healthy weight loss

Healthy Weight Loss and Dieting

How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off

healthy weight loss, Mindful Eating tips for Healthy Weight Loss,  Mindful eating helps healthy weight loss , Emotional and social components of healthy weight loss, Weight loss bottom line

No matter how peaceful your nature, when it comes to the battle of the bulge, you have to put up a good fight. In our eat-and-run, massive-portion-sized world, maintaining a healthy weight can be hard enough, and healthy weight loss can be a real struggle. Adding to the difficulty is the abundance of fad diets and “quick-fix” plans that tempt and confuse us and ultimately usually do not work.
Weight management not only makes you look and feel better, it influences your future health. A healthy weight decreases your chances of developing serious health risks such as heart disease or diabetes.
If your last diet attempt wasn't a success, or life events have caused you to gain weight, don’t be discouraged. The key is to find a plan that works with your body’s individual needs so that you can avoid common diet pitfalls and instead make lasting lifestyle changes that can help you find long-term, healthy weight loss success.

Circumventing roadblocks to healthy weight loss

Why do some weight loss programs fail?

Diets, especially fad diets or “quick-fix” pills and plans, often set you up for failure because:

• You feel deprived. Diets that don’t allow certain types of food (carbs, fat, sugar) in moderation are simply not practical, not to mention unhealthy – eliminating entire food groups doesn’t allow for a healthy, well-rounded diet and creates imbalances in our bodies.
• You “plateau” after losing a few pounds. There’s actually a second component to healthy weight loss: exercise. Often your body adjusts to a new way of eating, and it’s only with increased physical activity that the pounds will continue to melt away.
• You lose weight, but can’t keep it off. Diets that severely cut calories, restrict certain foods, or rely on ready-made meals might work in the short term. However, once you meet your weight loss goal, you have no means of lifelong, healthy diet maintenance, and the pounds quickly come back.
• After your diet, you seem to put on weight more quickly. Restricting your food intake slows down your metabolism – another reason why starvation or “fasting” diets are counterproductive.
• You break your diet and feel too discouraged to try again. Just because you gave in to temptation and overindulged, doesn’t mean all your hard work goes down the drain. Healthy eating is about the big picture – an occasional splurge won’t kill your efforts. And again, diets that are too restrictive are conducive to cheating – when you feel deprived, it’s easy to fall off the wagon.
• You lose money faster than you lose weight. Special shakes, meals, and programs may be cost-prohibitive and less practical for long-term weight loss and healthy weight maintenance.
• You feel isolated and unable to enjoy social situations revolving around food. Without some practical, healthy diet strategies, you may feel lost when dining out or attending events like cocktail parties or weddings. If the food served isn’t on your specific diet plan, what can you do?
• The person on the commercial lost 30 lbs in 2 months – and you haven’t. Diet companies make a lot of grandiose promises, and most are simply not realistic. Unfortunately, losing weight is not easy, and anyone who makes it seem that way is doing you a disservice. Don’t get discouraged by setting unrealistic goals!

Why do some weight loss programs succeed?

While there is no “one size fits all” solution to lifelong, healthy weight loss, try these tips:

• Lifestyle change – Permanent weight loss is not something that a “quick-fix” diet can achieve. Instead, think about weight loss as a permanent lifestyle change. You are making a commitment to your health for life. Various popular diets can help to jump-start your weight loss, but permanent changes in your lifestyle and food choices are what will work long term.
• Find a cheering section – Social support means a lot. Programs like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers use group support to impact weight loss and lifelong healthy eating. Seek out support, whether in the form of family, friends, or a support group, so that you can get the encouragement you need.
• Commit to a plan and stick to it – Experiment until you find a good, long-term plan that helps you lose the weight and maintain that loss in a way that works for you. If you cut out just 100 calories a day you could lose 10 pounds in a year. Remember, one 12 oz can of soda can contain 150 calories.
• Lose weight slowly. Losing weight too fast can take a toll on your nervous system, making you feel sluggish, drained, and sick. When you drop a lot of weight quickly, you’re actually losing mostly water and muscle rather than fat. Aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week to ensure healthy weight loss.
• Stay motivated and keep track – Short-term goals, like wanting to fit into a bikini for the summer, usually don’t work as well as goals like wanting to feel more confident or become healthier for your children’s sakes. Keep a food journal or weigh yourself regularly. Find and use tools that help keep you motivated. Stay focused: when frustration and temptation strike, concentrate on the many benefits you will reap from being healthier and leaner.

Weight loss bottom line

Your weight is a balancing act, but the equation is simple: If you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight. Gaining and losing weight (W) comes down to the simple calculation of calories consumed (CC), or in other words, what you eat, minus calories burned (CB) through metabolism and physical activity.
W = CC – CB
If you eat more calories than you burn then you gain weight or if you eat fewer calories than you burn then you lose weight. In order to lose one pound of fat per week, you need to eat about 500 calories less than your typical diet. Since 3,500 calories equals about 1 pound of fat, if you cut 500 calories from your typical diet each day, you'd lose approximately 1 pound a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories). Remember, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose 1 pound.
This does not mean that you need to eat less food. Instead, you need to consume fewer calories. With smart choices this is very doable. The key is to choose “low density” foods, which means foods that allow you to eat a larger portion sizes but that is lower in calories. These foods, including many fruits and vegetables, tend to contain more water and fiber. Try starting your meal with a low-density salad or soup (just watch the dressings and sodium) to help fill you up, so you eat less of your entrée. See below for some more easy calorie saving ideas.

Item	Calories*	Substitute	Calories*	Calories* Saved
Starbucks grande café late (16 oz.)	190	16 oz. coffee or tea	5	185
12 oz. can of regular cola	137	club soda water with a squeeze of lemon or lime	2	135
1 medium glazed doughnut	239	1 apple	72	167
4-inch cinnamon-raisin bagel	243	2 pieces whole grain toast	138	105
3 oz. bag corn chips	441	2 large carrots with 2 tbsp. hummus	106	318
1 cup chocolate ice cream	285	1 cup strawberries	53	323
3 oz. bag plain salted potato chips	465	2 cups popcorn air-popped	62	403
Pancakes with butter & syrup	520	1 cup cooked oats	166	354

Sources: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 2007 and www.starbucks.com. *Actual calories may vary by brand.

Reducing calorie intake promotes weight loss – type of diet isn’t important

A major study concluded that it doesn’t matter which diet program you choose, as long as it is one that reduces your calorie intake and is healthy for your heart (low in saturated fat and cholesterol). See reference below. 

Emotional and social components of healthy weight loss

Food isn’t just used to satisfy hunger – it is also a common part of social interactions and a means of comfort and stress relief. How we eat is also partially dictated by how we were raised – “clean your plate – there are children starving in Africa” – and how the people around us eat. If your friends and relatives start packing on the pounds, you are more likely to do so as well.
What’s a healthy dieter to do? First, consider how and when you eat. Do you only eat when you are hungry, or do you reach for a snack while watching TV? Do you eat when you’re stressed or bored? To reward yourself? Also pay attention to how much sleep you are getting – lack of sleep has been shown to have a direct link to hunger and overeating.
Recognizing your emotional triggers can help make it easier for you to make changes. Once you realize your own personal challenges to weight loss, you can work towards gradually changing the habits and mental attitudes that have sabotaged your efforts in the past.

Mindful eating helps healthy weight loss

We live in a fast paced world where eating has become secondary. Counter this by paying attention to what you eat, savoring each bite, and choosing foods that are both nourishing and enjoyable. This also helps you achieve healthy weight loss and maintenance. Plus, when our minds are tuned out during mealtime, the digestive process may be 30% to 40% less effective. This can contribute to digestive distress, such as gas, bloating and bowel irregularities.

Mindful Eating tips for Healthy Weight Loss

• Pay attention while you are eating. Be aware of your environment, eat slowly, enjoy each bite – savor the smells and textures of your food. If your mind wanders, just gently remind yourself to return to focusing on your food and how it tastes and feels in your mouth.
• Avoid distractions while eating. Try not to eat while working, watching TV, reading, using a computer, or driving.
• Try mixing things up to force yourself to focus on the experience of eating – try using chopsticks rather than a fork, or use your utensils with your non-dominant hand.
• Chew your food thoroughly. Try chewing each bite 30 times before swallowing.
• Stop eating before you are full. Avoid the temptation to “clean your plate”. Yes, there are children starving in Africa, but you packing on the pounds won’t help them.
• Serve yourself a smaller portion and use small plates, bowls and cups. This will make your portions appear larger. If possible leave the table as soon as you are done. The longer you sit at the table, the more you will eat. If you are hungry later you can have a small healthy snack.
• Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time and don’t eat out of large bags or boxes. You will be more inclined to eat in moderation if you have thought out healthy meals and snacks in advance. You can buy or create your own small portion snacks in plastic bags or containers. Remember to only eat when you are truly hungry.