Thursday, July 11, 2019

The Top 10 Weight Loss Secrets : 4. DIET


Your diet, the food you choose to eat, is a crucial step on your road to weight loss success. As I stated earlier, I believe weight loss success is achieved through a combination of sound nutritional principles and regular exercise. However, it seems as though much of the information available points toward an exact combination of foods, or the elimination of others, in order to successfully lose weight. I am here to tell you, this is not the case. You will be thin if you eat fewer calories than you expend. Plain and simple. But if you do not take to heart and APPLY the principles listed above, no matter which "diet" you choose, ultimately weight loss success will not be yours.

So, how do you know which diet to choose? The answer is as simple as understanding what your goal is, and how you intend to arrive there. Do you want to lose weight? Are you going to do a lot of aerobic exercise? Are you going to do a lot of anaerobic exercise? How often do you plan on exercising? How active are you in your daily life outside of exercise?

Once you have arrived at answers to these questions, you can begin to determine the nutritional requirements for you, your body, and your tastes. Based on your activity levels and your goals, you should eat the appropriate amount of carbohydrates, fats, and protein to supply your body with sufficient nutrients. The key is to choose the healthiest foods possible that fit your tastes, and that meet your requirements. Diets are not one size fits all.

Your body's main source of energy is carbohydrates, which come in two forms; simple and complex. Complex are starches from grains and vegetables. Examples of simple are sucrose, lactose, fructose, and glucose. No matter which type of carbohydrate you ingest, it ALL gets converted to glucose, commonly referred to as blood sugar. The only difference then, between the simple and the complex carbohydrates, is the rate at which your body digests them. How much, at what times, and which type of carbohydrate you consume should be based on your tastes, your activity levels, and your goals.


Protein is another essential component of a healthy diet. Protein does far more for the body than build muscle. Proteins in the body in the form of enzymes, perform numerous functions, including keeping your brain, heart, and digestive system functioning properly. Protein is made from 20 different amino acids, 9 of which are considered "essential" amino acids. Essential because your body does not have the ability to manufacture these 9, it must obtain them from your diet. If you eat animal based foods, chances are you have nothing to worry about. However if you eat a vegetarian diet, then you must make it a point to eat the right combination of foods containing plant proteins which will supply your body with the 9 essential amino acids. So how much protein do you need? Again, as with carbohydrates, the amount you need depends largely upon your goals, and your activity levels.

Fats are often misunderstood. People shy away from high fat foods, consistently looking for "low" or "non-fat" foods, when if weight loss is the concern, people should be far more concerned about the calories, and the ingredients in their food, and not just the amount of fat that it has. Fat has a tendency to make people "fat" because it is so calorie dense. One gram of fat has 9 calories, whereas a gram of carbohydrates, or protein has only 4. There are different types of fat, some of which are healthy for the body, and some which are not. We need, on average, 15-25 grams of fat a day to provide our body with proper nutrition, and to ensure we have enough fatty acids to absorb the fat soluble vitamins. Your body can manufacture saturated, and monounsaturated fat from other foods that you eat, however it can not manufacture the fatty acids, or the omega-6 and omega-3. You must obtain these directly from foods which contain them. These fatty acids are built into the tissues of your heart, brain, and other vital organs, and must be replenished through your diet.

Adequate consumption of vitamins and minerals also plays an important role in healthy nutrition. The bottom line is that there is no one food you should be having, and no one food you shouldn't be having to attain weight loss success. The answer lies in understanding your body's requirements, and in fulfilling them with healthy, whole foods consumed in moderation. Once you determine what food is right for you, MAKE A PLAN AND STICK TO IT!!! Don't try it for a week then go to something else. KNOWLEDGE, PLANNING, and CONSISTENCY are the keys to a successful diet strategy.

↪ 5. EXERCISE 



No comments: