While I was surfing
through the Swanson Vitamins website looking for my favorite fiber supplement,
I found this succinct, says-it-all advice. My comments are in parenthesis.
A Few Tips for Easier Weight Loss- Drink water to increase metabolism. One study showed that metabolic rate increased in participants by as much as 30% after drinking approximately 17 ounces of water. (This is especially true if the water is very cold. The body uses energy to warm up the water.)
- Snack on a handful of almonds. They’re filling, healthy and tasty! They aren’t exactly low in calories, though; so don’t eat more than 10 or 15 at one time. (Just about any protein will help curb hunger, because it takes more energy to digest protein than it does to digest carbohydrates. Not only that, but proteins don't trigger the release of insulin like carbohydrates do. Less insulin, less fat creation. See my blog on Insulin: Both a Life Saver and a Killer, March 27, 2010
- Use mental imagery to boost your willpower. In addition to identifying why you want to lose weight, visualize a picture of the reason in your head and focus on it often throughout the day. (When we visualize what we want, we are more likely to see opportunities to make that vision a reality. When we visualize ourselves thin and healthy, we are more likely to choose healthy and nutritional meals. In our minds, I hope, we believe that thin, healthy people eat this way. We will also see other thin people and begin to pay attention to what they do and what they eat and, hopefully, begin to emulate them.)
- Turn off the TV at dinnertime. Studies show that undistracted eating means you’ll eat less. (Eat consciously! Always pay attention to what you eat, while you eat. An ancient Buddhist saying - chop wood, carry water - means to be present in what you do. If you ever want to eat in front of the TV, which I sometimes do, take only a normal portioned meal or a small portion of your favorite snack, never a whole bag or a large bowl. It will be gone in no time, along with your dream of achieving your ideal weight.)
- Don’t fall for the lure of crash dieting. Losing large amounts of weight all at once causes you to lose muscle, not fat, and the pounds quickly return. Make healthy eating a way of life and the pounds will disappear slowly but steadily. (Anyone who is a serial dieter knows this - calorie restricted diets are no more than quick, short-term fixes. And the more you yo-yo diet, the greater the damage to your body and to your metabolism.)
- Eat foods with plenty of fiber like whole grain breads, beans and fruits with the skin. Be sure to drink them with lots of water, as it makes the fiber swell much like a sponge in water, thus making you feel more full. (Not only is fiber an essential part of any food, it is critical in the prevention of many cancers and other diet related illnesses. If you are constipated, think about this: all that food is rotting in your gut and in your intestines. It's like not taking out the garbage in your home for weeks. It stinks and the bacteria can be deadly. You should have at least one bowel-movement each day, every day. If you don't, then you are not "taking out your garbage!"
