Keys to Effective Weight Loss – What You Eat

The first key to effective weight loss is to be aware of what you eat. Find foods from each food group that you like. Eat a variety of foods to avoid getting bored eating the same thing day after day.

Choose your weight loss plan carefully. You will not stick to a plan that has you eating foods you don’t like. Nor one that restricts or eliminates foods that you do. You can choose any weight loss program that will help you to obtain your desired weight without sacrificing your health. Be sure to have your physician monitor your health while you are losing weight.

No matter how much we’d like to change it …. The fact is: Eat more calories gain weight – Eat less calories Lose Weight. 3500 calories equals one pound of fat lost (or gained). This is the one common factor in ALL weight loss programs from Atkins to Zone. Decrease your caloric intake by 500 calories per day to lose one pound per week. Calories are the energy in food. Our bodies need this energy to function properly.

What we eat can affect what we think and feel. Protein helps our concentration and our memory. Carbs can make us feel happy and secure.

If you know it’s going to be a while before you eat again choose your meal wisely. Proteins take up to four hours to digest. Fat takes up to six hours to digest. Carbs only take up to two hours.

Unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains help you to feel full while consuming fewer calories. Lean meat and poultry gives our bodies protein. High fiber foods help us to feel full sooner and slow down our digestion rate. One serving of whole grain can be just as filling as two servings of its white counterpart.

Cut down on sugar and refined grains. Refined grains like white rice and bread have most of their fiber stripped away. And like sugar increases our insulin level. This fools our body into thinking that energy is readily available. Our bodies then start storing fat instead of burning it.

Read labels. Be careful of added sugar in soft drinks, tea, coffee etc. Also watch out for “fat free” products, as they are often high in sugar.

Our bodies need protein, fat and carbs to function properly. For effective weight loss you need to learn eat a healthy balance. Learn to incorporate a diet of low calorie foods that fill you up and keep you feeling satisfied. Eat a variety of foods to keep your diet from becoming tedious and boring.

Bottom line; learn to fill up on great tasting low calorie foods. Cut down on refined grains and sugars. Cut down on high calorie foods. This can be easily accomplished by saying “no thanks” to that second helping, by skipping that morning latte, eating a salad instead of that high calorie hamburger at your favorite fast food joint. The secret is to cut-down, not eliminate.

DO NOT DEPRIVE YOURSELF. Eating should be an enjoyable experience. Don’t get hung up on foods that are allowed or disallowed. You can eat anything in moderation to achieve and maintain your desired weight.

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