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7 Tips for Dieting Success
Richard Keir
There are lots of dieters,
trying every sort of plan to lose weight and get healthier. But, rather
than examine diet plans or the details of how and why low-carb diets
work, here are some useful tips that can be used in any diet plan --
and, really, in any sensible approach to eating.
Tip 1: Drink 8 to 10 Glasses of Water Every Day
You've heard this one over and over. But, it isn't easy and too few
people actually do it. Your body needs water to keep your system clean,
to process food, to keep your skin in good shape and more. Sure, it'll
use any liquid, but pure water works best. But - there's no taste, at
least with pure water. This can be difficult since we're conditioned to
want sweetness and flavors. But, it gets easier the more you do it. It's
a matter of re-conditioning your taste buds, and yourself. Once started,
you'll begin to crave water.
Drink a glass, or even two, as soon as you wake up. Especially in the
beginning, those are the easy two. And they'll help you remember.
If you can't stand the taste of water, try a purifying pitcher or
filter, or add a few drops of lemon or lime to your water - but no sugar
or sweetener. Check out the flavored waters, too. Just keep an eye out
for additives.
Tip 2: Eat Breakfast
Don't skip breakfast. If you need to go to bed earlier so that you can
get up 20 minutes earlier each morning - do it! Breakfast is vitally
important to good health and weight control. According to Dr. Barbara
Rolls a professor of nutrition at Penn State University, "Your
metabolism slows while you sleep, and it doesn't rev back up until you
eat again."
Eating breakfast is good for overall weight loss and it helps you stay
on track with your diet the rest of the day. Skip breakfast and you're
more likely to binge.
Short on time? Keep hard-boiled eggs and high-fiber, low starch fruit in
the fridge. If you plan to eat fruit during the day, breakfast is a
perfect time to do it.
Tip 3: Eat 3 Meals and 2 Snacks Every Day
This could be a hard adjustment to make. Hey, you're busy! You already
have a "full-plate". When are you going to eat more?
But, exactly like eating breakfast will increase your metabolism, so
will eating more often. This also helps you curb bad-carb intake by
making sure that your snacks are planned and occur regularly throughout
the day.
Tips 4: Avoid White Foods
This is an easy way to remember what not to eat. If it's made from
sugar, flour, potatoes, rice or corn - just say no. Yes, those rice
cakes are actually an unhealthy high-carb snack.
Look for color. Buy broccoli, lettuce, bell peppers, green beans and
peas, brown rice (in moderation), leafy greens like kale and spinach,
apples, melons, oranges and grapes.
Not only colorful, they're also high in fiber, nutrients and important
antioxidants. Eating colorful fruits and vegetables will give your diet
variety as well as give you added health benefits. Eat your veggies.
Tip 5: Prepare Your Own Food
While more restaurants offer so-called low-carb menu items, many of them
are not ideal low-carb fare. There are many recipes for quick and easy
meals that you can prepare yourself at home. Do this as often as
possible.
Cooking your own foods, you know exactly what the contents are and
you'll be able to better control hidden sugar and other processed junk.
This tip saves you money too. Even if you end up going to the grocery
store more often, you'll save versus eating out.
Tip 6: Eat Some Protein At Every Meal And With The Snacks
In addition to everything that's been discussed before, eating protein
helps you burn more calories. Jeff Hample, Ph.D., R.D., a spokesman for
the American Dietetic Association says that, "Protein is made up mainly
of amino acids, which are harder for your body to breakdown, so you burn
more calories getting rid of them."
Beautiful - eat a protein rich snack and lose weight. How about a few
slices of turkey or ham or some string cheese?
Eating protein also helps you feel full so you're less likely to crave
unhealthy snacks.
Tip 7: Invest In Good Cookbooks
Can’t figure out what to eat? Need variety? Get a cookbook. Granted, not
all recipes in a cookbook are low-carb, but you'll be surprised at the
number of low-carb and low-carb friendly recipes you can find in your
standard Betty Crocker Cookbook.
Cookbooks are great reference tools that contain handy tips on
purchasing cuts of meat and preparing meats, fruits and vegetables in
new and exciting ways.
Plus, new low-carb cookbooks are hitting the shelves all the time. So be
sure to take advantage of these resources to try something new,
different and delicious.
So that's the seven tips, but here's an extra. Stay out of the center of
the supermarket. It'll be easier to stick with your low-carb lifestyle
if you learn this common thread in most grocery store designs: the
healthy foods are on the perimeter aisles.
Think about it, when you go into the grocery all the healthy stuff,
fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products, tend to be around the
stores walls. You only rarely need to enter the center aisle areas if
it's a store that keeps butter and cheese in the center near the frozen
foods. Usually all of the foods that you need for your low carb diet can
be found on the perimeter of the grocery store.
Train yourself to start on one end of the outer aisle and work your way
around. It will be much easier to avoid carb cravings and fill your
basket with healthy items if you do so.
Just these few tips can make a significant difference in how successful
you can be with your diet. Use them as part of your approach to dieting
and a healthier lifestyle. You'll love your new self.
About the Author:
Richard writes on a variety of health and e-business subjects.
www.Carb.Werkz.org has recipes, articles, news
and diet resources. For more tips, low-carb diet information, and books
and manuals visit
www.Carb.Werkz.org
Richard has done entirely
too many things. For many years he worked as a trainer programmer
conceptual and detail design specialist and even a network engineer.
Hardware software and human factors. Currently offline he teaches EFL
and consults on translation and business and professional presentations.
Online he manages sites codes researches and writes extensively. Easily
distractible by almost anything even remotely interesting he's convinced
he's having a great time. And he is.
Copyright © 2005
Richard Keir
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