotaging your diet. For example, instead of a candy bar, try low calorie string cheese. Instead of a bag of chips, have some crunchy vegetables. By making the right food choices when you're grazing, you'll have better luck at losing weight.
If you do find it necessary to graze because you are starving, you may need to address what is causing this. Are you not eating enough during your regular meals or are you eating the wrong balance of foods? If you're not getting enough protein, then you will be left feeling hungry after your meals. By getting the right balance of carbs, fats and proteins you can reduce those cravings that make you graze.
It is almost important to remember that if you are doing a lot of brain work, you are going to be hungrier during the day. Your brain uses more than 30% of your body's blood sugar just to run and when you're really using it, you'll burn through your supply quite quickly. Just find low calories fuel to keep you going in this situation.
Snacking and grazing can be too different things. Some of us get into the habit of the afternoon snack or late night snack and we are so routinized that it doesn't matter if we are hungry or not - we're going to eat that snack. Learn to recognize true hunger as opposed to "my brain is telling me it's time to eat."
Grazing is not necessarily a bad idea and when utilized properly it can help you lose weight. You just need to make sure that you are using smart choices when it comes to the food you are grazing on. Eat small amounts of low calories and still keep track of what you eat each day to stay below you recommended amount. This is grazing at its best.
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June 25th, 2008 — calories, diet, healthy eating, snacking
One of the major reasons that people have difficulty keeping on their diets is the urge to snack. For many of us, it's hard to get through the day without having at least one snack. However, that one snack can easily turn into ten and before you know it you're grazing all day long, adding useless calories to your daily intake. While snacking can be important, you're going to need to be smart about it to make sure that you can stick to your diet.
When we need a little snack fix, most of us reach for a bag of chips or a candy bar. It's a quick fix and provides you with that burst of sugar that will make you feel pretty good right away, but not so good later on. The key to snacking without ruining your diet is picking the right kind of snacks. It may take a little while at first to get used to eating healthier snacks, but before long, you'll be able to prefer it.
Start by figuring out how many calories you want to eat per day. Add up your three main meals and then figure out how many calories you have left over. This can be used as a guide to help you pick the snacks that will keep you on your diet. You'll also need to figure out the times when you are most likely to snack and target some changes in your regular meals to help you get through the day.
A great snack will contain enough protein to give you the energy you need to make it to your next meal without feeling deprived. Over the long term it is much more effective than carbs at keeping your body fueled right. For example, instead of that can of soda and a serving of chips, which can equal more than 300 calories, have one serving of low fat cottage cheese. This contains only about 80 calories and can actually be quite satisfying. Nuts, nuts, nuts... Almonds are particularly good for you, but almost any kind of nut is a great source of energy and in appropriate amounts nuts will fit into any diet. (5 almounds is equal to 1 protien serving on my diet. I get 14 protien a day.) Even a small block of cheese, a serving of tuna or some other small treat can be a great low calorie high protein alternative. A really great healthy snack that I just picked up at the local Costco (seriously tastes great) is dry roasted and lightly salted edamame aka soybean. 70% Less fat and 40% more protein than peanuts... one serving is 14 grams of soy protein and 2 net carbs.
Figure out what kind of protein snacks you like to eat. If you are one that absolutely needs to feed your sweet tooth, look for special protein bars that are low in calories and carbs while high in protein. These can provide a great boost of energy and keep you balanced all day.
Earlier, we mentioned that it is also important to figure out what times of the day you are most likely to snack. This is usually a sign that you are not eating a balanced enough meal before hand. For example, if you have a lot of carbs for breakfast, that sugar is going to wear off well before lunch, leaving you feeling hungry. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but is should contain enough protein to give you the fuel you need to make it to lunch.
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