Tips for finding the BEST food !
It's also important to choose a diet plan that won't leave you feeling hungry. Look for plans that promote foods that are high in water and are fiber-rich, like soups, fruits, and vegetables. These foods fill you up and reduce food cravings to help you stick to your diet plan without feeling deprived.
1. Does It Match My Eating Style?
If the plan encourages six meals daily and you struggle to eat two, chances are you won't last on the diet, no matter how healthy it is. Look for a diet that matches the way you like to eat, and ask yourself:
- Can this diet accommodate my travel or dining-out patterns?
- Does it have a family-friendly approach that everyone in the household can follow?
- Does it require special preparation and cooking?
- Can I stick to the timing and/or recommended number of meals/snacks?
2. Does It Match My Exercise Level?
Some plans encourage lots of exercise; others simply get you moving. If you're a sedentary person, plans that include hours at the gym might sound good -- but, in reality, won't last long. Select a program that has an exercise component you can do on a regular basis, and advance slowly. Find a plan that encourages physical activity that you enjoy and is doable, whether that's dancing, gardening, walking, or just cleaning the house.
Exercise does not have to be structured [or] require special equipment or memberships,it simply needs to be anything that increases whole-body movement.
3. Can I Live With It Forever?
When considering any diet, ask yourself, 'Is this something I'd be willing to do every day for the rest of my life?' If not, don't bother, because as soon as you go back to what you were doing before, the weight will come back.
4. Does It Include Foods I Like, Can Prepare, and Can Afford?
Are there foods or beverages you're asked to eat in combination or in quantities that are unrealistic for the long term? Some plans require meal replacement drinks that may work for some people on the run, and others may prefer to eat food instead of drinking.
Plans that require unusual foods or hours in the kitchen may work for someone who has lots of time and money, but may not for you. The 'two T' test: Make sure the recipes look tasty, and are time-saving.
5. How Quickly Will I Lose Weight?
One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories, so you need to burn off lots of calories to reduce fat. Rapid weight loss is usually more fluid loss than fat loss.
The higher weight losses that occur at the beginning of most diets are at least partially water.Weight loss can be particularly dramatic on very low-carb diets because your body gives up water when it's forced to utilize other fuel sources."
While you may want to lose weight quickly, the experts agree that slow and steady wins the race. Safe and effective weight loss averages 1-2 pounds per week, and the best way to achieve it is by burning about 500 calories per day through diet and exercise.
6. Does It Tackle My Bad Habits?
The best weight loss plan is one that doesn't make you feel like you are on a diet. Going on a "diet" can create an obsession with food, heighten cravings, and lead to a frustrated "throw in the towel because diets don't work" mentality.
Look for a plan that helps you recognize habits that can keep you from reaching a healthy weight.
7. Can I Still Have My Favorite Foods?
Some plans have long lists of "forbidden" foods and little room for indulgences. For some people, being denied certain foods can trigger cravings and binges. But others actually do better if they eliminate the "trigger" foods that touch off eating binges.
If you can't bear to live without a glass of wine with dinner, or an occasional dessert, you'll need to find a plan that allows small portions of these favorites. But if you're the type who can't stop with one glass or a bite or two of dessert, the stricter plans may be exactly what you need.
8. Does It Call for Small, Gradual Changes?
Some programs require significant changes and others promote a "baby step concept" -- smaller, more gradual changes. Change is difficult and the more you have to change, the harder it will be. Look for a plan that slowly changes your eating and exercise habits unless you're ready for a real challenge.
A sensible plan encourages you to evaluate your eating habits and work on a few unhealthy habits, and once you accomplish these changes, pick a few more that you can live with.
9. Does It Call for Supplements, Cleanses, or Detox Formulas?
Healthy weight loss plans don't need to be supplemented beyond a daily multivitamin-mineral supplement for nutritional "insurance."
10. Do I Want a Structured Plan or One That Is More Flexible?
Some people prefer a diet plan that calls for specific foods and portion sizes to help them stay on track. Others like the flexibility of making their own food choices. As long as the diet plan includes a variety of healthy food -- fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean protein -- either type can work.
Just make sure the diet plan allows you enough food and calories that hunger won't undermine your efforts to lose weight.
When calories get below 1,200 for women or 1,500 for men, it can make you light-headed, irritable, and quite miserable because your body needs these minimum amounts to function well.
Exercise does not have to be structured [or] require special equipment or memberships,it simply needs to be anything that increases whole-body movement.
3. Can I Live With It Forever?
When considering any diet, ask yourself, 'Is this something I'd be willing to do every day for the rest of my life?' If not, don't bother, because as soon as you go back to what you were doing before, the weight will come back.
4. Does It Include Foods I Like, Can Prepare, and Can Afford?
Are there foods or beverages you're asked to eat in combination or in quantities that are unrealistic for the long term? Some plans require meal replacement drinks that may work for some people on the run, and others may prefer to eat food instead of drinking.
Plans that require unusual foods or hours in the kitchen may work for someone who has lots of time and money, but may not for you. The 'two T' test: Make sure the recipes look tasty, and are time-saving.
5. How Quickly Will I Lose Weight?
One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories, so you need to burn off lots of calories to reduce fat. Rapid weight loss is usually more fluid loss than fat loss.
The higher weight losses that occur at the beginning of most diets are at least partially water.Weight loss can be particularly dramatic on very low-carb diets because your body gives up water when it's forced to utilize other fuel sources."
While you may want to lose weight quickly, the experts agree that slow and steady wins the race. Safe and effective weight loss averages 1-2 pounds per week, and the best way to achieve it is by burning about 500 calories per day through diet and exercise.
6. Does It Tackle My Bad Habits?
The best weight loss plan is one that doesn't make you feel like you are on a diet. Going on a "diet" can create an obsession with food, heighten cravings, and lead to a frustrated "throw in the towel because diets don't work" mentality.
Look for a plan that helps you recognize habits that can keep you from reaching a healthy weight.
7. Can I Still Have My Favorite Foods?
Some plans have long lists of "forbidden" foods and little room for indulgences. For some people, being denied certain foods can trigger cravings and binges. But others actually do better if they eliminate the "trigger" foods that touch off eating binges.
If you can't bear to live without a glass of wine with dinner, or an occasional dessert, you'll need to find a plan that allows small portions of these favorites. But if you're the type who can't stop with one glass or a bite or two of dessert, the stricter plans may be exactly what you need.
8. Does It Call for Small, Gradual Changes?
Some programs require significant changes and others promote a "baby step concept" -- smaller, more gradual changes. Change is difficult and the more you have to change, the harder it will be. Look for a plan that slowly changes your eating and exercise habits unless you're ready for a real challenge.
A sensible plan encourages you to evaluate your eating habits and work on a few unhealthy habits, and once you accomplish these changes, pick a few more that you can live with.
9. Does It Call for Supplements, Cleanses, or Detox Formulas?
Healthy weight loss plans don't need to be supplemented beyond a daily multivitamin-mineral supplement for nutritional "insurance."
10. Do I Want a Structured Plan or One That Is More Flexible?
Some people prefer a diet plan that calls for specific foods and portion sizes to help them stay on track. Others like the flexibility of making their own food choices. As long as the diet plan includes a variety of healthy food -- fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean protein -- either type can work.
Just make sure the diet plan allows you enough food and calories that hunger won't undermine your efforts to lose weight.
When calories get below 1,200 for women or 1,500 for men, it can make you light-headed, irritable, and quite miserable because your body needs these minimum amounts to function well.
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