Diet, Nutrition and Exercise Tips for a Lighter, Healthier You!

What's the deal with weight loss food these days? If you have every tried to diet using frozen meals you bought from your local grocery store, only to find that they tasted unappetizing, at best, and didn't help you lose weight, you may have found yourself asking this question. In today's food market, quantity is the name of the game, and sales is king.

In an industry dominated by confusing, and often misleading, claims about the healthy nature of this product or that, it is exceedingly difficult to make smart choices. To overcome the barrage of confusing statements plastered over nearly every product in the freezer isle at the store, people must take ownership in their weight loss transformation. Knowing what to eat, and what to avoid, is the first step.

Baby Steps

It is not easy to lose weight. This is a fact that is universal amongst anyone who has ever tried to lose weight. For this reason, it's best to start your journey toward choosing healthy weight loss food with knowledge.

Recently, the USDA threw out its old food guide pyramid in favor of an easier to understand dinner plate model. The model divides the plate into four sections, plus a cup for dairy. The size of each section gives a person a good sense of how much of certain foods to eat in a typical meal. What the plate does not get into, specifically, are the kinds of weight loss food that people should eat. Why not?

No Magic Bullet

Please don't take the subtitle above to mean that this author is against blending tasty smoothies in a container that also serves as a cup%u2026 we're fine with those. Instead, the title refers to a truth about weight loss food that is not often told - that it really doesn't exist.

Think about it this way: If you eat 2000 calories a day, and decide you need to lose weight, it is conceivable that you might drop your caloric intake to 1500 calories per day in order to lose weight. You might think that eating a Boston crème doughnut would sideline your chances of losing weight, and in some cases you may be right, but in many, you'd be wrong. The key is to deduct the calories you consumed by eating the doughnut from your daily limit. Often, people on diets view snack foods as treats that "don't count" toward their daily caloric intake. This mindset is what ultimately leads to their failure to lose weight.

The fact is, if you stick to the 1500 calorie limit, you're very likely to lose weight. Does this mean that Boston crème doughnuts are weight loss food? Not quite. Instead, it means that weight loss food can only be such if it is made up of the right combinations of food, and a controlled caloric intake.

Outer Walls

Lastly, when shopping at the grocery store, stick to the outer walls. Here you will find the freshest, and most healthy, weight loss food combinations. Choose whole grains, lean cuts of meat, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Are low calorie foods the magic weight loss bullet that you've been searching for? Probably not, though they certainly can help you lose weight. Think this is a contradiction? Wrong again, it's all about how you view the dieting process. Dieters who simply begin eating low calorie foods, without altering their patterns of consumption, are just as doomed to failure as are those who eat these kinds of food, and expect that this action, alone, will cause them to lose weight. Both groups falsely assume that eating low calorie foods will automatically result in weight loss.

They desire an easy path to weight loss, and in turn, doom themselves to failure.

It's Not Just About Calories

While lowering your daily caloric intake will likely help to lead you down the path of weight loss, this action is not, by itself, guaranteed to produce the results that you desire. Sure, it is a good idea to visit your doctor and determine the total number of calories you should consume in a day, but if you fail to consider proper nutrition along the way, you might end up doing damage to your health.

Our bodies are amazing machines that are capable of more than most of us will ever know. One such capability is the ability to adjust to our environments, especially with regard to the availability of a steady food source. Over time, the human body has developed a survival mechanism that allows it to store fat and slow you metabolism when food becomes scarce. Outside of skipping meals entirely, eating low calorie foods is unlikely to lead to such a response by our bodies. However, if meals are skipped regularly, your body will lack certain nutrients it needs to function properly. This can lead to a survival response such as that described above. Obviously, storing fat and slowing your metabolism will not lead to successful weight loss.

Nutritional Breakdown

As noted above, it is a good idea to visit your doctor and discuss your individual dietary needs before embarking on a low calorie diet. Only a medical professional can accurately assess your body's unique nutritional needs. Knowing these needs makes it much easier to eat the low calorie foods that will properly fuel your body's efforts toward weight loss.

In general, people seeking to lose weight should attempt to gain roughly 45 percent of their daily caloric intake from protein, 35 percent from carbohydrates, and 20 percent from fat. These nutritional breakdowns result in the strongest likelihood that a dieter will lose weight. Obtaining the largest number of calories from protein has the benefit of helping a dieter feel full for a longer period of time, as protein takes longer for the body to digest.

Simple Conclusion

Eating low calorie foods CAN help you lose weight, but only if they are used in conjunction with a healthy nutritional plan. This should not be surprise, as proper nutrition is the cornerstone of a healthy existence.

bout 40-45% of these calories come from protein, 30-35% come from carbohydrates, and 20-25% come from fat.

There is an obesity problem in America. It is widely known that Americans are some of the heaviest people on the planet, with over 33 percent of all adults in the country considered obese by the Centers for Disease Control. To put it simply, there is clearly something wrong with the way that Americans eat. This piece will explore three of the culprits behind the American obesity epidemic.

Obesity Factor #1

Lack of physical activity. Are you really shocked to see this come up as one of the largest single contributing factors to the development of obesity? We're guessing probably not. Mankind has understood the value of exercise since the dawn of time, but for some reason, has recently shunned it.

Take a moment to think about your daily routine, from the moment you wake up, to the moment your head hits the pillow. Would your day be anything close to that of your great great grandparents when they were your age? Not likely. Today's culture embraces shortcuts, and strives to find the easiest way to accomplish tasks. Productivity might be up, but decreased bodily efficiency is way down. All because we cannot stand to walk up stairs, besides, there's a perfectly good elevator in the building%u2026

Obesity Factor #2

Larger portion sizes. Let's face it, our food has undergone a massive makeover in the last 60 years. Dinner tables used to be set with complete meals, cooked by a member of the family. People ate food to sustain their bodies, not because they had a craving for it. In the present day, we no longer eat to sustain life, but rather because we want to eat.

What's the difference, you ask? Surely people living during the 1950's wanted to eat as well. The difference, however, lies in the fact that eating, back then, was not the pastime that it is today. Modern society fetishizes food in an almost pornographic kind of way. Reasonable portions are out, and super-sized portions are in. No wonder we've got an obesity epidemic on our hands.

Obesity Factor #3

Genetics. Now, let's not get too excited here, this one won't be a valid excuse for most obese individuals. That is to say, while genetic factors may predispose an individual to a higher risk of obesity, eating right and exercising almost always keeps obesity at bay.

Weight loss and genetics researchers have recently hypothesized that several genes are linked to a higher likelihood of obesity in their carriers. The problem is these genes are relics of a time, now gone by, when humankind did not possess a dependable food source. Our ancestors evolved the genes to be thrifty in their energy expenditures since there was no guarantee when the next meal would come. In our present environment, food is available 24 hours a day - it's just that no one told the thrifty genes.

Looking Forward...

Obesity has manifested itself as a nasty reality of our current way of life. The good news is that it is almost 100 percent preventable. If you are obese, visit your doctor and formulate a plan to lose weight. You'll be doing your body a favor, and you'll feel physically and mentally better about yourself.

Is a strange to say that fitness is so easy that we have managed to make it overly-complicated?

Most people would argue this point, but the truth of the matter is, it definitely isn't easy, but it doesn't have to be hard either.

What makes it so hard is that people often forget what they really want to accomplish.

If you just want to live healthier and get into better shape, you don't need to live at the gym. You also don't need to neglect your love of food. You can still enjoy food while losing weight; it's all about looking for the RIGHT kinds of foods to enjoy and embracing the right fitness plan.

Here are some tips on how you can make fitness and health work for you:

Don't Overindulge

Like food, it's easy to overindulge in the time you spend at the gym. In order to be healthy, there is no reason why you need to be there for more than 4-5 days out of the week.

If you are just starting to work out, don't go full-speed into a set routine. The key to fitness is to change things up, so you have a dynamic workout. This also helps prevent boredom. Instead of just running on the treadmill, lift some weights, dome some squats, and build resistance and endurance by doing some planking.

Whether you are doing resistance training or cardio, don't spend more than a couple of hours at the gym each day. You body also needs at least a couple of days rest in order to adjust to the changes in intensity.

Before working out, make sure you eat something at least three hours prior. If not a meal, a high-protein snack will also suffice. Make sure to drink plenty of water and don't overexert yourself. Remember: it's perfectly okay to rest between activities.

Think: Progression

Progression isn't something that happens rapidly, so don't set yourself up for failure by promising yourself rapid results in a short period of time.

This is often the culprit of why so many people fail at trying to find the right balance between fitness and health. Goals and expectations are set unrealistically and way too high.

Instead, it's best to bring your goals back down to an "earthly" scale.

Progressive weight loss is the best kind: it helps maintain a steadier metabolism, and will help you set yourself up for successful lifetime maintenance.

If your goal is to lose 50 pounds, don't say you are going to do it in one month. This is an unrealistic and unhealthy goal.

Instead, think about your weight loss in a logical way. Start with an initial goal of 2-3 pounds per week, and see how you do. (This could be more or less, depending on your body type, gender, or age).

By setting a goal of losing such a drastic amount of weight, you are only setting yourself up for failure, which can make you want to throw in the towel altogether.

Progression is definitely the best policy when it comes to utilizing fitness and health.

Sometime during the late 1890s a terrific, and some would say terrifying, discovery was made in the field of nutrition - the calorie. Since its discovery, nutritionists and dieters alike have sought to understand just how many calories a typical adult should consume on a daily basis. It can be said that researchers and food scientists working to this end were wasting their time, as there is no definitive answer to this now century-old question. This does not mean, however, that the calorie has lost its importance in the dieting world, but rather that it should no longer be viewed as a one size fits all unit of measure. Nor should it be allowed to continue its reign of terror over poorly educated dieters.

Every Body is Different

Perhaps you remember your grade school years when special care was taken to impart the understanding that everyone is different, and unique, in their own way. If you do, thinking about calories is not much different. Though you may look like your next door neighbor, and perhaps even dress like him or her, your caloric requirements are likely to be quite different. This is because a multitude of factors contribute to how many calories a person should consume each day.

Establishing a Benchmark

There are two options for people seeking to establish their required daily caloric intake. The first is to visit your doctor and ask him or her to provide you with this number. This is the best option, as it ensures that the resulting number of calories is exactly what your body needs. The second option is to attempt to find the perfect balance of how many calories you need in a day, on your own. In general, for people who are overweight, and not at risk of consuming too few calories, it is acceptable to deduct 500 calories from their average daily intake. When the number of deducted calories is spread out over the seven days in a week, it totals 3,500 less calories consumed. After a week or two on this reduced calorie diet, you may see a noticeable drop in weight. If not, your safest option is to revert to option number one - your doctor.

Exercise: How Many Calories to Burn?

We all know that dieting is most effective when combined with exercise, but how much exercise does it take to make a difference. How many calories can a person burn while performing simple physical activities? Let's take a look.

On average, a 200 pound person could expect to burn:
· About 400 calories walking for an hour.
· Around 890 calories on a stair-stepper treadmill for one hour.
· Close to 255 calories walking for an hour.

As the numbers above illustrate, it's not ALL about how many calories you consume. Exercise also plays a vital role in any successful weight loss plan.

Every year, as the new year approaches, thousands of people pledge to improve their diets in order to lose weight. Knowing this, thousands of companies, within the diet industry, ramp up their advertising campaigns to promote their newest diet pills and diet meal plans. Unfortunately, for consumers, the vast majority of these pills and plans are worthless in the least, and potentially deadly at the worst. Before you begin any of the diet meal plans you see advertised, you should take two things into careful consideration.

Things to Consider...

The very first test that diet supplements and diet meal plans should undergo is the doctor test. Ask yourself, "Would my doctor recommend that I take this supplement, or begin this diet plan?"

In most cases, if you are being honest with yourself, you will find the answer to the first part of the question to be no. In almost every instance, diet supplements are a waste of time and can lead to potentially serious physical complications.

As for the later portion of the question, think about what you learned in school. Would your doctor recommend that you eliminate an entire food group, such as carbohydrates, or fat, from your diet? Probably not. Given this, it is safe to say that if one of the diet meal plans that you are considering promotes such a thing, it does not pass the doctor test.

Next, when considering diet meal plans, it is crucial that you take a moment to think about the diet's feasibility in your own life. Pay no attention to the gorgeous supermodel, and the graying middle-aged gentleman, who's glowing admiration of the plan often make it seem foolproof.

Don't Become a Victim...

Don't fall victim to their tricks - because after all, their only goal is to get you to buy. When sifting through the many diet meal plans available to consumers, stop, take the time to step outside of the perfect world in which they are pitched. Can you really expect to lose 15 pounds in 10 days or less? Is it feasible for you to eat only raw and uncooked foods? Do you have the time to cook elaborate meals, exactly as they are laid out in the plan? By asking yourself these kinds of questions, you eliminate the chance that your diet will fail mere weeks, or even days, after it begins. Remember, not all diet meal plans are created equal - for you.

When you apply these two simple tests to the seemingly endless number of diet meal plans, the numbers become reduced to a much more manageable size. The fact of the matter is that most diet plans and supplements are not designed with your good health as their number one goal. Instead, they often trade your health for a few lost pounds that consist mostly of water. This is not to say that all diet meal plans are evil - they are not. Applying these simple tests will make the task of separating the good from the bad much easier and more manageable.

"Help me lose weight! I can't do this by myself!" These words, or a similar combination, are often uttered by overweight individuals who have reached the end of their dieting rope. The trouble is, when a person reaches this level of dieting desperation, the bad habits that they have built over their lifetime are often very difficult to break. However, given the enormous task that these individuals face, there is little that anyone can do to help them if they do not first help themselves. Instead of, "help me lose weight," these people should be saying, "I'm going to help myself lose weight."

It has long been an accepted fact in the dieting world, especially amongst doctors whose specialty lies in the field of weight loss, that an overweight individual must truly want to lose weight in order to do so. Now, this seems rather obvious, almost to the point of absurdity, but nonetheless it is a dieting reality. The truth in such a statement lies in the underlying psychological processes that dieters endure.

For many overweight individuals, overeating is tied to an emotional trigger of some kind. While the trigger tends to vary from person to person, the effect that it has on the person's eating habits is the same. When a given set of stimuli present themselves to the individual, the trigger is pulled. Overeating, sometimes referred to as emotional eating, becomes the result. These people will often turn to dieting gimmicks that promise quick and easy weight loss. Their mindset in doing so is still that of, "Help me lose weight."

In order to turn things around, and actually achieve their desire weight loss goals, overweight individuals must first confront the underlying causes of their weight crisis. This is not always an easy task to undertake, and can often lead to temporary emotional discomfort as the person confronts these often ignored issues. It is only after a dieter has given up the, " help me lose weight," mindset that they can begin to seriously work towards their weight loss goals.

Once the underlying causes of overeating have been identified, an overweight individual has a much greater chance of losing the weight that they desire. It must be noted, however, that the point of this article is not to discourage overweight individuals from seeking assistance in losing weight. Rather, the point of this piece is to highlight the need for dieters to confront the root causes of their excessive weight gain. In this way, it is not improper for a dieter to ask their doctor to, "Help me lose weight." The impropriety lies in such a statement uttered without the conviction to do their share of lifting in their weight loss effort.

Weight loss doctors are not genies. Neither are diet plans. Asking, "Help me lose weight," only works if the person asking for help is ready to do everything necessary to reach their goals.

Most of us don't have a degree in Nutrition or Dietetics, but it doesn't take an expert to implement the right kind of diet and nutrition plan.

If you are trying to lose weight, but are worried about the planning and implementing process, here are three crucial tips that may help.

3. Set Realistic Expectations

Instead of trying to figure out the complexities of the specific components of diet and nutrition, it's important that you focus on setting realistic goals.

Rather than setting yourself up to lose 50 pounds in one month, think in smaller, more realistic terms.

Instead of pushing yourself to lose a gigantic amount of weight over the course of a month, promise yourself to lose a smaller amount of weight per week. Between 2 to 3 pounds is an ideal way to start, and is a healthy recipe for weight loss.

Before setting any weight loss goal, it's always important that you consult with your physician or a weight loss expert. It' s better to be safe than to be sorry, which is why an expert can make sure the plan you are about to begin is the right fit for you!

2. Don't Forget to Snack!

If you are under the impression that snacking is bad in regards to diet and nutrition, it's time to readjust your thinking a little bit%u2026

Your metabolism is actually much more efficient if you eat at least every four hours or so. Don't think this means you can eat a bunch of snacks with trans fats: potato chips, cookies, etc. Avoid the trans fats altogether when it comes to snack time.

Instead, opt for snacks that are higher in protein and that contain fiber. Other than satisfying your craving for a snack with fatty, junk food, reach for the protein instead.

1. Avoid Drastic Measures

If you are going to maintain the right diet and nutrition plan, you need to avoid taking drastic measures to achieve your goals. More specifically, self-sabotaging plans that do more harm than good.

Fasting diets can be dangerous, as well as weight loss supplements that promote rapid weight loss within a short period of time.

Fasting diets simply starve your body of essential nutrition, and promote muscle and water loss, rather than fat loss. They also aren't the best options for sustaining long-time weight loss.

Supplements can be just as dangerous, especially if they prescribe a low calorie diet in conjunction with the supplement you are ingesting.

Just like fasting diets, weight loss supplements can deprive your body of adequate nutrition. When this happens, your body will essentially cannibalize itself and turn to your muscle stores and tissues for energy. This is because your body does not store extra protein, so it needs to get if from food you take in.

Following a diet plan like this will cause your body to take any extra protein it ingests, and store it as fat. This is why weight loss doesn't last on diets like these; your body never rids itself of excess fat.

By following these tips, you will be healthy, achieve your goals, and have a recipe for lifetime success!

When you take the time to think about it, what exactly is it that constitutes a diet?

Is the essence of dieting the age-old practice of counting calories and increasing physical activity? For some, this seemingly simple, albeit formidable, task may in fact prove to be the solution to their dieting needs. However, for an increasing number of Americans, simple steps such as these will do little to meet their dietary needs. The medical world has labeled these individuals diabetic, and they require a special diabetes diet in order to stay healthy.

What must be understood about the term "diet" is that its meaning is largely controlled by the context in which it is used. In the case of a diabetes diet, the word carries two distinct meanings. In the first, diet takes the form of a noun, which describes the types and kinds of food that a person eats. In the second, it manifests itself in verb form, which is the most common usage. In verb form, diet refers to a set of foods that is restricted in such a way was to promote weight loss or maintenance.

So then, back to the question from the first line of this article - what constitutes a diet, and more specifically, what constitutes a diabetes diet? The answer to this query, though different from most diets, does not have to be overly complicated.

When you cut it down to the smallest of its components, a diabetes diet is comprised of three essential elements.

#1: First, since diabetics have trouble naturally controlling their blood sugar levels, it is crucial that any diabetic diet focus most of its attention on what a person eats. Sugary drinks and refined carbs must be limited.

#2: Second, diabetics following a diabetic diet must monitor when they eat. Since blood sugar levels are intended to remain stable, figuring out the rhythm of your body is crucial.

#3:The third, and last, element of a diabetic diet is watching how much food you consume. When the type of food, and the times of day you normally eat are added together, the remaining variable to control is the quantity of food a diabetic consumes. The first two elements rely very heavily on a diabetic's ability to properly portion their meals to suit the needs of their individual bodies.

So there you have it, a relatively simple explanation of what makes a diabetic diet different from the traditional American "diet." If you, or anyone that you know, is living with diabetes, it is a wise decision for that person to implement the three elements of a diabetes diet. The changes may seem drastic at first, as you have likely never put so much thought into mealtime in the past, but the benefits that these changes bring with regard to your health are invaluable.

If you think that a good diet means you have to eat less food, workout at the gym seven days a week, and snack on carrots and lettuce all day, then it's time to change your perception.

A good diet doesn't mean starving yourself; on the contrary it's about giving your body the exact nutrition it needs to sustain healthy weight loss.

Here are the three key nutrients your body needs in order to achieve your dreams of healthy weight loss.

3. Healthy Fats are Essential

It may be shocking, but yes, your body does need fat in order to maintain a healthy diet. No, not the trans fats you find in French fries and greasy hamburgers, but healthy monounsaturated fats.

"Instead of looking at fat as the enemy, think of healthy fat as something you can't live without," says Christy Shatlock, MS/RD, and one of the lead dietitians for BistroMD. "Fat should be essential in a good diet. Other than being a crucial part in a number of your body's functions, good fats also act as carriers for vitamins to help nourish the rest of your body."

Healthy fats also help retrain your metabolism to burn excess fat. This is why many starvation diets just don't work. If your diet doesn't contain an adequate amount of protein and essential fats, your body will break down muscle tissue to meet this need.

2. The Right Carbohydrates

In order to have a good diet, your body also needs a good balance of healthy carbohydrates.

"In regards to weight loss, you can't just eat a whole bunch of pasta or wheat bread and expect to lose weight," says Christy. "The right carbohydrates are actually the body's most common source of energy."

Even for us to function, our bodies need carbohydrates. This is especially more important when it comes to burning excess stored fat. If carbohydrates and diet aren't combined effectively, your body will break down lean body tissues for protein, and convert it into needed carbohydrates for energy.

So, how do you know if you are eating the right carbohydrates?

"Any good diet should recommend a healthy serving of complex carbohydrates," says Christy "This isn't just bread and pasta. It's also vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, and cauliflower, as well as fruits like apricots, oranges, and pears. Many soy products also contain complex carbs, including soy milk."

1. The Power of Protein

By far, protein is essentially what encompasses a good diet.

"Of all the nutrients your body needs, protein is the most vital," says Christy. "Protein is the building block that maintains all of your body's structures. This includes muscles, tendons, and ligaments, as well as your circulatory system, including your brain and vital organs."

In regards to weight loss, protein is crucial. Without it, carbohydrates wouldn't be able to burn fat. This is also why many low-calorie diets fail. If there is deficiency in dietary protein, the body essentially cannibalizes its lean mass for energy to burn its fat mass.

"Essentially, this means that you need to 'feed your diet'", says Christy. "A good diet encourages your body to use more of what you take in, not less. Ensuring adequate intake of small amounts of protein throughout the day keeps metabolism optimal."

Just remember: taking in more nutrition, means you will eventually weigh less.