7 Dieting Tips to lose extra weight
There are a
lot of myths about losing weight, and I'm sure we've all heard it. If you take
literally many of these "weight loss tips" that can do more harm than
good in our fight against the overweight plateau.
In this article, we share 7 of the best dieting tips we know to help you get close to your goal of getting a slim body.
In this article, we share 7 of the best dieting tips we know to help you get close to your goal of getting a slim body.
Tip 1 - Dieting makes us fat!
Most "quick-fix" diets are based
on strict calorie restrictions and deprivation, and often leave us feeling
like we're starving.
Typically, these diets are successful at inducing "weight" loss initially; unfortunately the weight we lose is not all fat.
Most of the weight we lose in the first few days and weeks of such diets typically result from a loss of water and muscle tissue.
Losing an excessive amount of water can be dangerous because it leads to dehydration.
Losing muscle tissue is just as bad and is actually counterproductive to our weight loss goals. If we are eating too few calories each day, our bodies turn to muscle tissue to supply the necessary fuel to live and our body literally starts to feed on itself.
Muscles burn calories and having less muscle results in a slower metabolic rate which reduces the number of calories our body burns each day. In other words, we end up with a slower fat burning 'engine'.
With less muscle, once we start eating 'normally' again, we regain the weight we've just lost...plus interest!
Typically, these diets are successful at inducing "weight" loss initially; unfortunately the weight we lose is not all fat.
Most of the weight we lose in the first few days and weeks of such diets typically result from a loss of water and muscle tissue.
Losing an excessive amount of water can be dangerous because it leads to dehydration.
Losing muscle tissue is just as bad and is actually counterproductive to our weight loss goals. If we are eating too few calories each day, our bodies turn to muscle tissue to supply the necessary fuel to live and our body literally starts to feed on itself.
Muscles burn calories and having less muscle results in a slower metabolic rate which reduces the number of calories our body burns each day. In other words, we end up with a slower fat burning 'engine'.
With less muscle, once we start eating 'normally' again, we regain the weight we've just lost...plus interest!
Tip 2 - the two third, one third principle
Here is an easy to stick to eating plan - it is
not a diet, it is simply a guide you can use when making your daily food
choices.
Try to ensure that two thirds of what you eat looks like it comes out of the ground or off a tree (i.e. Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts, Whole Grains, Brown and Wild Rice, and Legumes).
The other third should be natural protein sources like Fish, Lean Meats, Lean Chicken (skin off), Low Fat Milk, Low Fat Yogurt, Low Fat Cheeses and Eggs.
Everything else should be consumed moderately.
Try to ensure that two thirds of what you eat looks like it comes out of the ground or off a tree (i.e. Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts, Whole Grains, Brown and Wild Rice, and Legumes).
The other third should be natural protein sources like Fish, Lean Meats, Lean Chicken (skin off), Low Fat Milk, Low Fat Yogurt, Low Fat Cheeses and Eggs.
Everything else should be consumed moderately.
Tip 3 - Become a S.M.A.R.T.I.E
The next time you're considering going on a quick-fix
diet, ask yourself the following questions:
S - Is it something you can Stick with for the rest of your life?
M - Is everything in Moderation?
A - Is it Achievable?
R - Is it Realistic?
T - Is it Time-efficient?
I - Is it Interesting?
E - Is it Enjoyable?
If the answer to all of the above is yes, congratulations because you have found a sensible eating plan, if the answer to any of these is no - you are about to go on another merry-go-round diet...and what do diets do? Make us fat!
S - Is it something you can Stick with for the rest of your life?
M - Is everything in Moderation?
A - Is it Achievable?
R - Is it Realistic?
T - Is it Time-efficient?
I - Is it Interesting?
E - Is it Enjoyable?
If the answer to all of the above is yes, congratulations because you have found a sensible eating plan, if the answer to any of these is no - you are about to go on another merry-go-round diet...and what do diets do? Make us fat!
Tip 4 - Don't rely solely on the Scales
Unless we are in the weight loss 'industry' scales aren't
everything.
Many commercial weight loss programs (notice I didn't say fat loss) - actually discourage exercise, particularly strength training because they teach you to measure your progress by the scales.
It is in their best interest - not ours - for us to lose muscle tissue because it will show a greater reduction in overall body weight.
If we were to keep our muscle and only lose fat it would slow down the process and wouldn't be as dramatic a loss, and ultimately they couldn't advertise 'quick results'.
Muscle is our friend because it is what helps keep our fat burning engine running - do we really want to lose this precious resource?
Many commercial weight loss programs (notice I didn't say fat loss) - actually discourage exercise, particularly strength training because they teach you to measure your progress by the scales.
It is in their best interest - not ours - for us to lose muscle tissue because it will show a greater reduction in overall body weight.
If we were to keep our muscle and only lose fat it would slow down the process and wouldn't be as dramatic a loss, and ultimately they couldn't advertise 'quick results'.
Muscle is our friend because it is what helps keep our fat burning engine running - do we really want to lose this precious resource?
Tip 5 - Know what Low GI is and what insulin does
GI or the Glycemic Index is a way of ranking
foods, generally carbohydrates, based on their immediate effect on blood
sugar levels.
Foods that are high GI cause a peak in blood sugar and a rise in insulin levels. When insulin is present in the blood stream it encourages fat storage - which is what we want to avoid!
Low GI carbohydrates have been scientifically proven to:
Foods that are high GI cause a peak in blood sugar and a rise in insulin levels. When insulin is present in the blood stream it encourages fat storage - which is what we want to avoid!
Low GI carbohydrates have been scientifically proven to:
· help lower insulin
levels which makes fat easier to burn and less likely to be stored
· help to lower
blood fats
· help satisfy and reduce
appetite
· help to sustain exercise
longer
· reduce the risk of
diabetes
· reduce the risk of
heart disease
So wherever possible, chose low GI foods.
Tip 6 - Beware of low-fat/no-fat diets
Fats should actually make up around 20-30% of our
total calorie intake.
Recently there has been a huge swing towards 'fat phobia' because low-fat food manufacturers have spent millions of dollars trying to convince consumers that fat is bad.
The fact is that this is simply not true.
Whilst it's true that fat has 9 calories per gram, as opposed to carbohydrates and protein that have only 4 calories per gram, fat is an essential part of our diet because it ensures proper functioning of our mind and body.
Dietary fat also makes us feel full and satisfied; so if our diet consists of mainly 'low fat' foods we may end up eating a lot more calories overall before beginning to feel full.
The other issue with low fat foods is that most manufacturers add sugars to their products to replace the taste and texture removed with the natural fats.
Adding all this extra sugar increases the calorie count of these foods back to the original amount, if not higher, and then we have the problem of increased blood sugar levels and increased levels of insulin due the food now having a high GI rating!
Recently there has been a huge swing towards 'fat phobia' because low-fat food manufacturers have spent millions of dollars trying to convince consumers that fat is bad.
The fact is that this is simply not true.
Whilst it's true that fat has 9 calories per gram, as opposed to carbohydrates and protein that have only 4 calories per gram, fat is an essential part of our diet because it ensures proper functioning of our mind and body.
Dietary fat also makes us feel full and satisfied; so if our diet consists of mainly 'low fat' foods we may end up eating a lot more calories overall before beginning to feel full.
The other issue with low fat foods is that most manufacturers add sugars to their products to replace the taste and texture removed with the natural fats.
Adding all this extra sugar increases the calorie count of these foods back to the original amount, if not higher, and then we have the problem of increased blood sugar levels and increased levels of insulin due the food now having a high GI rating!
Tip 7 - Drink plenty of water
The importance of water is often overlooked. Water actually aids our
bodies in:
· Digestion
· Metabolism
· Temperature
regulation
· Respiration
· Nutrient
transportation
· Waste elimination
· Fat burning
If we don't drink enough water our body actually
retains fluid and becomes less efficient at fat burning.
The general recommendation is that we should be drinking 8 glasses a day (the equivalent of 2 litres per day) but scientific research now suggests we drink 1 litre for every 25kg of body weight.
The general recommendation is that we should be drinking 8 glasses a day (the equivalent of 2 litres per day) but scientific research now suggests we drink 1 litre for every 25kg of body weight.
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| 7 Dieting Tips to lose extra weight |
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