Weight Loss Diet Solutions

Healthier eating is the first step to making sure that you are getting yourself more fit. There a a lot of great advantages to eating better and these include more energy, better concentration and less stomach and digestive problems. Currently, the typical American diet is low in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar.

As a result, more Americans than ever are overweight, obese, and at increased risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain cancers.

Older people are most likely to improve their eating habits, but nutrition is important for people of all ages, says Walter Willet, M.D., chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health.

“We know that when people have health problems or their friends become ill, these are strong motivators of change,” says Willet. “The more serious the health condition, the more serious the change. We’d rather people made changes early and prevent health problems in the first place.”

So what if you’re feeling trapped by a diet full of fast-food burgers and cookies? You can work your way out slowly but surely. Here are tips to move your eating habits in the right direction.

What Are You Eating Now?

Write down what you eat for a few days to get a good picture of what you’re taking in for healthier eating, suggests Cindy Moore, director of nutrition therapy at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. “By looking at what you eat and how much you’re eating, you can figure out what adjustments you need to make,” she says.

Sometimes she asks patients to write down what they are feeling. Were you nervous, happy, or sad when you ate five slices of pizza in one sitting?

“The very nature of writing things down in a food diary can help patients make changes,” Moore says. “Someone will tell me, I didn’t want to have to write that I ate nine cookies, so I ate two instead.”

Make Small Changes To Lose Weight

You don’t have to go cold turkey. In the end, you want to achieve a long-term healthy lifestyle. Small changes in healthier eating over time are the most likely to stick.

If you want to eat more vegetables, then try to add one more serving by sneaking it in. Add bits of broccoli to something you already eat like pizza or soup.

If you need more whole grains, add barley, whole wheat pasta, or brown rice to your soup.”

Also, look for healthier versions of what you like to eat. If you like luncheon meat sandwiches, try a reduced-fat version. If you like the convenience of frozen dinners, look for ones with lower sodium. If you love fast-food meals, try a salad as your side dish instead of french fries.

When you think about what you need to get more of, the other things tend to fall into place, If you have some baby carrots with lunch or add a banana to your cereal in the morning, you’re going to feel full longer. You won’t need a food that’s high in sugar or fat an hour later.

Lose Weight With Fruit for Healthier Eating

The Dietary Guidelines recommend two cups of fruit per day at the 2,000-calorie reference diet. Fruit intake and recommended amounts of other food groups vary at different calorie levels.

An example of two cups of fruit includes: one small banana, one large orange, and one-fourth cup of dried apricots or peaches.

Ways to incorporate fruit in your diet include adding it to your cereal, eating it as a snack with low-fat yogurt or a low-fat dip, or making a fruit smoothie for dessert by mixing low-fat milk with fresh or frozen fruit such as strawberries or peaches.

Also, your family is more likely to eat fruit if you put it out on the kitchen table.

Eat a variety of fruits–whether fresh, frozen, canned, or dried–rather than fruit juice for most of your fruit choices. “The whole fruit has more fiber, it’s more filling, and it’s naturally sweet,” says Marilyn Tanner, a pediatric dietitian at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Still, some juices, such as orange and prune, are a good source of potassium.

Feel Better By Eating More Whole Grains

Like fruits and vegetables, whole grains are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The Dietary Guidelines recommend at least three ounces of whole grains per day. One slice of bread, one cup of breakfast cereal, or one-half cup of cooked rice or pasta are each equivalent to about one ounce.

Tanner suggests baked whole-grain corn tortilla chips or whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk as good snacks.

In general, at least half the grains you consume should come from whole grains. For many, but not all, whole grain products, the words “whole” or “whole grain” will appear before the grain ingredient’s name.

The whole grain must be the first ingredient listed in the ingredients list on the food package.

The following are some whole grains:

• whole wheat
• whole oats or oatmeal
• whole-grain corn
• popcorn
• wild rice
• brown rice
• buckwheat
• whole rye
• bulgur or cracked wheat
• whole-grain barley, and millet

Whole-grain foods cannot necessarily be identified by their color or by names such as brown bread, nine-grain bread, hearty grains bread, or mixed grain bread.

Weight loss with Portion Sizes

Understanding the serving size on the Nutrition Facts label is an important healthier eating tip for controlling portions. Someone may have a large bottled drink, assuming it’s one serving, but if you look at the label, it’s actually two servings. And if you consume two servings of a product, you have to multiply all the numbers by two. When the servings go up, so do the calories, fat, sugar, and salt.

If you put more food in front of you, you’ll eat it because it’s there. According to the ADA, an average serving size of meat looks like a deck of cards. An average serving size of pasta or rice is about the size of a tennis ball. Here are some other ways to limit portions: Split a meal or dessert with a friend at a restaurant, get a doggie bag for half of your meal, get in the habit of having one helping, and ask for salad dressing, butter, and sauces on the side so you can control how much you use.

Good Fats Will Help Lose Weight

Fat provides flavor and makes you feel full. It also provides energy, and essential fatty acids for healthy skin, and helps the body absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.

But fat also has nine calories per gram, compared to four calories per gram in carbohydrates and protein. If you eat too much fat every day, you may get more calories than your body needs, and too many calories can contribute to weight gain.

Too much saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol in the diet increases the risk of unhealthy blood cholesterol levels, which may increase the risk of heart disease. “Consumers should lower all three, not just one or the other,” says Barbara Schneeman, Ph.D., director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements.

Saturated fat is found mainly in foods from animals. Major sources of saturated fats are cheese, beef, and milk. Trans fat results when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil to increase the food’s shelf life and flavor.

Trans fat can be found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, and other snack foods.

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance in foods from animal sources such as meat, poultry, egg yolks, milk, and milk products.

Most of your fats should come from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as those that occur in fish, nuts, soybean, corn, canola, olive, and other vegetable oils. This type of fat does not raise the risk of heart disease and may be beneficial when consumed in moderation.

Read Nutrition Labels To Make Better Food Choices

To make healthier eating food choices quickly and easily, compare the Nutrition Facts labels on products. Look at the percent Daily Value (%DV) column. The general rule of thumb is that 5 percent or less of the Daily Value is considered low and 20 percent or more is high.

Keep saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium low as these are really bad for you and avoiding them can be a big win in terms of your health, while keeping fiber, potassium, iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C high. Be sure to look at the serving size and the number of servings per package.

The serving size affects calories, amounts of each nutrient, and the percentage of Daily Value.

The %DV is based on a 2,000-calorie diet, but recommended calorie intake differs for individuals based on age, gender, and activity level. Some people need less than 2,000 calories a day. You can use the %DV as a frame of reference whether or not you consume more or less than 2,000 calories.

The %DV makes it easy to compare the nutrients in each food product to see which ones are higher or lower. When comparing products, just make sure the serving sizes are similar, especially the (grams, milligrams, or ounces) of each product.

Control Calories To Lose More Weight

You want to stay within your daily calorie needs, especially if you’re trying to lose weight, says Eric Hentges, Ph.D., director of the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.

“But you also want to get the most nutrients out of the calories, which means picking nutritionally rich foods,” he says.

Children and adults should pay particular attention to getting adequate calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and E.

According to the Dietary Guidelines, there is room for what’s known as a discretionary calorie allowance. This is for when people meet their recommended nutrient intake without using all their calories.

Dr. Hentges compares the idea to a household budget. “You know you have to pay all the bills and then you can use the leftover money for other things,” he says. “The discretionary calorie allowance gives you some flexibility to have foods and beverages with added fats and sugars, but you still want to make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need.”

For example, a 2,000-calorie diet has about 250 discretionary calories, according to the Dietary Guidelines.

Make Choices That Are Lean, Low-fat, or Fat-free

When buying meat, poultry, milk, or milk products, choose versions that are lean, low-fat, or fat-free. Choose lean meats like chicken without the skin and lean beef or pork with the fat trimmed off.

If you frequently drink whole milk, switch to 1 percent milk or skim milk. Many people don’t taste a difference. Some mix whole milk with lower-fat milk for a while so the taste buds can adjust. This doesn’t mean you can never eat or drink the full-fat versions, Schneeman says. “That’s where the discretionary calories come in.”

Other tips to reduce saturated fat include cooking with non-stick sprays and using olive, safflower, or canola oils instead of lard or butter. Eat more fish, which is usually lower in saturated fat than meat.

Bake, grill, and broil food instead of frying it because more fat is absorbed into the food when frying. You could also try more meatless entrees like veggie burgers and add flavor to food with low-fat beans instead of butter.

Eat Your Veggies

The Dietary Guidelines recommend two and one-half cups of vegetables per day if you eat 2,000 calories each day.

Healthier eating consists of adding vegetables to foods such as meatloaf, lasagna, omelettes, stir-fry dishes, and casseroles.

Frozen chopped greens such as spinach, and peas, carrots, and corn are easy to add. Also, add dark leafy green lettuce to sandwiches.

“Involve kids by letting them help pick vegetables in different colors when you’re shopping,” Tanner suggests.

Get a variety of dark green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, and greens; orange and deep yellow vegetables such as carrots, winter squash, and sweet potatoes; starchy vegetables like corn; legumes, such as dry beans, peas, chickpeas, pinto beans, kidney beans, and tofu; and other vegetables, such as tomatoes and onions.

“Look for ways to make it convenient,” Tanner says. “You can buy salad in a bag.

Or buy a vegetable tray from the grocery store and put it in the refrigerator.

Everything’s already cut up and you can just reach in and eat it throughout the week.”

Lower Sodium and Increase Potassium

Higher salt intake is linked to higher blood pressure, which can raise the risk of stroke, heart disease, and kidney disease. The Dietary Guidelines recommend that people consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day (approximately one teaspoon of salt).

There are other recommendations for certain populations that tend to be more sensitive to salt. For example, people with high blood pressure, blacks, and middle-aged and older adults should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium each day.

Most of the sodium people eat comes from processed foods. Use the Nutrition Facts label on food products: 5%DV or less for sodium means the food is low in sodium and 20%DV or more means it’s high.

Compare similar products and choose the option with a lower amount of sodium. Most people won’t notice a taste difference. Consistently consuming lower-salt products will help taste buds adapt, and you will enjoy these foods as much or more than higher-salt options.

Prepare foods with little salt. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends giving flavor to food with herbs, spices, lemon, lime, vinegar, and salt-free seasoning blends.

Consult with your physician before using salt substitutes because their main ingredient, potassium chloride, can be harmful to some people with certain medical conditions.

Also, increase potassium-rich foods such as sweet potatoes, orange juice, bananas, spinach, winter squash, cantaloupe, and tomato puree. Potassium counteracts some of sodium’s effect on blood pressure.

Lower Sugar Intake Will Help You Lose Weight

The Dietary Guidelines recommend choosing and preparing food and beverages with little added sugars. Added sugars are sugars and syrups added to foods and beverages in processing or preparation, not the naturally occurring sugars in fruits or milk.

Major sources of added sugars in the American diet include regular soft drinks, candy, cake, cookies, pies, and fruit drinks. In the ingredients list on food products, sugar may be listed as brown sugar, corn syrup, glucose, sucrose, honey, or molasses.

Be sure to check the sugar in low-fat and fat-free products, which sometimes contain a lot of sugar, Tanner says.

Instead of drinking regular soda and sugary fruit drinks, try diet soda, low-fat or fat-free milk, water, flavored water, or 100 percent fruit juice. Healthier eating would mean more water tan juices anyway

For snacks and desserts, try fruit. People are often pleasantly surprised that fruit is great for satisfying a sweet tooth. And if ice cream is calling your name, don’t have it in the freezer. Make it harder to get by having to go out for it. Then it can be an occasional treat in your new healthier eating lifestyle.

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If you’ve eaten meat your whole life, switching to a vegetarian diet might be something that could be difficult to switch to. You might also wonder why you should even consider switching.

Many people figure that they have been eating this way their whole, life so why switch now?

There are many reasons that you might decide to switch to a vegetarian diet. First of all, check yourself out in the mirror.

If You Are Not Healthy Why Not Try Vegetarianism?

The majority of Americans are not a healthy and this can be the number one reason for them to switch. Also, as yourself a few questions:

• Are you a healthy weight?
• Do you feel good most of the time?
• Do you wake up energized? Or tired and sluggish?
• How is your overall health?
• Is your blood pressure in a healthy range?
• Are your cholesterol and blood sugar levels normal?

If you find that “no” is the answer to most of these questions then you should consider what you are eating on a daily basis.

If you find that you feel worse after eating, you may be wondering if food is supposed to make you feel this way.

The answer is no. Your food should nourish and feed your body. It should leave you feeling refreshed and energized.

The body is a machine and it needs good fuel. The fact of the matter is that most people are over and obese. This is because we eat too much meat and too much fat. Problems such as high blood sugar, Type II diabetes, high cholesterol and other health related problems are caused by our diet.

All of these problems can be prevented by changing your diet. This eBook will show you how to do that and the difference that eating vegetarian can do for you in a short period of time.

You are What You Eat

Whatever your reasons are for becoming a vegetarian, there are four different types of vegetarians and you can choose the type that you want to be.

There are many different types of vegetarians, as some people are not able to give up all animal products completely. The four types are:

• Lacto Vegetarians: This diet consists of no animal products or eggs. They do eat dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt.
• Ovo-Vegetarians: This diet consists of no animal or dairy, but they do eat eggs.
• Lacto-Ovo Vegetarians: This diet consists of no animal products, but they do eat dairy and eggs.
• Vegan: This diet consists of plant-based foods, which means that it excludes all animal products including dairy, eggs, meat and even honey.

If you haven’t figured out what type of vegetarian you are going to be, it’s okay. It takes time and experimentation with different recipes to figure out what you can’t live without in your diet. For example, some people can’t live without milk and eggs.

Guide To Becoming Vegetarian

The expression “you are what you eat” has been heard numerous times and it is often used in advertisements. But, if you really think about what this means, you really start to think twice about your diet.

A good example of a person being what they eat can be seen in your blood plasma. Your blood plasma is clear liquid, but after eating a fast food hamburger your blood plasma becomes cloudy with fat and cholesterol.

This is what your body absorbs after eating a high-fat hamburger.

Inversely, you also become what you don’t eat.

• When you switch from eating a lot of meat to eating a vegetarian based diet, you lose fat.
• You are also less prone to various cancers and diseases.
• Your cholesterol can also improve.

When you are lean and eating less meat products, you find that many of your health and fitness problems go away. The risk of Type II diabetes is also reduced. Blood pressure falls into normal ranges as well. When you’re healthier, you also do not have to take fewer medications.

If you have a family history of high cholesterol or blood pressure, then you are particularly dependent on what you eat and it is easier for you to become what you eat. Moving towards a vegetarian diet can reduce the incidence if numerous diseases. Vegetarians are also statistically healthier.

What Did Our Ancestors Eat?

Do you ever wonder what our ancestors ate and how far we have diverted in our eating habits? Originally, our ancestors were hunter-gatherers and were not omnivores.

They did not eat animals.

When you look at predators and carnivorous animals you can see that they have teeth designed to rip and tear. Their teeth are not designed for chewing. Animals that are designed for chewing like herbivores have flat teeth that are designed to breakdown food.

Humans evolved from creatures that were vegetarian. The digestive systems were not designed for eating and digesting meat. Eating meat is a fairly recent development in human history.

It is believed that humans began to eat meat because they couldn’t find the natural foods they were used to eating. They might have assumed that eating meat would help to sustain their meat.

Initially, we were similar to creatures that evolved from animals like herbivore apes. These apes looked similar to man and walked upright with their arms and hands. They naturally foraged for food and ate roots, berries, fruits and nuts.

They also lived moment to moment constantly foraging for food. Hunting requires thought and eating meat required fire. Until fire was discovered, man primarily ate vegetables and fruits. Vegetarian eating is a natural form of eating and much healthier.

The Tradition of Eating Meat

As man developed, they began eating more and more meat. This led to whole families eating meat as a main part of their meal and thus the tradition of eating meat began.

• The turkey became the staple of Thanksgiving dinner.
• New Year’s has always been associated with pork and sauerkraut.
• Ham is the traditional meal of Easter.
• In the summer, you can’t wait to smell the barbeque in the air.

As you think about all of the meat that we consume, it’s hard to believe that we were designed to live off of vegetables, fruits, nuts and berries.

When humans had to begin eating meat to survive, it became a group event. One Indian was not able to go out and hunt a buffalo alone. It took at least four people to hunt a buffalo. The same is true for a variety of other animals that we hunted and ate.

The meat became the center of attention and it took several family or tribe members to clean, cook and even dry the meat. After the work was done, the meat was shared as a reward for hard work.

Now, we don’t have to hunt our meat, but we do buy it. We still enjoy getting together and celebrating over a ham, because this is ingrained in our nature from thousands of years of traditions.

All celebrations tend to hover around some sort of food item, but imagine what your options would be if we gave up meat and imagine how much healthier our meals could be.

If you recognize that you could feel much better about yourself if you were able to eat healthier then that should be a good enough reason to switch or at least decrease the amount of meat that you eat.

You don’t have to make a complete switch.

Sure, some people enjoy a nice cold glass of milk and may need it to ensure they are receiving adequate calcium and vitamin D.

If you don’t think you can give meat up completely, you can simply make your meat more of a side dish and eat more healthy veggies. You will be amazed at the difference it will make.

Vegetarianism Animal Welfare

Many vegetarians are such not just because they realize it is healthy, but for the case of animal welfare as well. For many people, being a vegetarian is a part of a moral and ethical decision to not eat animal products.

Throughout the many centuries we have domesticated animals, we have come to believe that we are superior to them. We use animals for a wide variety of uses other than food including clothing, shoes, belts and coats. They have also been used for scientific experiments, although many companies are trying to move away from this type of testing.

PETA

PETA stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. This is an organization that is devoted to changing the mindset of people when it comes to animals. They are against using animals for anything from food to clothing and they are particularly against trapping for fur.

PETA is extremely passionate for their cause, almost to an extent of being outrageous. However, their cause is noble in that they believe animals have rights and deserve that their best interests be taken into consideration.

They seek to have people realize that animals can suffer and that they have an interest in leading their own lives as animals. They believe that as a society we need to re-evaluate our place on earth and where we fit in with the other animal inhabitants of the world.

Animals Growth Hormones

In an effort to produce more animals at an increased rate for human consumption, many animals have been treated with growth hormones so that they can be raised and slaughtered at an expedited rate. At the same time this leads us to consider how these animals are raised and treated for this purpose.

The fact of the matter is that if many people saw how many of these animals were raised, they would become vegetarians on the spot.

For example, egg-laying chickens are often raised with six to a cage. Each chicken only receives about 67 square inches of space. These chickens are also generally treated with growth hormones as well as antibiotics to increase growth rate and decrease disease.

Free-range and certified organic chickens may receive more spacious conditions and are not fed hormones or antibiotics.

This brings us to another point. After you handle chickens it is suggested that you use bleach to clean the surfaces so that you remove bacteria. Also, chicken must be cooked at certain temperatures and for a certain period of time to ensure that you will not catch any food-borne illnesses.

It does not seem wise to eat anything that has to be handled with such care.

From chickens, you can easily move into how cattle are treated. First you must consider dairy cattle. Dairy cattle are often given hormones that stimulate their reproductive processes so that it continues to produce milk.

A cow will only produce milk after she has given birth. They often live in cramped conditions and as soon as they calve, male calves are sent to become veal while females are raised to produce milk.

The hormones that the cows receive cause the cow to produce ten times more milk than they would ordinarily. At the same time, they are hooked up to electric pumps, which cause irritation to the cow’s udders.

After a certain age, we really don’t need to consume milk. At the same time, we are not designed to drink cow milk, but human milk.

We don’t milk pregnant women do we? Just like our bodies were not designed to eat milk, we were not designed to drink cow milk and digest those proteins either.

You can receive just as much and more calcium from green, leafy vegetables.

Many people, even by those people who eat meat regularly, have viewed the veal industry negatively. The veal industry is cruel no matter who you are and how you look at it.

The calves are taken from their mothers after they are about one day old. They are then kept in pens that prevent them from moving so that their muscle tissue stays soft and tender. The calves are then fed a liquid, often containing beer, that is deficient in iron and fiber. This causes anemia in the animal and produces the pale meat. At about 20 weeks, the calf is then slaughtered.

Turkeys are also produced in an inhumane manner. The consumption of turkey has become very popular over the past few decades and it is eaten for more than just holidays.

Turkeys are more aggressive birds so they are kept in a confined and dark area to discourage their aggressive behavior. They are then overfed until their legs cannot support the of their body. This is because Americans want the largest turkey breast they can get for their holiday celebrations. Naturally and wildly, a turkey may live up to 10 years.

These turkeys are slaughtered at 2 years of age. They also suffer from foot and leg deformities, heat stress and starvation. Approximately 2.7 million turkeys die each year due to the abnormal stress and disease of this process.

Many religions do not eat pork for their various reasons and some meat-consuming people don’t care for it either. Pigs are raised in similar unsanitary conditions. In fact, many farmers and workers on pig farms have died from breathing in the methane gas that is produced from the immense amount of waste that pigs produce at pig farms.

Pigs are also overfed and kept in crates. They have a limited range of movement that does not suit their natural behaviors. They may also be fed growth hormones and antibiotics. Pigs have natural rooting behaviors and the captivity they live in does not allow them to live naturally.

Seafood and shellfish can be a part of a healthy diet. Fish contain a lot of nutrients that we don’t get from other meats. It contains a high-quality protein, essential nutrients, omega-3 fatty acids and it is low in saturated fat. However, eating fish has its harms as well.

Fish often contain mercury. These levels are not usually bad enough to hurt us, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are advising women, especially pregnant women, and young children to avoid certain types of fish and shellfish.

This is because some fish have high levels of mercury that are not safe for these people to eat. Eliminating fish from your diet is usually the last step in going towards a complete vegetarian diet.

Vegetarianism The Health Effects

You will be absolutely amazed at the difference you feel when you have eaten meat for a short period of time. It’s as if your body instantly begins to relieve itself of all of the toxins that you have been consuming and you immediately begin to feel more energetic and have an overall better feeling of health.

No matter what you reasons are for eating a more vegetarian diet, the health benefits that are derived will become obvious in a very short amount of time.

Vegetarians tend to have lower blood fats, cholesterol, and triglycerides than meat eaters of a similar age and status. Even those vegetarians who consume eggs and milk quickly see that their cholesterol is lower than those people who eat meat.

Heart Disease in Vegetarians

High levels of blood fats are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Researchers have found that men who eat meat six or more times per week double their chances of developing heart disease.

Middle-aged men are more likely to suffer from fatal heart attacks. Women are protected by their hormones for the majority of their life, but older women are prone to develop heart disease later in life. Older women who are vegetarian have been shown to have a lower risk of heart disease.

In 1982, British researchers did a study on more than 10,000 vegetarians and meat eaters.

They found that the more meat that was consumed, the greater the risk of heart attack. They also found that by eliminating meat from your diet, you are reducing your consumption of fats and cholesterol that are damaging to the heart.

At the same time, however you must be careful not to compensate for not eating meat by consuming too much milk and eggs, as this can negate the benefits.

To gain all of the benefits of vegetarianism, your intake of cream cheese, ice cream, hard cheese and eggs should be moderate. The introduction of more veggies, fruits and raw foods will enhance your benefits.

Cancer in Vegetarians

Vegetarianism has also been show to reduce the incidence of certain types of cancer as well. These diets are low in saturated fat, high in fiber and contain phytochemicals, which protect from cancer.

Several large studies in both England and Germany have shown that vegetarians, when compared to meat eaters, have about a 40% less chance of developing cancer as compared to meat-eaters.

Seventh-Day Adventists are largely lacto-ovo vegetarians, have been known to have a reduced cancer risk because they tend to avoid meat. In China, it has been found that they have similar reduced breast cancer rates due to the amount of vegetables that they eat. In contrast, Japanese women tend to eat more meat and are eight times more likely to develop breast cancer.

Meat and dairy consumption has been linked to various other cancer including:

• Colon cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Ovarian cancer

In studies done by Harvard on several thousand women, it has been found that those who regularly consume meat increase their chances of colon cancer by 300%.

These high fat diets that many people consume also cause the body to produce excess estrogen. This increase has been linked to an increase chance for breast cancer. They have also found that breast cancer rates are one third higher in premenopausal women who eat mostly meat diets.

Cambridge University has also linked meat diets with high levels of saturated fat to breast cancer. They have linked dairy products to an increased risk of ovarian cancers as the process of breaking down lactose may damage the ovaries. In men, prostate enlargement has been linked to meat consumption and the risk triples.

Other studies have linked an increase in white blood cell production to vegetarianism as well. These cells are required in fending off bacteria, infection and disease. Thus, the immune system is stronger when a vegetarian diet is consumed.

Improved Digestion in Vegetarians

Vegetarians see a lot of improvement in their digestive systems because they are able to create a healthy and natural environment for these organs. Our digestive system was originally designed to consume more vegetable matter rather than meat.

Fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts were the staple of the prehistoric diet and your digestive system greatly benefits when you go back to this natural type of diet. The Western diet has been drastically changed to include highly processed food and refined flour and sugar products.

This has led to a variety of health problems from heart disease to obesity.

When the body isn’t being fed properly and the digestive system isn’t functioning properly, the body begins to adapt. It begins to make changes in the cells of the stomach and colon.

When we don’t consume enough fiber, we incur a variety of problems including constipation and hemorrhoids. These problems are not normally seen in a vegetarian diet.

Weight Issues in Vegetarians

Weight is a huge problem in this country and if you think about it, have you ever really seen a fat vegetarian? Most likely you have not. In fact, most vegetarians are lean and healthy.

Whenever you see a dietician or nutritionist, they most likely tell you to increase your vegetable intake and decrease the amount of meat you consume, especially red meats and pork.

Many vegetarians who resume their old diets have found that the weight they lost tends to come back. Your will power is not enough to prevent the onset of from eating a high-fat meat based diet.

You are naturally healthier and feel better when you eat a diet that is high in dietary fiber, which is consumed from vegetables and fruits. As a vegetarian you are essentially feeding your body the nutrition that it needs to provide your body with useful energy, not energy that has to be stored. You just feel better because of this.

Many diets fail because we are forcing ourselves to avoid food that we like. This only leads to temptation to eat those foods.

The trick to being a successful vegetarian is to realize that you don’t need to eat meat and that you can go without it. You are focused on eating healthier and you forget that you are trying to lose weight.

You actually begin to lose weight without realizing it, simply because you have eliminated your main source of fat and overall unhealthiness.

At the same time, all of the bad health effects disappear because of your healthy and natural diet.

Kidney Problems in Vegetarians

Diets that are high in animal proteins tend to cause the body to excrete more calcium, uric acid and oxalates. These are three substances that are the main components of kidney stones.

For those people who have a tendency for kidney stones, British researchers have advised that these people follow a vegetarian diet.

The American Academy of Family Physicians has also confirmed that high animal protein consumption is the cause of kidney stones in the US as well. By eating a vegetarian diet your body does not secrete as much of these substances, therefore it does not form kidney stones.

Osteoporosis in Vegetarians

For many of the same reasons we are able to reduce the risk of kidney stones by following a vegetarian diet, we are also able to reduce our chances for osteoporosis.

Eating meat may actually promote bone loss because it forces calcium out of the body. In many nations where veggies are the basis of their diet, osteoporosis is less common than in developed countries such as the US. And, calcium is consumed less in the US.

So, with our meat-eating diets we are forced to also consume calcium supplements and prescription drugs to prevent the onset of osteoporosis. These supplements can also have drastic side effects.

Many nutrition experts agree that the calcium supplements purchased at drug stores are inferior to the calcium that you receive from natural food sources. This is typically because they are not absorbed well by the body.

There are several good sources of calcium including:

• Orange juice
• Dry beans
• Dark leafy vegetables
• Tofu

Detoxification from Vegetables

Many people have gotten on a kick of doing weekend Detox diets and similar programs. Did you know that you don’t have to do this if you are a vegetarian?

Cleansing the body of harmful toxins is easy if you eat a vegetarian diet. You are not consuming all of the growth hormones and antibiotics that you get from the meat that you purchase at the grocery store. People really don’t realize that they get these toxins from their carnivorous diet.

A diet that is high in fat and processed tends to slow down the digestion of your food and this allows your body to soak up and accumulate the toxins from this type of diet.

Bacteria and toxins that accumulate in your system can also create a feeling of sluggishness. There are also a variety of digestive disorders, such as colitis and irritable bowel disorders that may develop as well.

When you eat a healthy vegetarian diet, you introduce dietary fiber to your diet and your digestive system begins to suddenly work better.

When you eliminate meat from your diet, your body is freed from the intense work it takes to digest those types of food. Everything seems to become clearer and work better. You also become more aware of the toxicity of the food you had been eating before.

Chemicals and toxins in our food have become a large concern in the US. There are more and more chemicals and preservatives being added to our food. We are ingesting these products every time we eat processed foods, refined foods, and various other hormones and antibiotics that we receive through our meat.

Because of this, a variety of other issues are developed in its wake including:

Making the Switch

If you are considering making the switch to a vegetarian diet, you probably will want to pass your newfound nutritional knowledge onto your family.

In fact, as a parent you probably want to ensure that your family is receiving the best nutrition possible. It also helps them to learn about why it is important to eat healthy.

Making the switch with a family can be difficult because children are even more tempted from the various fast food restaurants and commercials for snacks on television. It’s very hard to make veggies look good over chicken nuggets and a free toy!

You have to slowly change you and your family’s diet.

• Everything starts at the grocery store. Instead of cookies, buy apples, bananas, carrots and other tasty snacks.
• Exchange white rice for healthy, brown rice.
• You also want to avoid processed side dishes.
• Slowly make your meat portions smaller and increase more veggies and grains.

If you have small children, it is much easier to make this switch. You can teach them from an early age that olives are good snacks and that peaches are good desserts.

They will learn to love these foods and they won’t even know about all the other junk food out there. The real challenge will come when your children are in school and they have to learn to make healthy choices.

The idea is to gradually change so that it is easier on you and your family. Many children will change simply because you tell them that they are saving the lives of animals. Children are very sympathetic and it’s not unusual for children to become vegetarians on their own accord simply because they don’t want to eat animals.

Your children may not realize it now, but you are doing them a huge favor that will last them their entire lives. Childhood obesity is at epidemic levels in the US and you will be setting your children up for a healthy lifestyle by teaching them how to eat healthy now.

Food You Need For Becoming a Vegetarian

You will use the same type of cooking supplies that you already use. However, you may need to breakout the blender and food processor if you aren’t using it on a regular basis.

There are also several new ingredients and foods that you will be incorporating into your diet including:

Fruits Vegetables

•  Grapes
• Melon
• Apple
• Mushrooms
• Avocado
• Tomatoes
• Oranges
• Broccoli
• Kiwi
• Potato
• Sweet Potato
• Peppers
• Cucumber
• Onion
• Celery
• Cherry
• Plum
• Carrot
• Cabbage
• Banana

Egg Whites, Soy Milk Dairy (Unless You Are Giving These Up)

• Egg whites
• Milk
• Dairy Milk
• Soy Milk
• Dairy Cheese
• Soy Cheese
• Yogurt

Sauces Oils

• Olive oil
• Rice vinegar
• Toasted Sesame Oil
• Groundnut oil
• Tamari (Japanese Soy Sauce)
• Hot Chili Oil

Seasonings

• Black Pepper
• Curry Powder
• Dijon Mustard
• Fresh Garlic
• Fresh Ginger
• Sea Salt

Herbs Spices

• Anise
• Basil
• Cayenne pepper
• Chili powder
• Cinnamon
• Coriander
• Cumin
• Dill
• Garlic powder
• Nutmeg
• Oregano
• Paprika
• Red chili flakes
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Thyme

Noodles Rice

• Rice noodles
• Soba noodles
• Brown basmati rice

Nuts Seeds

• Almonds
• Cashews
• Peanuts
• Sesame Seeds
• Sunflower seeds

Legumes

• Black beans
• Chickpeas
• Lentils (Red, green and brown)
• Split Peas (Yellow and green)
• Kidney beans

Other

• Coconut milk
• Nutritional yeast
• Pure Maple Syrup
• Raw, unrefined sugar

This guide to becoming a vegetarian I am hoping is not too scary. I know that as  normal eating omnivore that I still eat meat but I know that vegetables and a vegetarian diet is not only healthy but a critical part in any healthy lifestyle.

Don’t get scared of the term vegetarianism, instead embrace the great recipes and foods that you have been missing out on and enjoy eating in a new way

Related Blogs

• Related Blogs on Fitness

There are many reasons that you might have decided to diet right now.  You may be preparing for a big event.  You may have made a big New Year’s resolution.  Or it may be that you’re just ready to lose some to improve your health.

Whatever your reasons, starting a diet can be an exciting and invigorating idea.  But after a few weeks, or even days, dieting isn’t quite so appealing.  You may be missing some of your old food choices, you may feel hungrier, or you may just feel deprived and angry.

But there are success strategies that will help you stick to your diet and reach your goals without stalling out.   When you understand diet basics and tips for maintaining your progress, you’ll reach your goal in no time.

20 Tips How To Stick To Your Diet

Sticking to your diet actually starts with choosing your diet in the first place.  There are thousands of diets you could try and it’s important that you do your homework before you start one.

A diet needs to fit in with your lifestyle and be something that you can do realistically.  For example, eating a diet of raw foods may be extremely healthy and help you lose weight.  But it’s not for everyone.

If you work 2 jobs it’s probably not the best because of all the time-consuming food prep.  If you don’t have time to prepare the appropriate foods, it’s not likely that you’ll stick to this diet for very long.

And there are hundreds more diets that have components that may not work for you while some diets will be perfect for you.  So you must choose a diet that will not defeat you in the very beginning.

Here are a few things you should ask about a diet before beginning it

• How much food preparation will be involved?
• Will you have to buy special products?
• Do you need specific tools that you don’t already own?
• Is the food something you already like?
• Does this diet work with your current work schedule and lifestyle?
• Will you have to diet alone, or can your family also practice this way of eating?
• Will you be able to eat out?  Or will all food have to come from home?
• How much money will you need spend each month for this diet?
• Will you have to attend meetings for it?
• Will the diet interfere with any health conditions or medications?
• Have you tried this diet before?

You want to choose a diet that fits within your budget and fits within your schedule.  If you have a lot of free time, a diet that requires a lot of food preparation may be appropriate.

However, if you’re very busy, you’ll want to find a diet that you can fit into your erratic schedule.  If you don’t have time for a lot of food prep or you eat out a lot, you need to make sure your diet is compatible with these requirements.

This is the first step in sticking to your diet.  If you choose a diet that fits well into your existing lifestyle, you’ll have a better chance of continuing.  If you choose something that is difficult to fit into your lifestyle, you’ll have more of a struggle ahead of you.

1. Be Mindful of Your Budget

In today’s economy, many people are working to make sure they don’t overspend.  Dieting is one of the places where people spend the most money.  But it is possible to diet without overspending.

There are two routes you can take to dieting success when it comes to your budget.  You can join a program that has costs attached to it or you can do it on your own and use a program from a book or other source.

Diet programs that offer fee-based services have benefits and drawbacks

• Often program fees are high and don’t cover the cost of food
• Even a diet that comes with prepackaged food must be supplemented with more food
• You may get personal one-on-one service
• You may get support group meetings
• You have accountability and regular weigh-ins
• You have someone to coach you when you’re struggling and celebrate your successes
• You must make time in your schedule for any regular appointments or classes
• You may have to pay for meetings or appointments even if you don’t attend them

Alternatively, if you choose the option of going on your own, you’ll find that there are also benefits and drawbacks

• You can use information from books, magazines, or online resources to tailor a plan for you – many of these sources are inexpensive or free
• You won’t have as much accountability
• You won’t have to buy expensive prepackaged food, but you will have to spend more time preparing food
• Support can be encouraged by working with friends, but you won’t have a built-in coach
• You won’t have to schedule regular appointments or meetings

Ultimately, you need to choose a diet you can stick with in the first place.  If you’re choosing something that’s way out of your budget, you won’t be able to afford it long-term.  It’s important that you make wise financial decisions early on in the process.

2. Understand Your Motivation

When it comes to dieting, it also helps to understand what’s driving your decision to lose weight.  Sometimes it’s not enough to be motivated to fit into a new dress. Likewise the general desire to get healthy isn’t always enough to keep you going.

You need to spell out exactly what it is you want to accomplish and why.  Here are a few sample items that may motivate you

• Reduce risk for heart disease
• Get off of medication for diabetes
• Live longer for your children
• Have fun shopping for clothes
• Less pain in your joints
• Be able to move more easily
• Enjoy more activities such as gardening and walking

Once you understand what’s motivating you to diet, you can write it down and place reminders around you.  This will help you to focus on what you want to achieve whenever you’re tempted to stray from your plan.

You can be very simple about it, or you can get very creative.  Some people create vision boards to help remember goals and motivation.  You can create this by simply putting magazine cutouts, photos, and even just words on a small poster.

This poster can very simple or more elaborate. Then you’ll place the vision board somewhere that you will come across it every day.  Take a few moments each day to look at your vision board and reconnect to your purpose.

Other people create self-affirmations to place in prominent areas.  For example, you may want to put small notes on your bathroom mirror, inside your car, and even on your desk at work.

These notes will serve as regular reminders that you have a greater purpose for sticking to your diet.  Whenever you’re feeling a little like you want to stop following the plan or you want to give up, you can go to these messages of motivation for inspiration.

3. Get Prepared

When it’s time to begin your diet, it helps to make sure you have all the things you need to be successful.  For example, you’ll need to make sure you have the correct food items available.

Some diet plans have staple items that you’ll need over and over again.  You may find that it’s best to buy these items in bulk so that you get a better bargain. When you buy in bulk, you’ll also have more on hand.

You also want to be sure and stock supplies such as storage containers, plastic wrap, and aluminum foil that you’ll need if you’re cooking for yourself a lot.  Some diets also require supplements and you’ll need to have a large supply of them.

If you’re using prepackaged food, it’s important to have a good stock on hand so that you don’t have an emergency.  When you run out of your pre-packaged food you’ll have to make something different.

It’s a good idea to have at least a week’s worth of extra food so that you won’t run out.  There may be times that your regularly scheduled day to pick up your food supply will fall through.  Make sure you’re prepared.

There are some diets that require special equipment such as a blender or a microwave.  Make sure you have these items before you begin a diet that requires them.  Having supplies ahead of time will help you stick to your diet.

If you’re going to make exercise a part of your program, you’ll also want to make sure you’ve go the appropriate clothing and footwear.  You don’t want to find that you don’t have comfortable shoes when you’re a few days into the program.

Before you start your diet you need to make a checklist of the things you’ll need.  Keep this checklist handy so that you’ll always know what you need to buy – even if you have to make a quick run to the store after work.

Once you’ve got all the supplies you need, you’ll be prepared to stay with your diet for the long term.  When you’re not prepared, it makes it that much easier to slip up and miss your routine.

4. Get Support

When it comes to dieting, it’s often better not to go it alone.  It often helps to have someone to whom you can be accountable.  It’s also nice to have someone who shares your common goals and vision.

You may want to consider starting a diet group or even just having a diet buddy.  This person will help you to stay on track and you will do the same for him or her.

When you work together, you have several benefits

• You can share success stories
• You can share obstacles and brainstorm ideas to overcome them
• You’ll be able to swap recipes
• You’ll have accountability
• You can motivate one another
• Together you can focus when other areas of your life distract you from taking care of yourself

When it comes to finding the right type of support, there are a few things to keep in mind.  First, you’ll want to find someone who is positive about the process and who is committed.

If you work with someone who’s not really committed, you may find that you spend all of your energy trying to stay focused while they distract you.  You’ll want to talk before you partner up and find out how committed they are to the process.

You’ll also need to look for someone who has a similar schedule and will be available at about the same time you’re available.  This way you know that you’ll be able to meet consistently.

In addition, you probably want to find someone who is following the same diet that you’re following.  This way you can truly share stories and you can brainstorm ways to get through stumbling blocks.

Having that support you need can be critical to your success.  It’s possible to do it on your own, but it’s so much easier when you have someone to share the burden of this major lifestyle change.

Once you’ve found someone to work with you, make sure that you are also committed to the process.  Be his or her cheerleader and follow through will all of your promises when it comes to meeting and working together.

5. Avoid Saboteurs

It’s a well known fact that when you’re trying to lose and improve your health, someone will come along to sabotage your efforts.  Whether it’s jealousy, misunderstanding, or just plain being mean this is something you should expect.

There are several ways you can handle a saboteur in your life:

• If possible, avoid them altogether – this is difficult if it’s a close friend or family member
• Steer clear of the subject of dieting and loss – don’t let them in on your diet plan
• Confront the saboteur and let them know you won’t be discussing your diet with them and you would like them to please stop any behaviors that are getting in your way
• Ignore their efforts – don’t engage them when they try to stop your progress

Efforts of other people to get in the way of your success are a sad truth when it comes to dieting.  There will always be people who – consciously or unconsciously – will try to keep you from having it all.

Sometimes it’s enough to just recognize that this is happening so you can avoid them or confront them on the issue.  While having positive support can lead to your success, allowing negative people to get in your way will be detrimental.

It’s best to nip the problem in the bud.  The first time someone does or says something that makes your diet more difficult, make sure to let them know what you want from them.

Change is a hard pill to swallow.  Some people – even people who care about you – will have a hard time if your new lifestyle interferes with theirs.  Remember that we don’t live in a bubble.  Our actions always affect others.

For example, if they’re used to going out to dinner or dessert, it may be difficult when you either turn them down or don’t eat that brownie a la mode anymore.  This is especially true if he or she needs to lose as well.

But most people will get over their problems and turn into supporters if you make it clear that you’re committed to your new plan.  And eventually as you succeed, they’ll cheer you on.

6. Keep a Journal

Study after study has found that the most successful dieters are those who keep a journal.  This journal can work in a number of ways and you can tailor the process to the particular diet you’ve chosen.

For some people, keeping a journal will mean writing down calories and fat grams.  For other people it will mean writing down the specific foods and portions you enjoy at each meal.

Still for others, it will mean keeping track of when you ate and how you felt at the time.  Some journals are for keeping track of emotions and hunger.  But no matter what you do, it helps to keep a journal to record the process.

In addition to keeping track of your diet in your journal, you can also use it to track the amount of exercise you complete.  You can also track your and inches in the journal to have all the important information in one place.

Your journal can be something you purchase directly from your diet program.  It may also be something that you simply purchase at the office supply store.  A spiral notebook often works very well and is an inexpensive choice.

If you need to keep your journal with you on the go, then you’ll want to purchase a very small book that can fit in your pocket, briefcase, glove box, or purse.  In that case you may also want something that has a sturdy cover to handle wear and tear.

Journals can be very versatile and fit your personal style.  But the main thing you need to remember is that once you’ve bought the perfect book, you need to actually write in it.  A journal that you don’t use is worthless.

Here are a few tips for using your journal consistently

• Keep your journal on the kitchen counter where you normally prepare and eat food
• If you eat out or travel a lot, keep a small journal that you can take with you
• Journal your food in the morning when you plan your meals.  At night you can back and change anything that you did differently
• Keep a pen or pencil attached to your journal
• Write down what you ate – whether it was on your diet or not
• Look back at your journal to find what weeks you were most successful, then simply repeat them
• Use your journal to make a grocery list

A journal will make a huge impact on how well you stick to your diet.  It offers built-in motivation for your journey.  You’ll have it to write in when you’re not so happy about dieting and also when you have successes.

7. Set Realistic Goals

Another stumbling block that many people face when dieting is setting unrealistic goals.  This creates a cycle that makes it difficult to stay on your diet.  What often happens is that people become discouraged when they don’t reach their goals.

This discouragement eventually leads to giving up on the diet.  But instead of giving up, most people would benefit more from actually being more realistic about their expectations.

From the beginning you need to make sure you set goals you can actually achieve.  This helps to build success and motivate you to continue further.  Slow and steady wins the race.

Here are a few things to consider when setting goals:

• Weight goals should be reasonable – 1-2 pounds per week
• Goals having to do with behavior are also successful.  For example, set a goal to drink 8 glasses of water each day for a week.
• You shouldn’t try to change more than one or two behaviors at a time.
• Don’t compete with others when setting goals.

As you go about setting goals, you’ll find that the more small successes you have, the more likely you’ll be to keep going.  Many people who try to lose five pounds a week find that they can’t do it and it only makes it harder to keep going.

Your goals need to be very specific and very measurable.  To have the goal to “lose ” isn’t enough.  You must set smaller goals such as losing 1 pound per week for 52 weeks.  This is very specific and each week you can check in to see if you met your goal.

When you make goals that are too large or too vague, you set yourself up for failure.  You’ll have a problem before you even begin your work.  Don’t set yourself up for failure by being to broad with your goal setting.

8. Chart Your Progress

Keeping a journal and making goals are great first steps for getting your diet in gear.  But you also want to make sure you chart your progress as you diet so that you can see both your successes and your failures.

Charts and graphs offer visual representations of your progress.  You can make a line graph of your loss in pounds and in inches.  You can also make graphs that show your goals and your achievements.

When you see your success visually, it can be a huge motivator to keep going.  And when you see the line on your graph start to dip, you can head off further declines by kicking things back into gear.

Many people who have achieved dieting success have found charts and graphs to be critical to that achievement.  You’ll likely find that you have the same results when you begin to make graphic representations.
You can make charts by hand.  And if you’re comfortable with spreadsheets, you can plug the numbers in and let the computer do all the designing.  Then you’ll have it stored and you can manipulate the data to make the kind of graph you want.

9. Reevaluate Your Overall Diet

You’ve been plugging along and your diet started out okay, but now you’re finding that it doesn’t fit your lifestyle or your budget well.  Don’t let this be a reason to give up or quit.  This is just a time to reevaluate.

Sometimes you need to make changes in order to continue with your success.  You may find that one diet may not work very well, but you can try a new program to keep going with your progress.

Every month or so, you’ll want to ask a few questions about your diet

• Am I having success?
• Can I afford this program?
• Do I have enough time to follow this diet?
• Do I enjoy the food I am eating?
• Do I have more energy than I had before?
• Am I happy on this diet?
• Can this diet work for me long-term?
• Is there another diet that would work better for me?

If you’re finding that you don’t have energy, you’re always hungry, and/or you hate what you’re eating, it may be time for a change.  Even if you’re losing , you don’t want to be miserable all the time.

Likewise, you may be feeling okay with the diet, but not losing any .  If this is happening, you may need to find something that’s more appropriate for you.  However, if you’re losing 1-2 pounds per week you’re on target.

Sometimes people get discouraged because they want to lose 5 pounds every time they step on the scale.  But you need to go back and remember to set realistic goals.  A diet that causes more rapid loss may not be healthy.

If you find it’s time for a change, don’t hesitate to do what will make you more successful.  Look for another program that works for you.  Maybe one that fits your budget, schedule, or food preferences better.

There are hundreds of diets on the market and there’s no reason to stick with something that isn’t working for you.  It may take five or six tries to discover what really works for you.  The key here is to not give up.

10. Add Exercise to your Lifestyle

Exercise.  The dreaded activity that every doctor and health professional asks you to consider.  If you’re looking for a way to boost the effects of your diet, you can’t find anything better than exercise.

Yes, this does take work and it isn’t always easy.  But if you add even a little exercise to your diet program you’ll find that you exponentially increase your success.

Here are a few tips for adding exercise into your day.

• Start slow – don’t begin exercising and expect to win a marathon
• Add 10 minutes of exercise into your day at first, then work up from there
• Find a workout buddy who will go with you to exercise
• Choose exercises you like
• Change your routine – do different types of exercise regularly
• Incorporate strength training, aerobic activity, and stretching into your routine
• Add exercise into every day activities such as taking the stairs and parking further away from stores entrances

Many people start incorporating exercise and try to go way too fast at first.  They may add an hour of activity a day – but after a few days that turns out to be too much.  Instead, you’ll want to start out slow.

Just adding 10 minutes a day will allow you to have improvement.  And if you do 10 minutes for a week or two, you can add five more at a time.  You want to be in this for the long run.

Also, think about the kinds of exercises you like to do.  For some people there’s no such thing as good exercise.  But you may find that there are activities that will get your body moving without making you miserable.

Here are a few examples of Fun exercise!

No matter what activity you try, exercise can be fun and make you feel better than just about anything.  It helps you to produce natural hormones called endorphins that lift depression and give you huge amounts of energy.

If you’re charting your progress, pay attention to what happens when you add even a tiny amount of exercise.  You’ll find that you have much greater success than you were having before.

One thing you need to know, though, is that you might actually see a small increase on the scale when you begin exercising – this is actually a good thing.  If you’ve been extremely sedentary you’re going to begin adding muscle mass to your body.

This muscle mass is lean tissue that’s very compact.  It will make you look leaner and you’ll see your inches decreasing even if your goes up a pound or two.  Eventually, the muscle tissue will help to raise your metabolism.

When that happens, you’ll find that you lose faster, can eat more calories, and have more energy than you’ve had in the past.

The benefits of exercise also extend to your health.  Exercise will help you to enjoy

• Lower risk of heart disease
• Lower risk of diabetes (and in some cases a reversal of it)
• Lower risk of cancer
• Lower risk of stroke
• Lower risk of arthritis
• Increased focus
• Increased energy
• Ability to move easily
• Decreased aches and pains

No pill on the market can give you all of these benefits.  And while you’ll have to get disciplined and into a new routine, you’ll find that you never made a better decision in your life.

11. Celebrate Success

When you get a new job, win a competition, or finish an important project, you probably reward yourself.  When it comes to dieting, you’ll want to do the same.  If you’ve done something well, you’ll want to pat yourself on the back.

If you’re dieting in the first place, you may have once used food as a reward.  This is no longer the best way to reward your achievement.  Instead, you’ll want to look at non-food rewards to celebrate.

Here are some non food celebrations you can enjoy

• Get a massage
• Enjoy a manicure and pedicure
• Buy a new outfit
• Go on a mini-vacation
• Take a bubble bath
• Go dancing
• Play a round of golf
• Go to a concert or other type of performance
• Have a movie night
• Buy flowers for yourself

These are little treats that you can enjoy that help to make success a little sweeter.  You don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy something special.  Sometimes locking yourself in your bedroom and letting your husband take care of the kids is treat enough.

But when you allow yourself to celebrate successes, you’ll feel renewed.  That will help you to stick to your diet and get to your next celebration.  You may want to celebrate at a specific milestone.

But you may also want to celebrate successes in changing your behavior.  For example, celebrate the first week you drank 8 glasses of water every day.  That’s something totally within your control – while the numbers on the scale are not.

12. Don’t Quit When You Go Off Track

From time to time, you’re going to go off of your plan.  You may have an extra slice of cake, go carb crazy, or simply throw out all the rules for a vacation.  It’s okay when this happens.

The danger is when you beat yourself up, decide that you can’t do it, and then throw out the diet completely.  No one is perfect.  Accepting that sometimes you’ll make mistakes is a healthy way to stick to your diet in the long run.

Just regroup and keep going.  The very next day you can pick up where you left off and pretend that you never went off course.  Don’t let a little setback actually throw you completely off of your diet.

Don’t beat yourself up when you make mistakes with your diet.  When you get discouraged, you may turn to food for comfort.  This will cause you to stay off of your diet longer, gain , and feel even more discouraged.

This cycle is what causes people to gain quickly when they quit a diet program.  You don’t have to quit just because you made some mistakes.  You just need to get back into the program.

You can also try to determine what caused you to go off track in the first place.  This can help you to prevent future problems.  Make your mistakes learning experiences and you’ll have even more success.

13. Change Your Relationship with Food

Often people become over because they use food as a way to relax, celebrate, deal with sadness, enjoy happiness, and get through stressful situations.  But food is really innocent in all of this.  It’s just there to give you the energy you need to get through life.

And while food should taste good and be enjoyable, it shouldn’t be the answer to all of your mental and emotional dilemmas.  Instead, you need to find other outlets for dealing with your emotions.

Here are several things you can do instead of finding comfort in food

• Take a hot bath
• Take a nap or just go to bed for the night
• Read
• Keep a diary
• Knit or crochet
• Learn a new hobby
• Call a friend
• Get a massage
• Drink a glass of water
• Have a good cry
• Hit a punching bag
• Take a walk
• Meditate
• Count to 10 – or 100 if necessary

When you learn some new activities to replace your dependence on food, you may find that you lose without even trying.  You can still enjoy the food you eat, but you won’t be dependent on it for your every need.

14. Look to the Past

Chances are that this isn’t your first time to go on a diet.  You may have tried over and over again only to experience failure.  But this time you’re ready to stick to your diet and achieve your goals.

It sometimes helps to look back at what caused you to get off course in the first place.  You could have allowed discouragement to allow you to quit.  You may have had a major life changing event that took you off the diet.

You may have chosen diets that didn’t work for you financially or fit into your schedule.  It’s possible that your diet left you feeling so deprived that you would binge every few days.

Think back on all of your past experiences and determine what it is that caused you to fail.  Then try not to repeat those same mistakes.  This is one of the easiest ways to stick to your diet.

If you continue to do the things that didn’t work for you in the past, you’ll continue to have the same disappointments.  Make this time different. Make this the time that you find a diet that’s realistic for you and achieve success.

15. Get Your Whole Family Involved

It’s really difficult to stick to a diet plan when you’re the only one in your household doing it.  If your family sits down to a big meal every night and you’re the only one eating a “diet” meal, you’ll fee very isolated.

By getting the whole family involved, you’ll find that you achieve more success.  You’ll also be helping your whole family to improve their eating habits and their health.  If you’ve had trouble with your , they may have the same problem.

While you may not call it a “diet” you’ll find that your family probably needs to improve their eating habits as well.  And it’s extremely beneficial for your children to develop healthy eating habits that will follow them into adulthood.

Here are a few tips for getting the whole family involved in healthy eating

• Prepare nutritious meals every night
• Eat together as a family
• Allow your children to help plan menus and cook food
• Serve at least 2 vegetables with every meal
• Only serve 1 starch at any meal
• Make sure you have protein with every meal
• Work with your children to pack healthy lunches instead of eating cafeteria food
• Don’t make your child clean his or her plate – let them stop eating when they’re satisfied
• Have fruit with meals as a substitute for sugary desserts
• Have a family activity night – go to the park, play in the yard, or take a walk together
• Limit video games to 1 hour a day
• Turn off the TV and play games with your family
• Eat breakfast together in the mornings

It would definitely be easier to hit the drive thru every night and then veg out in front of the TV.  But when you take the extra time to make your whole family a part of it, you’ll improve everyone’s health.

In addition to the physical health benefit, you’ll also grow closer as a family when you work together to create meals and have fun playing together.  Your family will be both healthier and happier.

16. Plan Ahead for Eating Out

One of the biggest difficulties people have with dieting is figuring out what to do when eating out.  Some people quit their diet altogether because they can’t stick to it with their busy schedule.

But you can eat out and stick to your diet – if you choose the right diet in the first place.  It just take a little planning ahead to make sure you get the food you need to stay on your plan.

Here are a few tips for eating out at a sit-down restaurant

• Call ahead and have a menu faxed to you
• Decide what you’ll eat before you get to the restaurant
• Look on the menu for healthier selections – many restaurants have special diet menus
• Choose grilled food over fried food
• Ask for steamed vegetables
• Skip the bread basket
• Resist the urge to eat everything on your plate – stop when you’re satisfied
• Split a meal with someone else
• Opt for water to drink with your meal
• If you have dessert, choose a small serving if on the menu or split it
• Choose whole grain pasta and bread if available

People are more health-conscious when it comes to eating out these days.   Most major restaurant chains have developed menus for lighter fare.  You can use these to help you make choices without having to think too much.

If you’re on the go and you spend a lot of time eating fast food, you’ll need to be prepared to choose healthy options.

Here are some tips for fast food restaurants when you’re on a diet

• Get grilled food instead of fried food
• Drink diet sodas or water with your meal
• Ask for a side salad or fruit instead of fries
• Ask for food to be prepared without dressings, you can add your own instead
• Choose smaller portions – don’t super size
• Try getting a kids meal

When you plan ahead for fast food, you can eat on the go and still stick to your diet.  Most fast food restaurants now have choices for people who are trying to watch their or health.

Another situation you may encounter is attending a party.  Many people fear that they won’t be able to attend parties that are focused on food.

There are ways to survive when you attend a party.

• Offer to bring a dish that is on your diet
• Eat before you go to the party so that you’re not starving when you get there
• Look for items such as fresh veggies and fruits
• Eat small portions of higher calorie foods
• Drink water instead of sodas or mixed drinks
• Skip the cake – or have half a slice
• Don’t fast all day and then binge at the party – eat your regular meals so that you don’t overindulge
• Focus on friendships and socializing rather than food

Parties don’t have to be miserable experiences where you feel deprived and unable to participate.  And you don’t have to skip them altogether.  Just plan ahead so that you can make healthy choices.

17. Dealing with the Office

Work lunches and break rooms can also be places where you can struggle with your diet.  It helps to pack your lunch every day. Not only will you save money, but you won’t be tempted to eat high calorie foods that aren’t on your plan.

When it comes to the break room, you can’t blame others for your problems with food.  Instead of complaining about the lunch goodies that are brought, bring healthy alternatives.

You can also keep plenty of health snacks at your desk to get through times of hunger.  This will help you to resist the cakes, cookies, and breads that often are brought to the workplace.

18. Be Flexible

When you’re on a diet, sometimes things won’t go your way.  You may plan ahead but find that a restaurant or party simply doesn’t have what you need to stick to your plan.  You may go to a friend’s for dinner and not find any healthy selections on the menu.

If you’re too rigid about your diet, you’ll isolate yourself and alienate your friends.  There will be times that you have to just go with the flow and be a little bit more flexible.  If you do, you’ll find that your diet will be more successful.

When you find yourself in a situation where you can’t find diet-friendly foods, just use your common sense.  Eat smaller portions, make the best choices you can, and get back on track when you return to a situation you can control.

When you’re too rigid, it causes you to become discouraged.  And when life throws something unexpected at you, you get completely off track.  By staying flexible, you’ll always be able to deal with changes.

19. Look At Your Diet as a Lifestyle Change

If you look at going on a diet as a temporary situation, you may have harder time sticking to it.  Instead, you need to look at your diet as a lifestyle change. Instead of “going on a diet” you’re changing your diet.

When you think of a diet as something that has an end, you set yourself up for gain and discouragement.  You’ll have to maintain a healthy lifestyle in order to enjoy the success you’ve achieved.

Sometimes just making this simple change in the way you view your situation will help you to have more short-term success.  It can also help you to have long-term success and the results you really want.

20. You Can Stick to Your Diet

Whether this is the first time you’ve ever tried a diet or the 100^th time, this can be your last time.  When you plan ahead and set realistic goals, you’ll find that sticking to your diet and maintaining a lifestyle change will be possible.

It starts by selecting a way of eating that will work to fit your lifestyle.  What works for one person may not be appropriate for another.  Don’t compare yourself to anyone else – you only need to focus on your needs and your successes.

Instead of yo-yoing up and down, it’s time to stick to a program that will give you what you really want. Now you know how to stick to your diet and improve your health. The tortoise had it right – slow and steady wins the race.  If you’re in this for the long haul, you’ll achieve all you imagined.

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