Whether you’re a first time dieter or one who has been going around and around the track for years, you’ll be happy to know that it is possible to pick a diet plan and stick to it until you get to the weight you want to be.

The first tip is to try to choose a diet plan that’s not too strict for you. You know the kind – some have special limits on carbs, protein, or anything that’s the color white. The ones who lose weight long-term have to learn to live in a world where nothing is off-limits, but moderation is key.

Other diets have plans where you’re supposed to start and stop again and again until the weight comes off. This can get tedious and send you on extreme highs and lows emotionally and physically as your body is forced to adjust to the new circumstances.

Instead, try to find a plan that shows you how to eat healthy for a lifetime. If you know it’s okay to sometimes have a special treat, or indulge in a glass of wine, then you won’t have to go from one end of the spectrum to the other – you’ll be on a balanced course that’s safe for your body and easy on your emotions.

Fasting and binging (even on healthy foods) is a sure way to develop poor eating habits and it can confuse your body because it’s being given mixed messages. One minute you’re devouring pound after pound of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean protein, and carbs – and the next you’re surviving on nothing but hot water with honey and red pepper mixed in.

Before you choose any diet, evaluate it for a lifetime plan. Could you exist without ever eating another morsel of sugar again in this lifetime? Could you turn away bread at every meal for the next thirty years?

Some diets make it seem like their rigid plan is one you could adhere to forever, but caving in could cause you to regain more weight if you get discouraged and give up for good. No diet plan is 100% comfortable when you’re used to being able to eat with freedom from careful consideration.

Still, there are many plans that offer sensible ways to eat where you never have to leave an entire food group off of your plate. Don’t follow a fad – instead, follow your heart and make up your mind to you feel comfortable implementing into your life.

]]> http://fat-loss-tips.com/blog/how-to-choose-a-diet-you-won%e2%80%99t-give-up-on/feed/ 0 http://fat-loss-tips.com/blog/five-low-calorie-and-scrumptious-dinner-recipes/ http://fat-loss-tips.com/blog/five-low-calorie-and-scrumptious-dinner-recipes/#comments Fri, 20 Jul 2007 22:05:00 +0000 Sandy http://fat-loss-tips.com/blog/?p=93 Five Low Calorie and Scrumptious Dinner Recipes

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Chop 1 medium fully ripe tomato for each serving of pasta. For example if you’re feeding four for dinner, chop four tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and set aside. Cook your choice of pasta until it’s nearly done. Add ½ cup frozen peas for each serving of pasta and add to the pasta just a minute or two before you remove from the heat. Strain the pasta and the peas. Chop a handful of basil leaves. Add the chopped tomatoes with their juice and basil leaves to the pasta and peas and toss well. Sprinkle each serving with one tablespoon of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Add a tossed green salad with low cal or no cal dressing and dinner is done.

Tequila Chicken Breasts.

Use boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. For four servings: make a marinade of the juice of three limes, you can add a bit of lime peel to the juice if you wish. Add 1 teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon of crushed chili peppers or more if you like spicy food, a clove of chopped garlic, and 4 chopped scallions. Combine with ½ cup of tequila. That sounds like a lot, but remember all the alcohol will evaporate during cooking, you just want the flavor. If you don’t want to use tequila use white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar instead. Place the marinade and the chicken breasts in a plastic bag and marinate for at least an hour, up to over night. When ready to cook remove the chicken from the marinade and bake. You can also grill the chicken breasts. Serve with a black bean, corn and tomato salad and a couple of toasted tortillas.

Oven Roasted Veggies

You’ll need 1 to 1 ½ pounds of veggies for each person. Select from carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, winter squash, green beans, zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant, sweet potatoes, and small new potatoes. Clean and scrub veggies. Cut into similar size pieces, two inch cubes work well. Dry veggies off. Spray a baking pan with nonstick spray such as Pam. Place veggies in pan drizzle with one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. You can also add a variety of herbs: oregano, parsley, sage, tarragon, and basil are just a few. Bake at 350 for about an hour until veggies are soft but not mushy. You can also grill the veggies. Just leave them whole or sliced in two. Serve with crusty bread.

Stir Fry Beef with Oriental Vegetables

You’ll need about a pound of sirloin steak for six servings. Thinly slice the raw steak. It’s easier if you place it in the freezer for about 30 to 45 minutes before slicing. Clean an assortment of vegetables. You’ll need 3 pounds for six servings. You can use snow pea pods, string beans, mushrooms, scallions, bean sprouts, asparagus, or broccoli. Slice the vegetables into equal sizes. Put a tablespoon of cooking oil in a large sauté pan, or wok if you have one. Place the steak in the pan and sauté turning quickly for a minute or two until desired doneness. Remove from pan. Stir fry the vegetables until brightly colored and crisp but not cooked through. Add the steak back to the pan. Add a few dashes of soy sauce. Toss then serve over white rice.

Baked Pork Supper

Spray baking pan with Pam or other nonstick spray. Season 3 boneless pork chops about ½ pound each with salt and pepper. Slice one head of red cabbage, one red onion, and 3 or 4 apples. Finely chop 3 garlic cloves. If you have sage on hand, add a tablespoon of fresh, or one teaspoon of dried, to the chopped cabbage mixture. Also add the chopped garlic cloves. Squeeze the juice of a lemon over the mixture. Toss well and place in baking pan. Place the pork chops on top of the cabbage mixture. Bake at 300 degrees until pork is no longer pink and cabbage is soft. Cut each chop into four equal pieces. Each person receives three slices of pork. Serve with a fresh fruit salad.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away but it also keeps the pounds off as well. Any type of apple will do, just eat it fresh and with the peel. The pectin in the peel makes you feel fuller. The average apple only has about 50 calories and is full of vitamin C and fibers. Drinking apple juice or cooked apples won’t give you the same effect as a raw apple.

You can slice an apple and add it to cooked oatmeal for breakfast. Sliced apples, turkey and a sprinkling of walnuts makes a great sandwich filling. Chopped apples can be added to a salad. Apples can be added to chicken salad or ham salad.

Green Tea has been shown to help burn fat. The magic ingredient is called EGCG. Black tea works but not as effectively. Green tea can be brewed fresh and seasoned with a slice of lemon and bit of honey. It can also be iced. A cup of green tea, several ice cubes and a cup of cubed watermelon whirled in the blender for a few seconds makes a refreshing summer cooler. You can freeze green tea in ice cube trays and then add to your favorite beverage.

Curry includes the spice tamarind. Tamarind contains a substance called hydroxycitric acid and can slow down fat production. The pods of the Tamarind tree have a unique flavor and are sweet and sour at the same time. The pulp from the pods are used in Indian, Thai and Malaysian cooking. If you can’t get fresh pods you can buy dehydrated tamarind pulp. Add it to stews, pork and chicken dishes. You can also re-hydrate the pulp and use it for the base of tamarind lemonade.

Cinnamon has been used in the treatment of diabetes because it stimulates fat cells and helps get rid of excess sugar in the blood stream. Cinnamon is not water soluble which means it can build up in the body’s fat cells. The long term effect of the ingestion of large amounts of cinnamon isn’t known. However it seems a half teaspoon a day is relatively safe. Cinnamon can be used in meatloaf, stews, brushed on chicken and pork before grilling, as well as more commonly on fruits. It can also be added to cottage cheese and cream cheese.

White kidney beans have tons of fiber and that fiber fills you up. There is some discussion that white kidney bean extract blocks starch absorption in the intestines which leads to weight loss. You can use white kidney beans as you would red kidney beans in chilies and soups or in a side dish. After cooking the beans you can use them in tuna and chicken salads or fresh green salad.

The South Beach Diet is similar to the Atkins Diet in that it has an initial two week phase I period that drastically reduces carbs. The difference between Atkins and South Beach is that there are good carbs and bad carbs. The glycemic index of a food is what counts. The glycemic index is how much a food increases blood sugar compared to the amount that same quantity of white bread would increase blood sugar.

A spike in the blood sugar or glucose, signals the pancreas to make more insulin. The insulin’s job is to get the sugar out of the blood stream into the organs for energy or into storage. The body stores glucose as fat. Keeping the blood sugar from spiking means less insulin is produced which means the sugars are absorbed slowly resulting in a steady level of decreasing sugar levels rather than a rush. Low blood sugar leads to cravings for sugary foods and over eating. And the cycle starts again.

Bad carbs spike the blood sugar. Good carbs don’t. Good carbs are those from foods which contain a lot of fiber, such as whole grains or contain fiber and water such as fruit. The body takes longer to digest the good carbs so they enter the blood stream more slowly.

The longer food takes to digest the better. For example a piece of raw broccoli is better than cooked because your body has to work harder to digest the raw broccoli. The faster carbohydrates are digested, the more quickly they’re turned into sugar – glucose, and the more likely they will be turned to stored fat.

Fiber, protein and fats slow down the digestive system which means the blood sugar rises slowly and falls slowly. The tendency to over eat is diminished and the onset of hunger delayed.

The South Beach Diet limits fats and oils and encourages the consumption of lean cuts of meat and low fat cheeses. Vegetables and fruits are allowed after the initial phase I – two week period. Whole grains can be added back including whole grain bread. White breads, cookies, cakes, rice, potatoes, and sugar are off limits except for special occasions.

The South Beach Diet is a change in eating patterns for life, but other than the forbidden processed foods, white flour, and sugar, the diet is reasonably manageable. It allows a broader selection of foods than the Atkins diet.

The Atkins Diet is the grand daddy of the quick weight loss diets. It’s based on severely limiting carbohydrates. Carbs are processed by the body to become sugar or glucose. Glucose is used by the body for energy. If the carbs consumed for the day aren’t enough, the body transforms the fat it has stored back into glucose for energy.

Carbs also cause the blood sugar to spike which signals the body to produce insulin to remove the sugar from the bloodstream. This causes the blood sugar to drop which results in a craving for more carbs to raise it back up. That’s the basis of the Atkin’s Diet. Severely limit carbohydrates in the daily diet and the body has to fall back on its fat storage for energy.

The initial two week kick start program only allows 20 grams of carbs per day. The carbs from fiber are netted – subtracted from the total carb count. So for example, while ¼ cup of blueberries has a total carb count of 5.1 grams, only 4.1 grams are counted because 1 gram is from fiber.

Protein such as fish, chicken, beef, and pork contains 0 grams. The diet allows cheese and eggs. Seafood is tricky, some, like shrimp, have 0 grams and others like oysters, pack a walloping 12.5 grams per 6 oz.

You can have limited amounts of green vegetables such as spinach, kale, broccoli, asparagus, and cabbage. Fruit is not allowed. To give you examples of carb counts, an apple has a net 16 grams of carbs, a slice of wheat bread has 12 carbs. Alcohol in any form is not allowed during the kickoff stage. An exercise period of 30 minutes per day is mandatory.

After the initial two weeks, carbs are gradually and slowly added back to the diet, fruits and vegetables first. Some vegetables like sweet potatoes (19) and corn (14 per 1/3 cup) contain too many carbs to ever become a regular part of the diet. The maximum level of carbs at this stage should be between 30 to 35.

The objective is to continue losing weight but at a lesser rate than the initial two week period. If the weight loss stops the number of carbs being consumed has to decrease again.

The maintenance diet is at a level of carbs where you’ve stopped losing weight and don’t gain weight. It maxes out at about 40 grams of carbs per day. A turkey sandwich with mayo and sliced tomatoes is about 30 grams of carbs. A medium pear has 21 and one cup of 2% milk has 11.

Sugar, processed foods, flour and starches, such as potatoes and rice are pretty much off limits forever on the Atkins Diet. Most fruits have to be eaten in moderation if at all and certain vegetables as well.

The cabbage soup diet is one of the most well known of all the fad diets. Many people have tried it over the years, but just remember that it is fad and weight loss is rarely permanent with quick weight loss diets. Sometimes fad diets can even have a adverse effects on your health. So keep the disclaimer in mind while reading, that this is not a permanent way of eating, and if you want to lose weight you should discuss it with your doctor and get his advice.

If you want to try to lose weight in a seven day period,
the Cabbage Soup Diet may be just the diet for you. This diet is intended to be used for a seven day period following the instructions, ingredients and proportions exactly. If after one week, you still feel that you must lose additional weight, wait two weeks eating normally during that period, then repeat the Cabbage Soup Diet for one more week. The Cabbage Soup Diet doesn’t provide you with all the nutrients needed for a permanent way of eating, but it’s a great “shock” diet to get you started on your weight loss program.

The Cabbage Soup Diet consists of 6 green onions; 2 green peppers; 1-2 cans tomatoes; 3 carrots, 10-oz mushrooms; one bunch of celery; half head of cabbage, a package of dry soup mix; 2 bouillon cubes; 48 oz of V-8 juice and seasoning to taste. The ingredients are brought to the boil and simmered for two hours. The amount of soup desired can be heated and eaten as required. You may eat as much of the soup as you like throughout the seven days.

The daily plan in addition to bottomless soup is as follows:

• Day One: – all the fresh fruit desired except bananas
• Day Two – unlimited raw or cooked vegetables and one baked potato with butter if you wish
• Day Three – Unlimited fruits except bananas and unlimited vegetables but no potato
• Day Four – Up to eight bananas and as much skim milk as you want
• Day Five — Six tomatoes and up to 20 ounces of beef, skinless chicken or broiled fish
• Day Six — Unlimited vegetables and up to 20 ounces of beef or skinless chicken. Broiled fish can be substituted for beef on one of the days only
• Day Seven – unlimited quantities of brown rice, unsweetened fruit juice and vegetables

Again, this is not a diet for extended periods. If you experience symptoms such as nausea, lightheadedness and weakness, stop the program. You should visit a health care professional if the side effects continue once you’ve returned to “normal” eating. Most people tolerate the bloated gassy feeling because they know it’s only for seven days and the expectation that they can lose up to ten pounds in one week with no chance of hunger pangs makes it worth while.

American adults have a major problem in being overweight. Nearly two-thirds of the adult population is inclined towards obesity. Unfortunately much of the money spent on diet and weight loss programs is not producing positive results.

The various weight loss programs offered need to be compared and analyzed before making a choice. Most diets seem to tell you what you should and shouldn’t eat. As though one size fitted all. People, however, are all different and what suits one person is not sure to suit another.It is therefore important to examine carefully what you would need to do to meet the requirements of the diet; to make sure that it is something you will stick with once you have started. Then having compared various diets to find the most suitable, you can pick the best program for you.

Here are some hints to consider before deciding on any particular program.

Select a diet which would suit your life style. Your working pattern, meal times and any medical restrictions need to be taken into consideration. If you are not sure which type of diet would suit you best, try a metabolic type of diet.They use a questionnaire which helps you to identify the correct proportion of carbohydrates and protein most suitable for you.

A Macrobiotic Diet is basically a vegetarian diet which has lots of fiber and is very low fat. This diet by itself can be a cure for some conditions and can help prevent some illnesses from creeping in.

A Detox Diet is designed to rid your body of toxins consumed by way of junk food and unhealthy beverages.

If you need a low calorie diet, the best choice would probably be between the Zone or the South Beach Diet. The Atkins diet could also be taken into consideration. They’re all based on a low carbohydrate intake.

Some people react adversely to proteins. If this is the case, go for an alkaline diet. This will help balance the effects of caffeine, sugar and the proteins.

After selecting your diet, staying with it is the path to success. Only a very small percentage of people who lose weight on a diet actually stick with it for the long term. This is usually because they picked a diet that did not suit them in the first case.

Premenopausal women who were assigned to follow the Atkins diet for one year lost more weight when compared to women who were assigned to follow the Zone, Ornish and LEARN diets, according to a study in the March 7 issue of JAMA.

Overweight and obesity are well-documented problems in the United States. National dietary weight loss guidelines (a diet low in calories and fat, high in carbohydrates) have been challenged, particularly by supporters of low-carbohydrate diets. However, limited evidence has been available to effectively evaluate other diets, according to background information in the article.

Besides weight loss, the participants were also measured for lipid profile (low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride levels), percentage of body fat, waist-hip ratio, fasting insulin and glucose levels, and blood pressure. Outcomes were assessed at months 0, 2, 6, and 12.

The researchers found that weight loss was greater for women in the Atkins diet group compared with the other diet groups at one year. Average 12-month weight loss was 10.4 lbs for Atkins, 3.5 lbs. for Zone, 5.7 lbs. for LEARN, and 4.8 lbs. for Ornish. At 12 months, measurements for lipids and levels of insulin, glucose and blood pressure for the Atkins group were comparable with or more favorable than the other diet groups.

The researchers found that weight loss was greater for women in the Atkins diet group compared with the other diet groups at one year. Average 12-month weight loss was 10.4 lbs for Atkins, 3.5 lbs. for Zone, 5.7 lbs. for LEARN, and 4.8 lbs. for Ornish. At 12 months, measurements for lipids and levels of insulin, glucose and blood pressure for the Atkins group were comparable with or more favorable than the other diet groups.

“Concerns about adverse metabolic effects of the Atkins diet were not substantiated within the 12-month study period.

While questions remain about long-term effects and mechanisms, these findings have important implications for clinical practice and health care policy

Searching around forums and support groups it is noticeable that many people report benefits they have experienced when trying a low carbohydrate diet.

A large number of people report that they are experiencing an increase in energy and /or have stopped craving for sweets.

Other improvements reported are, better mental concentration, emotions more evenly balanced and less desire to “comfort” eat.

Although a low carbohydrate diet should not be considered a cure for any of the following conditions, enough people are claiming relief from their symptoms to suggest that there may be “no smoke without fire.”

Improvement in skin condition, improvement in joint pain, improvement in gastrointestinal conditions and reduction in the frequency of headaches are among the most frequently reported benefits in low carbohydrate forums, support groups, and informal surveys.

The really interesting thing is that, although the results vary from person to person, the benefits reported have usually been experienced by the end of the first week.

Low Carb Diet

Since 1994, food manufacturers have been required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to include food labels on all packaged food items. Labels can be a tremendous help in controlling our diets—but only if we understand them.

Here is a primer to use as you browse the labels in your pantry and at the grocery store.

Serving Size.

The serving size is listed at the top of the label. This is an important part of meal planning and also where many people go wrong. To get the total number of carbs, calories, etc., in an item, simply multiply the listed units by the number of servings. You may be surprised at how many items you assume are only 1 serving that are actually 2 or 3. The smaller the item, the more likely you are to make mistakes.

Calories.

Calories are the units of energy within a food item. When you eat, your body converts calories into energy, uses what it can, and then stores the rest in the form of fat. On labels, you’ll find separate numbers for calories and calories from fat. The fat calorie number refers to the number of calories derived from fat. The higher this number, the more fat in the product. For example, a can of diced tomatoes may have 30 calories (units of energy) and 0 calories from fat, making this a product your body can use efficiently. However, a prepackaged children’s snack may have 130 calories with 40 calories from fat, making the processed food item a less efficient source of body fuel.

Daily Percent Values (% DV).

These tell you what portion of the recommended amounts of an item (fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, etc.) are in a single serving in comparison to how much you need for a full day. You should take this number in account when selecting items from the grocery shelf. For example, it you are going to buy a bottle of pasta sauce, and Brand A provides 11% DV of fat and Brand B provides 40% DV of fat, the best choice is Brand A. Be sure to look at the numbers in the context of all the others on the label. If brand A turns out to be heavy on the sodium, you should continue to shop, taking a look at Brand C and Brand D.

Fat, Sugar, Fiber, Sodium and Carbohydrates.

These are the sections of the label that seem to draw the most attention from dieters. However, everyone should consider them important. If you have dietary food restrictions, high blood pressure, or diabetes, these numbers could mean the difference between remaining in good health and heading towards the danger zone. If you are on a low carb diet, you can monitor your protein intake by paying attention to the carbohydrate and sugar content. Likewise, those on a low fat diet will want to know the fat and fiber content.

The FDA provides information on what specific label terms are supposed to mean.

“No fat” or “fat free” means that the item contains less than 1/2 gram of fat per serving, “Sugar free” means that the item contains less than 1/2 gram of sugar per serving, and “Good source of fiber” indicates 2.5 g to 4.9 g. per serving. A full list can be obtained from the FDA website. You’ll note that there is no definition for “low carb,” so be particularly wary when this phrase is used.

Healthy Diet,