Diet and weight loss are on top of many people's to-do list this time of year. There's never a bad time to think healthful thoughts, of course, but for many overweight people this is the time for action.
Here are some weight loss tips and advice from the past year's postings on Life and Fitness Coach -- guaranteed good to go for 2009!
Turn up the volume: Studies show that people who eat high-volume foods lose more weight than those who do not. Fruits and vegetables are high in water and fiber, and contain few calories per unit volume. Plus, you can eat all the natural fruits and vegetables you want. No one ever got fat doing that!
Don't drown dinner: Drink water between meals, not with food. Drinking liquids with foods waters down digestive juices and lowers your metabolism. Many foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, contain a surprisingly high amount of water.
Write on: One of the most powerful tools for weight loss is keeping a food log. Writing a regular diary makes people accountable to themselves. The log doesn't have to be a formal thing. Just scribbling it down on a daily basis works jut fine. Emailing yourself information on eating and workouts works great too.
Shake up some meals: When combined with a healthful diet and exercise, meal replacement drinks can help you lose pounds while providing nourishment. Several studies found that participants were able to successfully lose weight while consuming meal replacements as part of a nutritionally balanced diet. I make sure mine have healthful doses of protein powder, carbs and essential fatty acids.
Boning up: Cutting calories alone can cause bone loss, studies show. A study shows that people who exercise and lose weight retain their bone mass, while dieters who fail to work out typically lose bone. Body weight itself helps maintain bone, and weight loss reduces the load. Weight training, however, can counter the diet-induced bone loss.
I just started taking a meal replacement shake and writing down my calories. I'll remember not to drink water with dinner. Sounds like I'm on the right path for fitness in the new year.
Posted by: HealthNut | January 11, 2009 at 06:53 AM