Weight Loss Diet Solutions

Conventional diet wisdom says that all those enticing carbohydrates – potatoes and pasta and rice – are not good for a dieter.

The truth is, they are all fine for a diet (well, maybe not white rice so much) in moderation.

What’s bad about the high carbohydrate side dishes is the sour cream, butter, alfredo sauce, bacon bits, cheese, and all the other toppings that add tons of calories to an already tasty side dish.

Pasta or Rice or Potatoes – Which is Best

A baked potato dripping with butter offsets any nutritional value.

Many dieters are surprised to learn that potatoes and rice can be good for a diet since they are almost fat free. And they are fairly close calorie wise.

Even pasta (especially whole grain) is not a bad diet food – in moderation (no pound of pasta per serving, please!)

Potatoes have Vitamins and Minerals

Long rejected in many dieters’ minds, potatoes are an excellent food choice and have fewer carbohydrates than whole grain pasta and brown rice.

Generally, potatoes have more vitamins and nutrients than rice. A medium baked potato is about 230 calories; it provides about 3 grams of fiber if the skin is eaten and 2.3 grams if it is not.

Of course, when it comes to potatoes, it’s all about the recipe. A baked potato is fine (especially if plain). Delmonico cheese potatoes, French fries, and even mashed do not cut it on a dieter’s quest to see the scale drop.

Rice – Brown Rice is Best 

A quick note about white rice. Although a cup of white rice is about 240 calories and brown rice is 215, the issue is not the calories versus the nutritional value.

Brown rice is “unrefined” white rice. Brown rice still has the side hull and bran, which are rich in proteins, fiber, thiamine, magnesium, calcium, and potassium.

Brown rice is believed by most nutritionists to be simply better for you (although there are a few who argue in favor of white rice).

A cup of brown rice provides 3.5 grams of fiber; the same serving size of white rice has .6 grams of fiber.

And Then There’s Pasta

No pasta allowed on your diet? You may be denying yourself an enjoyable diet food. A half-cup of whole-wheat pasta is only 90 calories.

 

Obviously, a half-cup of pasta hardly constitutes a meal, but as part of, say, a chicken and vegetable stir fry, it can be not only delicious but also filling.

A cup of whole wheat has 180 calories; the same amount of white pasta is 240 calories

Let the potato versus rice versus pasta debate rage around you. Meanwhile you sit and relish a delicious medium baked potato, a cup of tasty brown rice OR a small portion of whole-wheat pasta (of course with no added high calories toppings).

Relax and know you are not only sticking to your diet, but you are doing so wisely and nutritionally.

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Dieters hear about the importance of protein – a lot. Perhaps not in the sense of holding our bodies together – but rather as a terrific diet tool.

High-protein diets can actually help dieters lose weight. Many nutritionist recommend protein with every meal, even snacks.

• If having an apple mid morning, have some peanut butter on it.
• Need an afternoon pick-me-up? Have an ounce of cheese on a rice cake or an ounce of nuts.

According to Wikipedia:

Proteins are large biological molecules, or macromolecules, consisting of one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within living organisms, including catalyzing metabolic reactions, replicating DNA, responding to stimuli, and transporting molecules from one location to another… and so on.

To simplify: The cells in our bodies need protein to function.

Without protein, our cells and organs, muscles, connective tissue, and bones would not hold together.

The protein group is large. Everyone knows about meat, poultry and fish, but also consider protein in eggs, low-fat dairy products, peanut butter, seeds, nuts and soy.

Even some vegetables have proteins.

Beans of all types (kidney, pinto, lima, garbanzo, white, and soy) are rich in protein. A serving of beans (one cup) can be 9 to 12 grams of protein. A half-cup of peas, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, artichokes and water crest can have 2 to 3 grams of protein per serving.

Note: Veggies, which don’t contain all nine of the amino acids, should not totally replace the meat/dairy/nut/bean categories.

Why protein with every meal?

• High-protein foods burns calories.
• A meal with a protein makes one feel fuller for a longer period of time.
• Increase protein results in a dieter losing more fat and maintaining more muscle mass.
• The amino acids in protein build lean muscle.

How much protein?

A 140-pound person needs 110 grams of protein a day. To determine your protein need, multiply your weight by 0.36. Nutritionist recommend between 0.5 and 1.0 grams of protein per pound of your body weight. To determine your daily protein need, multiply your weight by 0.36 for the recommended daily amount. Then double that number.

Note: Remember to count calories. Adding proteins to your diet is good; not adjusting for the extra calories can defeat a diet effort.

Shake it up

Tired of a broiled chicken breast every night? Your body is as well. Smart dieters mix up their protein intake – chicken one night – fish the next – and even a little beef every so often. And it wouldn’t hurt to have an omelet for dinner.

Protein is a dieter’s friend. Eat and enjoy!

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Every dieter knows that some vegetables and fruits are great for a diet. But did you know that some even aid in weight loss?

Don’t be put off by some of those vegetables that you don’t like. I don’t like a few vegetables… actually I think I like almost all veggies but you may have some that you don’t like. No problem. There are plenty of other delicious fruits and veggies that are not only low in calories, but also can actually help a person lose weight.

Advantages of Adding More Vegetables to Your Diet

Vegetables and fruit can be low calorie, high volume and provide high nutrients as well as fiber and water. Simply stated: they make you feel full without excess fats and calories. Plus they contain minerals and antioxidants. (You can’t say that about cookies, candy and cake!)

There’s even more good news: Increasingly, nutritionists believe that certain plant-based foods can control cravings.

Some vegetable advocates even believe that Brussels sprout (okay, say, spinach or any of the others on the list below) can slow down cravings for processed foods.

Eating a plate of green beans might actually make that bag of potato chips less appealing (well, maybe not during the Super Bowl).

Your best options for the more nutrients per calories (plus helping weight loss) is a list any dieter knows well: spinach, celery, collard greens, Swiss chard, cucumber, kale, zucchini, green onions, artichokes, broccoli, green beans, green peppers, peas, lettuce, cabbage and … yes … Brussels sprouts.

There are some fruit on that list as well: apples, pears, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries. The berries can help speed up weight loss; they are low calorie and help to burn fat. The apples and pears, along with many of the vegetables, can help lower bad cholesterol.

The advantage of a vegetable on a diet is that the increased amount of fiber and water content allows effective and efficient weight loss without causing hunger pangs.  That’s because they allow the eater to feel full without overeating.

Consider protein…

Beans of all types (kidney, pinto, lima, garbanzo, white, and soy) are rich in protein. A serving of beans (one cup) can be 9 to 12 grams of protein. That’s a far healthier choice than fried chicken or a cheese-heavy hamburger. Aside from beans, dieters don’t generally think about protein as a factor in vegetables. Think again:

A half-cup portion of the following provides the following amount of protein:

• Peas: 3 1/2 grams
• Spinach: 3 grams
• Broccoli’s 2 grams per serving
• Asparagus: 3 grams
• Cauliflower: 3 grams
• Artichoke: 3 grams
• Watercress: 3 grams

And, yes, even Brussels sprouts: 2 grams

With today’s supermarkets carrying fresh vegetables all year round now, there’s no excuse not to pick them up during your weekly shopping.

And, they can always be prepared quickly and easily, so you don’t have to find complex recipes for them.

Want to fill up quicker and lose weight faster? Eat those veggies!

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