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Ways to Avoid Bad Carbohydrates

November 3, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

If loosing weight, or maintaining weight is your goal, looking at what your eating is going to be a certainty for you. Reading your labels with the serving suggestions will be a key component in the success of weight loss. Knowing the foods you are eating everyday is instrumental in knowing how to avoid the bad carbohydrates.

What is a “bad carb”? Here’s the simplest answer: white flour, refined sugar, and white rice. More broadly, any food made primarily of a carb that has been processed in such a way as to strip out ingredients that hinder quick and easy cooking. Why are refined carbs a problem? Easy: They digest so quickly that they cause blood sugar surges that lead to weight gain and other health troubles.  So how can you avoid those bad carbs? Try a few of these suggestions;

  • Drop the bread slices. Yes, that includes tortilla wraps as well. Substitute those with lettuce leaves. Get creative and try wrapping chicken breast, cheese and salsa in a large lettuce leaf.
  • Out for dinner? Hold the bread. While it ‘s nice that your getting complimentary loaves, say no to bread and tell them to hold it.
  • Eating Chinese? Substitute any noodle for bean sprouts, and ask for brown rice instead of white.
  • Portion Control. Where you must eat carbs, things like pretzels need to be eaten in moderation. Try using the snack size Ziploc bags to help with this.
  • Swap  your pasta. Choose whole wheat pasta whenever possible eating out, and at home switch your pasta entirely. Even try pasta and sauce with no pasta. Grill veggies and pour your tomato sauce over them, it couldn’t be healthier.

Complex carbs are the ones that give your body the best fuel. They are usually found in foods high in fiber, which break down more slowly, giving you a steady blood sugar level through the day and making you feel less hungry and irritable when mid-afternoon rolls around. What foods should you introduce daily into your diet?

  • Fruit
  • Vegetables
  • Whole grains and foods made from whole grains, such as bread and cereal
  • Beans
  • Nuts
  • Legumes

Those are the good carbs, here’s where bad carbs come from:

  • Refined grains like white bread and white rice
  • Processed foods such as cake, cookies and chips
  • Soft drinks
  • Alcohol

Just because these foods have less desirable carbs does not mean you should kick them out of your life forever. That is not a realistic expectation. A list of good carbs and bad carbs should not be seen as a strict rule, it should be seen as more of a guideline to provide “guidance” to navigate your day to day meal planning. Yes, you should get most of your carbs each day from the “good” list, but you certainly don’t have to cut our alcohol or skip the birthday cake, as long as you don’t make it an every day or every meal thing.

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How to Avoid Yo-Yo Dieting

November 2, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

Usually when each of us attempt to lose weight, there are ups and there are downs. This is understandable, especially if weight has been an ongoing issue. Trying repeatedly to loose any excess weight can always be a difficult experience. Whether its because we feel that we are being robbed of the foods we love, denied the simply pleasures in life, or depressed that we have not seen the results we were expecting. Whatever the case, we experience the stop and the start of dieting when we set out to diet.

Dieting itself by the very definition of the word is a mistake. Having your body adapt to a certain method of eating and drinking for short periods of time will only serve to gain the weight back that you have lost. You body requires a certain amount of nutritional value both from food and drink. Denying your body any of these, by any means says logically that when they are re-introduced, your body will gain weight again. Your body is trained to store fats in reserve to keep it functioning. If you are continually yo -yo dieting the cycle will be a something such as a five pound weight loss to a six pound weight gain. This cycle will continue  since your body will be confused as to when it’s receiving it’s next complete meal.

Many of us try to avoid the actual work needed to achieve successful weight loss. It is much easier to search for online deals on the latest fad  or crash diet, than to map out a way to change your lifestyle. Yo-Yo dieting is a temporary solution to what is actually a bigger problem. Telling yourself that you just simply need to loose five more pounds and you will be happy is a recipe for disaster. Needing to diet for five ppounds means once again, if you take carbohydrates out of diet to achieve this, once you eat them again the weight will return.

The best way to avoid yo-yo dieting is to set out a plan for healthy living. Eating well and eating often will allow you to maintain a healthy weight. Incorporating exercise into your weekly routine will keep you moving and keep you fit. Having exercise as part of your routine is a healthy way to maintain your weight or loose those extra pounds that you have been wanting to. The is no secret potion, crash diet that will provide your body the nutrients it needs while getting the exercise that will boost your metabolism. Staying the course to a healthy lifestyle takes a commitment. Don’t pour your commitment into trying the latest diets that may only provide a temporary solution, work on keeping your lifestyle full of healthy choices.

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High Calorie Foods to Avoid

October 26, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

If your struggling to loose weight, avoiding high calorie food will be your best start. Consuming empty calories will not fill you up and will continue to attribute to the weight gain. Knowing what is best to avoid will help you with the struggle of losing weight.

High calorie food is everywhere, and is a constant temptation. This will be the most difficult part of your weight loss journey . When you aren’t sure where your looking  for the calories they can sneak up on you and you won’ t know why your not losing the weight. Reading all your labels in the best course of action for calorie counting. However there are also  the foods that you would assume are high calorie content that you should be avoiding.

Start with the obvious foods that you would guess are high in calories. Things like fast food. Cheeseburger’s, french fries, taco’s and milkshakes are your first offenders. Fast food is exactly that, fast. Preservatives fill these foods to keep them until they are cooked. The nutrients are no longer in these foods filling them with empty calories. Greasy foods and sugary processed foods are generally high in calories.

The next area to look is for sauces. Things like cheese sauce , gravies and even condensed sweetened milk  are high in calories. Some salad dressings are full of high calories so opting for oil and vinegar dressings will be the better choice.  Get rid of the extras in your life like sour cream on your baked potatoes, cream sauces in your pastas.

Ricotta cheese, potato salad, even franks and baked beans are high in calories. Obviously snacks foods like chips and cheezies are high in calories but what about trail mix? It should be fairly healthy since it’s made up of fruits, nuts, and things like dates  however it too is extremely high in calorie content.

To try and help your choice selection choose fresh foods from the produce, meat and dairy departments for the majority of your purchases. These foods tend to have to be lower in calories and more nutritious than processed, canned and frozen foods.

Make substitutions for the high calorie culprits in your diet. Enjoy the crunch of rice cakes, pickles and firm apples instead of potato chips. Trade high calorie cookies and cakes for more diet-friendly sweets like light yogurts and sugar-free puddings and gelatin’s.

Enjoy your favorite foods while dieting by preparing them in lower calorie ways. For example, use low-fat cheese on a thin crust pizza. Make it hearty by adding peppers, onions and chunks of tomato instead of high calorie meats like pepperoni and sausage.

These may seem like large obstacles to over come but in reality it is a small price to pay to achieve the overall goal.  Avoiding high calorie foods will help you loose or maintain your weight loss.

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How to Avoid Weight Loss Difficulties

October 22, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

Starting the journey of weight loss is never easy and requires some serious dedication. Doing everything possible in order to avoid any possibly difficulties is your best line of defense. Knowing how to create an environment that allows you to avoid weight loss difficulties will be your key to success. There are some preventative measures that can be taken when you commit to your weight loss journey.

Stay Motivated

Keeping your spirits high during the course of your weight loss will help your overall outlook on the process. Whether its keep a journal of your progress, rewarding yourself with new purchases for goals that are reached, or simply getting words of encouragement from your partner all count. This can be a daunting frustrating road. Especially when you feel that you are alone in this battle, the need for encouragement is huge. Anyone who needs to loose weight knows that self esteem is an issue that always presents itself and therefor always must be addressed.

Drink Plenty of Water

Keeping yourself hydrated will help you avoid snacking and overeating. Keeping your fluid level intake up helps you feel full and keeps your body in optimum health. Avoiding cravings for food outside of meals or perhaps feeling fuller longer will help you cut out the need for the extras that help put weight on.

Avoid Late Night Eating

If you are satisfied with your food at dinner, then eating in late nights is not because you are hungry. It may be a result of habit, boredom, stress, or fatigue after working hard in daytime. Late night eating usually leads to overeating and weight gain. To avoid late night eating there are a number of things you can do. Drink plenty of water to help avoid snacking, after dinner exercise will keep you occupied and stop you from raiding the refrigerator.

To avoid weight loss difficulties don’t get hung up on a “bad day”. If for some reason an instance occurs that prevents you from keeping your regular routine, it is not time to pack it in. It is important for you to remember that we all have our bad days, and one time does not negate all the hard work you have put it.

Constant support will be the one thing that helps you avoid any difficulties. This support should come from you. Give yourself the credit you require for taking on this very difficult task. Even if you haven’t yet even lost a pound, knowing that you can and will do it is the confidence that will make sure you succeed.

Make smart choices and know that weight loss takes time and dedication when it is done correctly. Provide yourself plenty of information on the correct ways to loose weight and even gain the support of your health care practitioner during this time for any additional support or information that can help you along the way.

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10 Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

October 20, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

The holiday season is fast approaching and so is the weight gain that accompanies it. Here are a few tips to help keep the weight gain in perspective.

Tip One – Keep Up at the Gymholiday diet

Many times the holiday seasons come, and we fall off the wagon. There is an air of relaxation with the holiday season and we take it to literally.  Try not to get off track as your “derailment” will be the cause of an excess weight gain. Just because you don’t have to get up and go to work , doesn’t mean you don’t have to get up and go to the gym.  Keep the momentum going!

Tip Two – Avoid Extra Eating

All to often the holidays are riddled with extra eating. There is the holidays parties, the office gatherings and the social get together. This means many extra little tasty treats to sample, with delectable offerings that you would otherwise not be eating. Keep these tom a minimum. You don’t have to sample everything, at every party. Get more into the social aspect and less into the eat aspect and you should avoid those extra pounds.

Tip Three – Too Many Drinks

We forget that those extra beverages can catch up with us. Several cocktails later, while you may not have eaten all those holidays treats, the extra glasses of beer are having the same effect.  Conversation can be the replacement for drinking, so try to nurse your drinks and keep the conversation flowing.

Tip Four – Watch Your Carbohydrates

Nothing says holidays more, than mashed potatoes, gravy, dinner rolls and pies. Sure they are wonderful to eat but they do catch up with you. Try eating one or the other instead of opting for ALL. The extra carbs your eating at a  holiday meal along with your breakfast and lunch carbs just might be the overload that tips the scales.

Tip Five – Outside Activities

Staying active might help your holiday bulge. Try snowshoeing, cross country skiing or even ice skating to keep fit over the holidays. These activities are in keeping with the season, letting you enjoy your holidays with friends and family all while staying fit. You couldn’t ask for a better compromise.

Tip Six – Eat Light In Between

With your plate overflowing in holiday gluttony, it is imperative that other meals be small. You do still need to eat to keep your metabolism going, however make it light. Salads, fresh veggies and fruit are great options to feel full without the calories.

Tip Seven – Say No to Desserts

It gets overwhelming with how many desserts and sweet treats are being offered to you during the holidays. Why not just say no? If you finally feel that you have had enough don’t be afraid to say it. Enjoying one or two is quite enough for the holidays otherwise you will sucking in to do up your pants in no time.

Tip Eight – Replace Specialties Coffee

Holidays make it almost irresistible to indulge in the treats the season gives us. Specialty coffee’s while delicious are calorie overloads. Why not pass on the added calories and just have a black coffee instead.

Tip Nine – Drink Lots of Water

Try to continue to keep hydrated. Water is an essential part of your daily intake, especially if your going to be eating calorie induce foods. Flushing out your system and keeping a steady stream of fluid intake will also help you feel full throughout the day, letting you eat less.

Tip Ten – Portion Control

Keep it in perspective. Just because it’s there, doesn’t mean you should eat all of it. Try selecting small portions which will enable you to try a little of everyone but not over it. Portion control helps you feel as though you can enjoy the whole meal without feeling guilty for eating to much. This is always the key for maintaining a healthy weight.

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Avoid Cheating on Your Diet

March 15, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

Many diets such as the Atkins diet and the Nutrisystem diet are very strict, yet many people stay on them for several months. During that time, they will likely want to go out with friends. Since eating and drinking are usually a part of any gathering, people who are on a diet often cheat. There are a few tricks to help you avoid going off your diet.

1. If you are going to a party near the lunch or dinner hour, it does not hurt to eat your diet meal before you go. Go ahead and get ready for the evening out, and then, just before you leave, fix up your diet dinner. Whether that is a Weight Watchers frozen dinner or a Nutrisystem meal, it can be made up quickly. You can eat in just a few minutes and be out the door with everyone else.

2. When you are at a party, munch from the veggie platters. You are allowed to eat vegetables like raw carrots, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower while on the most diets. This will show the hosts that you are not totally turning down their offerings. If you are selective about what you choose to eat, they will be happier if at least you have eaten something.

3. If you absolutely cannot avoid going out, make it a game. Try to choose foods that are the closest things available to the Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem meals that you have been eating. While this is a method of last resort, it can save you from throwing your hands up and abandoning your diet altogether.

4. Opt for coffee while others drink alcohol. When your friends are imbibing in margaritas and martinis, you can sip sociably on cups of coffee. As long as you do not add sugar and cream, you can do this and stick to your diet.

5. Choose unsweetened iced tea over sweet drinks on a hot day. You can make sugar-free lemonade, but if you go to a cook-out or party, the lemonade is likely to be packed with sugar. There are no sugary drinks allowed on the most diet plans. If you stipulate that you would like unsweetened iced tea, you can usually get the host or hostess to make you up a special pitcher if one is not already made.

6. If all the drinks are sweet or alcoholic, request water with a twist. You might be surprised at how refreshing water can be with a slice of lemon or lime. Besides the nice flavor, the garnish gives your drink a festive look and keeps you in the holiday spirit.

The key to being accepted at the party is to be happy with your own choices. Before you go to the party, go over your motivational messages and diet diary. You can get help from a diet warehouse like ediets or a particular company like Nutrisystem. Stop in on an online chat room for support. Do anything you can think of to help you remember your purpose in sticking to your plan. After all, it is your life and your body that are at risk. There is no need to sabotage yourself through a careless night out.

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