Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Fast Weight Loss Here

By Nick Angelo

Many people need to lose some weight, that's a fact. Look around where people gather, you'll notice the fat. Look in the mirror, unfortunately you'll likely see it there too. If you've made fast weight loss your goal, keep these simple things in mind to take off the pounds quickly and safely.

When people want to lose weight one of the most common things they do is to skip meals. Hey, if eating fewer calories is the goal then why not skip breakfast or lunch. Doesn't weight loss come with eating less calories? That's correct but skipping meals isn't 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 shortage of food. Another problem with skipping meals is that when you finally eat you'll be a lot more hungry. The result is binge eating. Skipping a meal plus binge eating, then, will likely result in eating more calories and the body gaining even more weight from those calories than normally. It's the worst of both worlds. Don't skip meals.

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. Portion control isn't easy when large portions are so common. Restaurants serve over large portions, as do most people at home. The FDA and other sources 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 will make you feel fuller faster and 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 water between meals too. In fact, the goal is 8 glasses of water each day. It's easily possible. Drinking water will also promote health in general by keeping you well hydrated and cool.

Eat healthy snacks between meals. The body needs food every three to four hours to maintain proper blood sugar. Eating healthy snacks, such as fruits, helps control eating at meal times.

Fast weight loss isn't impossible with a little knowledge and planning. It won't be long before you're slimmer and trimmer. - 17943

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