Some people go on a diet and stop eating some meals. in particular breakfast falls off the schedule. It seems so easy to skip it that many people never eat it. That’s a bad habit. Breakfast is really good for you in a number of ways.
- You stoke your furnace to get your body (and brain) going.
- You get your metabolism started so it burns more calories as it fuels your body.
- You will actually consume fewer calories during the day. (You won’t be starving at lunch.)
It’s supported by research at the University of Texas. They studied the food diaries of almost 600 men and women and found that the more they ate in the morning, the fewer calories they ate during the day.
So eat your breakfast do give your diet a fast break. (After yesterday’s post I won’t say that “the early bird catches the worm”.)
TODAY: HAVE A GOOD HEALTHY BREAKFAST. THEN TAKE A GOOD HEALTHY WALK.
It’s that easy. A great desert with very few calories and no carbs. Top it with real whipped cream (no sugar added) and you’ve maintained the low carb diet and given yourself a nearly decadent treat. Diet success is spelled J-E-L-L-O
TODAY: HEAD TO A PARK AND DOUBLE YOUR WALKING DISTANCE.
I picked up a big watermelon at the produce stand on Friday. Two dollars and fifty cents went a long way over the past three days. Loads of satisfying natural sugar, refreshing cold liquid that dripped all over the place while munching on the triangle wedges. Though it seems that it’s a splurge that would blow a diet, it turns out that the whole melon probably had less than 1000 calories. Some references even list watermelon as a negative calorie food, which is of course a mythical food. Even at a little over 300 calories a day it wasn’t bad for the diet at all. The refreshment and flavor was a perfect accent to a summer weekend. I think I’ll treat myself again next Friday.
TODAY: SET A SMALL EXERCISE GOAL FOR EACH DAY THIS WEEK THAT YOU CAN MEET.
Call them garbanzo beans, chic peas, or spanish beans but call them part of your diet. They’s really good for you in a number of ways. They are loaded with protein, fiber and polyunsaturated fatty acids. All those things are good for your diet and heart. A surprising bonus is that they actually lower your total cholesterol and (bad) LDL while raising your HDL (good) levels. Eating about 25 ounces per week for 12 weeks is all you need to make this magic happen. That’s not all though. Insulin levels also improved and participants in the study actually lost weight without diet OR exercise. (Imagine how great you’ll do!)
Toss some whole beans on your salads. Puree them with some seasoning and olive oil to make hummus. Add them to three-bean salad. I like them with shredded cheese and a sweet and sour dressing (Splenda NOT sugar) They’re tasty, inexpensive. and filling.
TODAY: ADD GARBANZOS TO YOUR MENU.
Making the decision to living a healthy lifestyle by reducing your weight is not something to rush by reducing your food intake drastically. It’s not healthy and it’s not something you can sustain for long. It makes you destined to fail and even head back up the yoyo string.
Moderation is our method. Eat less, exercise more is carved in the hieroglyphics of our food pyramid.
TODAY: EAT LESS, EXERCISE MORE.
If you have a stash of snacks in bags left in the house, get rid of them. You’ve got to change your habits and if you leave those temptations within reach you will no doubt give in to them in a moment of weakness or more likely laziness. It’s just handy to grab one of those bags and munch away. Lay’s even names the snack size bag the “Big Grab”. They ought to call them the “Big Flab”.
You can still snack in moderation when you’re hungry. Just make the snack protein filled. Eat hard cheese, meats, jerky, salami, sardines or the high protein nuts like macadamia and almonds. If you absolutely need a bag of stuff to munch get fried pork rinds. Drink lots of water too. It will help you feel more full while also giving you hydration and flush your system of the extra protein you’re now eating.
TODAY: CLEAN OUT THE PANTRY. GIVE UNOPENED BAGS OF SNACKS TO A SHELTER.
There is a difference between being hungry and having a craving. There is actually a book by Michelle May, MD, titled Am I Hungry? She says “Hunger is your body’s way of telling you that you need fuel, so when a craving doesn’t come from hunger, eating will never satisfy it” . When you’re done eating, you should feel better — not stuffed, bloated, or tired. Though you may not think it is this size, “Your stomach is only the size of your fist, so it takes just a handful of food to fill it comfortably,” says May.
That’s an easy way to measure portion sizes and punch up your diet success.
Remember, you might sometimes confuse thirst with hunger. You can end up eating when a glass of water is really what you need.
TODAY: DO SIT-UPS AND PUSH-UPS IN ADDITION TO WALKING
Daily Nag, Tips & Tricks | Diet Nag | 
August 24, 2010 6:05 am | 
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