Dieting: Fact or Fad?
It seems like every other person you talk to these days is experimenting with some sort of diet. Whether it is the paleo diet, gluten-free, no carb, dairy-free, no sugar, Jenny Craig, or any of the countless other options that are circulating throughout our culture. The important question to address is: “Does dieting really work and which one of these is the best?”
Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to this question. Science has shown that an effective weight loss program is 50% exercise and 50% diet. It is a common misconception that people who workout all the time can eat whatever they want without adding any pounds. An effective weight-loss regiment is going to include both healthy eating and some sort of daily exercise. The good news is that often times, when people are working out on a consistent basis, their diet naturally evolves and becomes healthier in order to properly fuel their body.
So there is no right answer for which diet is going to help people to lose the most weight. It is crucial to recognize that the “right” solution is going to look different for every individual. However, there are some small tips that can aid you in your journey of weight management.
• Drink at least 8 eight ounce glasses of water every day- Drinking plenty of water helps to keep your body hydrated as well as flushes out toxins that like to hang around in our bodies. If you are participating in vigorous exercise daily, drinking more than 64 ounces of water every day is highly recommended.
• Front load your day- Many people make dinner their largest meal of the day. However, it is more beneficial to front load your day and eat your largest meal for breakfast. Consuming the most calories at the beginning of the day gives you the entire day to burn off the calories as well as energizes you for the long day ahead.
• Eat several small meals a day- It is hard enough to find time to eat 3 meals a day, how are you going to find time to eat several small meals a day? Try eating healthy snacks whenever you feel hungry. Snacking throughout the day helps to naturally speed up our metabolism and allows us to digest food quicker. Healthy snacks include sliced fruit or vegetables, nuts, trail mix, etc.
• Pack food for your entire day- Every morning, when you leave the house, bring with you all the food that you are going to need for the day. When we do not bring our own food, we tend to do 1 of 2 things. We either skip a meal and then compensate by eating an even larger meal later in the day, or, we stop to eat something quickly which usually ends up being high fat, empty-calorie, drive through food.
• Eat slower- If you are anything like me, you rush through eating your food to move on to the next important part of your day. Eating is a means to an end to make sure you just have enough energy to make it through your next daily task. STOP that bad habit. It usually takes longer than 30 min for food to digest, however, it takes about 30 min from time of ingestion until your body triggers the sensation that indicates you that you are full. So if you are finishing your meals in less than 30 minutes, you are cleaning your whole plate before you even have the chance to feel full. This is why we generally feel sick after we eat too fast. We are overeating and then our bodies have more calories than we are able to burn off. Savor the deliciousness of your food and take your time. Chew your food at least 5 times before you swallow. Not only does chewing burn more calories, but it will also prevent you from that nagging heartburn or stomachache you may feel after eating. Chewing more will also increase your eating time.
These simple tips don’t give any suggestions about how many calories you should eat a day or what types of foods you should absolutely stay away from. These suggestions are simply to supplement your current approach to achieving your weight loss goals.
