By
Boyce Henry
Today, I want to address eating for weight loss. In general, I
will tell you a little about what seems to work for me and something I
tried that certainly did not.
Most of us know that the entire process of losing weight really is about the calories. The problem is that so many of the foods we like, or at least the foods I like, are loaded with calories. The food itself is not necessarily the killer, but the way it is prepared and combined with other foods and ingredients is what increases the calories and makes it taste like a meal from grandma's.
There are two problems with this; one, if you eat that 3,000 calorie breakfast with biscuits and gravy and bacon and all the rest, you are done for the day. Not to mention, you haven't done much to help your circulatory system. So, by two or three in the afternoon when the hunger pangs hit, what are you to do? Drink water and exercise if you want to lose the weight. Oh, and after you exercise, you will be starving until you get your next "fix" at breakfast. I've been through this one and I can tell you straight up that it's not the way to go; two, if you reduce the portions, but keep eating the same high fat, high calorie foods spread out over the day, you won't derive the amount of energy you need to function properly. The portion size has to almost be reduced to nothing more than a nibble. And don't expect to get any thank you notes from your heart, either.
So, what to do? Well, you can eat nothing but fruits and veggies that are designed for optimum energy and health, which for most people weening themselves off of a good plate of nachos will be almost impossible to stick with for an extended period of time. Or you can do the old combo trick. This is basically what I am doing to gradually make the switch to healthier eating.
For me, going "cold turkey" away from all of my favorite high fat, high calorie southern foods was as appealing as licking the underside of a used lawnmower. So, I decided to start with something I like, fruit, for breakfast. Then, for lunch, I might reward myself a little by eating, say, half of a hamburger with no fries. I substitute the fries with a vegetable or two. Then for dinner, I use variations of the same strategy as for lunch except I leave out bread of any kind here. A snack for me is usually some kind of fruit. I carry on this way, exercising at least 30 minutes a day, four or more days a week.
Now, to keep myself totally in check so that I don't wind up in the news as some poor soul who flips out and holds up a restaurant just for the food, I take one day every three weeks and eat whatever I want, assuming I've been a good boy and I am gradually reaching my weight goal. However, I make sure to do this on an exercise day and never on a rest day.Over time, I hope to consume more fruits and vegetables and less bread and dairy, which are the two things I crave the most.Eating for weight loss doesn't necessarily have to be some dietary form of water-boarding. It just takes a commitment to make small, valuable changes. And reward yourself occasionally It helps you to stick with the program. Just remember that the whole process takes time, so don't get frustrated. Hang in there and good things will happen!
Most of us know that the entire process of losing weight really is about the calories. The problem is that so many of the foods we like, or at least the foods I like, are loaded with calories. The food itself is not necessarily the killer, but the way it is prepared and combined with other foods and ingredients is what increases the calories and makes it taste like a meal from grandma's.
There are two problems with this; one, if you eat that 3,000 calorie breakfast with biscuits and gravy and bacon and all the rest, you are done for the day. Not to mention, you haven't done much to help your circulatory system. So, by two or three in the afternoon when the hunger pangs hit, what are you to do? Drink water and exercise if you want to lose the weight. Oh, and after you exercise, you will be starving until you get your next "fix" at breakfast. I've been through this one and I can tell you straight up that it's not the way to go; two, if you reduce the portions, but keep eating the same high fat, high calorie foods spread out over the day, you won't derive the amount of energy you need to function properly. The portion size has to almost be reduced to nothing more than a nibble. And don't expect to get any thank you notes from your heart, either.
So, what to do? Well, you can eat nothing but fruits and veggies that are designed for optimum energy and health, which for most people weening themselves off of a good plate of nachos will be almost impossible to stick with for an extended period of time. Or you can do the old combo trick. This is basically what I am doing to gradually make the switch to healthier eating.
For me, going "cold turkey" away from all of my favorite high fat, high calorie southern foods was as appealing as licking the underside of a used lawnmower. So, I decided to start with something I like, fruit, for breakfast. Then, for lunch, I might reward myself a little by eating, say, half of a hamburger with no fries. I substitute the fries with a vegetable or two. Then for dinner, I use variations of the same strategy as for lunch except I leave out bread of any kind here. A snack for me is usually some kind of fruit. I carry on this way, exercising at least 30 minutes a day, four or more days a week.
Now, to keep myself totally in check so that I don't wind up in the news as some poor soul who flips out and holds up a restaurant just for the food, I take one day every three weeks and eat whatever I want, assuming I've been a good boy and I am gradually reaching my weight goal. However, I make sure to do this on an exercise day and never on a rest day.Over time, I hope to consume more fruits and vegetables and less bread and dairy, which are the two things I crave the most.Eating for weight loss doesn't necessarily have to be some dietary form of water-boarding. It just takes a commitment to make small, valuable changes. And reward yourself occasionally It helps you to stick with the program. Just remember that the whole process takes time, so don't get frustrated. Hang in there and good things will happen!
Boyce Henry has over 15 years researching and managing weight
loss and weight loss products. To get a free report on the top diet
scams, please go to http://www.yourweightlossinfo.com
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