Get Rid Of Bloating

There are medical reasons that you can bloat on a regular basis. Because bloating doesn’t last very long 3 to 5 days usually, most people just ignore bloat. But that’s a mistake, it might be a sign that you have a medical problem or that you’re doing something wrong. It could be your diet? You might not be active enough or your body might be in a hoarding mode. You're probably eating the wrong foods. Before you spend money on some over-the-counter anti-acids or other medication look at the foods you’re eating. All our stomach problems start with the food we’re eating.

In some cases, we can diminish bloating by walking. Physical activity is important to banishing bloat. Walking after a big meal will help reduce the effects of that big meal.

Make an effort to get more physical activity, with a goal of 30 minutes, 5 days per week. Another recommended lifestyle change is to stop smoking. Smoking can contribute to bloating – so quitting can help — not to mention the other health benefits associated with stopping smoking.

Other Medical Issues
Avoiding constipation is an important part of dealing with bloating. Ensuring that you drink enough liquids, and incorporating fiber into your diet is essential.

It’s important to know that some over-the-counter pain relievers, iron supplements, and prescription pain medications can cause constipation and bloat.

Check for food allergies or intolerance (lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance, fructose malabsorption) as they can contribute to bloating.

Make sure you are getting enough calcium and magnesium

A key recommendation is to avoid overeating — the most common cause of bloating. You may want to eat smaller meals and eat more frequently and stick to regular mealtimes. Stop eating before you’re full, and leave some food on the plate. It’s also important to slow down when you eat — a good guideline is to give yourself around 30 minutes for a full meal. A few other general dietary tips:

Don’t chew gum – especially sugar-free gum
Don’t use a straw – sip straight from a cup
Cook vegetables instead of eating them raw
Cut back on evening carbohydrates

Drink a 16-ounce glass of water 30 minutes prior to each meal, and make sure you are getting 6 – 8 ounces glasses of water daily.

Martha, a thyroid patient, shared this advice that worked for her:

One of my problems with hypothyroidism is water retention, despite the 80 ounces of water I drink daily. My doctor suggested I try 16 oz. unflavored Pedialyte mixed with 48 oz. water and drink this mixture two consecutive days weekly. After the first day, I noticed a significant difference! After the second day, I weighed 1.5 pounds less. Water retention isn’t a problem for me anymore!!! Maybe this will help others.

Eat Foods That Help Reduce Bloat
A number of foods are known to help reduce bloat. Make sure you incorporate them into your diet. These foods include:

High-fiber foods – aim for 25 grams per day
Vegetables: Lettuce, cucumber, spinach
Fruits: Papaya, apples (with the skin), avocados, watermelon, pineapple, mangoes, bananas, cantaloupes, tomatoes
Yogurt
Grains: Whole grains, quinoa, brown rice, oatmeal
Spices: Ginger, peppermint, black pepper
Coffee
Salmon

Foods to Avoid or Cut Back on to Minimize Bloat
A number of foods and drinks are associated with increasing bloat. Try to cut back on consumption of these foods:

Carbonated drinks
Alcohol
Artificially sweetened foods, drinks, and seltzer
Fried foods
Frozen meals
Salty foods and sodium
Processed meats and hot dogs
Beans

Stretching and Massage
It may be helpful to massage your abdomen, by pressing your fingers by the hip, sliding across the ribs, and then down in a circular motion. When your body isn’t getting the liquids of foods that it requires it will go into a hoarding mode, which can cause bloating. When the body retains water,  for example, generally it’s not getting enough water every day so it starts to hoard water, and the same thing will happen with food if the body isn’t getting enough nutrition.

When your body isn’t getting the liquids that it requires it will go into a hoarding mode, which can cause bloating. When the body retains water,  for example, generally it’s not getting enough water every day so it starts to hoard water, and that causes you to bloat.  The same thing will happen with food if the body isn’t getting enough nutrition it will start to hoard fats in your fat cells. Also, you can become constipated and you don’t have to have any medical problems. Most bloating isn’t medical, it’s caused by a bad diet and you aren’t drinking enough water. Learn about what your body requires to stay healthy and follow those rules. You’ll be a happier person and your body will function properly.

Look for my podcasts on anchor.fm, or the podcast app on your cell phone. Search “howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight".

If you really want to lose your body fat then look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.
There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.
My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.

Food Addiction Is Real And It Can Effect Anyone

Food Addiction Is Real And It Can Affect Anyone

It looks healthy, right? Processed meats and cheeses are never a good choice.

Question: If junk food is so bad for the body and bad quality overall, why is it so popular? You’d think no one would touch it.”

Answer: That’s an excellent question, and I certainly can’t say that I have the answer. I do have some thoughts on the subject — and maybe one or more are correct, so here goes:

First, let me back up and define ‘junk foods.’ It’s the stuff you eat that has little to no nutritional value, usually combined with ingredients that are bad for you, or is high in calories when consumed in excess.

So that means candy, chips, cookies, cake, sugary soft drinks, greasy burgers, hot dogs, French fries, ice cream, and most things that are served at fast-food restaurants qualify as junk foods.

So why do so many people eat junk foods? Here are three possible reasons and you should remember that processed foods are what most of us grew up with.

#1 It’s Cheap

I think one big reason junk food is popular is that a lot of it is cheap to buy. I mean you can go to almost any fast food restaurant and order something off a ‘dollar’ menu of some sort. If you have a couple of bucks in your wallet, you can buy a full meal.

Same story at the grocery store. Cheap snacks, inexpensive high-sodium and high-fat meals can be found on the shelves. Healthier foods — like fresh fruits and vegetables — tend to be more expensive. Those bags or cups of instant ramen noodles cost less than 50 cents, whereas an orange costs a dollar.

Although a lot of junk food is cheap to buy upfront, I think the argument can be made that cheap junk foods end up being more expensive in the long run due to their negative impact on health. When we were growing up no one realized that the chemicals in food can cause cancer. The high content of animal fats in food can cause cancer, but because you won’t drop dead when your eating processed foods the government allows manufacturers to continue using chemical substitutes.

#2 It’s Easy

This reason goes along with the being cheap part. Junk food is lurking in vending machines, convenience stores, and even stores that don’t typically sell food items might have snacks and sodas near the cashiers. And those instant meals I already mentioned? They’re easy to prepare, and you can store a bunch of them in your kitchen cabinets for a long time.

Of course, fast foods live up to the name. You can order a fast food meal and then eat it a minute or two later. Or you can order your meal from your car and save time by wolfing it down while you drive away.

That drive-thru thing isn’t good, though. Not only is the food bad for your health, but dropped fries can accumulate in your car, under the seat. And that gets kind of gross.

#3 It’s Sweet, Fatty or Salty (Or All Three)

Rarely do junk foods tempt you with delicate or complicated flavors? They pretty much hit you hard with sweet, fatty, and salty flavors. I think those simple flavors might be preferred by people who are picky eaters — it could be the slightly bitter flavor of many vegetables turns some people off, especially kids.

But it’s more than flavor. Various combinations of sugar and fat make for textures people like. Fat makes foods feel smooth and creamy, like ice cream. Starchy potato and corn chips cooked in hot oil have a satisfying crunch. That’s not to say that healthy foods don’t have a nice texture, but sometimes the textures of fresh fruits and vegetables take a little getting used to.

Then It Becomes a Habit

Since junk foods are easy to find, easy to make, and a lot of them just flat out taste good, consuming them becomes a habit. That’s the real problem. I mean eating a candy bar now and then or snarfing down a bag of fries once in a while isn’t all that big a deal. But when junk foods make up a big part of your daily diet, then you run the risk of becoming overweight and obese, plus you’re not going to get enough of the nutrients and fiber your body needs for good health.

So, next time you find yourself standing in line at a burger joint or staring at a vending machine, think about how your choice could affect your health. Then walk away and find something better.

Personally, I believe “convenience” is the reason we don’t just quit junk food.

Just bring your food with you, that way you know what you’re eating.

Look for my podcasts on anchor.fm, or the podcast app on your cell phone. Search "howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight"

If you really want to lose your body fat then look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.
There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.
My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.

A Great Snack Food, Nuts

 I found a great article about my favorite snack food.

Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD
Once viewed by some as a food too high in calories to enjoy on a regular basis, nuts are getting new respect.

Two recent studies have touted the benefits of nuts for blood sugar control. One, published in Diabetes Care, found that eating pistachio nuts daily may help people at risk of getting diabetes control their blood sugar. A second, published in PLOS One, found that tree nuts — including almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, and pecans, among others — may improve blood sugar control in people with type 2diabetes.

These are only a couple of many recent studies that point to the health benefits of eating nuts in moderation.

What are some of the top health benefits of nuts, as found in recent research?

Aside from helping with blood sugar, nuts have been linked with improving heart health and helping with weight control. A study from last year even suggested that eating nuts of any type may help you live longer.

This type of snack is all natural and more all natural foods in are diet will help us to live a healthier life. Resent science studies show that humans had a longer life span 3000, 4000 years ago and even 10,000 years ago. Science believes the average life span was about 150 years and some people lives over two hundred years.

Doctors have known about the heart-health benefits of nuts for a while, says Christine Rosenbloom, PhD, RDN. She’s a professor emerita of nutrition at Georgia State University and a nutrition consultant. The value of nuts to lower cholesterol has also been acknowledged, says Jessica Crandall, RDN. She’s the director for outpatient nutritional counseling at Sodexo Denver Wellness and Nutrition.

What’s more, researchers from Purdue University found that nuts are not linked with weight gain, despite their relatively high calorie count. An ounce of nuts has 160-200 calories, depending on the type.

What are the “good things” in nuts, and how do these substances work in our bodies?

The protein in nuts can help keep blood sugar stable, Crandall says. The fiber helps with weight control, partly by helping us feel full. Some say the ”crunch” value also adds to a feeling of fullness.

Nuts are about 80% fat, but mostly ”good” unsaturated fats. Other good stuff in nuts includes magnesium (which helps maintain the calcium-potassium balance in your body), folate (critical for a healthy brain), and vitamin E (to maintain a healthy circulatory system). They also have arginine, an amino acid that’s needed to make nitric oxide, which relaxes the blood vessels.

Plus, nuts can improve insulin sensitivity, which lowers diabetes risk, research has shown.

Are some nuts better or healthier than others?

“I think they are all healthy,” Rosenbloom says. “All are similar in protein, fiber, and fat [content].”

Still, she says, some nuts are higher in certain nutrients than others. For instance, almonds are the best source of vitamin E, she says. Cashews are a good source of magnesium, and pistachios are rich in the phytonutrients important to eye health, she says. “Eating a variety of the different kinds will give you all those [benefits].”

While peanuts are considered a legume by the peanut industry, since they’re grown in the ground, nutritionists consider them as healthy as other nuts because of their similar nutritional properties, Crandall says.

Nuts can be high in calories. Should you avoid them if you’re trying to lose weight?

Decades ago, Rosenbloom used to tell her clients trying to lose weight to avoid nuts. She doesn’t these days, though. Many people are surprised when she tells them to have nuts in moderation.

“What the research shows is, when you are consuming nuts — 1 or 2 ounces a day — your total calorie count does not go up,” Crandall says. It makes sense, she says, because nuts might often take the place of other snacks, like potato chips, that are less filling. Nuts’ protein and fiber, on the other hand, helps you feel full.

Pay attention to how many you eat, though, Rosenbloom says.
What is a serving of nuts?

In the studies, researchers often use 1 to 2 ounces as a serving, Rosenbloom says. She generally recommends an ounce as a serving size, with maybe 2 ounces for a very active man.

How many nuts do you get for an ounce? It depends on the nut, Crandall says. You can have roughly 25 almonds for an ounce-worth, but only 17 macadamia nuts.

An ounce of pistachios is about 49 nuts.

“I usually recommend people get unsalted,” Rosenbloom says. If those unsalted nuts are too bland, Crandall tells her patients to sprinkle on cinnamon and broil them, or add rosemary and garlic.

Rosenbloom warns clients to keep nuts in their proper place in the diet. “If you are taking a half-cup of walnuts and putting it over a hot fudge sundae, that’s not the healthy way to eat nuts.” I other words, she’s tell you that there’s no way to add anything to a hot fudge sundae and make it healthy to eat.

Rather, she says, add nuts to a tossed salad or a stir-fry dish.

People who like to buy the large, economy-size bags of nuts should portion them out at home, using small bags or containers for a 1-ounce serving, Rosenbloom says.

Fruits and nuts are all natural, grown but man and if you believe that organic is better than buy organic, but eaten in moderation any of these are healthy, they’ll help you with your diet and give you vitamins and minerals you might otherwise be missing.

Salads in restaurants use to be uninteresting and needed creamy salad dressings to interest customers, but today fruits and nuts are being introduced into salads with a spicy oil and vinegar dressing for a healthier choice. Watch the new menus, there are some healthy choices in restaurants.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Do I Have To Count Calories?

 Everyone who diets knows about counting calories. The experts have been telling us forever that all we need to do to lose weight is to eat fewer calories. But is that all it’s about? If that’s all there is to losing weight why are so many people overweight? I know, maybe it’s all about carbs? Or they tell us we have to exercise more or your doing the wrong type of exercise.

Not really, the whole idea of the low-carb diet was to get you to eat less junk food. Junk food is 90% carbs and has almost no nutritional value. But low-carb wasn’t the answer because you would cut back on junk for a while but never quit eating junk completely. And low-carb and low-fat foods usually have more sugar to put taste back in the food.

So what is the answer to weight loss? I believe that all calories are not equal and that you don’t need to count calories, you need to eat better food. The Atkins Diet is a good example of a healthy balanced diet. Another healthy diet is the Mediterranean diet. Below you’ll see a food pyramid showing the foods you can eat and how often to eat them.

If you notice the foods in the pyramid are all whole foods that supply lots of nutrition. And why is that important? Your body doesn’t count calories, your body can either process your food and turn it into energy or if it can’t process what you’re eating it will store it in your fat cells. I want to mention one thing, You only see a small amount of dairy products in the pyramid, that’s a tub of cottage cheese and a wedge of a hard cheese. So, why is there no other dairy? Dairy contains animal fats and the items in the pyramid contain only small amounts of fat and the red meat shown in the pyramid have to be eaten in small amounts.

It’s your choice. Do you want to eat real food or manufactured food?

When you change your diet to real food, you won’t eat as much. And when your body gets used to your new diet you’ll start to burn body fat. It’s not going to be quick, but with more physical activity the fat burning process will go faster.

It’s a good idea to download my eBook and learn how I lost 60 pounds, lost my fat and have more energy than I’ve had in 30 years. It’s not too late or impossible, no matter how heavy or how old. We can all improve our condition with a healthy diet and more activity.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Obesity Is 3X More Deadly For Men

Most Americans still think Obesity is for the seriously overweight, those people that are 400 pounds or more. It’s not true if your body mass is 30% fat you’re considered to be Obese. I found this post in a newsletter I received the other day.

(HealthDay News) — Obesity is nearly three times more deadly for men than it is for women, new research suggests.

In a study of nearly 4 million men and women around the globe, the risk of dying before the age of 70 was 19 percent for men and 11 percent for women of normal weight.

But that risk jumped to 30 percent and 15 percent, respectively, for obese men and women. That’s an absolute increased risk of 11 percent for men and 4 percent for women, the researchers reported.

Why do women have less risk? Women are able to carry more because they can give childbirth. Their system protects them almost all their lives from weight problems.

“Obesity is second only to smoking as a cause of premature death in America,” said lead researcher Richard Peto of Oxford in England. So how do you tell if you're obese? The easy way might be to ask your doctor, but if you want to know right now a good indicator is to measure your waist. The rule of thumb used to be “if your waist measures 40 inches. But so many people don’t measure their waist properly so it’s not very actuate. Then science came up with another way. If your waist measure more than half your height your overweight, but that still means that it depends on who is measuring. The right way to measure your waist is to start at the naval and measure around the body and back to the naval.

Every inch you can lose around your waist and you’ll become healthier. Your heart benefits the most, but you will lose weight and increase your energy level.

“If you could lose about 10 percent of your weight, a woman would knock 10 percent off the risk of dying before she was 70, and for a man, it would knock about 20 percent off,” Peto said.

Why obese men are at greater risk for premature death than women isn’t clear.

“Our study was not able to address this question, but previous observations have suggested that obese men have greater insulin resistance, liver fat levels, and diabetes risk than women,” said study co-author Dr. Emanuele Di Angelantonio, a lecturer at the University of Cambridge in England.

The British and Canadians do a lot more research on your health in general than we do in the U.S. because both countries have National Healthcare and anything that drives up the cost of healthcare will increase their taxes.

One U.S. expert said more research is needed to explore the apparent link between obesity and mortality.

Avoiding obesity has clear advantages for both men and women, Graubard said. “In addition, we know from other studies that physical activity can reduce mortality risk,” he said.

In the new study, researchers collected data on 3.9 million adults, aged 20 to 90. The information came from 189 previous studies in Europe, North America, and elsewhere. The investigators included data on all those who lived for at least another five years. Over the time of the study, nearly 400,000 participants died. The study findings showed that underweight people were also at risk for premature death.

The World Health Organization estimates that 1.3 billion adults worldwide are overweight, and 600 million more are obese. And, obesity has been strongly linked in previous research to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer, the researchers said.

This study overcomes many of the limitations of earlier efforts and “renders a clear and emphatic verdict — obesity increases the risk of premature death around the globe,” Katz said.

This study also indicates that the risk extends across the full range of overweight and obesity — the more severe the obesity, the graver the danger of early death.

Look for my podcasts on anchor.fm, or the podcast app on your cell phone. Search "howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight".

If you really want to lose your body fat then look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.
There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.
My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.

How To Lose Weight

This is from an article on MedicineNet.com, a great website to find answers to health problems. This is a long article that I’ll break up into 4 parts. Read on, I hope it helps you solve your weight loss problems.

The most effective method for weight loss is reducing the number of calories you consume while increasing the number of calories you burn through physical activity. To lose 1 pound, you need an expenditure of approximately 3,500 calories. You can achieve this either by cutting back on your food intake, increasing physical activity, or ideally, by doing both.

For example, if you consume 500 extra calories per day for one week without changing your activity level, you will gain 1 pound in weight (seven days multiplied by 500 calories equals 3,500 calories or the number of calories resulting in a 1-pound weight gain). Likewise, if you eat 500 fewer calories each day for a week or burn 500 calories per day through exercise for one week, you will lose 1 pound.

Examples of the calorie content of some popular foods and beverages include the following:

One slice of original-style crust pepperoni pizza – 230 calories
One glass of dry white wine – 160 calories
One can of cola – 150 calories
One quarter-pound hamburger with cheese – 500 calories
One jumbo banana nut muffin – 580 calories
Any activities you do throughout the day are added to your BMR (basal metabolic rate) to determine the total number of calories you burn each day. For example, a 170-pound person who spends 45 minutes walking briskly will burn about 300 calories. The same time spent on housecleaning burns about 200 calories, and mowing the lawn for 45 minutes consumes around 275 calories.
How fast should you expect to lose weight?

Most experts agree that a safe, healthy rate of weight loss is one to 1 to 1½ pounds per week. Modification of eating habits along with regular exercise is the most effective way to lose weight over the long term. It is also the ideal way to ensure that the weight stays off.

Starvation diets may result in rapid weight loss, but this type of weight loss can be unsafe and is almost impossible to maintain for most people. When food intake is severely restricted (below approximately 1,200 calories per day), the body begins to adapt to this state of poor nutrition by reducing its metabolic rate, potentially making it even more difficult to lose weight. In plain English, if your body thinks you’re starving it will quit burning calories. Not completely stop, but slow down so much that you’re not going to lose any weight. It is also possible to experience hunger pangs, bouts of hypoglycemia, headaches, and mood changes from overly stringent dieting. These symptoms can result in binge eating and weight gain. Since a highly restrictive diet is almost impossible to maintain for a long time, people who attempt to starve themselves thin often start to gain weight again when they stop dieting and resume their former eating habits. So simply you have to continually eat just in small amounts. Your body has to know there’s another meal coming soon. This method also avoids cravings.

Look for my podcasts on anchor.fm, or the podcast app on your cell phone. Search "howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight".

If you really want to lose your body fat then look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.
There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.
My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.

The Best Way To Lose Weight

 Most people don’t change their habits until they have to. And that includes eating habits. Changing your eating habits will change your life. It’s not that hard. Most important is to change your portions. If everyone kept a journal of everything they eat all day long and keep the journal for one month, I think you’d be shocked how much you consume every day.

You don’t have to fill up when you eat. The idea that you only eat twice or three times a day is obsolete. When you only eat twice a day, your body gets use to it. Your body expects you to fill up so you can get to the next meal, the problem is that you don’t burn up all that food and then your body stores the excess. After a few weeks of storing the excess you’ve put on some weight.

Start early with breakfast shortly after you wake up. You have to start your metabolism every morning with food. The earlier you eat in the morning the more calories you’ll burn that day. Nothing big, but something like yogurt or a bowl of cereal, whole wheat toast and coffee or better juice, approx. 300 calories. Now if you eat lunch at 12:00 or so, you’ll need something about 9:30, maybe fruit or yogurt, approx. 200 calories. Actually lunch should be a big meal, bigger than dinner. This depends on your job. For active people, with a job that keeps you moving a big lunch might fit your lifestyle; remember to eat healthy, approx. 500 calories. This gives you all afternoon to work it off. If you need something in the afternoon to make it to dinner, I usually eat something about 4, approx.200 calories. I might have more fruit, but some people will eat something more substantial like half a sandwich. The important thing is not to eat snack food or candy or any junk food. That’s were dieters make a mistake. They eat small meals or skip meals to lose weight, then they have to snack and they eat the wrong think. Men should have no more than 1800 calories a day, women about 1500 calories. Remember to count all that you eat and drink. Often drinks will amount to more calories then the food you eat.

The kind of food we eat can also be your problem. O.K., your cutting back on sweets and cutting back on portions but your always hungry and you don’t have any energy. Your workouts are exhausting. Now what? Well, don’t quit. Your problem is the food your eating.

When you cut back on the amount of food you eat your cutting back on your nutritional intake and the way to solve that is to change the food your eating. Green vegetables have very little calories and lots of nutrition. You need to eat protein but try and get most of your protein from plants. Animal protein should be eaten only about once a week. Fish is good protein, poultry is not really animal protein, eggs are not animal protein. Red meat is animal protein, pork is animal protein.

Anyone who cuts back on food to lose weight and then goes back to their regular diet will gain back the weight. Going back to your regular diet means returning to that portion size that originally put the weight on. Yes, it is about what you eat, but almost more important is how much you eat. You really don’t burn that many calories when you workout. You can’t burn off a lunch with a 60 minute power walk. Small portions are the way to cut your food intake, which cuts the calorie intake. If you really want to lose weight permanently than change what you eat, change your portions and get out of that three meal a day habit. I think six small meals a day make more sense, remember to count calories.

When I was looking for a diet plan that was going to work for me, I found the Mediterranean diet. I like this plan immediately.

What is the Mediterranean diet?
I know you’ve heard of the Mediterranean diet, anyone who’s been dieting know about this one. Except, must of us who decide to go on a diet look for quick results. This isn’t that kind of diet, this is more of a lifestyle of correct eating. By following the guide they outline over time excess fat will disappear and you will become a healthier person. Read the following and then do your own research.

The Mediterranean Diet has been around for thousands of years in the Mediterranean region where the focus is on naturally abundant, heart healthy foods. It has become more popular in recent years because the long terms benefits have been proven repeatedly by studies and because it is relatively simple to follow. It groups foods based on the frequency you should eat them to emphasize their benefits and minimize risk factors. How beneficial is this diet? Just recently the New England Journal of Medicine released a study that, among other things, cited a 30% lower chance of heart disease for people following this diet plan than those who did not. Many of the foods focused on in the diet don’t just prevent heart disease but also lower risks of Alzheimer’s disease and the occurrence of cancer.

DAILY
Foods consumed daily include fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, potatoes, couscous, quinoa, and whole grains like bread, pasta, and rice. Cheese and yogurt are also recommended but only in the low fat form. Olive oil is the preferred added fat as it’s plant source means it’s low in saturated fat. Another daily recommendation? Physical activity!

WEEKLY
With a solid base of daily foods serving as the foundation of your nutrition, the weekly foods are also very good for you and make excellent sources of healthy fats. This includes fish, poultry, eggs, and sweets. These foods are high in protein and many other minerals while the limited inclusion of sweets/refined sugars allows you to indulge in moderation to satisfy other cravings. Remember the key is moderation.

MONTHLY
The monthly food in the Mediterranean diet is red meat. It’s impossible to deny the benefits of red meat as a valuable source of protein and iron but it is also high in saturated fats. Eating red meat sparingly allows for variety in the diet and still takes advantage of other benefits.

HOW IT APPLIES TO ATHLETES
The Mediterranean diet is fairly well balanced and has a great emphasis on natural, unprocessed foods that are high in vitamins and minerals but also low in unsaturated fats. It should be noted that this diet was not designed for athletes or weight loss but rather an overall healthy lifestyle. That said, it’s easy to balance the athlete’s needs for carbs and proteins with the daily and weekly rotation of foods if you pay attention to what you’re putting in your body.

BOTTOM LINE
The Mediterranean diet has been around for a long time and unlike many fad diets, it’s focus on a long term healthy lifestyle and daily exercise make it a legitimate routine that will pay off over and over. It’s not ideal for vegetarians or people with a gluten-sensitivity or lactose intolerance but it does work, and work very well, for many other people. The important thing to remember is to stick with one diet during your training camp and avoid changing or experimenting with your routine until it’s over. After that, give it a shot and see if it works for you. Search on the internet “Mediterranean Diet” and you’ll find a wealth of information and a chart that looks like a food pyramid. Follow the chart, it gives you lots of choices.

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