losing weight

Track Your Intake To Lose Weight: Food Diary

January 31, 2015 by

It’s amazing. Really. I am in the morbidly obese category even though I don’t look THAT big. (Denial, much?). And yet I always proclaimed that I didn’t eat much.

You know what? I didn’t. So imagine my quandary as to how someone who didn’t eat much could continually gain weight or at least stay well overweight.

No more confusion. I’ve been tracking my food and drink intake with myfitnesspal.

It’s a very useful app and if for nothing other than making you realise what you eat and drink adds to your problem then you need to get it (or something similar).

Benefits of keeping a food diary

What I realised when I started tracking using this app was that

1. I didn’t eat a lot (lucky to hit 1200 calories some days)

2. what I ate was the problem!

When you see the calories in one Anzac biscuit (123 calories) it doesn’t sound much. But when you scoff down 3 – that’s an entire meal full of calories! Compare that to nibbling on a cupful of cherries (74 cals) and you start to learn about better food choices.

That’s the thing that I have gained most from using this app to track my calories – that most of my habitual food choices are high calorie. So even though I don’t eat lots (in my mind) those nibbles and snacks on low-nutrient-dense foods that just satisfy my mouth are the reason I carry so much weight.

Solution? Eat foods that still appeal and satisfy but that do not have the high calorie load.

Usually that means fresh foods or least-processed foods. OR. Still having what I want but limiting the quantity.

Yeah. Haven’t learned that one yet so my best solution is to avoid buying those treats. I know when I think of heading to the shops on the way home to get ‘something’, my subconscious is trying to pull a swifty and push me into buying chocolates, cakes, lollies, pies, biscuits, ice-cream … you know, that food you’d kill for!

Apps like myfitnesspal also show you the nutrient breakdown of foods and drinks etc. That is also very educational if you have no clue whether a sugar is a sugar or a carb or what. Also, by paying attention to your balance of macro-nutrients (carbs v protein v fats) you start to understand what you need to take in during the day to stay in balance.

Filling out your food journal

Now when tracking, it’s real easy to ‘forget’ so the advantage of an app on your phone is that it’s usually always with you. Doesn’t take long to train yourself to think “oh, I must log that”. You get bonus points when you think about having something and check the calories on the app BEFORE you eat it! Then you know you’re in mode to really start losing weight!

Tracking is about capturing everything that goes in your mouth so include pills and supplements too. Remember to add sauces and condiments – they all add up. Oh, and one thing you’ll realise is that alcohol can be a calorie killer – so if you can’t restrain yourself after one drink a week – abstain completely! Alcohol sure punches above its weight in the calorie department.

Whether you use a phone app, a paper based food diary, a food journal book doesn’t matter. It matters that you TRACK DAILY. Once you get into the habit of tracking your intake you’ll become so much more aware of what to eat or drink and make better food selections. And that will lead to losing weight over time. Educational and practical. Great way to go!

How Does Dieting Impact Weight Loss?

October 23, 2014 by mello

Diet has become a dirty four-letter word for many people!

Yet diet is simply the kinds and quantities of food you habitually intake. So in essence you are already on a diet. It just may not be one that is serving you well.

A diet that is not serving you well may result in excess weight. Excess weight is often referred to by the term overweight or in more serious cases, obesity. Where the body accumulates more fat than is being processed or burned by the normal metabolism, that leads to excess weight gain. In some cases, this can be genetic but in most, there is a dietary issue that needs to be addressed. Excess weight is measured in what is called body mass index or BMI according to the fitness and medical circles. BMI is arrived at by dividing weight by height and then squaring the result. A BMI of 25-29kg/m is considered overweight. A reading of 30 or more is in the obese category.

Obesity is outright dangerous. Medical research shows that the chances of a heart attack are exponentially increased the higher the BMI goes. People who are overweight also struggle with a myriad of other complications. These include diabetes, some cancers, high blood pressure, gallstones, sleep apnea, and more. Want me to stop? That’s just the medical view. Obese people also have to deal with a low self-esteem, being ridiculed or preached to, withdrawal from regular activities, loss of job prospects, limited clothing choices and so it goes on.

How does diet help?

There is a direct correlation between weight loss and dieting according to researchers and nutritionists. Education is key. Learning to read and understand the labels when shopping is a lifesaver. There are some foods which have a higher caloric content than others, have increased amounts of sodium or trans-fats or sugar and knowing this will put you on the right track. It allows you to compare products and ake better choices if you have to buy processed food products. It’s also worthwhile familiarizing yourself with the food pyramid although some argue the pyramid should be inverted. Take a look for yourself by going to the government website.

Please remember that “dieting” does not mean starving yourself. It can mean that you are being more careful as to what you eat. Being more mindful of what goes in your mouth will help enormously. Apps like myfitnesspal give you a good idea of what nutritional values a food has – check them out before you eat. Logging your food intake and the calories as well as nutritional value is pretty sobering in my experience.

Losing Weight Naturally

October 20, 2014 by

By ‘natural’ we mean not losing weight using any supplements, pills, dietary products or other aids. Using food and preferably fresh food is the better way to lose weight over the long-term.

You have read all that you need to know about how to stop being overweight. That simple set of instructions should be easy to follow, but not for the 50% of Australians who are unable to prevent being overweight.

When we are overweight we usually want to trim down for a whole lot of reasons: some related to health, others having to do with perception – our own or others.

It really is never too late to lose weight.

It is obviously a whole lot easier to prevent putting on weight in the first place than to try losing it.

One thing we all know is that weight gain is likely to continue if we do not take active steps to stop it.

Evidence shows that many people who are trying to lose weight invariably stray. They tend to go back to their old eating habits even after they learn to adopt better eating habits. They tend to return to sedentary ways even though they enjoy exercising.

The good news is that despite the momentum toward weight gain, you can stop it from happening.

Health is a major factor in choosing to lose weight. Being overweight takes a huge toll on people’s physical health and longevity.

The Way to Losing Weight…Naturally

The nuts and bolts of eating right to maintain a healthy weight is not all that complicated. In fact, it is a good bet that most people pretty well know what is best. Hence, losing weight the natural way should not be a problem at all.

Consequently, an accepted reasonable approach for losing weight naturally is to stick to a diet that is high in complex carbohydrates, high in fiber, moderate in protein, and low in fat.

Not sure what they are? A complex carbohydrate is a baked potato. Fat is the sour cream and butter you should not put on it. Fiber is vegetables. Fat is the oil you should not fry them in. Protein is a lean cut of meat. Fat is the gravy you should not pour over it.

Health experts argue that dietary fat promotes weight gain because it is a very dense source of calories. Also, when you consume excess calories from dietary fat, you store those calories as body fat more efficiently than excess calories from other sources. In this case, more efficient is not good – it means your body hangs onto the fat really well!

Do not fall into the so-called “fat-free” trap – that will not help you lose weight naturally or otherwise. Manufacturers keep coming out with low-fat or fat-free versions of their best-selling foods, but Americans keep getting fatter anyway. Why? Check the label. Often you will find more sugar or salt added to compensate.

One of the greatest misbeliefs is that “no fat” means “non-fattening.” The truth is, you are often getting just as many calories from the no-fat version, even if the calories are not coming from fat.

The term fat-free can be a trap if you start to believe that you can eat any amount of the foods that are advertised that way.

Get used to reading labels. ‘Fat-free’ is an indicator, not a license to eat!

Learn to to respond to hunger with healthier snacks. Some health experts suggest it’s better to eat every three to four hours to keep your metabolism stable. Just make sure it’s a nutritious low-fat snack between lunch and dinner.

When you feel the urge for food coming on, snacking on something healthy such as a slice of whole-grain toasted bread is a better alternative to a biscuit. By the way, never skip a meal and eat snacks instead – that is the worst thing you can do if you are trying to control your eating habits and weight.

Remember, if you want to lose weight naturally, you have to keep track of every food you eat and of every activity that you do.

Losing weight naturally is a process and not a fad.

It’s going to be slow. It’s going to need determination, self-control and discipline to make the lifestyle changes that will lead to permanent weight loss and achieve your ideal weight.

And you’re so worth it!

Why Is Losing Weight Good For You?

October 16, 2014 by

Who does NOT know that there are huge benefits that accrue from losing weight?

If we know the health benefits, why don’t we just lose weight? Of course, if it were easy there would not be a multi-million dollar industry attached to it because we would all lose any weight we wanted on demand!

Because it is not easy, it’s hard to stay motivated to shed those unwanted and unhealthy pounds and that makes yo-yo dieting a reality: lose a bit, gain more, lose a bit, gain more again.

Sometimes to stick at a new diet we need a reminder of the significant advantages gained from losing excess weight.

Weight loss prevents high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

There is a three in one benefit from losing weight right there.
It is a fact that heart disease and stroke are one of the primary reasons for disability and death in both men and women in Western countries. In some countries, heart disease is now the leading cause of death in women.
People who are overweight are more likely to have elevated levels of cholesterol in their blood stream as well as triglycerides (also known as blood fat).
Angina, one type of heart disease, could cause chest pains as well as a decrease in the oxygen pumped to the heart.
Sudden death can occur from heart disease and stroke, and usually this strikes with very little in the way of warning signs or symptoms.

It is a fact that by decreasing your weight by a mere five to ten percent, you could positively decrease the chances of having or developing heart disease or a stroke. Naturally, your heart functions would also improve and your blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride count would decrease.

Weight loss prevents type 2 diabetes

Diabetes is a debilitating and dangerous disease. At best it is tedious to monitor. It is life-threatening and unpleasant complications arise from having it.
Both types of diabetes, type one and type two are linked with being overweight.
To those who already have diabetes, regular exercise and losing weight could help in controlling blood sugar levels as well as reducing the medication you may be currently taking.
Increase your physical activity any way you can. You could simply walk, jog or dance. It helps get those blood streams moving as well as lose that unnecessary weight.

Weight loss helps reduce your risk for cancer

Being overweight is linked with a number of forms of cancer.
For women, the more common types of weight-related cancer include cancer of the uterus, gallbladder, ovary, breast, and colon. This is not meant to scare you, this is only to keep you informed.
Men are at risk too from developing cancer if they are overweight. These include cancer of the colon, prostate and rectum.

Extra weight and a diet high in fat and cholesterol should be avoided as much as possible.

Weight loss reduces sleep apnea

It could even eliminate it altogether.
Sleep apnea is a sleeping condition where one temporarily stops breathing for a brief period and then the heart needs to kick-start the breathing again putting excess strain on the heart.
Sleep apnea is also associated with heavy snoring.
Sleep apnea could cause drowsiness or sleepiness during the day and in chronic cases could result in heart failure.

Shedding those excess pounds could help in eliminating the symptoms and possibly the problem itself.

Weight loss reduces the pain of osteoarthritis

If you carry a lot of weight, you will know that this weighs on your joints – knees, hips and lower back.
These body parts have to exert double, if not triple, effort to carry you throughout your waking, walking and moving life.
This could cause further tension and stress on these joints.
Weight loss decreases the load these joints carry thus decreasing – if not eliminating – the pain of osteoarthritis.

Factoid: a ten percent reduction in weight takes 50% of pressure off the knees. And that could mean no replacement knee surgery for some!

Being overweight seems inconvenient, uncomfortable and demoralizing. But think about the physical consequences of what it is doing to your body. This amazingly functioning machine that you are destroying by not addressing your weight. Do yourself a favor. When motivation to lose weight wanes, think about what you are doing to your body – much of the damage unseen – and keep moving forward!

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