Friday, February 27, 2009

Is Accelerated Fat Loss Healthy

By Cathy M

There's no doubt that many people need to lose a few pounds. Walk around where people gather, you'll see it. Don't laugh. Unfortunately you're likely to see it in the mirror too. When your goal is fast weight loss, keep these simple things in mind to lose the pounds quickly and safely.

Skipping meals is one of the first things people often think about when they want to lose weight. Hey, if eating fewer calories is the goal then why not skip breakfast or lunch. Fewer calories means losing weight, right? Yes, but skipping meals is a mistake, not the right way to reduce calories. Your body thinks it's being starved when you skip meals. It goes into starvation mode. It starts to retain fat to counteract what it perceives as a food shortage.

Another problem with skipping meals is that when you finally eat you'll be a lot more hungry. The result is binge eating. Skipping meals is the worst of both worlds that results in gaining even more weight. Don't do it.

Know how much to eat. Portion control is just as important as eating the right food. Too much of even a healthy food still results in weight gain. It's hard to do when large portions are so common. Restaurants and even most people in home cooking serve portions far larger than needed. Sources such as the FDA list recommended daily allowances. And remember portion size when you eat at restaurants, especially fast food restaurants. Don't eat the full portion served at the restaurant, or order less than a full meal, such as soup and a salad.

Eat more whole grain foods, skip the white grains such as white bread, sugar and white rice. Whole grains are lower in fat and higher in nutrients. The fiber in whole grains helps you become full faster, and feel fuller longer. Also whole grains contain many nutrients that are often lacking in people's diets.

Consume more water. Drink it instead of juices and sodas which add about 90,000 calories to the average person's diet each year. Drink it between meals too. In fact, the goal is 8 glasses of water each day. It seems like a lot, but it's not. Drinking water will also promote health in general by keeping you well hydrated and cool.

In order to maintain proper blood sugar eat healthy snacks between meals since the body needs food every three to four hours. Healthy snacks also help control eating at meal times.

Fast weight loss is realistic with some knowledge and planning. It won't be long before you're slimmer and trimmer. - 15255

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