How to Sidestep 5 Big Diet Blunders
These tricks seem smart but cause gains. Show pounds who’s boss! Margit Feury Ragland, Self
I was reading this article this morning and thought I would pass it on to you! Enjoy!
These tricks seem smart but cause gains. Show pounds who’s boss!
Fattening flub: eating a variety of foods
Why it doesn’t work: We’re hardwired to eat more when faced with a number of different choices (stay away from buffets or lots of snack (junk) food--Ya, don't go to Vegas!). This mechanism gives us a slimming advantage when a spread consists of low-cal, filling fare such as veggies and lean protein. But unless you pass by the buffets and snack aisle and plant your cart by the produce bins, chances are your fridge is filled with variety of a different sort. Your kids don't need that junk food either so don't use that as an excuse! Get healthy snacks for the entire family! What we feed our children really matters- fat cells are made in young children and never go away. They just wait to be fed and grow and grow! If we feed our children healthy now the less fat cells they will have as adults! They will be healthier and isn't that what we want for our kids and family??? Get rid of the junk food!!!
What does work: It’s OK to have a few treats in the house (sugar free Doves are my favorite or a sugar free jello or chocolate pudding), but limit your stash to one or two types—the rest of your shelf space should be reserved for a range of nutritious foods.
Fattening flub: never going for seconds
Why it doesn’t work: If we’re held to a single serving, we want to make it count. It’s human nature—get your fill while you can. The problem is, if you load up your plate with a heaping pile of food, chances are you’ll eat it all, says Madelyn Fernstrom, Ph.D., director of the Weight Management Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Knowing you can go back for another helping if need be encourages you to put less on your plate the first time around and allows your body to register fullness before the second helping.
What does work: Begin retraining yourself to start off with at least 20 percent less than you’re used to eating. Then after 20 minutes—the time it takes for us to start to feel full—gauge your hunger. It you still feel hungry have a little more--think MODERATION or grab a little more protein!
Fattening flub: using exercise as an excuse to eat more
Why it doesn’t work: Unfortunately, exercise does not burn as many calories as we might think. Thirty minutes on the elliptical, for example, cancels out only one Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, says Ann Yelmokas McDermott, Ph.D., director of the Center for Obesity Prevention and Education at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. If you’re training for a sporting event, you may need to eat more to fuel your workouts—otherwise, consider regular exercise a keep-it-in-check tool, not a free pass to bulldoze your way through the mall food court. In our workouts we should be burning anywhere from 400 to 800 calories--and if you are counting calories you don't what to full under 1200 calories! Fuel your body and just eat your 5 to 6 healthy meals a day to keep that furnace burning! If you are following the meal plan -you should not have to count calories and you WILL lose the weight! Sio
What does work: Exercise—but not for the reasons you’d imagine. While cardio won’t completely burn away a weekend binge, it does benefit health by increasing energy and lowering risk for heart disease. Another perk of busting a move? “Good behavior often begets other good behaviors,” McDermott explains. Working out should make you feel good, so you eat better. I know after I have a hard workout the last thing I want to do is binge! Why would you get up at 6am and work so hard? So the exercise should not only help you lose the weight, it should help you keep on track and keep you healthy! Sio
Fattening flub: hanging pictures of thin models up for motivation
Why it doesn’t work: You may think the hopeful photos of thin models will encourage you to lose, but you’d be wrong. “Some women feel worse about themselves after seeing skinny models in ads. And if you feel bad about yourself, it’s harder to stick to an eating and exercise plan. Sio
What does work: Focus on accomplishments, not shortcomings. “When you notice you’re comparing your body to the girl next to you at the track, stop. Instead, think, I can run for five more minutes than I could a month ago,” Martin Ginis says. And don’t fixate on the end goal, such as the 20-pound loss. “Plan short-term goals, like ‘I’m going to the gym three times this week, or I’m cooking a healthy dinner tomorrow,’” she suggests. Like I posted the other day...write those realistic goals down and put them somewhere you read daily! Every 3 to 4 weeks pull out those old jeans and see if they fit. If you are watching what you eat and working out 3 to 5 times a week you WILL see a difference! It always encourages me to keep going!!! Sio
Fattening flub: thinking fruit and veggies are “free foods,” so you can eat all you want
Why it doesn’t work: Produce is a must, but if you favor high-sugar, high-calorie dried fruit, fruit juice and starchy veggies, beware. “Peas, corn and potatoes are higher in calories than other high-water-content vegetables such as cucumbers and green beans,” says Keri Gans, R.D., a spokeswoman in New York City for the American Dietetic Association. Plus, you need three to five servings of veggies each day and only two to four servings of fruit. “A piece of fresh fruit has 60 calories, and a serving of most vegetables has about 25,” Gans says. Stay away from those high sugar, high calories, high carb fruits and veggies at night. Eat those ones in moderation and keep those to the before 5pm fruits and veggies! Sio
What does work: Pick water-rich veggies such as zucchini and spinach and high-fiber fruit such as apples and berries. Broccoli is another GREAT veggies to snack on! Stick to the meal plan and have a fruit and veggie with every meal! And replace fatty sauces and dressings with low-cal ones such as salsa, fat-free ranch dressing and spritzes of lemon and lime. Another great idea with fruit is freeze sliced lemons or limes, fresh raspberries, or fresh blueberries and use them as ice cubes! It will give your water a hint of flavor and you can eat them in the end! Then munch your way to your goal weight! Sio
No comments:
Post a Comment