Weight Loss Tips

Keeping track of every single calorie you eat can become a hassle. Some people like doing it, while others despise the idea of logging calories. I am going to give you some of the positives and negatives with logging calories and give you alternative ways of keeping track of how much you eat.

There are numerous benefits of logging calories. While preparing for a contest, every calorie needs to be tracked in order to look a certain way. You also have the ability to control how much you eat by a number rather than just relying on senses. A good calorie counter like Fitday gives you the ability to punch in what you eat and will give you the macronutrients automatically. Fitday is a good program but you can never be sure how accurate the numbers are displayed.

Counting calories can seem more like a job if you dont don`t have the patience to do so. You also have more important responsibilities to take care of and worrying about every little carrot you eat can become a bore. You also could get discourage easily if you eat more than what you had planned. This could cause a total relapse in your program and give you the excuse to give up. These are the most common reasons people don`t track calories.

If you don`t like keeping track of calories then don`t. You have to determine if you have the ability to conrol your portions, and if you cannot do so, then you better start keeping track. A good diet would consist of six to eight meals while alternating carb sources from complex to fibrous at each meal. Of course you need protein at each meal, and your post workout carb source will consist of either simple or complex, depending on preference.

I don`t log calories in the off season because I can control what i eat without gaining to much fat. I only keep track while getting ready for a contest or if i feel the need to look my best for a particular social outting. Life`s hard enough without the added stress of keeping track of calories so I avoid the idea as much as possible. You`re going to have to be the one who decides whether you should keep track or not. I hope you make the best choice. I`ll see you on stage, Romeo.

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Never before have we had such a range of options available for weight loss - it can be downright confusing! What’s more, many of us have tried many of the options out there - often more than once. There comes a time when you may need to stop looking for ‘quick fixes’ and just accept that if you are going to lose weight, it will be up to you and no one else. It’s simple ‘mind over matter’.

Consider a parallel - another problem that many people struggle with - quitting smoking. There are all types of programs to help you quite smoking. There’s nicotine gum, and the patch, and counseling, and hypnotherapy. But for many people who have successfully quit, what it all comes down to is just making up your mind to do it - quitting cold turkey, as it were.

Of course, weight issues are a little more complex because you can’t just ‘quit’ eating! But essentially, it’s the same issue. We each have control over what we put into our mouths, even if it feels out of control at times. We all have choices. Also, in this day and age, we all have a pretty good idea of which foods are causing us to gain weight. We all know what a healthy diet looks like, and we all know that exercise helps a lot, too. The trick is to start acting on all of these things that we already ‘know’!

It’s simple mind over matter, really. The ‘matter’ is that the food is there, and we want to eat it. The ‘mind’ means having self control. If you know you shouldn’t eat it, then don’t. It really is as simple - and as hard - as that.

Most weight problems, when you come right down to it, are behavioral issues. That means that there is seldom any medical reason for gaining weight and keeping it on (though there may, of course, be exceptions to this. Some people do have legitimate medical conditions that make it more difficult for them to lose weight.) For most of us, though, it’s because of bad habits. We all know what they are. We know that eating at night is bad, for example, because there’s no opportunity to work off those calories - but we do it anyway. Everyone knows that snack foods and candy don’t do you any favors, but the impulse to snack on them may seem overwhelming.

Start by taking stock - make a list of all the unhealthy eating habits you plan to eliminate. Be firm, yet realistic. If you find it difficult to assess your eating habits by yourself, you can enlist some help, of course - ask your doctor to refer you to a nutritionist or dietician to go over your eating habits in detail, or join a personalized weight loss program where the same type of service is provided.

Once you have a clear idea of which foods need to be eliminated and how you can improve the quality of your meals, just start doing it. Don’t wait until next week, or until after the holidays - just start. Be determined and single minded. Keep in mind that this lifestyle change may end up saving your life, or at least improving your quality of life in a big way. You are doing it for yourself, and for everyone in your life who would like to see you healthy and happy.

Here’s another hint - if you slip up and make a mistake, don’t let it stop you. Start again, with the very next meal. Your whole plan will not be ruined because of one or two mistakes, but if you use those mistakes as an excuse to abandon the plan altogether, that’s a totally different story.

Here’s the last step - even after you have achieved your weight loss goal, make those changes permanent. All too many of us become ‘yo-yo dieters’ - we diet successfully, then gain everything back, then have to diet again. Over time, this can put more strain on your body than if you had never lost the weight in the first place! So make sure that you come up with an eating plan you can live with, and be prepared to live with it for the rest of your life. That doesn’t mean you can never enjoy your favorite dessert again - but it does mean that, the morning after, you get back to healthy eating.

For more great information visit Gabae Weight Loss the premiere resource for weight loss, diets, nutrition and living a great healthy life style!

Also if you’re looking for more informative articles check out Gabae Weight Loss Articles.

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Made famous by a certain Doctor and his best selling books. Here is the lowdown on the low carb diet.

A brief history lesson…

A low carb diet was first documented as being used for weight loss in 1862. A Doctor (not Atkins) used it to treat a patient for an illness caused by obesity. There have been many reincarnations of it since but none have caught on like Dr Atkins.

Despite many of Dr Atkins peers at the time who disagreed if a low carb diet would work he went ahead and found that it did. He first published these findings in 1972. Twenty three years and 10 million selling diet books later, the techniques are still being used today.

How you do the low carb diet

Simply eat low carb foods instead of high ones. Low carb foods include red meat, poultry, salads, fish and cheese. High are breads, pasta, rice and cereals. See individual labels on foods and add the daily total.

• Weeks 1 & 2 - Limit carb intake to 20 grams per day
• Weeks 3 to Desired Weight - Add 5 to 10 grams to the daily total per week. Ensure your weight is always decreasing and lower the daily amount if it isn’t.
• Desired Weight to Lifetime - Desired weight is now achieved so increase the final daily total by 5 grams. Then monitor your weight, if it starts to rise slightly decrease the daily total. If it starts to fall increase daily amount. You should end up with an exact number of grams of carbs you can eat each day where your weight doesn’t change. This is the “lifetime” amount.

How the the low carb diet works is not fully known and has resulted in two main theories. First is that low carb foods tend to be low in calories and it is the lower calorie intake that causes the weight loss. Second is that the level of insulin in the blood dictates how much fat is stored. Eating less carbs is said to lower the amount of insulin in the blood so the body is less inclined to store fat.

Lack of carbs in the body

The main function of carbohydrate in the body is to provide energy. When the body is short on supply it will find an alternative source. This will be from the extra fat and protein you eat to replace the carbs or if there is a calorie deficit, your body will use it’s fat stores. Many people report headaches and other symptoms in the early stages and this adjustment could be the reason.

A diet high in fats and protein has it’s own health risks. A high fat diet is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. (Stephen Barrett M.D.) Too much of something is never a good thing and protein doesn’t escape either. An excess has been linked to potential kidney, bone and liver problems. (Web MD)

The low carb diet overall

The low carb diet will make you lose weight and it’s not due to fluid loss (your body adjusts by making you feel thirsty). However the problem is the body simply needs carbohydrate. Evolution still expects us to be physically active and carbs are our main source of energy.

We don’t need to forget the low carb diet approach entirely but there are now better alternatives. These include the South Beach diet and the GI diet where certain carbs are allowed and/or slowly re-introduced. These modern versions are much better nutritionally. Overall do look at the original low carb idea but move on when it comes to a long term plan.

By Simon Gould - taken from http://www.FitnessBegin.com/ - the well-being resource.

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