Eating Out Without Breaking Your Diet
November 17, 2011 by secretslimming · Leave a Comment
There was a time, when most of meals were eaten at home. The only exceptions were, if you had to travel for business, were a truck driver, or happened to be on vacation. People simply cooked and ate at home. Over the years that has changed, and now it is estimated that people in the United States may eat more than half of all their meals outside the home. One of the big problems with this is that you don’t have control over what goes into the food you are eating. This adds up to big trouble if you are trying to lose weight.
The good news is, that eating out without breaking your diet is possible.
Here are some tips to help you eat better, and keep your weight under control at the same time.
Skip the bread and butter
Sure, it is nice to have something to nibble on while waiting for your food to arrive, but a slice of bread, with butter can add up to 300 calories. Have two slices and you are already up to 600 calories, and none of your food is even at the table yet.
Pick your appetizers wisely.
It’s a good idea to get an appetizer because it will keep you from eating too much when the main dish arrives. Don’t order anything deep fried or that has cheese on it. Everything made with fresh vegetables is a good choice, as is a clear soup or seafood cocktail.
Salad and dressing
If you order a salad, tell the waiter to put the dressing on the side. Otherwise there is a good chance the kitchen will pour too much dressing on the salad, and that adds up. You control how much you add when you have it on the side. (This goes for all sauces whenever possible).
Choose chicken and fish
Generally, chicken and fish are better choices than pork and beef. However, you also have to pay attention to how it is prepared. Fried chicken and fish, covered with cheese or a heavy sauce will have more calories than a lean cut of beef that is prepared the right way. Better methods of preparation include roasted, baked or grilled.
Share the entree
One thing most restaurants are known for are their large portion sizes, and they keep getting bigger. See if you can split the entree with someone at your table (some restaurants will charge a nominal fee for this, but it is certainly worth it). If no one wants to share, then eat half and take the other half home. You can always ask for a container before you start eating to make sure you are not tempted to eat everything on your plate.
Fruit for dessert
If you by the end of the meal you still have room for dessert, then opt for one that contains fresh fruit. Remember, you can always split a dessert, too.
The main thing to keep in mind is that you do not need to put your diet on hold just because you’re eating out. Learning to make better choices is all it takes to dine out without having to worry about a growing waistline.
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Weight Loss Snacks
July 29, 2011 by secretslimming · Leave a Comment
Snacking is often blamed for weight gain. In fact, snacking properly can help save you from unwanted calories. Here are ideas for healthy snacking.
What Are Snacks?
Snacks are like mini meals that help us get through the day. They don’t need to be heavy or they will have the opposite effect. Eating at regular intervals helps increase your metabolism. That’s what is needed to help burn unwanted fat from the body. Your metabolism is like a train engine that constantly needs to be stoked so that it can run at top speed.
All too often, we choose the wrong kind of snacks to eat. A sufficient snack is around 150 calories. Eating two or three snacks a day plus meals equals six smaller servings instead of three larger ones. When you eat more often, you don’t need to eat as much to reach a feeling of fullness.
Foods to Try for Snacking
Most snacks are usually high in fat, salt or sugar. These things are full of empty calories. That results in you being hungry again in an hour or so, because your snack had no real nutritional value. Also, those empty calories will stick to your waistline.
The ideal snack would be filling and also leave you with more energy. The way to do that is to choose high protein, low carb snacks. The protein in your snacks helps to fight back against cravings. Protein also builds muscle.
The carbohydrate factor in your food keeps the blood sugar steady. Too much sugar in your snacks will give you an energy boost but it will be short lived. In about thirty minutes, you will come crashing down, craving another sweet snack to follow that one.
Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest and therefore keep the blood sugar at optimum levels throughout the day. Without cravings, you are thinking less about sugar and more about your daily activities. You can eat satisfying foods and smaller meals without feeling deprived.
Here are some examples of high protein, low carb snacks. Some are contained in one food but others require food combining.
* Nuts – nuts are a good source of protein. They contain fats but they are unsaturated fats that the body can use. Try a serving or two of almonds or pistachios for a snack.
* Cheese – did you know that cheese contains protein? Eat it with a small apple for the right amount of protein, carbs and sweetness to keep you satisfied until your next meal.
* Low-fat yogurt – Yogurt contains protein and calcium. Top with a bit of granola or bran to add carbs.
* Boiled eggs – A boiled egg provides protein. Mix it with mayonnaise and add a whole wheat pita for a quick snack. To keep the portion size small, use one egg, a tablespoon of mayonnaise and half a pita.
Are you looking to gain a bit of energy in the middle of your morning without adding unwanted pounds? Try these high protein low carb snacks for a start.
Why Starving Yourself to Lose Weight Doesn’t Work
April 11, 2011 by secretslimming · Leave a Comment
Why Starvation Diets Don’t Work
If you are having trouble losing weight, you are not alone. Many people are in that predicament. But, going on starvation to lose weight is not the answer.
How Our Body Works
We eat food and that food is broken down by the body in certain organs so that the nutrients can be used. Some of those nutrients fuel muscle growth, cellular growth and metabolism. The body is a well-oiled machine as long as we treat it right.
Movement burns calories. It takes a deficit of 3,500 calories to lose one pound. That means that we need to burn more calories than we eat each day if we are to lose weight. The type of movement we are talking about is not simply walking out the door or walking to the office. Set aside time each day for some type of physical activity.
Many people turn to starvation diets to lose weight after they have tried everything else. At first, it may seem that you are losing weight but the reality of the situation soon comes to light.
Metabolism is the word that describes how the body uses energy. Internal functions of the body need energy to operate. This means cellular metabolism and other operations that the body needs to perform to keep you moving each day.
From the food we eat, the body uses what it can. What it doesn’t need for energy gets stored as fat or excreted. More often than not, a lot of extra calories get stored as fat. It is fat that we want to get rid of when we go on a diet plan.
Starvation Diets
Starvation diets restrict the number of calories that the body takes in, in an effort to lose weight. The minimum number of calories needed for the body to function properly is 1,000 calories. When you drop below that, you are putting your body in a vulnerable state.
The body knows how to recognize starvation mode. Think about if you are stranded somewhere without food. The body can last a couple of weeks without food because it preserves the fat stores and rations its energy.
If the body goes from taking in a couple thousand calories to only getting about 700, it recognizes this as starvation. The body will hold on to the fat stores it already has. For energy, it will utilize muscle. So, even if you are weight training, your body can show muscle loss if you are on a starvation diet because the body is robbing the muscle for energy.
As muscle goes, the body’s metabolism lowers. The body doesn’t want to use more energy than it needs. You could be working out like a maniac and you still wouldn’t lose a pound of fat.
Instead, eat foods that are low in calories but high in nutritional value. Eating the right foods for weight loss is a more plausible option than to stop eating altogether and go on starvation.
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