Small Changes in Your Diet Can Make a Big Difference
If you are one of the millions of people who ever tried to lose
weight, then you know how hard it can seem to actually
accomplish this goal. With countless numbers of diet plans out
there promising fantastic weight loss results and all the hype
about the thousands of "miracle" weight loss pills, powders and
drinks, it's no wonder weight loss can seem to be quite the
challenge. Wouldn't it be nice if there were a way to be able to
start to slim down without having to completely change
everything about the way you eat and/or relying on diet fads and
gimmicks? Well, read on and you will see that by just making
some small changes, you can make some big strides in your effort
to lose weight.
As a rule, we all know that too much fat in the diet is one of
the major culprits in causing overweight problems in people.
While that means fat intake should be cut down, it does not mean
it can't be replaced with some better choices that pack fewer
calories. For example, take the mayo off the sandwich and
replace it with mustard. You cut off 100 calories per serving,
all from fat, and replace it with zero calories per serving with
no fat at all. Use fat-free cheese instead of regular cheese.
Again, you will be replacing 45 calories per slice at 40
calories from fat with 30 fat-free calories. The sandwich is
still the same size, but you cut over 115 extra calories off of
it.
EAT MORE BREAD If you eat more bread, you are increasing your
carbohydrates and eating less fat as well. In one study, a small
increase of bread in the diet led to a 4% decrease of fat
consumed. Depending on your overall calorie needs daily, this
could mean you'll be eating more carbohydrates per day, but it
is the reduction of fat and the overall reduction of calories
that make you start to lose weight. The right balance of
carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the proper calorie range
determine energy levels and whether you'll lose weight and
maintain a healthy body weight.
EAT MORE VEGETABLES These foods are great sources of vitamins,
minerals and antioxidants and are also low in calories and high
in fiber. These foods are filling, nutritious and great for
people trying to lose weight. When your parents used to say
"make sure you eat all of your vegetables" they were right.
EAT MORE FRUIT Just like vegetables, fruit is high in vitamins,
minerals and fiber. Also, fruit is naturally sweet and can
satisfy the need for bad sweets, like candy. Try to replace
desserts and snacks such as cake and ice cream with fruit at
least half of the time and it will make a huge difference.
EAT MORE FISH AND CHICKEN Eating fish and chicken more often
than red meat will reduce the amount of saturated fat in your
diet. Too much saturated fat in the diet has been shown to cause
atherosclerosis (artery blockage) which leads to heart problems
and eventual failure. Skinless chicken breast and most fish are
very lean and only contain small amounts of fat, not enough to
worry about. When you eat fish, besides lowering your fat
intake, you also increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids
which has been shown to promote a healthy heart. Fish is the
best source of omega-3 fatty acids and you don't have to eat
fish every day to get a good benefit from it. USE CANOLA AND
OLIVE OILS These oils are good sources of monounsaturated fat
which is the best kind of fat because this kind of fat increases
the good cholesterol (HDL) in your body and lowers the bad
cholesterol (LDL).
Sometimes it may seem to be a long road to weight loss but the
length of the road is not nearly as important as how smooth the
road is. By making small, gradual changes to your eating habits,
you will find your road can be smooth as well.