Are you confused about dieting?

movinghelpers
movinghelpers Posts: 10
in Introduce Yourself
From a glance, weight loss is simple. Eat less and move more. But it’s actually a lot more complex than that. First of all, I would like to say that weight loss is 70% diet and 30% exercise. You can work out for 60 minutes each day, but if you still eat like ****, you will not lose weight. On the other hand, if you don’t exercise at all and eat less, you will lose weight. But to maximize the full potential of your weight loss, and to gain health, fitness, and self confidence, you should incorporate both. Think of it as a lifestyle change. It's not some 3-month crash diet so you can fit into the dress for prom, only to regain the weight in a matter of weeks. You want to create healthy habits you can have for LIFE.

I’m not going to lie: weight loss is hard. It’s probably one of the hardest things you’ll ever do in your life. Which is why if you have a set-back, you have to keep on pushing. You’ll laugh, cry, and will want to give up at times, but the result will be worth all the effort.

Diet
The following are some great tips:
1. Cut out junk/processed food as much as you can.
2. Drink 8 cups of water a day. Water flushes out toxins and keeps you full.
3. No liquid calories! Or cut them down as much as possible. They add up so much without being filling. Water and tea are your new best friends.
4. Eat in moderation. If you want that cookie, have ONE and be done with it. If you eliminate all your favorite foods, you will be more likely to lose self-control and binge.
5. Are you at a restaurant and don’t know how to eat healthy? Here are some good tips.
6. Whole grains instead of white/enriched grains. Why? Because they don’t have the fiber and nutrients completely stripped from them. Fiber fills you up a lot!
7. Eat LOTS of fruits and vegetables. They are full of nutrition and very calorie light.
8. Eat protein. Protein is the most filling of all the macro nutrients (carbs, fat, protein). Good sources of protein are chicken, turkey, beef, fish, eggs, legumes, and nuts. Google for more!
9. Eat slowly. It takes several minutes for the feeling of being full to reach your brain.
10. DO NOT EAT IF YOU’RE NOT HUNGRY. Do not ever feel like you’re obligated to eat anything.
11. Use a smaller plate. It gives the illusion that you’re eating more food.
12. Measure out what you’re eating. You don’t have to do it every single time you eat something, but do it once so you have an idea of what a serving size actually is. For example, chances are you’re pouring more than a recommended serving of one cup of cereal.
13. Limit, if not eliminate all “extras” like butter, mayonnaise, ketchup, dressing, added sugar, added oil, etc.
14. Eat breakfast! There have been so many studies done that show that people who eat breakfast lose more weight. It kickstarts your metabolism for the day and you’re less likely to binge later.
15. Don’t eat mindlessly while watching the TV, on the computer, or doing other activity. Be very aware of what you eat.

Replies

  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    From a glance, weight loss is simple. Eat less and move more. But it’s actually a lot more complex than that. First of all, I would like to say that weight loss is 70% diet and 30% exercise. You can work out for 60 minutes each day, but if you still eat like ****, you will not lose weight. On the other hand, if you don’t exercise at all and eat less, you will lose weight. But to maximize the full potential of your weight loss, and to gain health, fitness, and self confidence, you should incorporate both. Think of it as a lifestyle change. It's not some 3-month crash diet so you can fit into the dress for prom, only to regain the weight in a matter of weeks. You want to create healthy habits you can have for LIFE.

    I’m not going to lie: weight loss is hard. It’s probably one of the hardest things you’ll ever do in your life. Which is why if you have a set-back, you have to keep on pushing. You’ll laugh, cry, and will want to give up at times, but the result will be worth all the effort.

    Diet
    The following are some great tips:
    1. Cut out junk/processed food as much as you can.
    2. Drink 8 cups of water a day. Water flushes out toxins and keeps you full.
    3. No liquid calories! Or cut them down as much as possible. They add up so much without being filling. Water and tea are your new best friends.
    4. Eat in moderation. If you want that cookie, have ONE and be done with it. If you eliminate all your favorite foods, you will be more likely to lose self-control and binge.
    5. Are you at a restaurant and don’t know how to eat healthy? Here are some good tips.
    6. Whole grains instead of white/enriched grains. Why? Because they don’t have the fiber and nutrients completely stripped from them. Fiber fills you up a lot!
    7. Eat LOTS of fruits and vegetables. They are full of nutrition and very calorie light.
    8. Eat protein. Protein is the most filling of all the macro nutrients (carbs, fat, protein). Good sources of protein are chicken, turkey, beef, fish, eggs, legumes, and nuts. Google for more!
    9. Eat slowly. It takes several minutes for the feeling of being full to reach your brain.
    10. DO NOT EAT IF YOU’RE NOT HUNGRY. Do not ever feel like you’re obligated to eat anything.
    11. Use a smaller plate. It gives the illusion that you’re eating more food.
    12. Measure out what you’re eating. You don’t have to do it every single time you eat something, but do it once so you have an idea of what a serving size actually is. For example, chances are you’re pouring more than a recommended serving of one cup of cereal.
    13. Limit, if not eliminate all “extras” like butter, mayonnaise, ketchup, dressing, added sugar, added oil, etc.
    14. Eat breakfast! There have been so many studies done that show that people who eat breakfast lose more weight. It kickstarts your metabolism for the day and you’re less likely to binge later.
    15. Don’t eat mindlessly while watching the TV, on the computer, or doing other activity. Be very aware of what you eat.
    Wait, so water is filling, but caloric beverages aren't? How does that work, again?

    Do you have a reputable, peer-reviewed study published after, say, 1945, that advocates drinking 8 glasses of water a day - particularly as it pertains to weight loss??
  • gamerkiwi
    gamerkiwi Posts: 93 Member
    Wait, so water is filling, but caloric beverages aren't? How does that work, again?

    Honestly, part of my binge eating habit comes from an oral fixation. I have to be doing something with my mouth, whether it be eating, drinking, talking, or smoking. So sipping water constantly helps keep me out of the fridge, trying to satisfy my fixation. That's my take on the whole "water is filling" idea.

    Also, water is less calorie dense than caloric beverages, so the little bit of filling-ness that water has way outweighs the filling-ness:calorie ratio of other beverages.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    I think people over complicate it...I've been maintaining for almost two years and I feel like it's all been relatively simple in the grand scheme of things.
  • LadyPippen
    LadyPippen Posts: 59
    I can’t believe water is in question. What kind of crap is that? Why would you question the power of water?
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    You get that from here? http://100pounds100days.tumblr.com/weightloss
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    I can’t believe water is in question. What kind of crap is that? Why would you question the power of water?
    Because I've read, and posted, this before, without seeing a credible refutation:
    http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp
  • Boogage
    Boogage Posts: 739 Member
    Good tips. For me, weightloss is only really complex because I over think it so much and beat myself up if I eat too much some days. Another good tip would be to just chill out about the whole dieting thing and not fret if you have a bad day. I read that stress causes an increase in cortisol which slows our metabolism and causes fat to be stored in the abdominal area causing weight gain.
  • mortuseon
    mortuseon Posts: 579 Member
    I can’t believe water is in question. What kind of crap is that? Why would you question the power of water?

    because the '8 glasses' thing is often too much for some people when you already get a lot of water from your food - and it is possible to over hydrate and mess up your electrolyte levels if you're drinking a LOT (when you're not even thirsty, it's just supposedly 'good for you').
  • mmm_drop
    mmm_drop Posts: 1,126 Member
    I like eat at a deficit and move more.

    So much simpler for me.
  • teamAmelia
    teamAmelia Posts: 1,247 Member
    Great tips, OP. I especially agree w the weighing your food. I'm sure that most ppl don't know how much a serving of something really is.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    You get that from here? http://100pounds100days.tumblr.com/weightloss

    And a lot of it is just plain wrong, or very individual.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I can’t believe water is in question. What kind of crap is that? Why would you question the power of water?

    You can over-hydrate yourself.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    It kickstarts your metabolism for the day

    *sigh*

    No it does not.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Strong broscience and misinformation.
  • okgal247
    okgal247 Posts: 68 Member
    It kickstarts your metabolism for the day

    *sigh*

    No it does not.

    This.
  • teamAmelia
    teamAmelia Posts: 1,247 Member
    I can’t believe water is in question. What kind of crap is that? Why would you question the power of water?

    You can over-hydrate yourself.

    This thread made me thirsty. Seriously. :laugh:
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    lolNO
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    There is some truth mixed in with total crap, and I cannot be bothered to pick it apart.
  • Phoenix_Warrior
    Phoenix_Warrior Posts: 1,633 Member
    #10 seems like a dangerous thing to promote. Declining levels of hormones from calorie reduction can cause you to NOT feel hungry. Hence EDs or people who are on VLCD and say they feel fine and aren't hungry. The same could be said of hunger, just because you feel hungry doesn't necessarily mean you should eat. Sometimes boredom or thirst can trigger the same feeling.

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