Sunday, October 31, 2010

Let's Fight The Battle.....Finally!



Food!

Why do we make it a battle of control?

Losing weight can be difficult but can be won! Most everyone knows that to lose weight you have to eat less and work out more. We have to fuel our bodies to work so the body has enough fuel to adequately use the stored fat as energy. You have to sacrifice unheathy foods that have become a part of your life for various reasons to gain back the health you so desire. The way to lose weight is 80% done in the kitchen and 20% done on the gym room floor.

1.) Find out how many calories you need to consume everyday.

This number is key because you have to eat enough to fuel the body’s natural functions and lose weight at the same time. You are “tricking” the body into understanding that you are fueled and ready for the day. If you aren’t fueling the vital organs and then try to exercise, your body thinks it’s starving and will slow your metabolism down and halt weight loss. This number can be tweaked as you begin to lose weight but finding your caloric # is key.

http://www.thedailyplate.com/


2.) Eating the right foods.

At every meal you need to be eating a carbohydrate and protein. This combination will fuel your body and help you to feel full at the same time. When the body is breaking down the carb and protein together it keeps you from feeling hungry until the next mini meal. Fruits, Vegetables, and Whole Grains are healthy carbohydrate choices. When searching for lean protein choices you can look at fish, turkey, chicken, lean beef, egg whites, low-fat dairy, and beans.

3.) Eating 5-6 mini meals a day.

Our parent’s generation taught us, to lose weight you have to starve. When you starve yourself it screws with your endocrine system and your metabolism slows down which tells the body to “hold on to that fat” for safety reasons. You have to eat to lose weight. Keeping the body fueled will help keep everything working properly, utilizing your fat as fuel when exercising. If you are eating a complex carbohydrate and protein 5 to 6 times a day the body will be in working order for you to lose the extra body fat.

4.) Don’t deny yourself!

If you are eating clean 6 out of the 7 days of the week and decide on Saturday night you want to eat a piece of cheesecake with a girlfriend, DO IT! Life is about eating things that taste good, problem is we’ve been eating TOO MUCH of it. If you deny yourself the wonderful delectable treats that we love to eat, you will eventually sabotage yourself and eat everything in sight, out of shear rebellion. I realize some people can’t do this. If they are on a mission to lose weight and eat one bad thing they fall off the wagon and continue eating the bad foods that caused the weight gain in the first place. My philosophy is that losing weight, eating right, and being physically fit is a lifestyle not a short term fix. Sometimes we all are going to eat a Krispy Kreme donut but it should be used as a special treat. The dilemma is that we’ve placed “special treats” as what we eat everyday.

5.) Drink Lots of Water.

“The Most Powerful Healing Substance Known To Man”

http://healthrecipes.com/drinking_water.htm


Great Resources:

The Eat Clean Diet

Clean Eating Magazine

Oxygen Magazine

________________________

If you are frustrated, be encouraged. If you follow these tips you will see results. You have to be patient, sacrifice, and understand that it takes time to undo bad habits.

I've been there and I'm here for you!

3 comments:

RunToTheFinish said...

amen!!

Wes said...

I gave up on the 5-6 mini meals cuz I think I was eating too many calories. I went back to the snack as little as possible between meals and that seems to be working better for me now. Still, this is all GOOD STUFF :-) Shows like the Biggest Loser prove that weight loss is in your mind.

teacherwoman said...

Water has been huge for me! I try to drink a glass with every meal in addition to at least 20 oz in the morning and 20 oz in the afternoon! Most of the times, when I think I am getting hungry/snacky, it's because I am thirsty! Grab water first!