Archive for the ‘Diet’ Category

Lifestyle and Calories, the Ins and Outs

Almost everyone struggles with worry when they first start a diet. They wonder if they will fail, or go hungry while they try to lose weight. Even people who are thin struggle with the thought of not having enough food in their body on a given day.

Thankfully though, there are numerous foods that do not have a high amount of calories or fat and that fill your stomach so that you do not feel the pangs of hunger. You can also use different tricks that will help you avoid taking in too many calories whole still feeling nice and full.

Lifestyle changes are the most essential when it comes to taking in fewer calories yet still feeling full. Make sure that every time you eat it is something that is healthy and good for you. Rid your diet of foods high in fat and calories; instead opt for choices such as fruit, grains and vegetables.

Let’s say for example that you consume a large salad before you eat supper, your stomach will be a lot fuller and you will find that you eat less than you normally would have. If you do not enjoy salad, you can always decide instead to eat a soup that is low in calories.

You can purchase a wide range of soups in the store that have small calories and are not high in sodium and are healthy while tasting great. If you like to cook, you can always create your own recipes for soup at home from books or online sources.

Eat More Calories without the Guilt

If you are between meals but find that hunger pangs will just not allow you to wait, you can still eat without feeling guilt. Just reach for snacks that are in the form of fruits or vegetables. Not only is this a much healthier choice than junk food, you will not have to worry about extra calories. You could always choose to chew on a stick of gum that does not contain sugar as well. The chewing motion of eating the gum will trick your stomach into thinking that it is not hungry.

If you want to tamp down your hunger but do not wish to eat, simply sip on a beverage as liquid fills your belly. Choose water or a drink that is very low in calories so that you do not gain weight however. At each mealtime, you should always have a large glass of water on the go so that you can use the liquid to aid the food in filling you up.

Take your time when eating and chew each bite carefully. The faster you eat, the more you consume which adds up to additional pounds. It takes your stomach some time to register that it is full, so when you gobble you can take in far more food than necessary.

When you eat slowly however, your stomach will tell you that you are full and you have much less of a chance of eating too much.

For lunch, avoid the trap of stopping at a fast food place. Stay away from unhealthy food and instead bring a lunch from home. You can either pack your lunch the night before or make it fresh in the morning.

There are some fast food meals that actually contain as many calories as can be found in several healthy meal choices. Good food though allows you to be very full on fewer calories.

Whole Grains Foods for Better Calories Control

Whole grain foods are far better choices than regular are when possible. If you need a snack, reach for a slice of whole grain bread and a thin slice of turkey or ham that is low in fat. This snack will fill your belly on very limited calories.

Always think before you go ahead and eat. Make sure that you are grabbing for food and snacks that are good for you and not high in calories or fat. When you want something to eat, take a moment to put together a meal that will not leave you feeling guilty later. You can really eliminate calories from your diet when you take the time to make the right food choices.

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Be Aware – Portion Control Can Hold the Key

Diets can seem like such a complicated matter, you know that you need to eat less and exercise more; however it can be so hard. One of the worst factors that hold you back from shedding pounds is the size of the portions that we eat.

Research in dieting has shown that if you can get control over the size of your meal portions, you will also be able to control your weight. There are tips that allow you to find the balance necessary for keeping your weight at a healthy level.

Exercise the Mind with Smaller Portions

The unfortunate part is that there are times when it is hard to keep a handle on your portion size- generally when the amount of food given is out of your control. This tends to happen for example when you dine out for a meal.

You can take control of this though through a variety of different methods. One option would be to choose an appetizer over a main course. Generally, appetizers are big enough to be satisfying without being as large as a main course.

If you are determined to order a full meal, a fabulous idea is to cut your meal in half before you start eating. You can ask to take the other half of your meal home to eat at a later time.

Breaking out of the habit of thinking you need to eat three large meals a day will go a long way in aiding you to control your food portions without feeling hungry. Skip the traditional three meals and decide instead to eat numerous small, healthy meals each day.

This is an excellent way to keep your portions small, and it will leave you satisfied and prevent the dieting pitfall of boredom.

Five small meals daily that consist of whole grains, vegetables and fruit are suggested highly by dieticians. Be bold with your fruit and vegetable selections, try out new flavors and textures, and explore and find foods that you enjoy.

If you do wish for some of your meals to be slightly larger, the earlier in the day that you eat them, the better it is. As your day progresses, ensure that your meals become smaller as you have less hours to burn off the calories that you consume.

When you are trying to control the size of your portions, you need to know the appropriate measurements of food that you need. Use the tools that you have in the kitchen to measure out your food so that you know you are always taking in the proper portion amount.

Items like measuring cups and spoons or a kitchen scale will help you keep your food amount under control each day. Do not try to just eyeball and guess at the amount you are eating, especially when you are just starting out on your diet.

Get a Portion Plate

Some people find it very difficult to stop themselves from eating too much, for whatever reason, they can simply not figure out what a good portion size is. These people will find that a plate, with pre-measured compartments is very useful.

These plates can be located online or at a variety of stores that carry kitchen supplies. This plate has areas that hold the perfect portion of vegetables, proteins and fats that are the right amount for you to eat at each meal.

Learn More About Portions Here…. Free fatloss course and book

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It’s the spice of life.

Food that is. Or opinions. I guess there is a lot of things that are officially “the spice of life.”

I think spices are the spice of life.

I have a new-found love of spices since hanging around a killer healthy-food chef for the past week.

Wow oh wow… I had no idea.

And hey — I’m helping her put her recipes into to a book that will be out soon.

I’ll send you all a video of this woman doing her thing too in a week or so… prepare to be blown away.

Back to spices:

Not only can spices save an otherwise boring healthy meal…. turns to find out spices can help you burn more bodyfat.

The January 2006 issue of The Journal of Physiology and Behavior cited numerous studies on several spices that increased thermogenesis in the body.

Thermogenesis is simply heat — and since a calorie is a unit of heat, guess what?

More thermogenesis = more calories burned

= Less bodyfat.

Pretty cool stuff this thermogenesis.

In fact thermogenesis is the foundation of my upcoming handbook “The Radical Fatloss Blueprint.” Out in late February.

I’m giving this book away for freee for 21 days to anyone who owns a copy of “The Every Other Day Diet.”

The book comes out in late February… and it is… well, radical.

Up to 21 pounds in 21 days.

But you can only do it for 21 days. Fair deal, right?

If you want the book for freee, make sure you have “Every Other Day Diet” so I can send it to you the last week of February.

Get EODD here –  <— more thermogenesis, less bodyfat

For now, here’s the spices that work the best to help you burn bodyfat:

1. Capsaicin, the compound gives red chili pepper its heat, increased energy via heat expenditure by up to 23% after ingesting it at breakfast.

2. Black Pepper increases body heat (thermogenesis) by bonding to TRPV1 receptors in the brain.

3. Turmeric has both anti-cancer and pro-thermogenic support. Best of two worlds if you ask me.

Combine these three spices:  Red chili pepper, black pepper and turmeric, and use them liberally (as you can handle them) on your lunch and dinner meals.

Just be careful not to overdo the spices, otherwise you’ll end up with more heartburn than fatburn.

I’ll be including FAR more powerful ways to burn bodyfat radically in “The Radical Fatloss Blueprint” — and you can get your copy free the last week of February if you own Every Other Day Diet.

Get it here –  <— more thermogenesis, less bodyfat

There are plenty of people who eat when they do not need to. They may not be hungry, but they may be bored, upset, stressed or feeling another type of emotion that they think can be placated with some type of delicious and typically fattening food. While the food can make people feel a little better for a little while  after all, we call items comfort food for a reason  there are bigger problems at stake. A person cannot lead a healthy and safe lifestyle if every time they get upset they reach for a non-healthy food to make them feel better. Some people will not even realize that they exhibit this type of behavior. Even worse, an individual may not care because they might think that there is no other way for them to feel better. Luckily, there are some proactive things that an individual can do in order to make sure that they are recognizing the emotional signs and triggers that may lead them to eat food that might not be the best selection for them.

Losing weight is not always easy, but it can be significantly harder if a person does not realize that they are eating when they are not hungry. If a person is not self-aware of their eating habits, they may not be able to control what they are eating and when they are eating it. Therefore, the first thing that a person can do in order to help define their eating behaviors and patterns is to make a conscious effort to be aware of what they are doing and eating and when they are eating it. Some common feelings that people use food to console themselves with include depression, sadness, boredom, anxiety and even anger. Of course, there are plenty of other reasons that will vary from one person to the next.

After seeing what you are eating and when you are most prone to eat, you are more clearly able to outline your attack. It is very difficult to stop eating when you do not know why you are eating to begin with and as a result, many people will only be able to improve their eating patterns after they determine what their triggers are. It is difficult to fight an invisible enemy  but if you know why your enemy appears and when, it will be much easier to match wits.

Food journals are not just helpful for people who want to count their calories, they are also helpful for people who want to learn what they eat and when they are most prone to eating. By keeping a food journal over a period of time, a person can see in black and white how certain emotional events affect their life and their eating patterns. Individuals can combat emotional eating when they figure out why they eat certain items and they try to look for other things to help comfort, console or relax themselves. By being more aware of what is going on in their lives, individuals can take a more active role in shaping a healthier lifestyle.

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Five years ago, with the publication of The South Beach Diet , renowned Miami cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston set out to change the way America eats. Now he has an even more ambitious goal: to change the way America lives by helping Americans become fitter as well as thinner and healthier…for life. In the all-new The South Beach Diet Supercharged , Dr. Agatston shows you how to rev up your metabolism and lose weight faster while following the proven healthy eating principles of the original diet: choose good carbs, good fats, lean protein, and low-fat dairy.

Collaborating with Dr. Joseph Signorile, a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Miami, Dr. Agatston presents a cutting-edge, three-phase workout that perfectly complements the three phases of the diet itself. Based on the latest exercise science, this ease-into-it fitness program combines low- and high-intensity interval exercise (with a focus on walking) and functional core body-toning exercises.

The result: you’ll look fitter and you’ll burn more fat and calories all day–even at rest. Also included is the latest nutritional research on how specific foods high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a host of phytonutrients help keep you healthy; new and expanded lists of Foods to Enjoy; taste-tempting Meal Plans for phases 1 and 2; and dozens of easy-to-prepare new recipes, including Eggs Frijoles, Chock-Full-of-Veggies Chili, Roasted Tomato Soup, Homestyle Turkey Meatloaf, and South Beach Diet Tiramisu. In every chapter you’ll find inspiring success stories from real-life South Beach dieters and plenty of effective weight loss tips. And as an added bonus, Dr. Agatston answers the questions you’ve most often asked him about the diet since the original book was published.

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