Low-carb dieting for weight loss?

December 23, 2008 | 3 Comments

I have briefly mentioned about the relationship between carbohydrates and quick weight loss previously. Let me share some information about low-carbohydrate diet, or low-carb diet, in this post.

Losing weight is a goal for so many people - be it for health and medical reasons, or merely vanity at play - that everybody is searching for quick and easy ways to lose weight. Low-carb dieting has become a weight loss trend in the recent years since the creation of the Atkins Diet by Dr Robert Atkins

Besides low-carb diets, there are also many different diets out there. The truth is - most of them will achieve weight loss if they are followed correctly. It is also important to find a diet that you can easily follow.

Low-carb diets seem to suit many people because the principles are quite easy to follow. As the name suggests, the diet consists of avoiding or limiting foods that are high in carbohydrates. These include bread, pasta, potatoes, rice and other grains. Sugar is also a carbohydrate. Once you understand what these foods are, it is a simply choosing dishes to avoid them.

However, low-carbohydrate dieting also receives a lot of criticism. Since dieters will get most of their daily calories from meat, dairy and other protein-rich and high fat products with this type of diet, it can lead to high cholesterol and other problems related to a high intake of saturated fats. It is therefore wise to ask for medical advice before starting this type of diet.

One of the problems that many people experience with low-carb dieting is the elimination of bread and pasta. You can forget about toast, spaghetti or pizza! You should know by now that many of the foods that are quickest to prepare are based around carbohydrates - burgers in their buns, fries, sandwiches, pasta and sauce.

Beer and other alcoholic drinks are high in carbohydrates, too. That is why alcohol is generally restricted on any diet - especially in low-carb diets - due to its high calorie content and very low nutritional value.

Nevertheless, there are many foods that can be enjoyed on a low-carb diet. If you are fond of meat you will relish the opportunity to consume beef, chicken and other animal products.

So, a lot of times people cannot handle this kind of diet restrictions in the longer term, despite seeing good weight loss results. Eventually, they start to deviate from the diet.

While low-carb dieting works for many people, it really is a matter of finding a diet plan that suits you in order to achieve your weight loss goal without hurting your health.

Note: You may want to find out whether your are a carbohydrate-, protein- or mixed-type person before even considering using a low-carb diet plan. Take the metabolic typing test in The Diet Solution Program. You can also read my review of the Diet Solution Program.

Posted by Valen | Filed Under Weight loss diet

Health weight loss - it’s about eating healthy and portion control

December 10, 2008 | Leave a Comment

We all almost always related weight gain to eating junk foods. But what if you are already eating healthy foods but still see your weight up by a few pounds? The answer to this question may then be - you’re overeating. When you eat more than what you need, you will certainly gain weight. Naturally, you will have to solve this weight gain problem with portion control.

However, the ‘portion control’ here is not so much about controlling the amount of food on your plate. Instead, it is about controlling your daily calorie consumption. Your weight gain problem, despite a healthy diet, could be due to you consuming more calories than what your body needs, and consequently causes you to gain weight.

What to do?
It is important for you to know your calorie need per day in order to lose weight or maintain weight, and that depends on how active you are, how much of your weight is fat, and how much of it is lean mass. If you have a true overweight problem, then calorie counting becomes an important part of your weight loss plan. To know how much calories you are consuming daily, just check the calorie contents stated in the package labels of the foods you buy. Are you consuming too much? You should cut it down then.

Find out how much calories you need each day by using this calorie counter for men and this calorie counter for women.

Of course, when you reduce your food intake, you calorie intake may also reduce accordingly. So you can try control your portions by eating on a smaller plate as well. It’s a ‘psychological strategy’, you may put it. Think of this: if you eat less food on a bigger plate, you will ‘feel’ that you are eating less, even though it could be untrue. Besides filling up your stomach, you have to satiate your mind and eyes, too. And the only way to achieve both goals is by using a smaller plate.

When you use a smaller plate, it will naturally be full to the brim. You maybe eating the same amount of food as before, but your mind you will actually believe that you are eating a lot more! Once your mind is satiated, you won’t feel tempted to eat any junk foods. You see, most people overeat not because they are hungry but because they want to derive emotional comfort from food. That happens to me occasionally. ;P

Other ways to reduce your food intake without having to starve yourself is to add raw fruits and vegetables to every meal you eat. This is because fruits and vegetables, especially when eaten in their raw forms, can satiate you very quickly and even keep you full for a long time because they are rich in fiber.

So, remember two rules in your weight loss diet - choose healthy food and control the portion you eat.

Posted by Valen | Filed Under Weight loss diet

Quick weight loss - the effect of carbohydrates

December 5, 2008 | 2 Comments

One of the common misconceptions about weight loss diet is regarding carbohydrates. Most of us think that carbohydrates are bad, and that if we can reduce carbohydrate intake, or even better, totally avoid carbohydrates, then weight loss will become easier. However, that is not entirely true.

Just like cholesterol, carbohydrates can also be grouped into two types: the good and the bad.

Of course, you would want to avoid the ‘bad’ carbohydrates, but let the ‘good’ ones (aka the healthy carbohydrates) provide the nutrition and energy your body needs. Consuming the ‘good’ carbohydrates will assist in quick weight loss.

The Bad Carbohydrates

What food contains bad carbohydrates? Processed foods!!

Examples: breakfast cereals, chips, white bread, pasta, cakes, biscuits, candies, etc.

While the foods (or the ingredients that made up the foods) do contain some nutrition in their natural state, much of their nutrition value is lost going through several food processing stages. What remain are empty calories that only make you fat and nothing else.

Furthermore, processed foods contain high amount of salt and sugar. Sugar is rich in calorie content. The more sugar you consume, the more weight you gain for sure! While salt does not have effect on body fat, high consumption of salt does cause temporary weight gain as it causes the body to retain water. More importantly, a high-salt diet increases your risk of high blood pressure.

The Good Carbohydrates

What are good carbohydrates then? Good carbohydrates can usually be found in natural foods, such as raw fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, wholemeal pasta, wholegrain wheat, etc.

These foods contain good carbohydrates; they are not the ones that would make you fat. Unlike the carbohydrates found in processed foods, these are slow carbohydrates which take a long time to digest. In addition, they also contain high amount of fiber. Fiber will keep you full for a long time, and is a natural way to suppress your appetite.

So, not all carbohydrates are bad. Choosing the right carbohydrates to consume will help to result in quick weight loss.

Should you eat more carbohydrates or proteins to lose weight? Determine your metabolic type first. Take the metabolic typing test in the Diet Solution Program to find out if you are a Carbohydrate type, a Protein type, or Mixed type. You will understand better why certain foods are ideal for your body, so that you can make the best choices for your quick weight loss meal plan.

Posted by Valen | Filed Under Weight loss diet

Lose weight and reach ideal body weight with healthy cooking

November 30, 2008 | 3 Comments

Today is Sunday, but there is no time for rest as my parents in law’s family is coming over for dinner tonight. So, it’s a busy cleaning and cooking day for me. (I have a lot to do after writing this post!)

My menu for today’s dinner will be:
1. Roast chicken
2. Grilled spareribs
3. Grilled scallop with asparagus
4. Stir-fried mix vegetables

How does that sound?

The roast chicken recipe I have suggests to rub BUTTER with herbs over the chicken skin and also spread under the chicken skin before putting it into the oven. That doesn’t sound very healthy, huh?

So, I am going to change the recipe. Instead of using butter, I will just marinate the chicken with lemon and ginger peels, soya sauce, pepper and herbs. Right before I put the chicken into the oven, I will just drizzle some sunflower seed oil over the chicken and bake it together with a mixture of fresh herbs, potatoes and carrots. This sounds much better, isn’t it?

Remember, in order to lose weight to reach ideal body weight and become healthy, one doesn’t have to go ‘dieting’. Focus on healthy eating instead! That’s why instead of frying the ribs and scallops I go for grilling because less oil will be required when cooking this way.

Speaking of eating healthily, you would also want to keep that in mind this Christmas. ;P There are some tips on how to lose weight before Christmas and how to keep weight off during Christmas. Hope those tips will help to keep your weight under control this coming holiday!

Posted by Valen | Filed Under Weight loss diet