You have tried it all, from the zone diet to detox weekends, from sweating it out on the treadmill to stretching on a yoga mat. Yet, you just cannot seem to shake off those few extra kilos that cling to all the wrong places. All that stands between you and that bodacious body is the excess padding that has survived every fat busting technique in the book. How can results evade you when you are doing everything right? The reason - you are unwittingly sabotaging your efforts at weight loss. Unhealthy habits are often so deeply ingrained into our lifestyle that we are not aware of the damage being done. Unknown to you, the littlest thing are slipping past the health radar and secretly destroying your diet. Starving yourself is not the answer. Instead, take a closer look at your lifestyle and nix those toxic habits that are keeping you from a fabulous figure.
1. Do Not Be Obsessive
One little calorie-ridden treat is not a crime, so do not sink into depression every time you veer off the healthy path. Panicking over a little cookie and punishing yourself with a impractical regimen will only make it harder to stay focused and on track. You are human, and one little treat every once in a while is fine.
2. Watch The Alcohol Intake
One glass of red wine is good for health, say experts. But the key word here is ‘one’. Make three glasses of wine a daily habit and you might soon need help with more than just your weight issues. Alcohol is very fattening. Creamy cocktails, on the other hand, are even more calorie-loaded than your average tipple, something few weight watchers are aware of.
3. Are Your ‘Healthy’ Options Healthy?
A salad lunch is a great way to get your daily quota of veggies and beat post-lunch drowsiness. But a big bowl of salad with dressing is as bad as a plate of heavy pasta. A liberal helping of cheese, mayonnaise and other condiments can make even the healthiest dish unhealthy. Think before you eat!
4. Learn To Read Food Labels
Grocery shopping is not only about snagging great deals and cashing discount coupons. Develop the habit of reading product labels for nutrient content and ingredients. A label can tell you what exactly you are eating, from the number of calories to the fibre or fat content. It sometimes also gives you the nutrient value or calorie content per serving. So, if a pack serves two and you have consumed the entire thing yourself, you will be doubling the calories, fat, and sodium consumption. In a way, then, labels tell you how much of a product you ideally ought to be eating in one serving.
5. Opt For Smaller Portions
Nutritionists say six small meals are better than three big ones. Break your meals up, so you do not have to go hungry for longer periods. If you are not famished when you sit down to eat, chances are you will not overeat. Also serve yourself in a smaller plate. Smaller plates equal smaller servings.
6. Make Your Lunch Work For You
We have all faced the perils of lunching with colleagues. Burgers and fries, pizzas, creamy pastas and everybody’s favorite, Chinese - rarely are these lunches high on the health factor. Moreover, when you see those around you throwing caution to the wind and biting into yet another greasy dish, it does not do your resolve any favors. The next time your office buddies decide to head out for lunch, agree to join in only if they go to a restaurant with a low-cal or health-conscious menu. No matter where you go, no matter who is paying, do not stuff yourself. And, of course, steel yourself and pass the dessert menu.
7. Do Not Hurry; Savour Your Food
Studies show that wolfing down your meal in about 20 minutes often leads to overeating, as your body takes over 20 minutes to realize it has had enough. Long, leisurely meals give you a chance to relish your food without getting you stuffed.
8. Stop Pigging Out, After Working Out
Do not head for the nearest snack bar after your vigorous evening walk or Pilates class. It is important to eat after exercise to replenish energy glycogen in your muscles, but this does not give you the license to indulge yourself. Nourish your body with the right mix of lean protein and healthy carbohydrates. Wholegrain sandwiches, baked beans on multi-grain toast are some snacks that will satiate your hunger pangs without busting your diet.
9. Say ‘NO’ to Fad Diets
There are too many extreme diets and fad weight loss programs floating around to count. Celebrities swear by the most outrageous eating plans. Diets that propound drastic weight loss by restricting yourself to just one food group, or fat reduction programs that say you can lose weight while you sleep do not really work in the long run. Besides, just because some new fad is advertised as ‘medically approved’ or ‘completely herbal’ does not mean it is safe. Stick to eating healthy and living smart. Throw in an exercise routine that suits you and you have the safest, tried-and-tested recipe for good health.
10. Staying Slim
1. Make sure you have eaten a light healthy snack before a diner do. Arriving hungry will only ensure you eat more than you ought to.
2. Do not overstock your refrigerator. Keep foods that could trigger an eating frenzy out of the house.
3. At social gatherings, do not sit close to the bar or buffet table.
4. If you do enjoy the occasional tipple, follow each glass of alcohol with one of water.
5. There is a reason why drinking on an empty stomach is considered a bad idea. Drinking when hungry can cause your blood sugar levels to drop, which will bring on severe hunger and make you binge.
6. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Many spouses consciously or unconsciously sabotage their partner’s diet attempts. So get your own support group, and start with your guy.
7. When you feel like enjoying a little treat, share it with a friend. You will eat only half as much and will be less likely to go for seconds.
Tags: healthy diet Weight Loss
There are a lot of emotional issues tied to food, eating and weight. When progress slows on a diet we may turn to comfort foods, which can stop or even reverse our momentum. Whatever the reasons, continued progress helps us stay motivated and allows us to blast through emotional barriers. In addition to exercise there are 3 important aspects to successful and sustainable weight loss. They are:
1) A really good diet plan that stimulates the fat burning hormones,
2) An effective way to control food cravings, and
3) A way to remove the toxins released during weight loss.
If any of these steps is ignored it can undermine your progress.
As alcohol is processed as sugar by the body, it does NOT cause the blood sugar levels to drop. In fact, it can cause dangerously fast increases in blood sugar, especially in diabetics because there is no fat or protien to slow the metabolism down.
Now, alcohol DOES set off that cycle of eating carbs causing carb cravings because it is sugar (or at least it is to the body). And after a drink or two, you are less likely to care about the number of points in the double bacon cheeseburger. You’re probably just gonna go for it. So I would agree that alcohol does make you more likely to binge. It also makes you more likely to sleep with strangers. Beware.
I see a lot of folks drinking thier calories by the thousands every day at work. I am not talking about alcohol either. I am talking about coffee. The frapa-latte-mocha-chai-vanilla-caramel-hazelnut-explosions. Or, the half a cup of designer coffee creamer with 8 packs of sugar, warmed up with 2 pitiful ounces of coffee. Then there are the 3-4 bottles of soda between the coffees. Or the healthy “sports” drinks or “energy” drinks. I know these people must be unaware because they are the same people that I hear talking about the new diet they started and how frustrated they are that they haven’t lost weight. I, of course, say nothing, because it is not my business nor my place. It is a crazy amount of sugar, fat and caffeine that goes through the office in a day.