The Most Practical Diet You Ever Try
By: Kirsten Hawkins
Americans lose millions of pounds a year - only to gain most of
it back within a year. You've probably heard over and over again
that the real secret to losing weight permanently is to make
permanent changes in your eating habits and lifestyle. Throughout
decades of high protein, low protein, Air Force diets, Atkins,
Scarsdale diets, cabbage
diets,eat-all-you-want-and-still-lose-weight diets that is the one
piece of advice that has remained strong. No matter what the latest
diet craze, over and over throughout the years, the one "diet" that
effected a long-term, permanent weight loss was the 'eat a
well-balanced, portion-controlled diet and exercise regularly'.
Why are fad diets so popular? Diets feed our need to be actively
doing something. Weighing, measuring, counting - whether its
calories,exchanges or carbs - all give us the feeling of gaining
control over our bodies and our weight. In the long run, though,
all the measuring and obsession with what, how much and when we eat
becomes overwhelming. When we stop living by strictly controlled
guidelines set out by other people -the latest diet guru - the
weight comes back.
There is a practical way to lose weight that doesn't involve arcane
combinations of foods to set up an ideal balance of foods that burn
more than they give, or that promise to 'turn your body into a
fat-burning machine'. It is to simply eat a healthy balance of all
types of foods in portions that are reasonable for your body, while
at the same time raising your activity level to burn more calories
than you take in. Below are some practical guidelines to help you
adjust your diet and lifestyle to help you lose that weight - and
keep it off permanently.
1.Adjust your attitude. You're not going on a diet - you're eating
what your body needs. To maintain your weight loss, you'll need to
maintain your new eating habits for the rest of your life - and
that's a far easier prospect if your diet plan is one that makes
sense and is easy to maintain.
2.Think square when you plan your meals. Like a square has four
corners, so should your meals. At every meal, include a protein, a
healthy fat, a grain/legume and a fruit/vegetable.
3.Eat three squares and at least two snacks every day. Your snacks
should be in the grain/legume or fruit/vegetable corner.
4.If you're under stress, eat something every two hours. Your body
sends out distress signals when you're putting it under stress.
Give it healthy fuel to keep it working right.
5.Aim for no more than 60 grams of carbohydrate per day at
first.Spread the carbohydrates over the course of the day - 15 at
each meal and 7 at each snack.
6.Limit dairy products to 3 or less daily.
7.Completely avoid soft drinks - even the diet ones.
8.Drink 6-10 glasses of water each day.
9.Eliminate 'white foods' from your diet. Do away with white
sugar,white flour and white cereal products.
10. Take a nutritional supplement - at least a good multivitamin
daily.
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville, TN. Visit www.popular-diets.com/ for more great nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and comments on popular diets.
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