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-foods-that-help-you-lose-weight/ http://fat-loss-tips.com/blog/five-foods-that-help-you-lose-weight/#comments Fri, 29 Jun 2007 22:05:00 +0000 Sandy http://fat-loss-tips.com/blog/?p=83 Five Foods That Help You Lose Weight

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.

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.