It’s truly amazing there is anything anybody can agree on when it comes to what we eat. It seems as though we are bombarded with new scientific findings and new diet plans on a daily basis. To make matters worse, it often seems as though this information is contradictory. What’s a person to do? Well, you can rest easy, because there are some basic principles of eating that haven’t changed, and aren’t likely to change.

Let’s start with calories. A lot of fad diets do what they can to confuse the issue. They talk of “negative calorie” foods, or how special foods can burn fat. However, it all comes down to this: calories are energy. Therefore, if you want to lose weight, then you have to take in fewer calories than you burn.

If you want to gain weight, then you do the opposite. Also, if you restrict your caloric intake too much, your body will go into starvation mode, and will burn off calories much more slowly, making it harder to lose weight (if that’s your goal). So, that means you shouldn’t go too low in how much you eat, but rather take a sensible approach to your diet.

The other important aspect of calories is that all of them should count. That doesn’t mean you should count your calories and become obsessed with them. What it does mean, however, is that all of the calories you take in should have some nutritional value, or that they should count for something. That means getting rid of any empty calories. One of the biggest culprits here are sweetened soft drinks. these often are loaded with sugar and have zero nutritional value.

Now let’s turn to the fat in our diets. It wasn’t all that long ago that food manufacturers decided to roll out low-fat versions of many different products. This was in the hopes of capturing a share of the health-conscious market. While it is a fact that fat has 9 calories per gram (protein and carbohydrates only have 4), not all fats are the same.

For example, it is widely accepted that there is no healthy amount of trans fats; therefore you should do your best to completely eliminate them from your diet. Saturated fats are the next worst, but you can have some in your diet without too much worry, though you should limit them. Then there are the two categories of healthy fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. You can’t necessarily eat as many of these as you want, but if you are going to be eating fats (and you should get some), then these are the better choices.

All eating really comes down to these two basic things: calories and fat. What diet plan you follow doesn’t matter as much as how you eat. So, when choosing an eating plan, be sure to look it over and that it also takes a sensible approach. When you do this, you will not only feel better about being on a healthy plan, you will also be much more likely to stick to it.

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What Can A Quick Weight Loss Diet Do For Me

Are you saying to yourself, “What can a quick weight loss diet do for me?” If you are, I am here to tell you that a quick weight loss diet can get you into that dress for that wedding or class reunion if all you need to lose is ten pounds or so.

Quick weight loss diets are everywhere. The first thing you need to ask yourself is, are they safe? Some diet plans can do a lot more harm than good. Fad diets such as the grapefruit diet for example, may work only up to a point. When you have lost the weight and the diet is done, you go back to the same way of eating and what happens? The weight comes back and if you are not careful you may just add on a few more pounds in the process.

If you only have a few pounds to lose then by all means try one of the many quick weight loss diets available. But, if you have a lot of weight to lose you will need to make some lifestyle changes to get to your ideal weight.

Take a minute to write down your weight loss goals. Keeping track of what you eat in a journal will let you see what you are putting in your body every day so if it needs to be changed you can change it. Writing about what can a quick weight loss diet do for me in a journal everyday is very effective in helping you lose the weight.

Do yourself a favor, learn about food. Stop eating just to eat. Eat to live. When you figure out how many calories are in what you eat you will be able to put meals together that are nutritionally balanced and satisfying. Knowing what the right numbers are helps a lot.

You can figure out how many calories you need in a day by calculating your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, or you can simply make up a meal plan that has enough food to equal 1500 calories or so.

Learning to eat differently may take some practice and careful planning. You need to eat five small meals throughout your day. With some precise planning, and an insulated lunch bag, you can manage to do this very well. Save your wallet and your waistline by buying an insulated lunch box, or bag and healthy food to put in it.

Now you need to figure out what to put in it. Well, how about a 6 ounce container of yogurt and some carrot sticks. With an 8 ounce glass of water that is a great snack for the middle of the morning. For your lunch, why not have a sandwich made of lean turkey breast with some light mayo and lettuce and a cup of grapes or some baked chips. Don’t forget the pickle on the side! There are a lot of things you can do to make sure you eat small meals throughout your day.

There are countless combinations of foods for snacks and meals. Get creative, try some new things, you might find you have a broader range of foods you like therefore giving yourself even more options. Do not forget to pack enough food for two snacks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Do your best to drink enough water during the day, too. A good way to figure out how much you should drink is divide what you weigh by half and drink that amount in ounces of water everyday. Or you can start by striving to drink 8 – 8 ounce glasses of water each day. It is just easier that way.

So stop asking what can a quick weight loss diet do for me and find out what one can do for you by following these tips.

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If you have ever struggled with losing weight, then you may have come to the conclusion that it is virtually impossible to do so. The reality is that it doesn’t have to be all that hard. On the other hand, if you think that taking off those extra pounds is a quick and easy process that doesn’t require any effort on your part, then you are going to be let down. If you’re sincere about weight loss and you’re ready to follow a sensible eating plan, get moving and changing your attitude, you will lose weight more quickly.

Sometimes it seems as though diet and weight loss plans are a regular part of our lives; coming and going more often than we would like to admit. These are often fad diets that we latch on to in the hopes of finally finding the one that “really works”. However, it’s not a good idea to start any diet before you fully understand. The good news is that there are diet programs that have stood the test of time, and have been proven to work. Another thing that you may want to consider is that weight loss is not a one-time physical act. Instead, it’s a lifestyle change that you incorporate into your life.

Let’s be clear, there are many reasons why people don’t stick to weight loss programs, but lack of motivation usually isn’t one of them. What’s needed are some basic ways of increasing the odds of success. Here are some things you can do to put the odds in your favor.

1. Maintain your focus – A lot has been said about willpower and its lack of effectiveness. The problem with willpower is that it sets up the wrong mindset. When you think about it, you only need willpower when you are feeling deprived. Once you start thinking about things you can’t have, or how hard it all is, you are setting yourself up for failure. You need something better, and that’s where focus comes in. It’s the opposite of willpower. Focus on why you want to lose weight, what your ultimate goal is, and how you will feel once you reach your target weight. When you’re focused, you are thinking about the positive aspects of your weight loss plan, and that’s a good thing.

2. Get moving – Some people like to call this exercise, but at the same time, that word has negative connotations for a lot of people. Regardless of what you call it, you need to get moving if you want to increase your chances of success. The key is to participate in activities that you enjoy. This could be going for a walk, bowling, dancing, gardening, or playing frisbee. Just remember that any extra activity equals extra calories burned.

3. Effort – Yes, weight loss takes effort. There is no way around it. Fortunately, the more effort you put in, the more weight you will lose.

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With the sudden boom of dieting in the country, different diet programs have been introduced in the country. Although many experts believe that proper exercise and not only diet can lose those pounds in a healthy way, many people still believe in the power of diet programs and diet plans. One of the most controversial kinds of diet plans is the low-carbohydrate diet program, which focuses on the reduction of carbohydrate consumption in the body.

According to the theory, when carbohydrates are no longer being taken in, the body will be forced to use fats and water as alternative sources of energy; thereby helping to shed off those unwanted pounds.

Fats, unbeknownst to many, can actually be converted to energy. The body just doesnt use it as the first priority because it is more complex in structure and therefore, harder to break down and convert into energy. Among the popular low carbohydrate diets in the country is the Atkins diet.

Despite arguments from its critics, low carbohydrate diet has proven its effectiveness in terms of losing that extra weight. To date, it counts millions of followers not only in the country but also outside America.

Actually, cutting down on carbohydrates in the diet is a practice that people have been doing for years. When people cut down on their rice or bread or do not eat rice at all, they are reducing their carbohydrate intake. Of course, because it is not an official diet plan they are not really restricting themselves completely. When you are under a diet plan, you are not allowed to eat any kind of carbohydrates.

One of the advantages of low carbohydrate diet is the fact that it can actually increase the levels of good cholesterol in the body. This is really good news to people who have a heart problem. This is perhaps the reason why Atkins diet was used for cardio patients. This diet plan can also reduce the amount of triglycerides in the body. Triglycerides can be dangerous when combined with a high level of LDL or bad cholesterol. Both can increase the risk for heart attack and heart disease.

Low carb diet plans are also found to be good in balancing mood swings. They will not be prone to extreme lows such as depression or extreme high. People who are under the program are found to have fairly stable energy levels unlike those with high carbo levels.

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