Lose Weight and Keep It Off for a Lifetime!
Karla M. Davis asked:
We live in a generation of chronic dieters. Whether it be Atkins, South Beach, Cabbage Soup Diet or The Zone, most diets are set up in such away that you are depriving yourself of a food group, or multiple to achieve a desired result.
What dieters are finding is short-term fix for a long-term problem followed by an INCREASE in their weight due to fluctuations with their metabolism. Not the desired result that was originally promised! Most people at some point in their life have tried a diet that has failed. I would like to share with you 10 simple rules to feel great, stop the ‘dieting’ and keep the weight off for good!
1. Make Sure to Stay Properly Hydrated! Your body needs water whether you are sedentary, active, or it just needs to transport and eliminate toxins. As a healthy rule of thumb an adult should be drinking 8-10 (250ml/ 8 oz.) cups of water per day. Water is your friend. It keeps your organs functioning properly and helps push food through your body as well as puffs up those wrinkles. Do you ever notice that people that are dehydrated have more wrinkles? Water is also what keeps your skin clear. Since our skin is our largest organ, it is constantly removing toxins and much of that takes place through our skin when we sweat etc.
2. Know How Much Protein Your Body Requires to Prevent Muscle Loss. You need as much protein per day as your lean muscle mass. This number is calculated by finding your body fat percentage first. So if you are 200lbs and have 20 percent body fat, then 40lbs is fat, and 160lbs is lean muscle mass. So, you would require a maximum of 160 grams of protein per day. I myself require 110 grams and can easily acquire this through eggs, chicken, red meats, nuts, dairy products and protein powder supplements. I eat 5 times per day so I only need 22 grams per sitting. Your body can only digest about 30-40 grams of protein in one sitting anyhow. The key is consistency, if you don’t eat any protein all week and take one day to eat a massive 14 oz steak and snack on pepperoni sticks then you’ll have an excess of protein at one time. That steak would likely be around 60 grams of protein and unfortunately some would be stored as fat as it is an excess. Our muscles need protein to repair and rebuild, especially after a workout. If we do not get it, our muscle tissue will feed off of itself otherwise knows as muscle catabolism.
3. Know How Many Carbohydrates Your Body Needs for Energy. Your body definitely needs carbohydrates for fuel otherwise you would not have the appropriate energy levels and feel tired all the time. Likewise, you can overdo it on the carbohydrates too. If you eat a plate of pasta that equals 2 cups and then add a side of bread and a glass of milk, your body will store much of this as fat. Try to use the suggested serving sizes on cereal boxes etc. When they say ¾ of a cup-eat only that! As North Americans, we have tended to eat outside of our proper portion size recommendations. This has got many into trouble. So, when people avoid carbohydrates altogether it is for fear of what the sugar is doing in their body however it is not the food per se, it is the quantity that they are consuming. Try eating quality carbohydrates which slow the insulin response instead of eating simple sugars or simple-carbohydrates which have energy for a about an hour, then crash. We are not Marathon Runners. We don’t need to load up no carbohydrates. Some quality carbohydrates include: whole grain rice, whole grain breads, whole wheat pasta, sweet potato, wheat crackers and vegetables! Vegetables and fruit contain carbohydrates too, not just grains. Have a piece of fruit like some strawberries instead of a banana as the sugar content is high. Why not fill up on green, yellow, red peppers, carrots, celery, lettuce greens, broccoli, tomato, cucumber, cauliflower, beans, mushrooms and onions!
4. How Much Should you Exercise? Some say 3 times per week for 30 minutes. This is really not enough. If you want to see results and keep off what you have lost, 4-5 days is where you need to be with one full day for rest. As long as you rotate the body parts you work out, you will be leaving time for them to rest, heal and rebuild properly. I would suggest doing equal amounts of cardio days as you do for weight training. For example you might do cardio for 45 minutes on Monday’s and Thursdays. You can then do your weight training on Wednesday and Saturday if you were working out 4 times per week.
5. Have Measurable Goals. As with anything in life, in order to be successful you need to create goals. Having a desired result is helpful but doesn’t help you plan your days if it is too broad. If your goal is to lose 15 lbs in 5 months, you can break it down into 3lbs per month which is very doable. Maybe it is to fit into your size 5 jeans and you are currently a size 7 now. I recommend the clothing method over using the scale because as we gain muscle and lose fat, our weight can often look the same even though we are actually gaining muscle which will burn off more fat. Muscle is 3x heavier than fat. This is often why some of our friends can be lighter by the scale, this usually indicates that they have little muscle mass also. It is our composition of our weight that matters so using clothing as a guide can be your best asset here.
6. Create Realistic Expectations! For example a realistic expectation for weight loss that is both safe and progressive is 1.5-2lbs per week. If you think you can lose 5lbs per week because your goal is to lose 20 lbs by next month’s high school reunion, you are setting yourself up for disappointment and if you do achieve that with unhealthy means, you can guarantee you’ll gain it back and then some! When we lose weight dramatically it hurts our body’s regulatory system, our metabolism and the constant gain and loss of weight creates nasty stretch marks too! The key is to be patient and remember it took month, if not years to get to the weight you are at today, so why do you expect to lose it all in mere weeks? Be realistic and the results will happen!
7. Don’t Deprive Yourself! I use a 6 days on, 1 day off approach meaning I work out 6 days per week and eat healthy, portion-sized meals, and reserve one full day to be lazy if I like and eat whatever I want all day. This approach not only allows me to feel a sense of reward at the end of the week for all of my hard work but it also keeps me satisfied, not deprived. An added benefit is because I do this only once per week my body recognizes that the unhealthy junk doesn’t belong and kicks it up into high gear to get it out of my body and burn those calories.
8. Know Portion Sizes. The size of your palm is the size recommended for meats and proteins. One cup is more than enough for pasta. Add your sauce on top in the amount of about ½ of a cup. Drink sizes should be 1 cup at a time. I am amazed to see kids wondering around with sugary-filled drinks like big gulps that are the equivalent to 6 cups!! This is one reason why our children are obese and hyper. If you are drinking water, you can drink all you like. Add some slices of cucumber or lemon wedges to give that water some flavor!
9. Exercise is Essential! You cannot lose weight with cutting out junk food and eating less alone. Exercise is an important part to keeping weight off and building a strong heart and muscles! Likewise you cannot just exercise and keep eating whatever you want, you will not see desired results. If your goal is to lose weight, when you exercise you will want to eat healthy otherwise all of your hard work will feel as if it was a waste of time.
10. Eliminate the Sugar! Two of the biggest killers and biggest reasons why people gain weight to begin with are due to these 2 things: sugar and salt. Sugar in excess (and 90% of consume it in excess) gets stored as fat in the body. When we eat a candy bar or a soda drink we are consuming far more sugar than we need to survive. Our insulin level gets raised and we then get our energy spurt of about 1 hour only to fall back to our sluggishness after that time. This is a deadly cycle. What’s the worst is sugar comes in many forms so don’t be deceived by the ingredient labels. A good indication of how much sugar resides in our food is to look at the label. If it appears near the beginning of the ingredients list, it is best to pass on these items. They can be found in the following formats: fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, raw sugar, brown sugar, cane sugar and so on. You can also look under the word “sugars” on the label for content also. Beware of the silent killer as it sweeps the nation and is a major contributor to Diabetes!
11. Say No to Salt! Salt will cause you to retain water, feel bloated, and increase your blood pressure. All of these are dangerous and totally avoidable. When eating any food, taste it first! Most people add salt out of a bad habit that they presume food will be bland. If you have to use it sparingly in a recipe use a very small pinch of sea salt, this goes a long way. Start today and eliminate salt in your diet. Out of sight, out of mind was the motto in my house growing up-Get salt out of the house and you won’t be tempted or be able to use it. Like sugar, salt can add up in our food. Look at the labels under sodium for what percentage of the food is salt! After all salt is simply sodium chloride. Also, again look for derivatives of sodium, salt itself and the dreaded MSG (Monosodium Glutamate). I will warn you that Chinese food restaurants are full of MSG, so ask first. The MSG gives the food flavor and tenderizes the meats in addition to making you thirsty so you’ll buy more drinks.
12. Stay Committed! Usually the first 4 weeks on any program is difficult. It can be more discouraging on a realistic plan because you won’t see the immediate drop of weight. If you hang in there and stay committed, I assure you the results will follow. Most Americans simply don’t have patience and want everything now. We live in a society that wants fast food, fast banking and it can be easy to get caught up in it. Know that what you are doing for yourself is far greater than what the other ‘dieters’ are doing. You will lose the weight and keep it off and feel great losing it the proper way. So while your friends’ quick fix results have come and gone, and they’ve gained 10 more pounds that they’ve started with, you’ll be surpassing their strategy leaps and bounds and will have more energy and inner peace.
**Remember that in order for changes to be effective, they need to be both realistic and sustainable. Believe me when I say that there is no such thing as a quick fix!
We live in a generation of chronic dieters. Whether it be Atkins, South Beach, Cabbage Soup Diet or The Zone, most diets are set up in such away that you are depriving yourself of a food group, or multiple to achieve a desired result.
What dieters are finding is short-term fix for a long-term problem followed by an INCREASE in their weight due to fluctuations with their metabolism. Not the desired result that was originally promised! Most people at some point in their life have tried a diet that has failed. I would like to share with you 10 simple rules to feel great, stop the ‘dieting’ and keep the weight off for good!
1. Make Sure to Stay Properly Hydrated! Your body needs water whether you are sedentary, active, or it just needs to transport and eliminate toxins. As a healthy rule of thumb an adult should be drinking 8-10 (250ml/ 8 oz.) cups of water per day. Water is your friend. It keeps your organs functioning properly and helps push food through your body as well as puffs up those wrinkles. Do you ever notice that people that are dehydrated have more wrinkles? Water is also what keeps your skin clear. Since our skin is our largest organ, it is constantly removing toxins and much of that takes place through our skin when we sweat etc.
2. Know How Much Protein Your Body Requires to Prevent Muscle Loss. You need as much protein per day as your lean muscle mass. This number is calculated by finding your body fat percentage first. So if you are 200lbs and have 20 percent body fat, then 40lbs is fat, and 160lbs is lean muscle mass. So, you would require a maximum of 160 grams of protein per day. I myself require 110 grams and can easily acquire this through eggs, chicken, red meats, nuts, dairy products and protein powder supplements. I eat 5 times per day so I only need 22 grams per sitting. Your body can only digest about 30-40 grams of protein in one sitting anyhow. The key is consistency, if you don’t eat any protein all week and take one day to eat a massive 14 oz steak and snack on pepperoni sticks then you’ll have an excess of protein at one time. That steak would likely be around 60 grams of protein and unfortunately some would be stored as fat as it is an excess. Our muscles need protein to repair and rebuild, especially after a workout. If we do not get it, our muscle tissue will feed off of itself otherwise knows as muscle catabolism.
3. Know How Many Carbohydrates Your Body Needs for Energy. Your body definitely needs carbohydrates for fuel otherwise you would not have the appropriate energy levels and feel tired all the time. Likewise, you can overdo it on the carbohydrates too. If you eat a plate of pasta that equals 2 cups and then add a side of bread and a glass of milk, your body will store much of this as fat. Try to use the suggested serving sizes on cereal boxes etc. When they say ¾ of a cup-eat only that! As North Americans, we have tended to eat outside of our proper portion size recommendations. This has got many into trouble. So, when people avoid carbohydrates altogether it is for fear of what the sugar is doing in their body however it is not the food per se, it is the quantity that they are consuming. Try eating quality carbohydrates which slow the insulin response instead of eating simple sugars or simple-carbohydrates which have energy for a about an hour, then crash. We are not Marathon Runners. We don’t need to load up no carbohydrates. Some quality carbohydrates include: whole grain rice, whole grain breads, whole wheat pasta, sweet potato, wheat crackers and vegetables! Vegetables and fruit contain carbohydrates too, not just grains. Have a piece of fruit like some strawberries instead of a banana as the sugar content is high. Why not fill up on green, yellow, red peppers, carrots, celery, lettuce greens, broccoli, tomato, cucumber, cauliflower, beans, mushrooms and onions!
4. How Much Should you Exercise? Some say 3 times per week for 30 minutes. This is really not enough. If you want to see results and keep off what you have lost, 4-5 days is where you need to be with one full day for rest. As long as you rotate the body parts you work out, you will be leaving time for them to rest, heal and rebuild properly. I would suggest doing equal amounts of cardio days as you do for weight training. For example you might do cardio for 45 minutes on Monday’s and Thursdays. You can then do your weight training on Wednesday and Saturday if you were working out 4 times per week.
5. Have Measurable Goals. As with anything in life, in order to be successful you need to create goals. Having a desired result is helpful but doesn’t help you plan your days if it is too broad. If your goal is to lose 15 lbs in 5 months, you can break it down into 3lbs per month which is very doable. Maybe it is to fit into your size 5 jeans and you are currently a size 7 now. I recommend the clothing method over using the scale because as we gain muscle and lose fat, our weight can often look the same even though we are actually gaining muscle which will burn off more fat. Muscle is 3x heavier than fat. This is often why some of our friends can be lighter by the scale, this usually indicates that they have little muscle mass also. It is our composition of our weight that matters so using clothing as a guide can be your best asset here.
6. Create Realistic Expectations! For example a realistic expectation for weight loss that is both safe and progressive is 1.5-2lbs per week. If you think you can lose 5lbs per week because your goal is to lose 20 lbs by next month’s high school reunion, you are setting yourself up for disappointment and if you do achieve that with unhealthy means, you can guarantee you’ll gain it back and then some! When we lose weight dramatically it hurts our body’s regulatory system, our metabolism and the constant gain and loss of weight creates nasty stretch marks too! The key is to be patient and remember it took month, if not years to get to the weight you are at today, so why do you expect to lose it all in mere weeks? Be realistic and the results will happen!
7. Don’t Deprive Yourself! I use a 6 days on, 1 day off approach meaning I work out 6 days per week and eat healthy, portion-sized meals, and reserve one full day to be lazy if I like and eat whatever I want all day. This approach not only allows me to feel a sense of reward at the end of the week for all of my hard work but it also keeps me satisfied, not deprived. An added benefit is because I do this only once per week my body recognizes that the unhealthy junk doesn’t belong and kicks it up into high gear to get it out of my body and burn those calories.
8. Know Portion Sizes. The size of your palm is the size recommended for meats and proteins. One cup is more than enough for pasta. Add your sauce on top in the amount of about ½ of a cup. Drink sizes should be 1 cup at a time. I am amazed to see kids wondering around with sugary-filled drinks like big gulps that are the equivalent to 6 cups!! This is one reason why our children are obese and hyper. If you are drinking water, you can drink all you like. Add some slices of cucumber or lemon wedges to give that water some flavor!
9. Exercise is Essential! You cannot lose weight with cutting out junk food and eating less alone. Exercise is an important part to keeping weight off and building a strong heart and muscles! Likewise you cannot just exercise and keep eating whatever you want, you will not see desired results. If your goal is to lose weight, when you exercise you will want to eat healthy otherwise all of your hard work will feel as if it was a waste of time.
10. Eliminate the Sugar! Two of the biggest killers and biggest reasons why people gain weight to begin with are due to these 2 things: sugar and salt. Sugar in excess (and 90% of consume it in excess) gets stored as fat in the body. When we eat a candy bar or a soda drink we are consuming far more sugar than we need to survive. Our insulin level gets raised and we then get our energy spurt of about 1 hour only to fall back to our sluggishness after that time. This is a deadly cycle. What’s the worst is sugar comes in many forms so don’t be deceived by the ingredient labels. A good indication of how much sugar resides in our food is to look at the label. If it appears near the beginning of the ingredients list, it is best to pass on these items. They can be found in the following formats: fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, raw sugar, brown sugar, cane sugar and so on. You can also look under the word “sugars” on the label for content also. Beware of the silent killer as it sweeps the nation and is a major contributor to Diabetes!
11. Say No to Salt! Salt will cause you to retain water, feel bloated, and increase your blood pressure. All of these are dangerous and totally avoidable. When eating any food, taste it first! Most people add salt out of a bad habit that they presume food will be bland. If you have to use it sparingly in a recipe use a very small pinch of sea salt, this goes a long way. Start today and eliminate salt in your diet. Out of sight, out of mind was the motto in my house growing up-Get salt out of the house and you won’t be tempted or be able to use it. Like sugar, salt can add up in our food. Look at the labels under sodium for what percentage of the food is salt! After all salt is simply sodium chloride. Also, again look for derivatives of sodium, salt itself and the dreaded MSG (Monosodium Glutamate). I will warn you that Chinese food restaurants are full of MSG, so ask first. The MSG gives the food flavor and tenderizes the meats in addition to making you thirsty so you’ll buy more drinks.
12. Stay Committed! Usually the first 4 weeks on any program is difficult. It can be more discouraging on a realistic plan because you won’t see the immediate drop of weight. If you hang in there and stay committed, I assure you the results will follow. Most Americans simply don’t have patience and want everything now. We live in a society that wants fast food, fast banking and it can be easy to get caught up in it. Know that what you are doing for yourself is far greater than what the other ‘dieters’ are doing. You will lose the weight and keep it off and feel great losing it the proper way. So while your friends’ quick fix results have come and gone, and they’ve gained 10 more pounds that they’ve started with, you’ll be surpassing their strategy leaps and bounds and will have more energy and inner peace.
**Remember that in order for changes to be effective, they need to be both realistic and sustainable. Believe me when I say that there is no such thing as a quick fix!
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