There are all kinds of habits that people have. Some of them are good, some not-so good. For example, most would agree that smoking is not a good habit. Perhaps the trickiest habit of all is not eating healthy. See, while somebody can quit smoking, nobody can quit eating.

The very nature of our lives requires us to eat, and it’s virtually impossible to completely avoid foods we shouldn’t be eating. This can make it very difficult to not only start the healthy eating habit, but to stick to it. At the same time, you should be careful that you don’t get too obsessed with any one particular diet; life is too short to not enjoy the occasional treat. that being said, it really is possible to to develop better eating habits when you are prepared.

The more planning ahead you can do, the better. Have you ever gone to the grocery store swearing you’re going to eat healthy, and then you buy all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables? Then you add fish, chicken breasts, dried beans and other healthy fare, too. You feel great as you load up your grocery cart. But…then…by the end of the week you find that you are throwing a lot of that food away. So, what happened?

Chances are you didn’t plan very well. If you are used to eating ready made frozen dinners, or going to your local fast food joint to eat, then you are accustomed to the convenience those foods bring. While they won’t give you very much nutrition, they certainly don’t require a lot of planning. So, once you get all of the healthy food home, you either don’t know what to do with it, or you don’t have the time.

Your solution to developing the healthy eating habit is to plan ahead. Let’s say you’re not very good at cooking because you haven’t done it very much, then start with some very simple recipes that incorporate healthy ingredients. If you are already good at cooking, but usually make unhealthy meals, then you can start by replacing one or two ingredients in your favorite dishes.

The next thing you can do is plan ahead your menu for the week. This will take a bit more time up front, but will save you time in the long run. Another way to save time when cooking is to get the whole family involved. Don’t be surprised if there is complaining at first. After all, everybody is going through changes, and there will be a learning curve. Stick with it, though, and the healthy eating habit will soon become second nature.

Above all, be realistic about what you will and won’t do. It takes time to get rid of unhealthy habits, but you will have a much better chance of success if you make small changes that everybody can stick to. Every little change you can make towards healthier eating habits counts. It will take some getting used to, no question, but it will be worth it.

Tags: Chicken Breasts, Convenience Foods, Diet, Dishes, Eating Habits, Fast Food, Fish, Fresh Fruits And Vegetables, Frozen Dinners, Fruits And Vegetables, Good Habit, Grocery Cart, Grocery Store, Healthy Diet, Healthy Eating Habit, Healthy Food, Healthy Ingredients, Incorporate, Nutrition, Simple Recipes, Smoking —

The people who undergo gastric bypass surgery normally do so because they are sick and tired of being sick and tired, they want to live a healthier, more active lifestyle and in order to do that they need to lose significant amounts of weight. While some people may view weight loss surgery as an easy way out, the reality is that if this type of surgery is going to work you are going to have to be fully committed to making permanent lifestyle changes post gastric bypass.

This procedure will greatly reduce the size of your stomach which will make it virtually impossible for you to overeat, that in turn will lead to significant weight loss. Another thing that will lead to is a dramatic change in your lifestyle, especially your eating habits. It’s not just about how much you eat but also how often and what you eat. All of this will play a part in the success of your surgery.

Here are some specifics that can help ease you through this transition period:

1. You will be eating a lot of Jell-o and nutrition shakes after your surgery, about 30 days after your surgery to be exact. You won’t be allowed to have any type of solid food for a solid month after your surgery. Your body has changed dramatically and you will need to allow your body enough time to properly heal before you can eat any solid food.

Don’t worry, during this period it’s common to start wondering if you’ve made a huge mistake, this is a dramatic change for most people and it can be very unsettling, just hang in there and soon you’ll begin to see changes and you’ll realize that you made the right choice in having the surgery.

2. Your doctor will want you to take vitamins to supplement any nutrients you may not be receiving from your food intake, it’s very important that you don’t forget to take them. Your body must get enough fuel so that it can run properly and make it possible for you to heal.

3. After the first 30 days of a liquid only diet you will be able to start eating soft foods such as pureed vegetables. The changes you’ve undergone may affect the types of food you can tolerate. For example, some people find that they never want to, or can’t, eat a certain type of food again, like meat. With others they don’t notice any real differences in the types of foods that they can eat, they just have to eat less.

4. Once you’ve gotten past the first several months you will be able to start eating more ‘regularly’ again. That doesn’t mean you can go back to the old eating habits you had before the surgery, it just means that you will be able to eat more than liquid or soft foods. You will still want to stay away from too many carbs, fat, sugar, etc. It will be important for your body to continue to eat only whole, unprocessed food whenever possible.

These are just some of the lifestyle changes that you can expect post gastric bypass. The transition may be a little tough, most changes are at first, but in the long run the process will work if you’re willing to do your part and you follow the advice of your doctor.

Tags: Diet, Dramatic Change, Eating Habits, food intake;, food;, Gastric Bypass, Gastric Bypass Surgery, Jell O, Lifestyle Changes, Mistake, Nutrients, Nutrition, People, Period 1, Right Choice, Solid Food, Specifics, Stomach, surgery, Transition Period, unprocessed food, Vegetables, Vitamins, Weight Loss Surgery, Worry —

Many people think about the Atkins diet and imagine all the horror stories you can think of, about tasteless bars and unexciting meals twice a day. Contrary to popular belief, someone on an Atkins diet eats five times a day, and each dish can be made in a healthy way that is still very appealing to people with all types of preferences.

The meals go in the following order:

Breakfast

Snack

Lunch

Snack

Dinner

When you eat as suggested above you are more likely to get the nutrition you need for your day and to make more energy throughout your entire day rather then having spurts of energy until you are hungry again. This also helps you to limit yourself because when you eat smaller amounts more often a person tends to not feel the need to eat as much in one sitting and rather to simply make sure they get the nutrition that they need while still getting to be full and able to function.

Many people feel as though they need coffee or other items to wake them up in the morning before they go to work or start their daily activities. With this diet you should no longer feel as much of a need for sugar or caffeine and will have more energy on a regular basis as long as you stick to the diet as it is mapped out and keep on schedule for eating.

The Atkins diet was originally created by Dr. Robert Atkins to try and battle against obesity and help people to stay healthy so that they will be able to live longer and healthier. People do not have to be obese or even heavy to go on this diet, you can simply want to get to a healthier brighter you who is able to have more energy and be able to get in shape. When a person feels the need for caffeine is can many times be because they feel a need for energy that they do not have because they do not have a healthy diet that gives them the nutrition that they need.

In many ways the Atkins diet is easily compared to many other normal diets where you are mainly trying to eat in a more nutritious fashion to become healthier. Many people think of the Atkins diet as being very different then other diets when in many ways the only difference is that they try to encourage you not to eat as much cholesterol while still trying to keep you as healthy as possible. The Atkins diet is primarily tying to help a person be at their key weight and be able to be as active as they want but more importantly to keep them healthy. With the delicious recipes that are available for everyone to try, you are sure to be able to get to your best weight while still eating things you enjoy.

Tags: Atkins, Atkins Diet, Breakfast Snack, Caffeine, Coffee, Contrary To Popular Belief, Diets, Dish, Dr Atkins, Dr Robert Atkins, Eating Habits, energy;, Fashion, Healthy Diet, Horror Stories, Imagine, Losing Weight, Lunch, Many People, Nutrition, Obese, obesity;, Robert Atkins, Shape, Spurts —

Many people feel they need professional help losing weight. If youre one of them, youre not alone, and you can find that help if you know where to look. The first and most obvious place is at your doctors office.

Ask him or her about the best and safest way to lose weight. Your physician should give you a healthy diet plan to follow or one for you to use as an example, too start eating better, so you can shed some pounds. Your physician will probably be thrilled to hear that youre ready to take your health in hand and lose some weight.

You might be tempted to ask for help losing weight in the form of diet pills and weight loss medications. This is a valid way that some people lose weight when they cant seem to do it alone. Ask your doctor if this is a good option for you.

Your doctor will know your medical history and your current health and be able to advise you in which medications might be an option, or explain why you shouldnt bother taking the medicine. Dont be discouraged if your doctor is against the idea of prescribing weight loss medicine. Millions of people have lost weight without taking pills or using other aids, and so can you.

Other professional help losing weight that you can find besides your doctor could be a counselor or psychologist. While this isnt an often recommended step in losing weight, for some people it can be an important one. Some people have trouble losing weight because they eat compulsively, and very often this has roots in an emotional or psychological cause.

Its very difficult to eat healthy or even just stop overeating if you have emotional triggers that cause this compulsive behavior. Talking to a counselor or a psychologist can help you get to the root of whats causing your eating problems, and put one step further down the road to healing yourself emotionally while youre getting healthier.

Your local health department or hospital might offer you help losing weight through various programs about nutrition and exercise. Ask about their different programs. Most people who run such programs are happy to talk to you about them and help you get started on the right track.

If you can afford it, a visit to a nutritionist or dietitian can really offer you help losing weight. These experts on food, eating and nutrition can put together an eating plan thats designed to be right for you and the foods you eat.

Never more will you have to worry about finding those exotic ingredients in that popular diet plan. Theyll use your food choices and modify them into a healthy diet that will let you lose weight. Youll know its safe and healthy if it comes directly from an expert, rather than a guru who wants to sell a diet plan. A few visits with a personal trainer can also offer you help losing weight by ensuring youre exercising correctly.

As you have read professional help losing weight is a viable option for everyone who is willing to seek it out. Don’t hesitate! Get the help you need.

Tags: Aids, Compulsive Behavior, Counselor, Current Health, Diet Medications, Diet Pills, Dietitian, Doctors Office, food choices;, food;, Further Down The Road, Healthy Diet Plan, Local Health Department, Losing Weight, Medical History, Medicine, Nutrition, Nutritionist, Personal Trainer, physician, Psychological Cause, Psychologist, Roots, Taking Pills, Weight Loss Medications, Weight Loss Medicine —