THE SECRETS OF SUCCESSFUL LONG-TERM WEIGHT CONTROL (part2)
Rule 4: Consume Low-Density Foods
Low-density foods are foods where you get a lot of food for relatively fewer calories. Examples of low-density foods are soups (you consume lots of liquid), vegetables, fruits, and very low-fat foods.
High-density foods include chocolate, pastries, and cheeses: a small serving size equals a lot of calories.
Soups can be great appetite-reduces for weight controllers. Studies have shown that adding more fluid to the diet (but not more calories) reduces overall caloric intake. One study that included around 1,800 participants showed that those who consumed more soup had better weight loss results.
A great book on low-density eating is Volumetrics by Dr. Barbara Rolls. Dr. Rolls compared weight-loss results for diners who ate more low-density foods such as salads with low-fat dressing with those of diners who ate low-fat, yet high-density foods such as pretzels and baked chips. She found that those who ate the low-density foods lost 50% more weight.
You can figure out the density of a food by dividing the calories of one serving by the weight of that serving in grams. A 100-calories, food that, weight 6 ounces will be twice as high in density as a 100-calorie food that weighs 3 ounces. The goal is to include more foods with a density of less than 1, such as most fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. Foods with densities greater than 2, tend to be high in fat, such as fried foods and high-fat meats.
Rule 5: Eat Fiber-Rich Foods
Fiber is one of the best tools in your arsenal. Fiber not only makes you feel full, it has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers. Very few Americans eat enough fiber. In fact, most eat less than half the recommended amount of fiber in a given day. Countries where people consume a lot of fiber have significantly lower rates of obesity.
Fiber does not sound like a very appetizing food choice – instead of thinking about the fiber, think about the foods that have lots of it: fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Many high-fiber foods are also low-density foods, so by choosing these high-fiber choices you are keeping two rules with one food.
There are many simple changes you can make to increase your fiber consumption. Instead of turkey on white bread have turkey on whole grain bread and add lettuce, tomatoes, and a slice of cucumber. The vegetables add very few calories and the bread won’t change the calories at all, yet you have just added about 6 grams of fiber to your meal, one-fifth of the daily minimum requirement of 30 grams.
You can increase your fiber intake by choosing whole grain breads instead of white breads, brown rice instead of white rice, and whole fruits instead of juices. To meet your daily fiber requirement you will need to add quite a few vegetables to your diet. You will find these foods keep you feeling satisfied and full throughout the day, greatly increasing your chances of success as a long-term weight controller.
Rule 6: Eat Your Calories – Don’t Drink Them
High-calorie drinks such as sodas, fruit juices, and sports drinks can quickly undermine your weight loss, especially if you guzzle such drinks to quench your thirst. You can easily add more than 500 calories to your daily diet by drinking one soda, a fruit juice, and a frozen coffee drink.
For some reason, many people simply don’t bother to count the calories in drinks. In recent years, juice bars have become very popular. Many fruit smoothies contain more than 300 calories and over 50 grams of sugar.
It is particularly important that children be taught to eat their calories. Children are constantly bombarded with advertising that encourages them to drink sugar-filled juice drinks and sodas. A Harvard study showed that for every additional sugared drink a child consumed their risk for developing obesity increased by a stunning 60%. Most fruit drinks contain very little actual fruit juice, and even those that are 100% fruit juice contain almost no fiber.
The only exception to this rule is skim milk. Skim milk contains protein and calcium, and some research has shown that dairy products may help you lose weight.
Rule 7: Stay Calorie Conscious
Even if you follow the first six rules, successful weight control also depends on how many calories you take in and how many you expend. This is simply a natural law: to lose weight you must use more energy than you consume. To maintain a weight you must have an even balance between the two.
If you implement the first six rules and find you are losing weight, you have found the right balance. If you are not losing weight, you will need to either cut back on your food intake or increase your activity.
One general rule of thumb that will help you regulate your daily caloric intake is to limit your largest meal of the day to 800 calories. Most men eat more than 2500 calories a day, and most women now eat more than 1900 calories a day. To be a serious weight controller, you will need to eat far fewer calories.
Eat Well But Choose Right!
Many overweight people find themselves so enamored with certain foods that they cannot imagine no longer eating them. They will say they “crave” chocolate or “love” ice cream. Because many of the most calorie-dense foods are associated with happy events, such as parties, birthdays, and holidays, we have made associations that equate cookies, cakes, and ice cream with love, happiness, friendship, and family. Some foods even have a tranquilizing effect on us, calming us when we feel angry, stressed, or upset. However, that calming effect is short-lived, but the effect on our weight continues long after period of indulgences.
It is okay to feel so passionate about food, its flavors and textures, but to be a successful weight controller, you will need to transfer that passion to healthier choices. The worst thing you can do is start eating boiled chicken breast and romaine lettuce with a splash of vinegar for meals. How long do you think you could sustain such a diet? Most people will not last a week.
The first thing you will need to do is understand what qualities in food appeal to you. There are four aspects to food that determine how much you love that food: taste, appearance, smell, and texture. Some people like creamy and sweet, some likely crunchy and salty. Most overweight people know which foods they tend to gravitate toward (and which ones tend to throw any diet plan into a tail spin).
As a weight controller you will want to emphasize the characteristics that please you*.
Taste
Some like it hot and spicy, some like it sweet! The four main taste groups are salty, sweet, sour, and bitter. When you eat, focus on the flavors of you food. There are many low-fat condiments that can make food taste more like the flavors you prefer. In most grocery stores you will see bottle after bottle of seasonings and flavor enhancers, from spice combinations to Worcestershire sauce. Of course, you should read the labels before you buy to make sure they are fat free.
Appearance
We are attracted to foods that look appealing. If you have ever eaten in a five-star restaurant, you know that they pay as much attention to the presentation of the meal as they do the taste of the meal. Why not serve your meal so it looks like it came out of the kitchen of a top-notch restaurant?
You can also make the eating experience more pleasurable by setting the table with nice plates and silverware. Maybe even add some candles or put a bowl of healthy fruits in the middle of the table to make the setting more appealing. Make every meal a pleasant, appealing sight and you will feel more satisfied.
Sometimes we are so anxious to dive into a meal that we forget to savor the smells of that freshly grilled chicken or fish. Savor the smells of your food before you begin eating.
Pay attention to how the food feels in your mouth when you eat it: the creamy texture of nonfat yogurt, the crunchy fresh snap, of a carrot stick. The goal is to focus on the characteristics of food that appeal to you & recognize that many of the factors that appealed to you when you were eating high-fat, densely caloric foods are also present in the healthy, low-fat choices.
You will also discover some new foods that can become healthy substitutes for choices from your overweight past. Sweet potatoes are often cited as one of the best new healthy choices: they have certain sweetness, a creamy texture, and evoke memories of the holidays. Sweet potatoes have great nutritional value and are very filling.
It is okay to love foods – you just want to make sure you choose foods that will love you back! (continue on weight loss control#3)
|
