Weight Loss
Follow a healthy weight loss program with easy natural weight loss recipes.
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What's the secret?
There are hundreds of fad
diets which have been promoted over the years. Almost all of us
have tried one kind of diet or another hoping to lose those extra
pounds. Well, maybe initially you did lose some extra pounds, but
then you gain them back. Our weight fluctuates. How do we
keep the excess weight off once and for all?
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I'm sure you've heard of
many "success stories" of people who have lost X number of pounds and
really keep them off. What's their secret? It's no secret,
really. It's just all about DETERMINATION (along with it comes
self-discipline) and knowing WHAT to eat, WHAT NOT to eat, and WHEN to
eat.
My overall site promotes
all these with health and safety in mind. We need to understand
what we are eating in order to continue to avoid the harmful foods and
continue eating the healing foods. Determination comes easy once
you understand the principles behind healthy eating. It eventually
becomes a lifestyle.
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Diet/Lifestyle Suggestions
Firstly, check if you are
really overweight by checking your
BMI.
Some people think that they are overweight, but most of the time their
weight is just fine. We always have that "extra pounds to lose",
it's just our own perception of how we should be. We keep telling
ourselves that we are "fat", but we are really NOT, so don't overdo it.
Eating healthy is more important than what the weighing scales are
telling.
Some people lose weight by
eating unhealthily. It could be that your bone density that is
affected which results in weight loss, not necessarily losing fats.
For example, read about
how salt or
sodium can also lead to calcium leak from your bones. This
kind of weight loss is dangerous and may lead to long-term damage to
your body. So always remember to eat healthy.
Here are some simple
suggestions that you can follow if, unfortunately, you did not pass the
BMI
test:
Set realistic and specific goals: Tell yourself exactly
how many pounds you want to lose in a certain time frame. For
example, say "I want to lose 2 pounds in one week for the next ten
weeks." Your goal must be realistic. Don't say, "I must lose
50 pounds in two months". Even though that's quite possible, you
know it is not healthy.
Always eat breakfast: Your body needs food in the
morning after the overnight fast. By eating food in the morning,
your calories will get to be burned for energy. If you skip breakfast,
you may end up gaining rather than losing weight.
Food choices in the
morning can determine your blood sugar levels for the rest of the day.
In high (refined) carbohydrate meal, blood sugar rises rapidly but will
also fall to an extremely low level, causing fatigue and an inefficient
system.
A meal that includes
complex carbohydrate (from fruits), protein and fat will slow digestion
and the absorption of sugar into the blood. This results in a
higher level of energy for a longer period of time, which at the same
time, will lower fat-making insulin levels.
Eat small meals frequently, instead of three large ones:
Or eat only when you are hungry, but in smaller portions than you
normally would. One principle I always remember is to eat only 80%
full, never 100% or 110%! Large and heavy meals promote fat
storage. Smaller and more frequent meals also help to keep the
sugar levels in your blood more even. Keep healthy snacks in your
fridge, like baby carrots, low-fat yogurt, fruits, dried fruits, low-fat granola
bars, and the like.
Take less fats and sugar: Fats (animal lard or fried
foods) and sugar (cakes, desserts, etc.) have high calories and will
easily use up your "calories quota" for the day. You need less
calories, not more. And these don't have the essential nutrients
that you need. Like one of my visitors told me, "God didn't have
McDonald's (or Dunkin' Donuts) in mind, when he designed the garden of Eden."
Avoid refined foods: Ditch the junk foods, the culprits
that make your weight-losing more difficult¾processed
foods that contain white sugar and white flour. They are void of
nutrient and do no good to the body.
Don't go cold turkey: If you know that your favorite
food is unhealthy, you don't have to go cold turkey and totally banish
them from your menu. Once in a while, when you have eaten well,
reward yourself with that spaghetti or that cheesecake that you must
have. Or go for a good healthy juice or smoothie later to "balance
them out".
Exercise: Find a form of exercise you like. It
can be swimming, jogging, cycling, or simply strolling around in your
neighborhood. The idea is to get your body in motion for at least
45 to 60 minutes a day. Or build muscles. Muscle burns more
calories than fat. A good strength training will help you with
your weight loss goals and give you a toned body.
Do not take a heavy meal before bedtime: We all know
this, but yet we keep doing it. Calories from these late meals
tend to be stored in our body as fat rather than burned for energy.
Note: Please
check with your physician first on your health condition before you
start any weight loss program. And as in any weight loss program
you follow, it is very important that you drink plenty of water (at
least 2 ~ 3 liters a day) to flush out the toxicity in your body.
Read also:
Smoothie recipes for weight watchers.
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Recommended RECIPES for Weight Loss
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Learn to get used to mixing chlorella and
spirulina powder into your juices. They are whole foods that are
highly nutritious and healing and are a great help if you are trying to
lose weight. Add in a teaspoonful of either in your juices
whenever possible.
Grapes have a low glycemic index of 50
and are an excellent stimulator of your body metabolism in helping to
burn excess food and waste. Apples are very low in calories and
have the necessary minerals to normalize the colon function, which is
important for safe weight loss.
Not only do the lime/lemon and ginger
perk up the taste of your juice, their fat-fighting and health
properties are simply remarkable.
Juice a handful of grapes, one apple,
half a lemon and/or one lime. If you like some spice, add about a
quarter or half an inch of ginger. Add some cold drinking water
according to taste.
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Raspberries |

Strawberries |

Orange |
Apple |
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Raspberries and
strawberries are natural weight-loss foods. Not only are they
delicious, they are also full of health benefits. Consumption of
these berries will reduce your cravings for the unhealthy sweets.
The vitamin C in oranges
or other citrus fruits are essential in weight loss as it helps to
liquefy or dilute fats.
Juice half a cup each of
the berries, one or two oranges and an apple for a delicious guilt-free
indulgence.
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Alfalfa sprouts and endive
are some of the most nutritious vegetables that have very low or almost
no calories. Perfect for making salad. If you want to juice
them, add them with a quarter of a small cantaloupe for its natural
weight-loss properties that stops unhealthy cravings for other sweets.
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The soluble fiber and
beta-carotene found in carrot and tomato are natural fat-fighting
properties and nutritious in many ways. Juice them with celery and
broccoli that are not only very low in calories but also help burn fats.
The grapefruit has long
been known to have effective fat-fighting properties that help burn
fats. Drink grapefruit juice by itself, or juice it together with
one or two slices of pineapple for its sweetness that helps proper
digestion.
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