Diet Faux Pas

May 4, 2013 by admin

There are a number of mistakes people make when it comes to dieting, however it’s not hard to understand why when there is so much contradicting advice out there and that’s before you look at all the different diets there are.

Crash Dieting

Some people opt for crash dieting, because they have an event coming up such as a wedding or holiday and find they don’t have long to lose weight. However although crash diets work in the short term, they cause problems in the long term and can cause you to put on more weight than you originally lost.

When you crash diet you lose fat, lean muscle and tissue, this also comes with health risks including slowing your metabolic rate down. This means when you stop dieting your body will need fewer calories, however most people tend to revert back to portion sizes they were eating before, causing quicker weight gain. It’s best to go slow and steady, to get your body used to the change, it will take longer but the results will also last longer.

Skipping Meals

Skipping major meals is not beneficial, many people skip breakfast when on a diet as they believe it’s the best way to lose weight. However all it does is cause you to crave more food throughout the day. There is a reason why breakfast is known as the most important meal of the day: It’s because when you eat a healthy breakfast it boosts your metabolism and throughout the day your metabolism slows down, which is why you eat more at the beginning than the end of the day.

Keep to your set three meals a day, if you miss any your disrupting your metabolism, which makes it much harder to lose weight, You will also find yourself being hungrier so when you do eat, you are more likely to gorge on more food and more unhealthy foods.

Just remember: Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper.

Not Exercising

Exercising is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and it is imperative to dieting and losing weight. You may lose some weight by cutting down what you eat and eating healthy, but after a while plateau. This is where exercise comes in, following an exercise routine will help you lose weight quicker, help you to keep the weight off and help towards a healthier lifestyle.

You don’t need to punish yourself at the gym, keep on with gentle exercise, building up to more physical if you want. A little exercise is better than none at all so make sure you do something you enjoy, to keep you motivated and eventually it will become second nature.

Image courtesy of puuikibeach

 

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All-American Fat Camps – Answer to UK Childhood Obesity Problems?

Feb 10, 2013 by blackbook

Being overweight as a child or teenager can open you up to bullying from your peers. It can be frustrating especially if you struggle to lose weight and it can also lead to a vicious cycle which sees many young people gaining more weight as they turn to food for comfort.

In the US fat camps have been the norm for a number of years, somewhere where overweight children and teens can go and be surrounded by people who are going through many of the same struggles. But fat camps also offer a lot more than weight loss they also offer a change in lifestyle, learning how to enjoy food but not over enjoy, learning how to cook healthy and nutritious meals as well as being able to seek help over matters that make many children comfort eat. Children and teenagers also get to work with trained fitness instructors on how best to work exercise into their lives and encouraging kids who may never have exercised before.

The benefits of fat camps can be seen across America as it tries to tackle its obesity problems, kids can lose weight in healthy environments away from temptations, until they learn self-control and learn the tools to get them through life healthily. However keeping up with all that they have learnt is the hard part.

So will these American fat camps work here in the UK?

There are a number of fat camps here in the UK for adults and for children, yet we are still no closer to seeing any drops in the number of children and teenagers suffering from obesity. What fat camps offer is a kick start to a diet and lifestyle change, when they leave however it is up to the children to keep up for themselves. Some also offer lessons to teach parents as well to help encourage their own children.

The main problem is there probably isn’t enough fat camps for children, nor is there much after care or follow up once children have left. Many children go during summer holidays so only have a few weeks to get into the right mind-set.

Although fat camps aren’t the perfect answer to solving the problem of childhood obesity, they do go some of the way in helping however not enough which is where the problem lies, especially when the facilities are not free.

Image courtesy of Pressbound

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The party season – Tips to slim down to fit into your party dress

Nov 23, 2011 by blackbook

The problem with Christmas is that you seem to be surrounded by lots of food, treats, snacks and lots of alcohol so keep you weight down in the run up to Christmas so you can fit into your party dress is quite a challenge. Luckily I am here to help with my hints and tips for Christmas weight loss!

Keep the stress at bay

I know at this time of year it’s hard to do, but by reducing your stress levels you can reduce your weight. Stress can make you fat as your body lays down new fat stores around the middle to protect vital organs from a perceived attack. Avoiding stress can be quite hard but you can try deep breathing exercises and drinking camomile tea to reduce it.

Get your sleep

Again it may not be always possible however making sure you get enough sleep is important at keeping your fat at bay. Poor sleep will mess up your hunger hormones which lead to uncontrollable eating and weight gain. Getting enough sleep will also help reduce your stress levels so early nights on the nights you’re not out at Christmas are needed.

Beat the bloat

As I mentioned at this time of year we are surrounded by more foods than normal which are hard to resist, however to beat the bloating there are some things you can cut out so you can enjoy other treats. Cutting out wheat bread and yeast for one month could help you lose up to half a stone, they tend to cause inflammation to people who have intolerances even slight ones. This causes your body to swell and retain water and make you bloated.

Improve your digestion

Poor digestion can cause bloating and weight gain so make sure you support it by avoiding liquids within 20 minutes of meals, this stops you from diluting your digestive juices, which help digest your food. If you suffer from particularly bad digestion then 20 minutes before your main meal mix one tablespoon of good quality apple cider vinegar in water and drink it to cleanse your system, stimulate your digestion and hopefully keep your stomach flat for a month.

Portion control

To be honest portion control is really something you should be on top of all the time when maintaining a healthy weight, however many people do find that at this time of year they can lose track of portion control especially when eating out or with family. So just keep an eye on what you eat and how much, it will be worth the while because that means there will be less work to do in January.

Exercise

I know you may be busy however you shouldn’t let your exercise regime fall by the wayside at least aim to fit in some walking, if you can avoid driving and walk instead and make sure you don’t fall into the habit of slumping down in front of the TV because you will find it hard to get back into your routine again after Christmas.

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