So you've made the resolution that THIS is the year you're going to lose weight and get in the best shape of your life. You're not going to settle for second best - you're going to achieve that dream body you've always wanted.
Great news - this is actually the best time to make that commitment. Why? Because you can take advantage of the powerful momentum and energy a New Year brings to achieve your weight loss dreams.
But there's nothing worse than committing to lose weight, only to get lost among the 5 gazillion diets out there. It can get confusing - you may end up wasting a lot of money and effort. You may end up wondering which diet is really the BEST diet for you.
You may even end up feeling so frustrated that you give up on your dream of becoming slim and healthy. But it doesn't have to be that way.
In order to have rapid weight loss success, you have to find the best diet for you (a.k.a. the diet that will speed you towards your dream body at lightning pace). There are millions of diets - but only a few that are best for you and your lifestyle.
The best diet for you will have the 3 key features listed below. Choose your diet with these 3 key features in mind and you're already halfway to your weight loss dreams.
#1 Proven Success Rate
Are there before and after pictures of people who have lost weight with that particular diet? Are there customer testimonials? Have there been independent studies done on the diet's success rate?
The diet you choose doesn't have to have all three of these but try to find at least some kind of proven success rate before choosing that particular program.
Finding a diet with a proven success rate not only lets you know that the diet works but it also helps give you the confidence that the diet will work FOR YOU.
Confidence is one of the most underrated factors in a successful weight loss program. If you've tried and failed with diets before you especially need that extra boost of confidence to carry you through the more difficult times in the diet. By reminding yourself that this diet has been proven to work - you'll be able to keep going and reach your weight loss goals.
A related feature that gets extra points is if the diet has been recommended by an expert or a physician. Again this boosts your confidence that the diet is safe and effective.
#2 Affordable
Losing weight should not cost you thousands of dollars (unless we're talking about surgery here and that's an entirely different article). The best diet will be affordable for the average person.
If the diet costs too much, be very suspicious and look elsewhere. There are too many shady diets out there and as a consumer, it pays to be cautious.
I'll give you an example of what I mean:
A close friend of mine went to a well-known weight loss clinic in our area and was told she had to pay the yearly fees up front (around $1000 NOT including food). They also told her she had to buy their food in bulk (like $500 for a year's worth of chocolate).
When the chocolate gave her heart palpitations and she had to take it back, they told her it was non-refundable. She was out the money for the chocolate. Plus, she feels she can't leave the program because she's paid the yearly fees (which, you guessed it, are also non-refundable).
She unfortunately made the mistake of ignoring her instincts and paying way too much money for a diet program. If you notice you're being asked for hefty fees right out of the gate, warning lights should be flashing in your mind.
Now on the other hand, the best diet WILL cost you something. It actually is better if you put some cash on the table for your diet program. Why? Because when we invest in something we're more likely to stick with it. When we invest in something we are more likely to follow through and get the results we want.
For example I did a liver detox several months ago. I'm not really into liver detoxing but I read an article and figured I'd try it.
The detox kit cost me a whopping $50 and when I opened the instructions they told me I had to give up junk food for two weeks. In any other universe I would have laughed and simply forgotten about detoxing my liver. But because I'd shelled out $50, I was invested - I decided that I hopefully wouldn't starve from lack of junk food over two weeks and suffered through it.
If I'd gotten the detox kit for free there's no way I would have followed those instructions. But because I was invested, I followed through and now have a healthier liver thanking me for it.
So when searching for the best diet, putting out some money on yourself and your dreams of a better body is actually a healthy thing. Just keep in mind that you shouldn't have to spend thousands of dollars on it.
#3 Compatible with Your Tastes and Lifestyle
This is THE most crucial step however it's the one where most people go wrong. When choosing a diet, they simply pick one and go, without considering if it is compatible with their tastes and lifestyle.
For example, if you hate feeling deprived or empty you might want to choose a program that lets you eat many times during the day so you don't feel hungry. If you get bored easily you want a diet program that gives you tremendous variety and flexibility. If you don't do a lot of cooking or food preparation, you'll want to look at a program where the food is pre-made for you.
Diets are like cars - there are hundreds of different models out there, each with their own unique features. And they can get you where you want to go. But your personality might gel better with certain features than others.
Dieting is hard enough. Don't make it harder on yourself by choosing a diet not compatible with who you are. Setting yourself up for success will also guarantee that you'll stick it out until you reach your goal.
And one other thing, the best diet will be one that you can get excited about. Choose a diet that you enjoy, that you believe in, that may actually be - gulp - fun.
Emotional excitement will fade in time, yes. But it can give you enough of an emotional push to get you over the initial hump. By that time your first few pounds will have come off and will serve as your continuing motivation.
So those are 3 key considerations when looking for the best diet. Keep them in mind and you will progress in leaps and bounds towards your dream body. Remember, planning now may seem boring - but it's the key to your future weight loss success.
So you’ve been exercising regularly, and cutting back on your calories to meet your weight loss goals. Everything is going great with your new changes but you notice the number on the scale isn’t moving much and your body isn’t changing shape as quickly as you’d hoped. There may be one more habit interfering with your weight loss efforts- -alcohol. Perhaps you enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, have a couple of beers while watching the big game, or even cocktails on a Saturday night with friends. All common practices but they may be getting in the way of your weight loss efforts.
Alcoholic beverages have been enjoyed throughout recorded history. For some, a drink with dinner may be relaxing. Others may enjoy the inhibitions that alcohol can create to “let loose” with friends. Many people drink for the health benefits. After-all, evidence shows that moderate drinking, especially red wine, may lower the risk of heart disease. No matter what your reasons are for drinking, alcohol can interfere with your weight loss goals.
Alcohol is a product of fermenting carbohydrates- both sugars and starches. This means it does provide calories. Specifically it provides 7 calories for every gram compared to 4 calories per gram of carbohydrates and protein, and 9 calories per gram of fat. Drinking 4 (12 ounce) beers will supply 600 calories. To burn those calories, a person would need to walk non-stop for 3 hours. Skipping the cab ride and walking home may be a strategy but for most of us a 3 hour walk is a bit daunting even when we are in good shape.
Although wine contains fewer calories than beer, this can also lead to extra calories. Having a glass of wine provides 100 calories, but this is dependent on the glass size. A serving size of wine is 5-ounces. The larger wine glasses hold about 10 ounces turning your one glass of wine into two glasses. To put this into perspective, drinking two glasses of wine each night with dinner will add an extra 200 calories each day. If these calories are not burned through exercise and daily activity it can lead to a 20 pound weight gain in a year.
Adding juice, creams, and sodas to cocktails will increase the calorie level beyond what the alcohol is already providing. Be careful of what you are drinking. In some cases, one drink provides more calories than an entire meal! Here are the drinks that top the scales for most calories-
Long Island Iced Tea: 780 calories
Margarita: 740 calories
Pina Colada: 644 calories
White Russian: 425 calories
Sex on the Beach: 356 calories
Mai Tai: 350 calories
Lemon Drop: 223 calories
Besides adding calories, alcohol may affect your weight for other reasons. Some evidence suggests drinking alcoholic beverages may stimulate your appetite and cause you to eat more than you normally would. It also decreases your inhibitions so you don’t care how much more you are eating. How many times have you enjoyed chips and salsa with your margaritas while out with friends? How many chips did you eat? Who knows- all you remember is the waiter bringing three or four refills of the chip bowl.
Another factor to take into account is that your body processes alcohol first, before fat, protein, or carbohydrates which may slow down the burning of fat. There is also evidence that drinking too much seems to increase fat carried in the stomach area- otherwise known as the beer belly. Studies show that people with a higher amount of fat in the abdominal region are at a greater risk of heart disease.
Ok, this is looking dreary but it doesn’t mean you can never enjoy alcohol again. It just means that it is time to take inventory to see how much you are drinking and pay attention to how many calories your favorite drinks supply. Learn how to enjoy alcohol in moderation so you don’t end up sabotaging your weight loss efforts.
© 2005, Meri Raffetto
There is a common misconception that you have to starve yourself to lose weight. This is simply not true! On the contrary, you must eat to lose weight. It is the Glycemic index that can help you determines what happens in your body. Let me explain.
Your body needs glucose, which is a form of sugar, and is the main fuel for the body. The body is constantly trying to maintain blood sugar levels and it is the carbohydrates we eat that turns into glucose which goes directly into the blood stream to feed all the cells of the body. Glucose is the only fuel your brain uses and it is the brain that uses more energy than any other part of your body. If your blood sugar goes down, it starves the brain and a wide variety of symptoms can occur such as feeling weak and sluggish, drowsy, dizzy, confused, headache, irritability, trembling, rapid heart beat, and even anxiety and panic attacks.
Carbohydrates alone do not make a healthy body. We need a balance of protein, carbohydrates, fat, water and exercise to maintain health. The biggest difficulty that we have with weight problems is over indulging in high glycemic foods. These are the foods that contain too much sugar or foods that are refined carbohydrates. If you over indulge in carbohydrates, (which produce insulin) then the excess glucose gets stored as fat. You can counter that by eating protein with it, (which produces glucagons). Glucagons promote the utilization of fat to be used for energy. Insulin and glucagons in balance maintain normal blood sugar levels. A body in a high insulin state promotes excess stored fat and disease.
The foods that are high on the glycemic index are foods such as the root family, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, yams etc. If you want to eat potatoes then I’d opt for the yams or sweet potato (without the honey and brown sugar). They are the lowest on the glycemic scale. Also rice, pasta, corn, most breads are high on the scale as well as some fruits like bananas, apricots and pineapple.
Some low index foods are vegetables such as broccoli, the lettuce and cabbage family, various beans, dairy and soy.
I would also like to make a mention about fat. Fat in it self is not the bad guy. Our diets require fat to remain healthy. Fat provides fuel for the body plus it helps in the development of cell membranes and hormones and also helps to insulate our bodies. Fat in our foods is what gives us that satisfied feeling. You don’t need very much fat intake. Stick with good fats like olive oil and stay away from saturated or trans fats.
Portion size is very important. The rule to remember is; if you have approximately 3 oz. of protein and you have a high index carb. then eat only 3oz of that carb. It is a one to one ratio. A protein and a low index carb. would be 3 oz of protein and 6 oz of carb. It is a 1 to 2 ratio.
If you eat 6 small meals per day in the correct ratio then you should easily be able to lose weight.
Enjoy!
"Nothing in this article makes any claim to offer cures or treatment of any disease or illness. If you are sick please consult with your doctor."
