The first step to natural weight loss is to stop eating junk
food, i.e., cookies, cakes and all other forms of dessert.
Just stop, at least for a while. Also, natural weight loss
includes any form of exercise. Walk to the post office,
walk to get your coffee, walk to get your newspaper, walk
your dog one more time in the morning. Just do it. Exercise
is a great form of weight loss by itself and even better
when combined with a good diet. Lastly, natural weight
loss includes an understanding and appreciation of the
foods you eat. You must understand the difference between
and the benefits of protein, carbohydrates and fat.
Now, don’t worry about giving up everything “bad’ in
order to lose weight. Just stop for a couple of weeks. Thereafter,
feel free to cheat every once in a while, maybe once per
week. When I began my natural weight loss regimen many years
ago, I would venture to my favorite bistro each Friday for
the greasiest and tastiest burger in all of Colorado. It
was a nice change of pace and made my new weight loss and
life habits less restrictive. If you are habitually used
to eating “bad” food at specific times of day
or when doing specific things, think about substituting fruit
or vegetables or just changing your habits. In other words,
do something else that does not remind you that you want
junk food.
The other variable to change when embarking on a natural
weight loss regimen is your mindset. Give yourself a good
chance of accomplishing your weight loss goal and know that
physical trouble lay ahead if you continue on an unhealthy
diet. Natural weight loss does not mean crash dieting. Weight
can disappear with a crash diet but you will regain it with
possible harmful side effects later. You most likely also
will encounter problems if you ignore exercise. Muscles must
be kept toned so that they support your bone structure. Muscles
not exercised tend to atrophy and will not support unnatural
movements, slipping, picking up children, bending over to
grab that case of Coke from the backseat of your car, etc.
Natural Weight Loss – Proteins,
Carbohydrates, Fats
Natural weight loss is hard to accomplish unless you understand
that your body requires a balanced regimen from 3 food
groups: proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Perhaps even
a 4th food group is in existence called artificial foods
comprised of artificial sweeteners, preservatives, flavorings
and additives. The FDA has approved them to be safe for
consumption but natural weight loss is made more difficult
because this food group contains no nutritive value.
Protein – the best and most complete sources of protein
are meat, fish, seafood, eggs, cheese and poultry. Other
sources are nuts, legumes, seeds and wheat
Carbohydrates – sources of carbohydrates range from
starches (breads, pasta, rice) – to sugars, (fruits
and vegetables.)
Fats – sources of fat include vegetable oils – olive
oil and canola oil, sunflower oil – animal fats like
butter and fish oils.
The food pyramid is a government-published graphic illustration
of recommended dietary guidelines intended to inform the
public of the best and most nutritive foods and food groups.
Imagine a graphical pyramid, conically shaped with the wider
surface facing south and the pointed edge turned north. The
pyramid is divided into 4 sections, top to bottom. The sections
nearest the top are the food groups that the body should
not consume in large portions. The sections nearest the bottom
are the food groups that the body is intended to consume
in larger and more regular portions.
Layer #1 at the top of the food pyramid is labeled fats
and sweets.
Layer #2 of the food pyramid is labeled low-to-moderate glycemic
grains.
Layer #3 of the food pyramid is labeled meats and dairy.
Layer #4 on the bottom of the food pyramid is labeled fruits
and vegetables.
Notice that the food pyramid suggests that we curtail our
consumption of starches. Starches contribute to high cholesterol
levels, high triglycerides and high blood sugar levels. The
best form of starch to consume – a low glycemic grain – is
barley or very long cooked steel cut oats which provoke only
a slight to moderate rise in blood sugar levels. Higher glycemic
carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice cakes and white bread
provoke a quick rise in blood sugar levels which can seriously
impede the progress of your natural weight loss regimen and
lead to obesity and a higher risk of diabetes. Safe
weight loss and carbohydrates discusses the relationship between
increased insulin levels and high glycemic foods.
Lastly, the food pyramid suggests that we consume up to
5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily to enhance weight
loss efforts and to provide our bodies with the ever important
phytonutrients it needs. Phytonutrients have not been successfully
synthesized so the only way to consume them is to eat fruits
and vegetables. Phytonutrients are the nutrients in plants
that contain health-protecting qualities and help prevent
diseases such as cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes.
The Fit For Life Diet Plan will elaborate on the benefits
and qualities of fruits and vegetables and their role in
health and weight loss. |
