Weight Loss Journal

One of the main things that keeps people from trying low fat foods is the fact that a lot of them taste, well, pretty bad. It's all too easy to brush it off as "rabbit food," and convince yourself that you need real food. However, there are many low fat foods that are actually quite flavorful and there are methods that you can use that can enhance flavors without adding fat. Low fat food doesn't have to taste awful and we'll show you how you can actually start enjoying it with a few tips.

Let's look at a popular low fat food, skim cottage cheese, that is high in protein and very helpful for anyone that is on a diet. If you're used to eating regular cottage cheese, or none at all, the flavor in the skim or fat free variety can be a bit off. Try adding a little black pepper on top, or even some paprika. If you like it spicy, try adding a little shot of Tabasco sauce to it. Look for seasonings that are fat free and that will add to the flavor of your low fat cottage cheese.

Now, let's move onto low fat cereal. In some cases, it may be better to call it low fat cardboard. The same is true with low fat chips. They really can taste a little flat and pretty unappetizing. If you're eating low fat cereal and barely choking it down, try adding a little Splenda to it. This is a great calorie free sweetener that can really help and it doesn't affect your blood sugar as opposed to Nutrasweet or saccharin. You can also try using vanilla flavored soy milk instead of regular milk. You'll be getting the benefits of soy protein and the vanilla flavor helps mask the tastelessness of the cereal. For fat free chips, try dipping them in fat free salsa. Once again, you're tricking your tastebuds and it really does work.

Salsa is a great additive for a lot of foods that can spice things up without adding any fat. Use it on lean chicken to make it less boring, or add it to some celery for an extra kick. Anytime you would normally use high fat dip, replace it will fat free salsa. This gives you that feeling of being able to enjoy dipping foods without the guilt.

The main key is retraining your palette. Let's face it, high fat foods taste pretty good and that's why they are so hard to quit. However, here's an experiment you can try. Eat low fat foods for one month and then allow yourself a small sample of the foods you used to enjoy. Chances are, that high fat food is going to taste pretty awful. You'll be able to literally taste the oil and it may even make you a bit nauseous. The human palette is highly trainable and if you can convince it that low fat tastes better, you'll never be in danger of falling off the wagon again.

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When we need to lose weight, it's really common to get swept up into the mindset that we need to make radical changes. While this may be true, it may not be healthy to make such a drastic change in the way you eat. In fact, you may be increasing your odds of failure by picking a diet that is simply too hard to maintain. While we all want to lose weight as fast as we can, it's best to stick with 2 pounds a week, and never more than 4. (Doctor supervision not withstanding.)

This is frustrating - and it will take a little longer to see results. However, by making easy diet changes and gradually pumping up the pressure, you're going to be more apt to lose that weight and keep it off. There is no point in starting a diet, if you're simply going to undo all of your hard work in a few months. You need to commit to making a lifestyle change that will last you for many years to come.

That is really the key towards getting healthy and hitting your target weight. By understanding what parts of your lifestyle are making you unhealthy, you can begin to diet the natural way. Let's start out with something that is really easy to cut out of your diet - soda. This is the worst, empty calorie, horrible food that is responsible for many of us being overweight and we really don't even know it. A simple serving of soda can have as much as 150 calories. A bottle or can will have a lot more.

Completely cut this one thing from your diet for two weeks but don't change anything else. Try not to substitute with sugary drinks. If you need caffeine, go with black coffee or sweeten it with Splenda. In two weeks, you should lose significant weight, depending on how much soda you normally drink. See how easy that was? One little easy change and you're already losing a lot of weight.

Now, you'll need to step it up. Find another food that is bad for you, the food that you simply love. Cut this out from your diet completely and you'll notice the same thing happening. Once again, you may need to find a healthier alternative to keep from feeling deprived, but the general premise is the same.

By making these really easy and simple changes, you can get on the road to healthy weight loss and still see real results. You're getting rid of the foods that are making you unhealthy and you're making those lifestyle changes that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Try it for two weeks and see the difference you feel. You may feel a bit cranky for the first few days, but ride it out and stick with it. You will get results.

By gradually getting rid of the items in your diet that are not good, you're making a it a lot easier on yourself and you're losing weight at the same time.

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