What is the Zone Diet?
by: Adam Waxler
Dr. Barry Sears, a former researcher at MIT, originally developed the Zone Diet. The Zone Diet is based on maintaining insulin levels by striking a balance between carbohydrates and proteins at each meal
Barry Sears contends that most diets currently recommended are high in carbohydrates and low in fats. Sears argues that this is a combination that contributes to the production of too much insulin. And, according to Barry Sears, the major cause of obesity is an imbalance of insulin in the body.
The Zone Diet is based on the concept of achieving a balance between insulin and eicosanoids. By controlling the balance of insulin and eicosanoids with the Zone Diet, you increase the loss of fat (weight loss), increase blood flow, increase your physical and mental stamina, and decrease the likelihood of heart disease and diabetes. The Zone Diet advises a moderate intake of carbohydrates, proteins, and fat in order to control insulin. The Zone Diet is designed to balance your intake of protein and carbohydrates at 1 part protein to 4 parts carbohydrates. The Zone Diet prescribes a maximum amount of low-fat protein to one meal at 3-4 ounces, which is nearly exactly the recommendation of the USDA and the FDA. The majority of carbohydrates on the Zone Diet come from vegetables and fruits, with limited amounts of bread, rice, potatoes and grains. Most of the fat intake with the Zone Diet should come from monounsaturated fats like olive oil, safflower oil, and other 'heart healthy' oils.
Many people believe the Zone Diet sounds much like the Atkins diet due to the restricting of carbohydrates. However, the differences between the Zone Diet and the Atkins diet are quite clear. Atkins recommends a diet high in protein without regard to fat, with the intent of provoking ketosis, a potentially unhealthy condition. According to Barry Sears, the Atkins diet, by increasing carbohydrate levels without regard to fat intake, will force the body to induce the production of insulin which, maintains Sears, increases weight gain. Instead, the Zone Diet recommends achieving a balance of nutrients with moderate amounts of proteins, carbohydrates and fat all playing a part.
The Zone Diet also recommends the supplementation of diet with fish oil. Fish oil, provides omega 3 fatty acids which are an important component in healthy cells. Study after study in the past five years has confirmed the importance of fish oil and omega 3 fatty acids in the diet.
A sample meal on the Zone Diet Plan might include:
· 3 oz portion of broiled salmon · Spinach salad with apples and walnuts dressed with walnut oil and lemon juice · 1/2 cup of brown rice · 1 glass fruit or vegetable juice
The Zone Diet Plan combines small portions of low fat proteins, fats and fiber-rich vegetables and fruits. The Zone Diet also suggests eating some protein with each meal or snack, and at least 3 meals and 2 snacks daily.
Who should use the Zone Diet? Is the Zone Diet safe?
As always, you should consult a physician before embarking on any diet plan that substantially changes your eating habits. There are significant differences between the Zone Diet and diets recommended for diabetics and heart patients. However, in general, the recommended portions of foods and the balance between them with the Zone Diet is healthy and is maintainable for life.
Copyright 2006 Adam Waxler
About The Author
Adam Waxler publishes the Weight-Loss-Power-Package...a collection of six weight loss ebooks guaranteed to help you lose weight. For more information on the Zone Diet check out the complete package here: http://www.weight-loss-power-package.com and check out his blog for free weight loss tips here: http://www.weight-loss-machine.com/blog.
Dr. Barry Sears, a former researcher at MIT, originally developed the Zone Diet. The Zone Diet is based on maintaining insulin levels by striking a balance between carbohydrates and proteins at each meal
Barry Sears contends that most diets currently recommended are high in carbohydrates and low in fats. Sears argues that this is a combination that contributes to the production of too much insulin. And, according to Barry Sears, the major cause of obesity is an imbalance of insulin in the body.
The Zone Diet is based on the concept of achieving a balance between insulin and eicosanoids. By controlling the balance of insulin and eicosanoids with the Zone Diet, you increase the loss of fat (weight loss), increase blood flow, increase your physical and mental stamina, and decrease the likelihood of heart disease and diabetes. The Zone Diet advises a moderate intake of carbohydrates, proteins, and fat in order to control insulin. The Zone Diet is designed to balance your intake of protein and carbohydrates at 1 part protein to 4 parts carbohydrates. The Zone Diet prescribes a maximum amount of low-fat protein to one meal at 3-4 ounces, which is nearly exactly the recommendation of the USDA and the FDA. The majority of carbohydrates on the Zone Diet come from vegetables and fruits, with limited amounts of bread, rice, potatoes and grains. Most of the fat intake with the Zone Diet should come from monounsaturated fats like olive oil, safflower oil, and other 'heart healthy' oils.
Many people believe the Zone Diet sounds much like the Atkins diet due to the restricting of carbohydrates. However, the differences between the Zone Diet and the Atkins diet are quite clear. Atkins recommends a diet high in protein without regard to fat, with the intent of provoking ketosis, a potentially unhealthy condition. According to Barry Sears, the Atkins diet, by increasing carbohydrate levels without regard to fat intake, will force the body to induce the production of insulin which, maintains Sears, increases weight gain. Instead, the Zone Diet recommends achieving a balance of nutrients with moderate amounts of proteins, carbohydrates and fat all playing a part.
The Zone Diet also recommends the supplementation of diet with fish oil. Fish oil, provides omega 3 fatty acids which are an important component in healthy cells. Study after study in the past five years has confirmed the importance of fish oil and omega 3 fatty acids in the diet.
A sample meal on the Zone Diet Plan might include:
· 3 oz portion of broiled salmon · Spinach salad with apples and walnuts dressed with walnut oil and lemon juice · 1/2 cup of brown rice · 1 glass fruit or vegetable juice
The Zone Diet Plan combines small portions of low fat proteins, fats and fiber-rich vegetables and fruits. The Zone Diet also suggests eating some protein with each meal or snack, and at least 3 meals and 2 snacks daily.
Who should use the Zone Diet? Is the Zone Diet safe?
As always, you should consult a physician before embarking on any diet plan that substantially changes your eating habits. There are significant differences between the Zone Diet and diets recommended for diabetics and heart patients. However, in general, the recommended portions of foods and the balance between them with the Zone Diet is healthy and is maintainable for life.
Copyright 2006 Adam Waxler
About The Author
Adam Waxler publishes the Weight-Loss-Power-Package...a collection of six weight loss ebooks guaranteed to help you lose weight. For more information on the Zone Diet check out the complete package here: http://www.weight-loss-power-package.com and check out his blog for free weight loss tips here: http://www.weight-loss-machine.com/blog.
A 3 Day Diet
by: Terje Brooks Ellingsen
This 3 day diet is a weight loss diet meal plan you can follow if you have gained a few extra pounds during a weekend or vacation and want to loose it quickly. The other purpose is to get a flying start on a long termed weight loss so that you can see results fast. This is motivating and shows that even you can do it. This diet is not meant to be followed regularly week after week.
If you use it occasionally for getting rid of a few pounds or as a motivation for a dieting start up, it will serve it's purpose. The 3 dieting days should be followed in sequence. If you start on a Monday, you should follow it Tuesday and Wednesday as well - without any ordinary eating days in between. I have personally used this for almost one year by dieting 3 days, then eating regularly for 3 days, then dieting 3 days and so on. I lost about 88 pounds! So you can do the same.
Day 1
BREAKFAST Black Coffee or Tea, artifical sugar 1/2 Grapefruit or Juice 1 Toast with 1 Tbsp. Peanut Butter
LUNCH 1/2 Cup of Tuna 1 Toast Black Coffee or Tea, artifical sugar
DINNER 3 Oz. any lean meat or chicken 1 cup green beans 1 cup carrots 1 apple 1 cup regular vanilla ice cream
Day 2
BREAKFAST Black Coffee or Tea, artifical sugar 1 Egg 1/2 Banana 1 Toast
LUNCH 1 cup cottage cheese 8 regular saltine crackers
DINNER 2 beef franks or sausages 1 cup broccoli or cabbage 1/2 cup carrots 1/2 banana 1/2 cup regular vanilla ice cream
Day 3
BREAKFAST Black Coffee or Tea, artifical sugar 1 boiled egg 1 toast
LUNCH 5 regular saltine crackers 1 oz. cheddar cheese 1 apple
DINNER 1 cup tuna 1 cup carrots 1 cup cauliflower 1 cup melon 1/2 cup regular vanilla ice cream
You can add any of these spices and condiments: salt, pepper, herbs, lemon, mustard & ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire and soy sauce to your foods.
About The Author
Terje Brooks Ellingsen is a writer and internet marketer. He runs the website http://www.11-weight-loss.net. Terje enjoys to give advice and help people with fast weight loss, see http://www.11-weight-loss.net/rapid_weight_loss.htm and with negative calorie diets see http://www.11-weight-loss.net/negative_calorie_food.htm.
This 3 day diet is a weight loss diet meal plan you can follow if you have gained a few extra pounds during a weekend or vacation and want to loose it quickly. The other purpose is to get a flying start on a long termed weight loss so that you can see results fast. This is motivating and shows that even you can do it. This diet is not meant to be followed regularly week after week.
If you use it occasionally for getting rid of a few pounds or as a motivation for a dieting start up, it will serve it's purpose. The 3 dieting days should be followed in sequence. If you start on a Monday, you should follow it Tuesday and Wednesday as well - without any ordinary eating days in between. I have personally used this for almost one year by dieting 3 days, then eating regularly for 3 days, then dieting 3 days and so on. I lost about 88 pounds! So you can do the same.
Day 1
BREAKFAST Black Coffee or Tea, artifical sugar 1/2 Grapefruit or Juice 1 Toast with 1 Tbsp. Peanut Butter
LUNCH 1/2 Cup of Tuna 1 Toast Black Coffee or Tea, artifical sugar
DINNER 3 Oz. any lean meat or chicken 1 cup green beans 1 cup carrots 1 apple 1 cup regular vanilla ice cream
Day 2
BREAKFAST Black Coffee or Tea, artifical sugar 1 Egg 1/2 Banana 1 Toast
LUNCH 1 cup cottage cheese 8 regular saltine crackers
DINNER 2 beef franks or sausages 1 cup broccoli or cabbage 1/2 cup carrots 1/2 banana 1/2 cup regular vanilla ice cream
Day 3
BREAKFAST Black Coffee or Tea, artifical sugar 1 boiled egg 1 toast
LUNCH 5 regular saltine crackers 1 oz. cheddar cheese 1 apple
DINNER 1 cup tuna 1 cup carrots 1 cup cauliflower 1 cup melon 1/2 cup regular vanilla ice cream
You can add any of these spices and condiments: salt, pepper, herbs, lemon, mustard & ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire and soy sauce to your foods.
About The Author
Terje Brooks Ellingsen is a writer and internet marketer. He runs the website http://www.11-weight-loss.net. Terje enjoys to give advice and help people with fast weight loss, see http://www.11-weight-loss.net/rapid_weight_loss.htm and with negative calorie diets see http://www.11-weight-loss.net/negative_calorie_food.htm.
Do Weight Loss Pills Or Diet Pills Really Work?
by: Chris Chew
Do you really want to lose weight and get rid of extra body fat forever? If so, which is the most convenient and effective method to achieve permanently weight loss? Do I hear you say by taking weight loss pills or diet pills?
Well, by taking weight loss pills or diet pills may be convenient for you to lose those unwanted body fat, it certainly is not effective if you want to lose weight permanently. I am sure many of you have already tried taking weight loss pills and once you stopped taking them, your weight starts to creep up on you again didn’t they? That is frustrating and an awful waste of money isn’t it?
There are many types of weight loss pills and diet pills in the market. Some of these pills will curb your appetite, some supposedly speed up your metabolism and some are supposed to prevent your body from absorbing too much oil from your diet or restrict absorption of carbohydrate. But they all have one thing in common. Once you are off the pills, you will put on weight again. Therefore taking weight loss pills or diet pills are only temporary solutions. They do not condition your body to burn unwanted fat forever. On the contrary, your body may even adapt and resist the effects of the pills making you waste even more money and causing you more frustration.
So what is the best solution for permanent weight loss? Well, just do these 3 things:-
• Build Muscle – The more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn. So when extra calories are being burnt everyday, over a period of time, you would have burnt off massive amount of calories. Furthermore, you will look good with a well toned body and your posture will also improve making you look even slimmer. That means you are a calorie burning machine when you have more muscle.
• Change Eating Habit – Eat your carbohydrate early in the day and restrict carbohydrate consumption later part of the day. This will help your body to regulate insulin level and reduce the chances of carbohydrate turning into body fat. Also avoid starchy carbohydrate and refined carbohydrate like white rice, refined flour foodstuff like cakes and pastries, white bread, pasta etc. Replace these with high fiber and slow to digest carbs like brown bread and brown rice. Carbohydrate turns into body fat quickly if digested too fast.
• Exercise Your Heart and Lungs – Go for regular exercise and perform exercises that will make you puff, pant and sweat such as jogging, skipping or take part in ball games. These activities not only improve your heart and lung health, they also burn massive calories.
When these 3 activities become part of your routine, you will be burning extra calories every day. That means you will not put on weight easily and will lose body fat forever. Best of all, it is free. So why spend money on temporary solutions like weight loss pills and diet pills?
About The Author
Chris Chew is a fitness personal trainer of fashion models, international pageant winners and actors. More free fitness tips on his websites http://www.sgfitness.com and http://www.sgfitnessonline.com.
Do you really want to lose weight and get rid of extra body fat forever? If so, which is the most convenient and effective method to achieve permanently weight loss? Do I hear you say by taking weight loss pills or diet pills?
Well, by taking weight loss pills or diet pills may be convenient for you to lose those unwanted body fat, it certainly is not effective if you want to lose weight permanently. I am sure many of you have already tried taking weight loss pills and once you stopped taking them, your weight starts to creep up on you again didn’t they? That is frustrating and an awful waste of money isn’t it?
There are many types of weight loss pills and diet pills in the market. Some of these pills will curb your appetite, some supposedly speed up your metabolism and some are supposed to prevent your body from absorbing too much oil from your diet or restrict absorption of carbohydrate. But they all have one thing in common. Once you are off the pills, you will put on weight again. Therefore taking weight loss pills or diet pills are only temporary solutions. They do not condition your body to burn unwanted fat forever. On the contrary, your body may even adapt and resist the effects of the pills making you waste even more money and causing you more frustration.
So what is the best solution for permanent weight loss? Well, just do these 3 things:-
• Build Muscle – The more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn. So when extra calories are being burnt everyday, over a period of time, you would have burnt off massive amount of calories. Furthermore, you will look good with a well toned body and your posture will also improve making you look even slimmer. That means you are a calorie burning machine when you have more muscle.
• Change Eating Habit – Eat your carbohydrate early in the day and restrict carbohydrate consumption later part of the day. This will help your body to regulate insulin level and reduce the chances of carbohydrate turning into body fat. Also avoid starchy carbohydrate and refined carbohydrate like white rice, refined flour foodstuff like cakes and pastries, white bread, pasta etc. Replace these with high fiber and slow to digest carbs like brown bread and brown rice. Carbohydrate turns into body fat quickly if digested too fast.
• Exercise Your Heart and Lungs – Go for regular exercise and perform exercises that will make you puff, pant and sweat such as jogging, skipping or take part in ball games. These activities not only improve your heart and lung health, they also burn massive calories.
When these 3 activities become part of your routine, you will be burning extra calories every day. That means you will not put on weight easily and will lose body fat forever. Best of all, it is free. So why spend money on temporary solutions like weight loss pills and diet pills?
About The Author
Chris Chew is a fitness personal trainer of fashion models, international pageant winners and actors. More free fitness tips on his websites http://www.sgfitness.com and http://www.sgfitnessonline.com.
Intuitive Eating: An 'Anti-Diet' That Works
by: Rita Jenkins
Stop hating your body, stop counting calories and stop using food for purposes other than to satisfy hunger, and you'll be healthier and slimmer. That, in a nutshell, is the argument in favor of "intuitive eating," or letting your body tell you when, what and how much to eat.
"The basic premise of intuitive eating is, rather than manipulate what we eat in terms of prescribed diets -- how many calories a food has, how many grams of fat, specific food combinations or anything like that -- we should take internal cues, try to recognize what our body wants and then regulate how much we eat based on hunger and satiety," says professor of health science Steven Hawks, lead researcher of an intuitive-eating study at Brigham Young University.
The findings are reported in the American Journal of Health Education.
Hawks, who adopted an intuitive-eating lifestyle himself several years ago and lost 50 pounds as a result, says that "normal" dieting in the United States doesn't result in long-term weight loss and contributes to food anxiety and unhealthy eating practices, and can even lead to eating disorders.
All Diets Work Against Human Biology
Hawks and colleagues Hala Madanat, Jaylyn Hawks and Ashley Harris identified a handful of college students who were naturally intuitive eaters and compared them with other students who were not. Participants then were tested to evaluate their health.
As measured by the Intuitive Eating Scale, developed by Hawks and others to measure the degree to which a person is an intuitive eater, the researchers found that intuitive eating correlated significantly with lower body mass index (BMI), lower triglyceride levels, higher levels of high density lipoproteins and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Approximately one-third of the variance in body mass index was accounted for by intuitive eating scores, while 17 to 19 percent of the variance in blood lipid profiles and cardiovascular risk was accounted for by intuitive eating.
"The findings provide support for intuitive eating as a positive approach to healthy weight management," says Hawks, who plans to do a large-scale study of intuitive eating across several cultures.
"In less developed countries in Asia, people are primarily intuitive eaters," notes Hawks.
"They haven't been conditioned to artificially structure their relationship with food like we have in the United States. They’ve been conditioned to believe that the purpose of food is to enjoy, to nurture. You eat when you're hungry, you stop when you're not hungry any more. They have a much healthier relationship with food, far fewer eating disorders, and interestingly, far less obesity," he points out.
"What makes intuitive eating different from a diet, is that all diets work against human biology, whereas intuitive eating teaches people to work with their own biology, to work with their bodies, to understand their bodies," Hawks explains.
"Rather than a prescriptive diet, it's really about increasing awareness and understanding of your body. It's a nurturing approach to nutrition, health and fitness as opposed to a regulated, coercive, restrictive approach. That's why diets fail, and that's why intuitive eating has a better chance of being successful in the long term," he maintains.
Two Attitudes, Two Behaviors
To become an intuitive eater, a person has to adopt two attitudes and two behaviors. The first attitude is body acceptance.
"It’s an extremely difficult attitude adjustment for many people to make, but they have to come to a conscious decision that personal worth is not a function of body size," says Hawks. "Rather than having an adversarial relationship with my body, where I have to control it, and force it to submit to my will so that I can make it thin, I'm going to value my body because it allows me to accomplish some higher good with my life."
The second attitude is that dieting is harmful.
"Dieting does not lead to the results that people think it will lead to, and so I try to help people foster an anti-dieting attitude," says Hawks. "You have to say to yourself, 'I will not base my food intake on diet plans, food-based rules, good and bad foods, all of that kind of thing.' For people who are deep into dietary restraint and dietary rules, again, that's a very difficult attitude adjustment to make, to give up all those rules."
The first behavior is learning how to not eat for emotional, environmental or social reasons.
"Socially we eat all the time in our culture. We go out to eat ice cream if we break up with our boyfriend, we eat to celebrate, we eat when we're lonely, we eat when we're sad, we eat when we're stressed out," says Hawks. "Being able to recognize all the emotional, environmental and cultural relationships we have with food and finding better ways to manage our emotions is part of the process."
The second behavior is learning how to interpret body signals, cravings and hunger, and how to respond in a healthy, positive, nurturing way.
Learning the body's signals can be difficult at first, but Hawks suggests thinking about hunger and satiety on a 10-point scale, where "10" is eating until one is sick and "1" is starving.
Intuitive eaters keep themselves at or around a "5." If they feel they are getting hungry, they eat until they are back at a "5" or "6." They stop eating when they're satisfied, even if that means leaving food on the plate.
No Food Is Taboo
One part of intuitive eating that may be counterintuitive to people conditioned to restrictive dieting is the concept that with intuitive eating there is a place for every food. In other words, there is no food that's ever taboo. There's no food you can't ever have.
"Part of adopting an anti-dieting attitude is the recognition that you have unconditional permission to eat any kind of food that you want," says Hawks. "And that's scary for people who say, 'If I abandon my diet rules, then I'll fill a pillowcase full of M&M's, dive into it and never come up again. That's what I crave, I know that's what I crave, that's all I will always crave.' But that’s not the reality. The reality is that our bodies crave good nutrition."
It is dieting that creates psychological and physiological urges to binge on taboo foods. While people may experience some binges when they first start eating intuitively, they eventually will learn to trust themselves and that behavior will disappear, Hawks maintains.
One technique he suggests is having an abundance of previously taboo foods on hand. Once the foods are no longer forbidden, a person quickly loses interest in them.
"If people are committed to recognizing what their bodies really want, the vast majority of people will say that they very quickly overcame cravings," Hawks says, opening an office desk drawer filled with untouched junk food. "It certainly has worked for me."
Copyright 2005 Daily News Central
About The Author
Rita Jenkins is a health journalist for Daily News Central, an online publication that delivers breaking news and reliable health information to consumers, healthcare providers and industry professionals: http://www.dailynewscentral.com.
Stop hating your body, stop counting calories and stop using food for purposes other than to satisfy hunger, and you'll be healthier and slimmer. That, in a nutshell, is the argument in favor of "intuitive eating," or letting your body tell you when, what and how much to eat.
"The basic premise of intuitive eating is, rather than manipulate what we eat in terms of prescribed diets -- how many calories a food has, how many grams of fat, specific food combinations or anything like that -- we should take internal cues, try to recognize what our body wants and then regulate how much we eat based on hunger and satiety," says professor of health science Steven Hawks, lead researcher of an intuitive-eating study at Brigham Young University.
The findings are reported in the American Journal of Health Education.
Hawks, who adopted an intuitive-eating lifestyle himself several years ago and lost 50 pounds as a result, says that "normal" dieting in the United States doesn't result in long-term weight loss and contributes to food anxiety and unhealthy eating practices, and can even lead to eating disorders.
All Diets Work Against Human Biology
Hawks and colleagues Hala Madanat, Jaylyn Hawks and Ashley Harris identified a handful of college students who were naturally intuitive eaters and compared them with other students who were not. Participants then were tested to evaluate their health.
As measured by the Intuitive Eating Scale, developed by Hawks and others to measure the degree to which a person is an intuitive eater, the researchers found that intuitive eating correlated significantly with lower body mass index (BMI), lower triglyceride levels, higher levels of high density lipoproteins and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Approximately one-third of the variance in body mass index was accounted for by intuitive eating scores, while 17 to 19 percent of the variance in blood lipid profiles and cardiovascular risk was accounted for by intuitive eating.
"The findings provide support for intuitive eating as a positive approach to healthy weight management," says Hawks, who plans to do a large-scale study of intuitive eating across several cultures.
"In less developed countries in Asia, people are primarily intuitive eaters," notes Hawks.
"They haven't been conditioned to artificially structure their relationship with food like we have in the United States. They’ve been conditioned to believe that the purpose of food is to enjoy, to nurture. You eat when you're hungry, you stop when you're not hungry any more. They have a much healthier relationship with food, far fewer eating disorders, and interestingly, far less obesity," he points out.
"What makes intuitive eating different from a diet, is that all diets work against human biology, whereas intuitive eating teaches people to work with their own biology, to work with their bodies, to understand their bodies," Hawks explains.
"Rather than a prescriptive diet, it's really about increasing awareness and understanding of your body. It's a nurturing approach to nutrition, health and fitness as opposed to a regulated, coercive, restrictive approach. That's why diets fail, and that's why intuitive eating has a better chance of being successful in the long term," he maintains.
Two Attitudes, Two Behaviors
To become an intuitive eater, a person has to adopt two attitudes and two behaviors. The first attitude is body acceptance.
"It’s an extremely difficult attitude adjustment for many people to make, but they have to come to a conscious decision that personal worth is not a function of body size," says Hawks. "Rather than having an adversarial relationship with my body, where I have to control it, and force it to submit to my will so that I can make it thin, I'm going to value my body because it allows me to accomplish some higher good with my life."
The second attitude is that dieting is harmful.
"Dieting does not lead to the results that people think it will lead to, and so I try to help people foster an anti-dieting attitude," says Hawks. "You have to say to yourself, 'I will not base my food intake on diet plans, food-based rules, good and bad foods, all of that kind of thing.' For people who are deep into dietary restraint and dietary rules, again, that's a very difficult attitude adjustment to make, to give up all those rules."
The first behavior is learning how to not eat for emotional, environmental or social reasons.
"Socially we eat all the time in our culture. We go out to eat ice cream if we break up with our boyfriend, we eat to celebrate, we eat when we're lonely, we eat when we're sad, we eat when we're stressed out," says Hawks. "Being able to recognize all the emotional, environmental and cultural relationships we have with food and finding better ways to manage our emotions is part of the process."
The second behavior is learning how to interpret body signals, cravings and hunger, and how to respond in a healthy, positive, nurturing way.
Learning the body's signals can be difficult at first, but Hawks suggests thinking about hunger and satiety on a 10-point scale, where "10" is eating until one is sick and "1" is starving.
Intuitive eaters keep themselves at or around a "5." If they feel they are getting hungry, they eat until they are back at a "5" or "6." They stop eating when they're satisfied, even if that means leaving food on the plate.
No Food Is Taboo
One part of intuitive eating that may be counterintuitive to people conditioned to restrictive dieting is the concept that with intuitive eating there is a place for every food. In other words, there is no food that's ever taboo. There's no food you can't ever have.
"Part of adopting an anti-dieting attitude is the recognition that you have unconditional permission to eat any kind of food that you want," says Hawks. "And that's scary for people who say, 'If I abandon my diet rules, then I'll fill a pillowcase full of M&M's, dive into it and never come up again. That's what I crave, I know that's what I crave, that's all I will always crave.' But that’s not the reality. The reality is that our bodies crave good nutrition."
It is dieting that creates psychological and physiological urges to binge on taboo foods. While people may experience some binges when they first start eating intuitively, they eventually will learn to trust themselves and that behavior will disappear, Hawks maintains.
One technique he suggests is having an abundance of previously taboo foods on hand. Once the foods are no longer forbidden, a person quickly loses interest in them.
"If people are committed to recognizing what their bodies really want, the vast majority of people will say that they very quickly overcame cravings," Hawks says, opening an office desk drawer filled with untouched junk food. "It certainly has worked for me."
Copyright 2005 Daily News Central
About The Author
Rita Jenkins is a health journalist for Daily News Central, an online publication that delivers breaking news and reliable health information to consumers, healthcare providers and industry professionals: http://www.dailynewscentral.com.
The Low Down Dirty Truth about Losing Weight and Dieting
by: Charlotte Payne R.N. B.S.N.
All right, lets get down to it. Who of us doesn't already know how to lose weight really? Its not as if it was that much of a mystery. Are you tired of people saying, "You should lose weight. You would feel so much better about yourself." Hogwash. Why should how we look affect how we feel about ourselves? In fact, I feel these well intentioned statements help set us up for diet failure.
We all would like to lose weight fast or burn fat easily, but lets face it...dieting is very hard work. You will bleed more sweat and tears dieting then you will at your own job. Have you ever stopped to think...How fast did I put on this weight? Believe me, you didn't just gain 10 pounds in a week so how can you expect yourself to lose that much in that little amount of time. In my own battle of the bulge over the years, I feel that what led to repeated failure for me was setting these unrealistic goals. Also, I think you need to start of in the frame of mind that you are doing this for yourself, because you love yourself and your worth it. Not for some idea that once you lose all that weight and become thin that suddenly you are going to feel better about yourself.
Its not true. In fact, in my own case after loseing 100 pounds and attaining that size 6 goal, I was more miserable then ever. I still had not fixed the problem of loving and accepting myself. Once you do this you have a better chance of having diet success.
The other mistake that dieters make is that we tell or believe that we have to deprive ourselves of the foods we love to attain success. We are already setting ourselves up for failure if we do this. Our lives are already filled with mutliple stressors such as work, raising a family, paying bills, and just not having enough time to do the things we love. Why does food have such a hold on us? Because it is an instant gratification and one thing that we can look forward to that we will make time for. Yes, reading a good book, working on a craft project, or watching a great movie would be nice too, but who has the time. It only takes 10 minutes to eat a food we really enjoy and it SATISFIES us. So contemplating telling yourself that you can no longer have that is wrong. What we need to control is the portions. Do you really need a whole piece of cake of just half of it? Don't count calories, don't lose the carbs, and don't cut the fat. Fast food has become such a phenomenon because its quick and takes very little time as well as tasting good. What makes it taste so good. I will tell you....FAT. So completely cutting fat out of your diet takes out flavor and hence decreases the one pleasure many of us have in life of eating.
Now the problem with fast food is that it uses TOO much fat. You should still be very aware of the amount of fat you use but foods you eat should still taste good. Research has shown that even low fat foods because they taste fatty, fool the body into storing them as fat. So in the end you are not winning. So continue to enjoy your food but work on the portion aspect of meals. If you want more chocolate cake then maybe cut back on the aount of potatoes or bread you eat that day, but by all means, have the chocolate cake. Count each new day as a start no matter how many times you have failed. Keep trying till you get it right.
Back to setting unrealistic goals. Excercise is important. It helps with heart health and cirulation as well as getting rid of toxins in your system. Here again, you need to set realistic goals. If you haven't excercised in 6 months or a year, then set a goal of working out for 5 minutes a day.
Now come on...who of us couldn't find 5 minutes to move our body. Do that for 1 week and then increase to 10 minutes the second week. Repeat until you reach 20 to 30 minutes a day. You don't need to do more than this to have a healthier body. I know in my busy work schedule an hours time was too precious to sacrafice but 30 minutes seemed more realistic.
These are just ideas to get you started. The biggest step you can take right now is to sit down and list the top 10 reasons why you want to lose weight. Remember that if you think you will feel better about yourself if you were thin and looked great that isn't always true. Figure out now how to love and appreciate yourself and life and you will find that dieting becomes easier.
I know there are a lot of diet products out there and sorting through them all can become overwhelming. I feel that Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, South Beach Diet, and Low Carb Dieting are all valid programs but only if they work for you. The moment you feel deprived you can expect that you will start to falter in reaching your weight loss goals. Find the diet that works for you and until that time, just work on eating smaller portions and working out for 5 minutes. You can do it!
Two products that helped me reach my weight loss success are listed below but I don't want you to feel that you have to use them. Again diets need to be individualized. The reason I liked these products was that they allow you to do whatever diet suits you best but helps you curb those cravings that overwhelm us and also boosts energy so excercise doesn't seem so tedious. I have tried other products but these are the only two that I feel that I can recommend. Good luck and feel free to email me anytime if you need some support.
Charlotte Payne R.N. B.S.N.
http://www.EmeraldEZweightloss.com
Http://www.Emeraldenergyboost.com
About The Author
Charlotte Payne R.N. B.S.N.
I have been a nurse for 10 years and not only helped patients lose weight but managed to have my own successful weight loss. Please feel free to contact me at charlotteapayne@hotmail.com.
All right, lets get down to it. Who of us doesn't already know how to lose weight really? Its not as if it was that much of a mystery. Are you tired of people saying, "You should lose weight. You would feel so much better about yourself." Hogwash. Why should how we look affect how we feel about ourselves? In fact, I feel these well intentioned statements help set us up for diet failure.
We all would like to lose weight fast or burn fat easily, but lets face it...dieting is very hard work. You will bleed more sweat and tears dieting then you will at your own job. Have you ever stopped to think...How fast did I put on this weight? Believe me, you didn't just gain 10 pounds in a week so how can you expect yourself to lose that much in that little amount of time. In my own battle of the bulge over the years, I feel that what led to repeated failure for me was setting these unrealistic goals. Also, I think you need to start of in the frame of mind that you are doing this for yourself, because you love yourself and your worth it. Not for some idea that once you lose all that weight and become thin that suddenly you are going to feel better about yourself.
Its not true. In fact, in my own case after loseing 100 pounds and attaining that size 6 goal, I was more miserable then ever. I still had not fixed the problem of loving and accepting myself. Once you do this you have a better chance of having diet success.
The other mistake that dieters make is that we tell or believe that we have to deprive ourselves of the foods we love to attain success. We are already setting ourselves up for failure if we do this. Our lives are already filled with mutliple stressors such as work, raising a family, paying bills, and just not having enough time to do the things we love. Why does food have such a hold on us? Because it is an instant gratification and one thing that we can look forward to that we will make time for. Yes, reading a good book, working on a craft project, or watching a great movie would be nice too, but who has the time. It only takes 10 minutes to eat a food we really enjoy and it SATISFIES us. So contemplating telling yourself that you can no longer have that is wrong. What we need to control is the portions. Do you really need a whole piece of cake of just half of it? Don't count calories, don't lose the carbs, and don't cut the fat. Fast food has become such a phenomenon because its quick and takes very little time as well as tasting good. What makes it taste so good. I will tell you....FAT. So completely cutting fat out of your diet takes out flavor and hence decreases the one pleasure many of us have in life of eating.
Now the problem with fast food is that it uses TOO much fat. You should still be very aware of the amount of fat you use but foods you eat should still taste good. Research has shown that even low fat foods because they taste fatty, fool the body into storing them as fat. So in the end you are not winning. So continue to enjoy your food but work on the portion aspect of meals. If you want more chocolate cake then maybe cut back on the aount of potatoes or bread you eat that day, but by all means, have the chocolate cake. Count each new day as a start no matter how many times you have failed. Keep trying till you get it right.
Back to setting unrealistic goals. Excercise is important. It helps with heart health and cirulation as well as getting rid of toxins in your system. Here again, you need to set realistic goals. If you haven't excercised in 6 months or a year, then set a goal of working out for 5 minutes a day.
Now come on...who of us couldn't find 5 minutes to move our body. Do that for 1 week and then increase to 10 minutes the second week. Repeat until you reach 20 to 30 minutes a day. You don't need to do more than this to have a healthier body. I know in my busy work schedule an hours time was too precious to sacrafice but 30 minutes seemed more realistic.
These are just ideas to get you started. The biggest step you can take right now is to sit down and list the top 10 reasons why you want to lose weight. Remember that if you think you will feel better about yourself if you were thin and looked great that isn't always true. Figure out now how to love and appreciate yourself and life and you will find that dieting becomes easier.
I know there are a lot of diet products out there and sorting through them all can become overwhelming. I feel that Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, South Beach Diet, and Low Carb Dieting are all valid programs but only if they work for you. The moment you feel deprived you can expect that you will start to falter in reaching your weight loss goals. Find the diet that works for you and until that time, just work on eating smaller portions and working out for 5 minutes. You can do it!
Two products that helped me reach my weight loss success are listed below but I don't want you to feel that you have to use them. Again diets need to be individualized. The reason I liked these products was that they allow you to do whatever diet suits you best but helps you curb those cravings that overwhelm us and also boosts energy so excercise doesn't seem so tedious. I have tried other products but these are the only two that I feel that I can recommend. Good luck and feel free to email me anytime if you need some support.
Charlotte Payne R.N. B.S.N.
http://www.EmeraldEZweightloss.com
Http://www.Emeraldenergyboost.com
About The Author
Charlotte Payne R.N. B.S.N.
I have been a nurse for 10 years and not only helped patients lose weight but managed to have my own successful weight loss. Please feel free to contact me at charlotteapayne@hotmail.com.
Why Starvation Diets Don’t Work
by: Mary Desaulniers
It has become a familiar scenario: you start the day with black coffee; you lunch on carrots and celery sticks. You eat a mouse-size dinner. By the end of the week, you’ve barely lost a pound.
Does this sound familiar? Most people who begin a diet-fasting regimen regain their weight and more within a year. The reason is simple: a body in starvation mode will fight like mad to hang on to every fat cell. Your body thinks it is starving if you a) skip meals b)eat junk food, that is, food rich in calories but is nutrient-deprived.
What kind of message are you sending your metabolism if you skip a meal or two every day? Or if you insist on Big Macs and Fries?
The message is simply this: TIMES ARE TOUGH ;YOU NEED TO BUCKLE IN THE FAT!
So how does your body respond? Your metabolism slows down; your body tries to save calories, not burn them off; muscle, rather than fat, gets burned off for energy; any food you eat (even black coffee) gets stored as fat in preparation for what your body thinks is THE LONG FAMINE.
Result: You gain weight; you are tired. Food and Fat have become a vicious circle. Add exercise and you stress the body even more by increasing caloric requirements without giving the body proper nutrients. Starvation and Exercise (eat less, exercise more) is just another Urban Legend for weight loss.
There is a way out of this circle, however. And it takes no more than a basic understanding of the “psychology” within the body’s metabolism. The body has a mind of its own, a mind that controls the thermostat of its metabolic functions. Starve the body and it turns the thermostat down so that no fat is burned and everything ingested becomes stored fat. Feed the body and it turns the thermostat up and happily burns fat as fuel and builds lean muscle tissue.
You’ve heard it before: your thoughts create your reality and nowhere is this more true than in the body. Feed it proper food 3 -5 times a day. Give it optimal cellular nutrition in the form of proteins, low-glycemic carbs, vitamins, mineral, botanicals, essential fats and water and your body will purr away like a well-tuned engine. Your body thrives on abundance.
Only through adequate cellular nutrition can exercise be a safe and effective means to building muscle and breaking down fat. Your goal should be as much lean muscle as possible and as little stored fat as possible.
This goal can be achieved by increasing your protein intake. Why? When you eat Protein, your body releases Glucagon which raises low blood sugar by converting protein and fat into glucose.When you eat Protein, your body burns fat; decreases cholesterol production; increases the release of Human Growth Hormone; makes kidneys release excess fluid; releases fat from fat cells for energy; turns dietary fats into ketones for energy.
In short, Glucagon shifts the metabolism into BURNING MODE.
Compare this scenario to that produced by Insulin, which is released when you eat Bad Carbohydrates. Insulin lowers elevated blood sugar; increases storage of fat ; stimulates the liver’s synthesis of Cholesterol ; decreases Growth Hormone release; increases appetite ; makes kidneys retain excess fluid ; shifts metabolism into STORAGE MODE.
What does this all mean to the contemporary dieter?
A sense of Abundance goes a long way. Feed your Body Lean! Feed it low Fat Protein, Good Carbohydrates like Whole Grains, 5-7 servings of Fruits and Vegetables and Essential Fats. Eat and Be Thin!
Copyright 2006 Mary Desaulniers
About The Author
Mary Desaulniers
A runner for 27 years, retired schoolteacher and writer, Mary is now doing what she loves--running,writing,helping people reclaim their bodies. Nutrition, exercise, positive vision and purposeful engagement are the tools used to turn their bodies into creative selves. You can subscribe to Mary's newsletter by contacting her at http://www.GreatBodyafter50secrets.com.
It has become a familiar scenario: you start the day with black coffee; you lunch on carrots and celery sticks. You eat a mouse-size dinner. By the end of the week, you’ve barely lost a pound.
Does this sound familiar? Most people who begin a diet-fasting regimen regain their weight and more within a year. The reason is simple: a body in starvation mode will fight like mad to hang on to every fat cell. Your body thinks it is starving if you a) skip meals b)eat junk food, that is, food rich in calories but is nutrient-deprived.
What kind of message are you sending your metabolism if you skip a meal or two every day? Or if you insist on Big Macs and Fries?
The message is simply this: TIMES ARE TOUGH ;YOU NEED TO BUCKLE IN THE FAT!
So how does your body respond? Your metabolism slows down; your body tries to save calories, not burn them off; muscle, rather than fat, gets burned off for energy; any food you eat (even black coffee) gets stored as fat in preparation for what your body thinks is THE LONG FAMINE.
Result: You gain weight; you are tired. Food and Fat have become a vicious circle. Add exercise and you stress the body even more by increasing caloric requirements without giving the body proper nutrients. Starvation and Exercise (eat less, exercise more) is just another Urban Legend for weight loss.
There is a way out of this circle, however. And it takes no more than a basic understanding of the “psychology” within the body’s metabolism. The body has a mind of its own, a mind that controls the thermostat of its metabolic functions. Starve the body and it turns the thermostat down so that no fat is burned and everything ingested becomes stored fat. Feed the body and it turns the thermostat up and happily burns fat as fuel and builds lean muscle tissue.
You’ve heard it before: your thoughts create your reality and nowhere is this more true than in the body. Feed it proper food 3 -5 times a day. Give it optimal cellular nutrition in the form of proteins, low-glycemic carbs, vitamins, mineral, botanicals, essential fats and water and your body will purr away like a well-tuned engine. Your body thrives on abundance.
Only through adequate cellular nutrition can exercise be a safe and effective means to building muscle and breaking down fat. Your goal should be as much lean muscle as possible and as little stored fat as possible.
This goal can be achieved by increasing your protein intake. Why? When you eat Protein, your body releases Glucagon which raises low blood sugar by converting protein and fat into glucose.When you eat Protein, your body burns fat; decreases cholesterol production; increases the release of Human Growth Hormone; makes kidneys release excess fluid; releases fat from fat cells for energy; turns dietary fats into ketones for energy.
In short, Glucagon shifts the metabolism into BURNING MODE.
Compare this scenario to that produced by Insulin, which is released when you eat Bad Carbohydrates. Insulin lowers elevated blood sugar; increases storage of fat ; stimulates the liver’s synthesis of Cholesterol ; decreases Growth Hormone release; increases appetite ; makes kidneys retain excess fluid ; shifts metabolism into STORAGE MODE.
What does this all mean to the contemporary dieter?
A sense of Abundance goes a long way. Feed your Body Lean! Feed it low Fat Protein, Good Carbohydrates like Whole Grains, 5-7 servings of Fruits and Vegetables and Essential Fats. Eat and Be Thin!
Copyright 2006 Mary Desaulniers
About The Author
Mary Desaulniers
A runner for 27 years, retired schoolteacher and writer, Mary is now doing what she loves--running,writing,helping people reclaim their bodies. Nutrition, exercise, positive vision and purposeful engagement are the tools used to turn their bodies into creative selves. You can subscribe to Mary's newsletter by contacting her at http://www.GreatBodyafter50secrets.com.
Weight Loss Survey: Why Dieters Fail To Lose Weight
by: Anne Collins
Current levels of overweight and obesity, together with weight-related disease, have made weight control a major health priority throughout America. Yet statistics indicate that average weight reduction on conventional diets adds up to a mere 5-8 pounds per year. So why do we find dieting so difficult? According to a new survey(1), the answer seems to be: because we make 3 crucial mistakes. We don't have a good enough incentive; we allow ourselves to go hungry; and we can't cope with "bad days".
The weight loss survey conducted by annecollins.com asked dieters to select the three biggest problems they faced when dieting. The most common problems reported were: "Inadequate incentive to lose weight" (76%); "Hunger" (72%); and "Bad days" (70%). Although these results will come as no surprise to most dieters, they highlight the importance of motivation in the dieting process. We examine how these problems occur, and what steps can be taken to overcome them.
Why Do We Need an Incentive?
We gain weight because we take in more energy than we use. Either because we eat too many calories, or burn too few, or both. So if we want to reduce weight, we need to improve our eating and exercise habits. And this is not easy, because let's face it - old habits are not easily discarded, especially if they involve cutting out our favorite treats. We need a powerful incentive to help us change. Specifically, we need an answer to the question: "How exactly will I benefit from losing weight?"
When faced with this question, many dieters have no answer. Those who do, typically reply: "I'll feel better" or "my health will improve". Others explain they are trying to lose weight to please their doctor, or their partner, or simply because they are "overweight". Unfortunately, none of these reasons are strong enough to help us succeed. So when temptation strikes, we are unable to resist.
What Type of Incentive is Best?
Our motivation to lose weight must be based on a selfish, specific benefit. A good example might be an upcoming beach holiday, or a family occasion, or the achievement of a specific mobility or fitness goal. It must be as specific as possible (general benefits are useless) and ideally related to a fixed date. In addition, it must be selfish. Losing weight to please others rarely works. The advice I give to my clients is very simple. Do not bother dieting unless you have a good incentive. Because no matter how good the diet, no matter how valuable the exercise plan, unless you have a powerful reason to change your habits you won't succeed.
Hunger Kills Diets
Most dieters are still convinced that calories are their enemy. So the less they eat, the faster they are likely to lose weight. This is not true. In reality, the less we eat, the more hungry we get and the easier it is to fall into temptation. The human body is trained to eat when hungry and no amount of willpower will neutralize this basic urge. This is why binge eating is such a common response to low calorie diets.
How to Avoid Hunger
No rocket science here. Avoiding hunger simply means eating regularly throughout the day, and keeping your calorie intake above 1000-1200 per day. This prevents hunger, thus reducing the urge to overeat, and in addition helps to maintain a regular high level of calorie-burning.
Eat Too Much Rather Than Too Little
We all have days when we feel extra hungry, even when we are dieting. This is no problem - simply eat more! It is always better to eat a little too much than not enough. Might this delay your weight loss? Yes. But so what? Taking a few extra days to achieve your goal is not a problem. The real danger is not eating enough and ending up hungry and depressed. This is a recipe for a binge.
Bad Days and The Problem of Perfection
No dieter is perfect. The truth is, all dieters experience "bad days" or fall into occasional temptation. Sadly, most dieters insist on "being perfect". They cannot tolerate these lapses. So if (say) they visit a friend and end up eating 2 containers of ice cream and a box of cookies, they go to pieces. "I'm useless!" they cry. "I'm a failure!" Overwhelmed by guilt at not being perfect, they then quit their diet in disgust.
It's the Guilt That Does the Damage
In this situation, the actual binge is typically fairly harmless. I mean, we need to eat a huge quantity of food (3500+ calories) to gain even one pound of weight. The real damage is caused by the ensuing guilt. And this is what we need to address.
Guilt Comes From Trying to Be Perfect
All dieters make mistakes and this is perfectly normal. Having an occasional binge is no cause for alarm, far less guilt. Even my most successful clients - those who have lost 100+ pounds - had regular lapses. The difference is, they didn't see themselves as "perfect" individuals. So they felt "entitled" to make occasional mistakes, and so should you. Once you accept this, you will find dieting a whole lot easier.
We Need Support to Make These Changes
In order to overcome the 3 problems described above, an essential first step is to find proper support. This is just as important as choosing the right diet plan, because no matter how good the diet, it can't motivate you to stay on track - only people can do this. Dieting is ten times easier when you receive encouragement from others. So when choosing an online weight loss program, choose one with an active forum. Because at the end of the day, it's all about people. When we are alone and isolated, the smallest obstacle can seem like a mountain. But when we have people behind us, anything is possible.
Notes:
1. Weight Loss Survey (Oct 2005) by annecollins.com. A total of 17,403 subjects replied to the survey. They were asked to choose 3 from a list of 10 diet-problems. The results were as follows:
(1) Inadequate Incentive (76%). (2) Hunger (72%). (3) Bad Days (70%). (4) Boredom (69%). (5) Stress (60%). (6) Interference From Others (51%). (7) Too Much Eating Out (32%). (8) Eating on The Run (28%). (9) Ill-health (5%). (10) Lack of Sleep (1%).
Copyright Anne Collins 2005.
About The Author
Anne Collins, 54, is a qualified nutritionist and full time weight management consultant with over 23 years experience. Her clients range from top celebrities to ordinary people of every age and shape. Her website, www.annecollins.com attracts 9 million unique visitors per annum, and her weight loss forum is one of the most active support centers on the Internet.
http://www.annecollins.com
http://www.annecollins.com/weight_loss_diet.htm
http://www.annecollins.com/weight-loss-forum.htm
Current levels of overweight and obesity, together with weight-related disease, have made weight control a major health priority throughout America. Yet statistics indicate that average weight reduction on conventional diets adds up to a mere 5-8 pounds per year. So why do we find dieting so difficult? According to a new survey(1), the answer seems to be: because we make 3 crucial mistakes. We don't have a good enough incentive; we allow ourselves to go hungry; and we can't cope with "bad days".
The weight loss survey conducted by annecollins.com asked dieters to select the three biggest problems they faced when dieting. The most common problems reported were: "Inadequate incentive to lose weight" (76%); "Hunger" (72%); and "Bad days" (70%). Although these results will come as no surprise to most dieters, they highlight the importance of motivation in the dieting process. We examine how these problems occur, and what steps can be taken to overcome them.
Why Do We Need an Incentive?
We gain weight because we take in more energy than we use. Either because we eat too many calories, or burn too few, or both. So if we want to reduce weight, we need to improve our eating and exercise habits. And this is not easy, because let's face it - old habits are not easily discarded, especially if they involve cutting out our favorite treats. We need a powerful incentive to help us change. Specifically, we need an answer to the question: "How exactly will I benefit from losing weight?"
When faced with this question, many dieters have no answer. Those who do, typically reply: "I'll feel better" or "my health will improve". Others explain they are trying to lose weight to please their doctor, or their partner, or simply because they are "overweight". Unfortunately, none of these reasons are strong enough to help us succeed. So when temptation strikes, we are unable to resist.
What Type of Incentive is Best?
Our motivation to lose weight must be based on a selfish, specific benefit. A good example might be an upcoming beach holiday, or a family occasion, or the achievement of a specific mobility or fitness goal. It must be as specific as possible (general benefits are useless) and ideally related to a fixed date. In addition, it must be selfish. Losing weight to please others rarely works. The advice I give to my clients is very simple. Do not bother dieting unless you have a good incentive. Because no matter how good the diet, no matter how valuable the exercise plan, unless you have a powerful reason to change your habits you won't succeed.
Hunger Kills Diets
Most dieters are still convinced that calories are their enemy. So the less they eat, the faster they are likely to lose weight. This is not true. In reality, the less we eat, the more hungry we get and the easier it is to fall into temptation. The human body is trained to eat when hungry and no amount of willpower will neutralize this basic urge. This is why binge eating is such a common response to low calorie diets.
How to Avoid Hunger
No rocket science here. Avoiding hunger simply means eating regularly throughout the day, and keeping your calorie intake above 1000-1200 per day. This prevents hunger, thus reducing the urge to overeat, and in addition helps to maintain a regular high level of calorie-burning.
Eat Too Much Rather Than Too Little
We all have days when we feel extra hungry, even when we are dieting. This is no problem - simply eat more! It is always better to eat a little too much than not enough. Might this delay your weight loss? Yes. But so what? Taking a few extra days to achieve your goal is not a problem. The real danger is not eating enough and ending up hungry and depressed. This is a recipe for a binge.
Bad Days and The Problem of Perfection
No dieter is perfect. The truth is, all dieters experience "bad days" or fall into occasional temptation. Sadly, most dieters insist on "being perfect". They cannot tolerate these lapses. So if (say) they visit a friend and end up eating 2 containers of ice cream and a box of cookies, they go to pieces. "I'm useless!" they cry. "I'm a failure!" Overwhelmed by guilt at not being perfect, they then quit their diet in disgust.
It's the Guilt That Does the Damage
In this situation, the actual binge is typically fairly harmless. I mean, we need to eat a huge quantity of food (3500+ calories) to gain even one pound of weight. The real damage is caused by the ensuing guilt. And this is what we need to address.
Guilt Comes From Trying to Be Perfect
All dieters make mistakes and this is perfectly normal. Having an occasional binge is no cause for alarm, far less guilt. Even my most successful clients - those who have lost 100+ pounds - had regular lapses. The difference is, they didn't see themselves as "perfect" individuals. So they felt "entitled" to make occasional mistakes, and so should you. Once you accept this, you will find dieting a whole lot easier.
We Need Support to Make These Changes
In order to overcome the 3 problems described above, an essential first step is to find proper support. This is just as important as choosing the right diet plan, because no matter how good the diet, it can't motivate you to stay on track - only people can do this. Dieting is ten times easier when you receive encouragement from others. So when choosing an online weight loss program, choose one with an active forum. Because at the end of the day, it's all about people. When we are alone and isolated, the smallest obstacle can seem like a mountain. But when we have people behind us, anything is possible.
Notes:
1. Weight Loss Survey (Oct 2005) by annecollins.com. A total of 17,403 subjects replied to the survey. They were asked to choose 3 from a list of 10 diet-problems. The results were as follows:
(1) Inadequate Incentive (76%). (2) Hunger (72%). (3) Bad Days (70%). (4) Boredom (69%). (5) Stress (60%). (6) Interference From Others (51%). (7) Too Much Eating Out (32%). (8) Eating on The Run (28%). (9) Ill-health (5%). (10) Lack of Sleep (1%).
Copyright Anne Collins 2005.
About The Author
Anne Collins, 54, is a qualified nutritionist and full time weight management consultant with over 23 years experience. Her clients range from top celebrities to ordinary people of every age and shape. Her website, www.annecollins.com attracts 9 million unique visitors per annum, and her weight loss forum is one of the most active support centers on the Internet.
http://www.annecollins.com
http://www.annecollins.com/weight_loss_diet.htm
http://www.annecollins.com/weight-loss-forum.htm
