10 Real Life Diet Tips

Are you tired of diet tips handed out by someone with apparently unlimited income and time? For some of us, it may just not be practical to spend half of our Sunday preparing carefully portioned meals for the rest of the week, or financially feasible to buy all our meals prepackaged in just the right portions. And there are those of us who cringe at the thought of weighing food to achieve 'optimal portion sizes'. Here are ten real life diet tips for the rest of us.

1. Eating out? Restaurant portions tend to be enormous, and if it's on
the plate, we tend to eat it. If it's possible, order from the kid’s
menu, where portions are more reasonably sized.

2. Keep healthy snacks around and easily accessible. A bowl of fruit on
the kitchen table, a container of celery or carrot sticks in the refrigerator, or a couple of pop-open cans of fruit salad in your desk at work will help you grab for something healthy when those first hunger pains begin.  In other words, you'll be more likely to grab something low-calorie and good for you if it's easy to eat.

3. Substitute frozen vegetables for canned. Canned veggies tend to be
high in sodium, which you don't need, and low in real nutrition, which
you do. Buy economy size bags with zip closures to make it easy to pour
out a single serving for a meal.

4. Buy a vegetable steamer. Steaming is one of the healthiest ways to
cook vegetables. The food retains nearly all of its natural nutrients
instead of leaching it out into the cooking water. Even better, it makes your veggies taste great - which means you'll be more likely to eat them instead of filling up on fatty foods that pack on weight.

5. Never eat standing up. One of the easiest ways to sabotage your diet
is to 'eat without thinking'. Treat eating with the respect that it
deserves. Fix yourself a plate. Sit down and eat properly. You'll be less likely to just pop food into your mouth without paying attention.

6. Spread your meals out. When you eat three meals a day, your body
tends to store whatever it doesn't need right that moment. By adopting a 'grazing' habit, you'll keep your metabolism working throughout the day. Have a small breakfast, a piece of fruit with crackers or toast at
mid-morning, a light lunch and an 'after school snack' mid-afternoon. Just remember that you're breaking up the same amount of food into smaller meals, not ADDING more food into your daily diet.

7. Grab a fruit juice or flavored water instead of soda. Soda is
nothing but empty calories. No nutrients, lots of sugar. Instead, grab a bottle of 100% fruit juice, or water flavored with a spritz of fruit.

8. Drink water. Even the FDA recommends at least 8 full 8 ounce glasses
of water a day to keep your body working right. When you're dieting,
you should drink even more. It's not just that full feeling - water helps your body digest foods properly and cleans out your system.

9. Can't afford a gym membership? Make a pact with friends to exercise
together. Make a date at least three times a week to play volleyball,
take a walk or spend half an hour doing something active.

10. Skip the potato chips. Fatty snacks fried in hydrogenated oil like
potato chips contribute fat and calories and not much else. Instead,
grab a handful of dried fruit or a cup of yogurt for the same amount of
calories and a lot more nutritional benefit.

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A Simple Plan for Weight Loss

The math is pretty simple. One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. Want to lose a pound a week? Then you need to consume 3500 calories less per week than you use. That's about 500 calories a day. By cutting out 500 calories a day from your normal daily diet, while keeping your activity level the same, you can lose approximately one pound a week.
   
All right - that doesn't sound like much, especially if you're more than 25 pounds overweight. Study after study has shown, though, that those people who lose weight gradually - at a rate of 1-2 pounds per week -are far more likely to keep the weight off and maintain a normal weight for a lifetime.

So how much exactly IS 500 calories? If you're going to reduce your daily intake by 500 calories, it helps to know what you need to cut out, right? Here's how easy it is to lose 500 calories a day:

* Use milk instead of cream in your coffee. Savings? 50 calories per cup.

* Skip the butter on your baked potato. Savings? 100 calories

* Drink fruit-flavored water instead of a 16 ounce soda. Savings? 200 calories

* Skip the Big Mac and have a salad instead. A Big Mac weighs in at a whopping 460 calories. A fresh salad with a light dressing? Less than 100! Savings? 360 calories

* Pass by the bag of potato chips. An average snack size bag of chips has over 300 calories. Savings? 300 calories

* Eat your corn on the ear. A 1 cup serving of canned corn has 165 calories. An ear of corn has 85. Savings? 80 calories.

* Switch to low-fat cream cheese on your bagel. Savings? 90 calories per ounce.

* Love those fries and can't give them up? Swap the skinny fries out for thick steak-cut ones. Thin French fries absorb more oil than the thicker, meatier ones. Savings? 50 calories per 4 ounce serving

If you'd rather look at losing weight from an exercise perspective, you can also lose one pound a week by upping your activity level by 500 calories a day. How easy is that to do? Take a look:

* Take a half-hour walk around the park. Aim for a pace that's a little faster than a stroll, but not fast enough to be breathless. Burn: 160 calories.

* Get out your bike and take a ride. Tackle a few moderate hills and aim for about five miles total. Burn: 250 calories

* Go dancing - and really DANCE. The longer you're out on the floor instead of at the table drinking up high-calorie drinks, the more you'll get out of it. Dancing that makes you breathless and warms up your body will net you a nice calorie savings. Burn: 400 calories for one hour

* Swimming is great for you, and a lot of fun, too. The water resistance means you burn more calories, and you avoid the stress impact on joints from aerobics, dancing or walking. Do a few laps at a slow crawl - if you can get up to an hour you'll be doing great! Burn: 510 calories

* Get out into your garden. An hour of gardening tasks that includes bending and stretching can burn up to as many calories as a brisk walk. Burn: 250 calories.

* Play a game of tennis. Hook up with a friend for a weekly tennis game and you'll be amazed at the difference. One hour of vigorous tennis is one of the best calorie burners around. Burn: 800 calories

It’s important to keep in mind that all exercise/calorie numbers are based on a woman weighing 130 pounds. If you weigh more, you'll burn more. Want an added bonus to burning calories through exercise? When you exercise, you build muscle by converting it from fat. Three guesses which kind of body tissue burns more calories - even when you're not exercising. You got it - your body uses more energy to maintain and feed muscle than it does fat.

For best results, mix and match food savings with exercises that burn calories.  Do keep in mind that eating less than 1000 calories a day for more than a few days will convince your body that it's starving and slow your metabolism. Keep calorie ranges reasonable, and consult a doctor if you want a quicker, more drastic weight loss.

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The Big Three In The Diet World—How Do They Stack Up?

If you've been struggling with weight and losing weight for any length of time, if you go to the supermarket, if you watch television, listen to the radio, read on the internet or do just about anything else that brings you into contact with the world, you already know that weight loss is a national obsession. This obsession is characterized - and has been for decades - by the periodic acclimation of 'the only diet you'll ever need!"

Fad diets have come and gone over the years. Some linger, most are forgotten by all but those who might have lost weight, gained weight or been damaged by them. Some of the diets were so unhealthy that they garnered the warnings of medical America, or were loudly decried as dangerous and unhealthy. As early as the seventies, there were diets that recommended cutting out ALL carbohydrates and consuming only meat and proteins - or the reverse, eliminating all proteins entirely.

The current "fad diets" include some of the most famous diet names in the recent history of weight loss: the Atkins Diet, the South Beach diet, and the Zone diet. All three have come under fire for their contention that one can eat a healthy diet and lose weight without restricting the intake of protein and fat-rich foods like meats and cheese. This flies in the face of conventional medical advice to restrict fatty foods in the diet.

So what about these three diets? Do they work? Are they safe? Can each of them, as claimed, form the basis for a lifetime of healthy eating? The answers are - surprisingly enough to all three - very likely. On the surface, each of them makes the claim that carbohydrates are bad, proteins are good, and you can eat all the protein you want and still lose weight.

How does that reconcile with the contention that a healthy diet is low in proteins and saturated fats, derives 50-60% of its calories from carbohydrates, and emphasizes whole grains and fresh vegetables as the main source of nutrition? Take a closer look at a typical menu recommended on each of the above diets and see.

Typical Meal Using USDA Recommendations

3 oz lean fish (brushed with olive oil and garlic and broiled)
2 cups of spinach salad with grapefruit
1 tablespoon olive oil vinaigrette dressing
1 oz slice whole grain/whole wheat bread

Contains: approx 350 calories
                 20 g. carbs
                 15 g. protein
                    14 g. fat

South Beach Diet Dinner Menu:

Poached salmon with Greek salad.
Sugar-free jelly with low-fat topping

Contains: approx: 300 calories
                   17 g. protein
                    3 g. carbs
                   14 g. fat (olive oil in Greek dressing)

Atkins Diet Dinner Menu:

Spring Salad
Green Goddess Dressing
Maple-Mustard Glazed Baked Ham
Baked Artichoke-Parsley Cheese Squares
Roasted Asparagus
Atkins Coconut Layer Cake

Contains approx:    400 calories
                     18 g. protein
                     17 g. carbs
                      8 g. fat

The Zone Dinner Menu:

Baked salmon with Fruit salsa (kiwi, blackberries, apple)

Contains approx:    435 calories
                     17 g. protein
                     10 g. carbs
                      5 g. fat

Notice anything? No matter how the ingredients are counted - calories, carbs, exchanges, and food blocks - the bottom line is the same. A healthy diet that will lead to lasting weight loss includes a balance of protein, carbohydrate and fats with an emphasis on complex carbohydrates and lean meats.

So pick the diet that seems to make the most sense to you - and use it as the start of a new healthy eating style for a healthier, slimmer you!

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12 Benefits of Juicing For Weight Loss

Juicing is the latest and greatest thing in weight, but is it really effective? Actually, it really is!

Juicing is one of the best ways to get many nutritional benefits that fresh fruits and vegetables offer the body. And, the added perk of juicing is that you can get your daily dose much faster than actually cooking and eating vegetables and eating whole fruit. So, juicing saves you time and makes you feel great! 

It's important to understand that juicing, as discussed here, is not buying juice in a bottle from the store, because a lot of those are loaded with extra sugar and preservatives. Juicing refers to making fresh juice at home with a special juicer machine. Many great new models are available for sale in all price ranges and with various features.

The Nutritional Benefits of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Juice

In order to understand the benefits of juicing, it's important to understand how the body absorbs nutrients. Solid food requires the process of digestion in order for the body to gain benefits of nutrition through absorption. But, in juice form the digestion process is bypassed, which makes the absorption rate faster and more reliable. In liquid form the body can quickly and automatically absorb all the nutrition passed to it from the vegetables and fruits.

Juicing for Weight Loss

Obesity is a major problem in the United States, estimated to be in the millions. Losing weight has some extraordinary health benefits, and can curb common obesity associated diseases, such as, diabetes and heart disease. Many have found weight loss success with juicing and you can too! Here is how juicing is good for weight loss.

Metabolism is the process that transforms food into energy, the higher one's metabolism the more weight will be dropped and more calories will be burned throughout the day to maintain weight.

One of the hallmarks of metabolism are beneficial enzymes that are found in raw foods and the presence of these enzymes in the body ensures that food is digested faster and burned off more quickly. Fresh squeezed juice is something that provides this type of raw nutrition.

11 Benefits of Juicing For Weight Loss 

1. Juicing is a great way to lower daily caloric intake, which, is still the most effective way to lose weight. 

2. Fresh juice increases metabolism.

3. Proper nutrition helps to increase energy and curb hunger, and with juicing the digestive process is easier and faster enabling you to get all the nutrition from the entire fruit and vegetable, including the peel. 

4. Vitamins and minerals that are essential in the fat burning process are found in high concentrations in fresh juices.

5. The plethora of antioxidants in fresh vegetables and fruits make sure your cells stay healthy and give the body energy to burn fats. 

6. Juicing for weight loss enables a healthy colon and liver that in turn helps to cleanse the body and take care of the digestive system.

7. Juicing can be a great added element to any weight loss plan, so you can be sure to maintain proper nutrition while losing. 

8. Vegetable juices have the amazing quality of suppressing the appetite, without any bad effects.

9. Fresh juices help to stabilize blood sugar levels, which is essential to control crazy cravings, maintain proper nutrition and is essential for weight loss. 

10. Juicing is much cheaper than some high cost diets, so you save money. 

11. Juicing fits with any schedule or lifestyle. You can juice in advance for the week so you always have fresh bottles on hand.

Juicing has some great benefits for weight loss, and overall health. There are lots of juice recipes, plans and guides available to establish a plan for yourself and lose the weight today!

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10 Weight Loss Motivation Tips and Techniques

Most people know they need to lose weight. They see it in the mirror, they feel it when they put their clothes on and the low self-confidence and self-esteem reminds them every day. But, for many finding the motivation to lose the weight, even when they know they need to is something else.

This is very common, and most overweight people struggle with the motivation factor their whole life.

But, motivation is essential for weight loss, no matter if you need to lose 10 or 100 pounds, it's the most important element of success. In fact, if it was easy to lose, obesity would not be worldwide epidemic that it has become.

It is important to realize that losing weight is well worth the effort because it has many benefits.

The Benefits of Weight Loss

Improves health

Makes people much more energetic

Makes people look great

Makes people feel great

It's mentally rewarding

It prevents lots of diseases associated with obesity, like, diabetes, heart diseases, stroke and cancers, just to mention a few.

Where to Find Motivation

Finding motivation to lose weight is all about changing one's perspective. While many consider dieting a hassle, too hard and inconvenient, this is the wrong thinking.

Think instead of learning to eat healthier and make better choices, one food and one day at a time. For example, choose an apple instead of a donut. Eat vegetables for a side dish instead of fries.

Evaluate the food you eat and take a close look at your daily calorie intake.  Start walking daily, then increase your workouts as you get healthier. These are just a few examples of action steps you can take right away.

10 Great Weight Loss Motivation Tips

1. Put a picture of your old self in plain sight. The worst picture you can find that really upsets you in regards to your weight. Each and every time you want to cheat, skip workouts or otherwise blow your diet plan look at the picture.

2. Make a list of the reasons you want to lose weight. Make the list nice and long and readable. Write down how you would feel if you don't lose the weight. And, also write down how awful it will be if you lose some and then regain it if you quit and waste all the effort.

3. Each morning remind yourself of your reasons to want to lose weight, check your lists and read them out loud. Consider how you will feel if you don't lose weight and those reasons go out the window.

4. Ask for help. Accountability is really good for motivation for weight loss. A friend, nutritional counselor or family member that creates some accountability is really helpful.

5. Celebrate the successes. It is very important to celebrate each success. Establish a reward for each 5 or 10 pound loss. A movie, a new outfit, or anything you enjoy to make a big deal out of those success.

This helps with motivation and also makes it harder to throw it all away should you want to quit.

6. Set goals. It's important to have goals in writing. Set short and long term goals, stick with them, mark off achievements as you go.

7. Envision success. Imagine yourself fit on a daily basis. Imagine how you will look in a smaller size outfit. If you have one, hang that outfit that doesn't fit in plain sight so you can see it daily. Look at pictures of fit bodies or whoever you want to look like to remind you of your goals.

Do this daily.

8. Be good to yourself. If you have a relapse and do cheat, don't beat yourself up.

9. Think lifestyle change, not temporary diet plan. The motivation cannot be short term, it must be lifelong to maintain fitness. Diets are temporary, learn to eat right, change your bad habits and the magic will happen.

10. Choose the right weight loss method, this can often be the key to long term success. Many over extend themselves by choosing fad diets that cannot possibly bring long term and lasting results. They also choose diets they cannot follow and just set themselves up for failure. Choose wisely and it will keep you motivated for the long term.

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