AARP magazine has some very good articles and this one caught my eye, 10 fat-fighting tricks of the naturally lean. Here is a brief summary:
- Don’t Diet – Yo-yo dieting leads to increased likelihood of weight loss, more difficulty in losing weight, and for many obesity. Think in terms of making slow gradulal and permanent changes to your eating, activity level and lifestyle.
- Avoid “Diet” Food – Studies have shown that consuming artifically sweet foods tricks our brain into treating all sweet foods as if they are calorie free. It also stimulates appetite and interferes with our ability to “keep track” of what we are eating.
- Eat Whole Grains – The extra fiber that is naturally inherant in whole grain foods adds bulk which increases it’s ability to fill you up and encourages regularity. When eating bread look for loaves that contain at least two grams of fiber per slice and check the label to make sure that whole grains are listed as the first or second ingredient.
- Remember Cravings Are Only Temporary - teach yourself to distinguish between a mild hunger-pang or craving and true hunger. If it is not time to eat, distract yourself, drink some water, keep busy. Also learn to not mindlessly munch just because it feels good to do so.
- Weigh Yourself Every Day – this is not supposed to turn into an obsession about every ounce, or to serve as a depressing reminder of how far you have to go. The goal is to know where your weight falls, within a 2-3 lb. range and to watch trends and helps you know what you’re doing right, and to catch yourself before a little slip turns a 2 lb weight gain, into a more difficult to lose 20 lb.
- Portion Control! – learn what portion sizes look and feel like. Start with measuring cups and food scales until it becomes second nature. Some tricks for coping until your appetite adapts to smaller portions include using smaller plates , eating more slowly, being mindful while you eat, waiting 20 minutes to give the stomach a chance to relate to the brain it has had enough.
- SLEEEEEEEEP – most adults require 8 hours of sleep a night. When we get less it can adversely affect our energy levels, mood, metabolism and appettite. When we are sleep-deprived we will fall victim more often to high sugar fatty foods to get a “lift”. Also sleep deprivation can cause our bodies to think we need to store more food as fat.
- Enjoy the Forbidden – when you do eat a high calorie or fatty treat, eat is slowly, savor it, enjoy it, and then don’t beat yourself up about it. Learn to enjoy a snack thoroughly so that you are left feeling satisfied. Don’t allow yourself to fall into the trap of believing you’ve “messed up” and then through your healthy eating plan to the winds.
- Frantic Fidgeting - small opportunities throughout the day find ways to sneak in a little bit extra activity, i.e. standing up, stretching, maintaining good posture, taking the stairs, pacing while on the phone, parking further away, etc.
- Learn to Plan “Slips” - plan for something special on special occassions or even rewards for progress and good choices. Follow the 95% rule. Watch what you eat most of the time and a once in a while treat shouldn’t interfere with your ability to lose the weight, and then keep it off too.
Some things to remember:
It is about learning all over again how to eat, why to eat, and what to eat; to recognize true hunger and to stop before you feel overly stuffed; making “being active” a natural part of your day to day life and not a chore you force yourself to do. Be gentle with your self, you’re going to rebel (we all do), be kind and understanding (as you would with a child who is learning a difficult task). Keep practicing, don’t expect to be perfect, and be patient. Small changes, a little at a time, are easier to make permanent.
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Currently Diet Pulpit is rarely updated. Lady Rose is now blogging at Blissful Moon, where she is staying healthy and continuing to have adventures, please stop by and visit.
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