Lose Weight On 12-Week Plan

12 tips to help you lose weight on the 12-week plan

 

 

Get off to the best possible start on the NHS Choices 12-week weight loss plan with these 12 diet and exercise tips.

1. Don't skip breakfast

Research shows eating breakfast helps you control your weight. Some people skip breakfast because they think it will help them lose weight, but missing meals doesn't help us lose weight and isn't good for us as we can miss out on essential nutrients. It could also encourage us to snack more throughout the day because you feel hungry. Check out five healthy breakfasts.

2. Eat regular meals

Some people think missing meals will help them lose weight, but it's been shown eating regularly during the day helps burn calories at a faster rate. It also reduces the temptation to snack on foods high in fat and sugar. Find out more about eating healthily.

3. Eat plenty of fruit and veg

Fruit and veg are low in calories and fat, and high in fibre – three essential ingredients for successful weight loss. They also contain plenty of vitamins and minerals. Read up on getting your 5 A DAY.

4. Get more active

Studies show regular activity is key to losing weight and keeping it off. As well as providing numerous health benefits, exercise can help burn off the excess calories you can't cut through diet alone. Find an activity you enjoy and are able to fit into your routine.

5. Drink plenty of water

People sometimes confuse thirst with hunger. You can end up consuming extra calories when a glass of water is really what you need. You should aim to drink about six to eight glasses (1.2 litres) of fluid, preferably water, every day – or more if it's warm or you're exercising.

6. Eat high-fibre foods

Foods containing lots of fibre can help keep you to feel full, which is perfect for losing weight. Fibre is only found in food from plants, such as fruit and veg, oats, wholegrain bread, brown rice and pasta, and beans, peas and lentils.

7. Read food labels

Knowing how to read food labels can help you choose healthier options, and keep a check on the amount of calories, fat, salt and sugars you eat. Use the calorie information to work out how a particular food fits into your daily calorie allowance on the weight loss plan. Find out more about reading food labels.

8. Use a smaller plate

Studies show people who use smaller plates tend to eat smaller portions and are still satisfied. By using smaller plates and bowls, you may be able to gradually get used to eating smaller portions without going hungry. It takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain it's full, so eat slowly and stop eating before you feel full.

9. Don't ban foods

Don't ban any foods from your weight loss plan, especially the ones you like. Banning foods will only make you crave them more. There's no reason you can't enjoy the occasional treat as long as you stay within your daily calorie allowance.

10. Don't stock junk food

To avoid temptation, avoid stocking junk food, such as chocolate, biscuits, crisps and sweet fizzy drinks, at home. Instead, stock up on healthy snacks, such as fruit, unsalted rice cakes, oat cakes, unsalted or unsweetened popcorn, and fruit juice.

11. Cut down on alcohol

Did you know a standard glass of wine can contain as many calories as a piece of chocolate, and a pint of lager has about the same calorie count as a packet of crisps? Over time, drinking too much can easily contribute to weight gain. Find out more about the calories in alcohol.

12. Plan your meals

Plan your breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for the week, making sure you stick to your calorie allowance. Try to plan for four to seven days' worth of meals and snacks. Make a shopping list, but don't shop when you're hungry as that can lead to high-calorie impulse buys!


For More Information : http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/weight-loss-guide/Pages/successful-diet-tips.aspx

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Best Weight Loss Advice

Best Weight Loss Advice You've Never Heard

 

 

 

 

You’re ready to lose some weight. But you're tired of listening to all that stale, tried-and-true weight loss advice, like eating more vegetables, limiting portions, and exercising more.

Maybe what you need is a fresh idea or two. So WebMD asked diet experts to come up with some lesser-known diet tips that could make the most jaded dieter drop that cookie and vow, "Oh wow! I'll try that today."

Here are nine diet tips you may not have not heard yet. Some involve different ways to eat, or adding certain foods to your diet. Others involve learning new behaviors or strategies to help you stay on track.

Weight Loss Tip No. 1: Variety Is Overrated

Who hasn't heard the advice to "just take a bite of everything" if you're at a buffet?

But as it turns out, variety doesn't deserve its good reputation, says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, a Chicago dietitian and author of The Flexitarian Diet.

"We know that variety makes you eat more," she says, citing several published studies and her own experience in counseling weight loss patients.


For example, researchers in France found that study participants ate more french fries when they were offered catsup and mayonnaise along with them. And when they were given the option of having cream or whipped cream with their brownies, they ate more than when the brownies were offered plain.

Other researchers have found that people who have been able to maintain weight loss tend to eat diets with limited variety.

Weight Loss Tip No. 2: Have Barley for Breakfast

Barley got its hunger-fighting reputation after Swedish researchers found that eating barley or rye kernels for breakfast kept blood sugar on an even keel. That's because the carbs in barley and rye kernels are "low glycemic index," meaning they raise blood sugar more slowly than some other carbohydrate foods. This helps you avoid a spike, and then a drop, in blood sugar, which can leave you feeling famished.

One caveat: "Buy hulled barely, not pearl barley," Jackson Blatner says. The Swedish researchers used minimally processed hull barley, and they can't vouch for the same effects for more processed forms, such as pearl barley.

Source : http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/best-weight-loss-advice-youve-never-heard

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Most Popular Diets Today For Weight Loos

What are the eight most popular diets today?

There are literally hundreds of thousands of diets. Some are for losing weight, others for gaining weight, lowering cholesterol, living a long and healthy life, etc. The Mediterranean Diet, for example, reflects the culinary habits of southern European people.

What is the vegetarian diet? What are the benefits of a vegetarian diet?

The term vegetarian generally means a person who does not consume animal products; this includes land and sea animals. Most vegetarians generally do consume eggs and dairy products (milk products).

Somebody who does not consume any animal protein at all, not even eggs, dairy, or honey, is a vegan. Some people call themselves vegetarians, but they consume fish.
This article is also part of a series called What are the eight most popular diets today?

According to the National Library of Medicine1, if you follow a vegetarian diet you should be able to get all the nutrients you need. However, you need to be careful that you eat a wide variety of foods to make sure you meet your nutritional requirements.

The four main types of vegetarians are:   

•     Lacto-vegetarians - they consume dairy products, but no eggs. Most do consume honey.

•     Ovo-vegetarians - they consume eggs, but no dairy. Most do consume honey.

•     Lacto-ovovegetarians - they consume eggs and dairy. Most do consume honey.

•     Vegans - only consume plant-based foods (no dairy, eggs or honey)

In this article, vegetarian refers only to people who do not consume protein of animal origin (not even fish or seafood), with the exception of eggs, dairy and honey - Lacto-ovovegetarians.

Virtually all vegetarian and/or vegan societies and associations do not accept the term "semi-vegetarian", in the same way a doctor will not accept the term "a bit pregnant".

Scientists from Italy and Japan reported in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry that vegans and vegetarians have a higher risk of developing vitamin B12 deficiency compared to people who consume animal-based products. They showed that the human body is unable to use the plant-based form of the vitamin.2

What are the benefits of being a vegetarian?

Until a few years ago, the benefits of vegetarianism were more anecdotal than clinically proven. However, over the last couple of decades several studies have indicated that a person who adopts a vegetarian diet will:

    Have a lower body weight - one study carried out by Cancer Research UK, found that those who continue eating meat will carry on putting on more weight over a five year period, compared to those who switched over to vegetarianism. The study found that vegans put on even less weight as they get older, compared to vegetarians and meat eaters. The study looked at 22,000 meat eaters, fish eaters, vegetarians, and vegans.3

    Have better cholesterol levels - scientists at the University of Toronto and St. Michael's Hospital demonstrated that a vegetarian diet made up of specific plant foods can lower cholesterol as effectively as a drug treatment. The study, published in the July 23 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, compared a diet of known cholesterol-lowering, vegetarian foods to a standard cholesterol-reducing drug called lovastatin.4

    The diet reduced levels of LDL - the 'bad' cholesterol known to cause clogging in coronary arteries - in participants by almost 29%, compared to a 30.9% decrease in the lovastatin participants. The diet consisted of a combination of nuts (almonds), soy proteins, viscous fiber (high-fiber) foods such as oats and barley and a special margarine with plant sterols (found in leafy green vegetables and vegetable oils).

    Live longer - several studies have shown that vegetarians have a much lower risk of becoming obese, developing diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. All these conditions and diseases reduce one´s life expectancy (see the list of related articles below).

    Have a lower risk of developing cancer - several studies have shown a reduced risk of developing many different types of cancer among vegetarians, compared to meat eaters. A recent study carried out by UK researchers, working on the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Oxford (EPIC-Oxford) found that vegetarians had a significantly lower overall risk of developing cancer, compared to meat eaters.5

    The study also found, however, that vegetarians have a higher risk of developing cancer of the colon.

    Have a lower risk of developing several diseases - see the list of related articles below. In them are mentioned several diseases and conditions that a meat eater is more likely to develop, compared to a vegetarian.

An article published in Food Technology in October 2012 informed that plant-based diets either reduce or completely eliminate people's genetic propensity to developing long-term diseases, including diabetes type 2, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.6

Vegetarian food is generally lower in fat, especially saturated fats, and much higher in fiber, than animal based foods. However, a vegetarian, like a meat eater, has to watch his/her intake of calories, snack foods, refined carbohydrates, whole milk dairy products, and non-meat junk foods.

For More Information : http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/5847.php#vegetarian_diet

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A Quick Guide to Weight Loss for Beginners

One mistake that people make when they start a weight loss program is not eating. Losing weight is as simple as balancing the amount of calories consumed with the amount of calories burned by the body. In order to lose weight, you must be able to increase the amount of food burned by the body and reduce the food intake. It is not an easy task but this guide will help you reach your goal without sacrificing your health.

Count the Calories

You might say that counting calories is a tedious thing to do each day, but it is a way to achieve a successful weight loss program. Keep in mind that a pound is equal to 3,500 calories. If you divide it into seven days, then it is 500 calories each day. Reducing the amount of calories as well as exercising will allow you to reach that goal. And doing it daily will result to a pound each week. To be able to have a specific calorie count goal, consult a doctor or a nutritionist. Just make sure that the daily calorie count doesn't go under 1,200 or else the body's metabolism rate will slow down.

Record the Calories

Counting is just the first step of your weight loss program. In order to maintain your diet, you should monitor your calorie intake and record it in a journal. There are also apps that allow you to keep track of your calories. Each time you eat something, you should write it down in the journal. 50 calories might not be a lot, but they could add up. You should also record your progress by weighing yourself at least twice a week.

Measure your Food

There's no better way of knowing how much you eat each day than measuring your food before each meal. Be sure you have a food scale, measuring cups and spoons at hand in order to have the correct portions for every meal. After some time, you will already be familiarized with the right portions by just looking at them.

Start an Exercise Routine

Diet is just one-half of your weight loss program. The other half is exercise. An hour of exercise that's done at least five days a week is needed to burn calories. Walking around the block is a good start but it is not enough to reduce your body fat. Your exercise routine must include high-intensity classes for strength training, cardio and stretching.

Patience is the Key

Just like anything in life, patience is important in order to reach your ideal weight. Undergoing a crash diet is unhealthy and will just lead to a yo-yo effect. A successful weight loss program takes time, and you need to have a lot of perseverance and patience in order to achieve your goal.

For More Information : visit my diary

source : ezinearticles.com/?A-Quick-Guide-to-Weight-Loss-for-Beginners&id=8763125

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