Thursday, June 17, 2010

Steps to a Healthy Weight Loss Diet

The perfect body weight is what everyone craves for as it not only keeps a person fit and energetic, but also boosts the confidence level. However, in their zeal to lose weight quickly and by putting in minimal efforts, people are choosing unhealthy ways such as skipping meals. This often leads to health related complications. It’s important to understand that there are no short-cuts when it comes to losing weight. If a person wants to lose weight and also remain fit and healthy, then he or she needs to follow a balanced food diet that is low in calorie.

There are many health experts and nutritionists who offer advice on weight loss diet, and customize a diet program according to an individual’s needs. However, one can also personally plan a personal weight loss diet program that is healthy. First, it’s important to know the calorie count of each food item that one consumes. Also, one must find out their current height, weight, and body, and on the basis of these factors, one can determine how much calories one should consume a day. It’s a good idea to record what one consumes a day. The food should be prepared keeping the daily calorie requirement in mind. Plenty of recipes are available online to help prepare low calorie, tasty meals.

Also, it’s always a good idea to consult a nutritionist before preparing a diet chart. It’s better to take 4 to 5 small meals in a day, than consume a large portion meal thrice a day.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Tips for Finding Effective Weight Loss Diets

There are hundreds of dieticians, nutritionists, and health experts claiming to know the secret diet that 100 percent guarantees weight loss. To find an effective, and also healthy, weight loss diet is a real headache and one also becomes highly confused. It’s seen that people following random weight loss diet program develop health related problems. A person needs balanced food that provides the required nutrition to remain healthy and when some diets deprive the body of that nutrition, he or she may suffers from dizziness, lethargy, lack of interest in work, and more complicated problems. Finding the right weight loss diet is the key to losing weight healthily and without going on a hunger strike.

Each person is built differently and a uniform diet plan will not give the desired result. A man cannot expect to lose weight by following the diet plan suggested for a woman. Weight loss diet programs have to be customized in order to be effective. It’s always a good idea to consult a doctor or a well-known nutritionist before preparing a diet chart. They will suggest low calorie diets according to each body type and also encourage one to lose weight healthily.

Weight problem is mainly due to eating fat rich food. The diet should be low in saturated and trans-fats. Also, one should considerably cut down on sugar. The five small meals in a day should be high in fiber and protein. It’s said that high protein, low carbohydrate diet is most effective when it comes to weight loss and reducing hunger. Calories dictate weight loss and gain and one should know the calorie count of each food item on the food platter. Even fat free food can have high calories. One should be careful with what one is consuming and exercise a little to burn the extra calories.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Exploring the Different Weight Loss Diets

There is a popular saying that there is no ‘shortcut to success’ and this stands strong for weight loss. No skipping meals, fasting, weight loss pills and fad diets can cut out those extra kilos from your body. But yes, if something really works in weight loss then it is full commitment combined with a healthy eating plan and a regular dose of exercise. Weight loss has never been an easy job. So, to get rid of those excess adipose layers under the skin, take care of every small and big thing.

Weight loss dieting tips

· Consider the food value of every food item that you include in the diet. Cut out bad fats and bad carbs. Shun the much advertised alternative synthetic varieties like artificial sugar and diet drinks.


· Respect your body and eat moderate portions. Include loads of dietary fiber, whole fruits, vegetables and whole grain meals.


· Eat slowly. Chew the food properly. Let your stomach digest the food well.

Types of weight loss diets

· Liquid diet – Follow this diet under the supervision of a dietician. For this diet, replace regular meals with fatless healthy soups, vegetable and fruit smoothies, fruit juices, herbal teas, and protein shakes.


· Vegetarian diet – Going vegetarian cuts out a lot of fatty foods like hamburgers, steaks etc. To maintain a healthy body people usually require 2000 calories daily but that differs with age, sex, weight, fitness and activity. Consider including a block of fat free tofu with cabbage each day. Include lots of vegetables and fruits.

· Raw food diet – Get into this diet gradually. First replace breakfast with fresh fruits, and then start squeezing in salads with fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts at lunch. Satiate your dessert cravings with raw fruit or green vegetable or spinach smoothies. Avoid adding sugar in the diet.

· Rapid weight loss diet – Losing 2 to 5 pounds a week is healthy for fast weight loss. For a quick trim, go for the triple phase South Beach diet avoiding most carbs and sugars and including whole wheat meals and a healthy dose of non-veg. Under the guidance of a nutritionist follow the hCG Diet or human chorionic gonadotropin diet for a speedy weight loss. For the quickest weight loss, follow the Cabbage Soup Diet which can chop off 10 lbs. in a week.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Understanding the South Beach Diet

How do you define a diet? For me, it’s a D – diligent, I – intelligent, E - eating, T- transformation. You just can’t pick up a diet program from the newspaper or one that your neighbor told you about or one that promises to transform you body in a day or two. There has to be a very specific and good reason for choosing a diet program.

South Beach Diet

I found a hundred good reasons for choosing the south beach diet. Unlike other diet programs, the south beach diet is based on the glycemic index. It means that you improve the health of your heart and end up losing weight along with it. Isn’t that fantastic?

How it all started

Noted cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston found out that most of his patients were suffering from heart problems owing to their faulty and unhealthy eating habits. He wanted to re-introduce some changes into their diets and he came up with a diet plan that restricts carbohydrates for the first two weeks. Then, the carbohydrates are reintroduced into the diet slowly with a low glycemic index. The saturated unhealthy fats in the diet are replaced by unsaturated ones.

He found two startling things about his diet plan.

1. The heart-health of these patients started improving by leaps and bounds.
2. They started to lose a lot of weight along with the improvement in their heart health.

That’s when Dr. Arthur discovered that he had just invented what would be one of the most used diet programs of all times i.e South Beach Diet.

Why south beach diet is different ??

Most diet programs require you to count the calories that you consume, weight the food portions that you eat etc. Is it easy? Would you want a weighing scale next to your food table everyday or would you like to indulge in calculations each time you want to eat something?


The south beach diet changes your entire eating habits in a span of three phases. The first two phases have to be followed for a limited amount of time and the third phase for life.

You are allowed to eat three normal sized meals, two snacks and meal plans that are extremely flexible. So are you ready to transform your life?

Friday, August 22, 2008

Zone Diet - Diet for Healthy Living

Here’s why you will live healthier with the zone diet

Some smart person once said that old habits die hard. Have you ever tried to unlearn something? Unlearning is harder than learning something new. We have been eating unhealthy food since years. If you suddenly make the switch to ‘protein only’ diet plans, then your body will reject it outright.

A diet plan must be systematically planned and meticulously executed giving your body the time frame it needs to adjust to the change. That is precisely what the Zone Diet is. It is more of a lifestyle than a diet plan.

Zone diet aims at creating a healthy balance in the influx of nutrients into the body and the hormones that are triggered by the body as a result. Each diet in the zone is a perfect balance of carbohydrates, proteins and quality fats.

What foods are restricted?

Like I said before, there are no restrictions as far as you stick to the rules. The rules are simple enough. All that you need to do is create a balance of nutrients and keep the calories in control. For example, if you are planning to have a burger as a mid-day snack, then you need to ensure that you match it with an equal amount of protein so that your body doesn’t stack those carbohydrates in the liver.

The rules

As long as your plate contains about 30% of proteins and 30% of fats, a serving of fruits and vegetables and about 40% of carbohydrates, you are doing just fine. You can have any of your favorite snack as far as you stick to this balance.

How it works

If you stick to the zone diet long enough, then your body will be adjusted to the constant influx of quality nutrients and weight loss will happen automatically. More than the weight loss, it will create a much healthier and nutritious lifestyle for you.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Getting prepared for Weight Loss

Oh, yes! I will start my weight loss diet tomorrow. Does that sound like you? Procrastination as it is called is a man’s worst enemy. More so if you are looking to gain a specific goal or objective because tomorrow never comes.

How many times have you envied the cute girl next door who scores all the points with the guys, courtesy her killer body? How many times have you wished that your stomach were as flat as an ironing board? In a more realistic situation, how many times have you quit a weight loss program midway?

Let’s face it. Weight loss isn’t as easy as it is made out to be and there is no genie waiting to grant you a thin waist, a six pack abdomen and buttocks to match. The only person who can ever help you lose weight is you yourself. But most people do not know where to begin or which weight loss diets to choose.

Analyze yourself


If you feel that you are gaining more weight than you ought to, then obviously there is something wrong somewhere. Maybe it’s your eating habits. Maybe it’s about your lifestyle. But you have to identify what it is in order to even think of rectifying it.

So before you start with a weight loss diet, start off by analyzing yourself for about 7 to 14 days. Get a weighing scale. Download a calorie counter off the internet. Now you are all set to begin. Maintain a diary and jot down your eating habits (calorie specific), the amount of time you spend on a couch and also the amount of time you exercise. This includes even the small walks that you might make from your doorstep to the bus stop.

Time for step two

Now that you know a little bit more about yourself, it is time for step two and that is selecting a diet program. Now, there are thousands of weight loss diets out there. But ensure that you choose one that matches your body requirements.