Weight Loss Diary 7
Covers days 9 thru 14 The great news is that at my Friday evening weigh-in I have lost 3 pounds (1.35 kilos) and that puts me 50% ahead of my target of losing 1 pound each week. My waist belt is feeling more comfortable as the new ?one notch tighter? position that was achieved last week so I am certainly achieving the major goal of measuring less. The other thing that I?ve discovered is that my exercise sessions are now running for fifteen minutes three times each week rather than the originally recommended ten minute session. This is not due to me pushing harder, it is simply because my body seems to want to take more exercise. I think this extra exercise is a major reason why my weight loss is running ahead of schedule. Exercise should never be forced because some people have health problems that prevent them doing too much. You must discuss any new exercise regime with your doctor before getting involved; that?s just common sense. It is at this stage of a weight loss program that many people become complacent and for this reason it is a good time to repeat the of the basics of the program. On the day before I started I set the following four goals: - Each day I will nominate one item of food that will not be eaten that day. - I will exercise three times each week for a minimum of ten minutes. - Each day I will incorporate extra activities in my normal routine that will help improve fitness level. - I will lose one pound (450 grams) each week. The philosophy behind those four goals is: - There is no point in nominating dairy products as the food you will avoid on a given day if you don?t consume dairy products, or your consumption is small. It is better to nominate something that you eat regularly. If you nominate potatoes for today then leave a space on your plate where potato would normally be served. This is what abstaining from one food item each day means. - I exercise Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This is a formal exercise session for a minimum of ten minutes. The target is to raise your pulse rate by 50%. - Increasing physical activity incorporates using stairs rather than the elevator, parking at the point furthest from the supermarket entrance, constantly asking whether you really need to use the car each time you plan to go out. This is an extension of your formal exercise program and must be used every day. - Three thousand five hundred calories are equal to one pound (450 grams) of body weight. To lose one pound each week you must use 500 calories less each day. An adult body requires two thousand calories each day to function properly. In the western world the average adult consumes three thousand five hundred calories each day. It isn?t difficult to shed a simple five hundred calories each day. This done by a mixture of healthier eating habits and increased exercise levels. There is nothing more to losing weight. Copyright ? David McCarthy 2006. It may be reproduced in its entirety with no additions. David McCarthy is a prolific article writer on all subjects pertaining to diet, health and food enjoyment. His website is at <a href="http://www.recipesmania.com/newsblogs.html" title="http://www.recipesmania.com/newsblogs.html" target="_blank">http://www.recipesmania.com/newsblogs.html</a> where you can view all of his work.
The site is dedicated to freely sharing recipes, food and health tips. (more…)

Weight Loss Tips
Here are 10 tips for helping to lose weight by using healthier meals and 10 tips for helping when you are eating out.

10 Tips for a better healthier meal

When it comes to cooking a meal for the family, don’t let your diet take a back seat. Just because you’re on a diet and the rest of your family are not does not mean that you have to eat a different meal. There are times when you have to draw the line e.g. Christmas lunch, Sunday lunch and family gatherings. Take a look at some of the suggestion below for a healthier meal:

1. Try steaming or boiling your vegetables instead of frying or casseroling, also stay away from using cheese based dishes. Try to use herbs and lemon juice instead of butter or margarine.

2. Cooking with chickens can pose as a bit of a problem, although chicken is very healthy in its self, containing half the fat of red meat. Don’t go for the easy option of breaded chicken fingers or nuggets this is very unhealthy. Try roasting or steaming your chicken in a non stick pan, and eliminate the use of oil by using a cooking spray. Beware of the chicken skin as this is very fattening, try to buy a skinless chicken or remove the skin prior to cooking.

3. Watch out for different types of bread, stay away from white bread as it is full of sugar. Try to go for wholemeal bread, seeded bread and whole grain bread. Also look for brown rice, wild rice and basmati rice, the tastes are not all that different from white rice and have a much lower starch content.

4. When buying meats like pork and beef, try to buy lean and extra lean. Try some cuts like fillet and sirloin, these have less fat content than the other cuts. Roasting, grilling and dry frying are healthy methods of cooking meat. Once again try to use a cooking spray instead of cooking oil.

5. If you’re preparing turkey, why not try cooking the stuffing separate. You will reduce the fat content by preventing the turkey fat from absorbing into the dressing. Be sure to use less margarine or butter when making the stuffing. Also don’t forget to skim the fat off of the gravy. Leave the drumsticks for the kids; as with chicken, choose light meat over dark and you’ll save a lot in the calorie department.

6. Why not try serving fruit as a dessert? Serving fruit instead of pie or cake can make a massive reduction in the amount of calories you find in your meal. Instead of cake and pie, try serving a whole piece of fruit, some yogurt or a fruit cocktail. You will usually find that we don’t need a dessert and have one just because of habit. I think you will be surprised at how fruit can substitute the sweet tooth in a dessert.

7. If you must have an ice-cream try a sugar free ice-cream of low fat frozen yogurt. Instead of topping with chocolate sauce or caramel, try some mixed fruit cocktail. The taste of the ice-cream is almost identical and the sugar from the fruit stops the sweet craving. All in all it’s fewer calories than the full sugar and chocolate variety.

8. When cooking save yourself a lot of calories by using powdered milk. By doing this you will save on a lot of fat and calories. Also by using skimmed milk instead of cream in your favourite cream based recipes can also save on the calories.

9. Try some substitutions in your cooking. Use 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to replace 1 ounce of unsweetened chocolate in your desserts, replace 1 egg with 2 egg whites or ¼ cup of egg substitute, replace half of the oil in dessert recipes with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce, try reduced or non-fat frozen yogurt or sugar free ice cream on pies.

10. If you still find yourself hungry after your meal and you do want to tempt your self to seconds, then go for the vegetables. Choosing steamed vegetables over meat and bread is far healthier.

10 Tips for eating out when on your Diet

1. For a starter, try and keep it light maybe a prawn cocktail or a side salad. Make an effort to stay away from creamy starters and red meats.

2. If you are a pasta lover and find it hard not to eat endless amounts. You must try and stay with a single portion. Also don’t worry if you leave a little no one will persecute you for it, especially not your body.

3. When ordering a meat dish, always go for the chicken. Stay away from fried chicken. Always go for boiled, grilled or steamed. If you must ask for red meat, be sure to ask the waiter for a nice lean piece.

4. If you don’t see anything on the menu, that is cooked to your liking. Ask the waiter if it would be possible for the chef to cook you a dish with say, boiled or grilled chicken, instead of fried. Don’t be embarrassed at this request as you will not be the first or the last to ask for it.

5. Avoid the temptation of cream sauce, butter, oil, batter and home made gravy.

6. If you do not like leaving your food, then you can always ask the waiter, to wrap it up so you can take it home afterwards.

7. If you are a take away person as I am. When you serve your take away at home, only serve half of it, and keep the other half for the next day or for another family member. Willpower is the key here!

8. If you know where you are going for your evening meal. Why not ring the restaurant and ask them to post a menu out to you, or go and pick one up. Now you can give the menu a good read and find out the best meal to suit you. When you arrive at the restaurant, your choice is already made and a healthier one it will be.

9. Buffets are the worst of all restaurant temptations. You must know your portion control. Try and have only one plate. Once again the key factor here is will power!

10. When the day comes for you to go out for your meal, try to eat smaller meals during the day, then you can keep an eye on the calories for the day and evening. However do try to remember not to starve yourself as you may just end up eating like a horse, which is never a good diet tip.Article supplied by Michael Aldridge.
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Fat Land Makes A Shocking Read
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