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Diets.

Diets, The Good, The Bad and The Dangerous.

We all know there are diets and there are diets, as with most other things in life not all diets are created equal.

Every year we hear of a new "super weight loss diet" that's "guaranteed" to make you lose those unwanted kilos in the blink of an eye and with no effort on your part.

Many of us have been sucked into buying this and trying that, desperate in the hope that this one will be the diet plan that will see us finally reach those weight loss goals that we so desperately need in our lives.

There are however some very good, well researched and scientifically proven weight loss diets that actually work for many people and these are definitely worth our consideration when we're trying to lose weight.

There are also several different types of diet that we should consider when we’re looking to lose weight and understanding each of these would probably be a good place to start on the road to a slimmer body and better health.

The Fixed Menu Diet.

Diets that deliver food to your door, pre-packaged and ready to eat [except for heating] are called fixed menu diets.

With a fixed menu diet we will know exactly what we’re going to eat for each meal every day because we purchase it in advance.

This is possibly the easiest diet to adhere to because it takes almost all the diet decision making away from us, the downside to this type of diet plan is that we don’t learn how to make food decisions for ourselves and the food can be quite boring and tasteless.

Another drawback is it isn’t easy to take ready packaged meals with us when we travel but, as a starting point for weight loss beginners a fixed menu diet is a reasonable place to start.

The Exchange Diet.

If we follow an exchange diet we choose our foods from the different food groups, for example we might choose pasta as our starch for this meal, potatoes as our starch for the next and so on.

An advantage to the exchange diet is that we can make our meals different each day, we get to choose what we eat and we learn to make good food choices. 

The Formula Diet.

When we put ourselves on a formula diet we will be drinking most of our meals in the form of shakes of one kind or another with only one meal each day consisting of “real food”.

The shakes or liquid formulas are generally full of proteins and carbohydrates and contain little by way of either good or bad fats.

Formula diets are convenient, easy to follow, often inexpensive and will help us to lose weight in the short term however they can be difficult to continue in the long run.

Whichever type of diet we choose it is quite important to combine it with a reasonable amount of sensible exercise to ensure that our bodies are using the foods we eat in an efficient manner and to build our muscle tone, strength and flexibility.

 Because of the sheer number of different diets and diet types which are promoted and the general confusion over which diets work and which diets don’t it is generally recommended that we each consult with a weight loss professional, that’s a dietitian, nutritionist or medical professional, to determine which of the various diets will be best for each of us, that way we get the best information to suit our individual needs.

Now the purpose of this website, and the blog that attaches to it, is to help those of us, including myself, who have issues with weight, to lose the unwanted kilos, shed the fat and get back to being fit and healthy and to this end I will be examining the various diets that I've tried, looking at the reports from others of the diets that I haven't tried and trying to separate the good diets from those that are bad and even some that are downright dangerous.

These pages about diets, like the rest of this weight loss website, are a work in progress so bookmark the site or save it to your favourites, come back often or better still subscribe to our newsletter and get all the good weight loss news directly into your mailbox.

Jasmine.

DIETS:

The Good.

The Bad.

The Dangerous.

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NOW, if you enjoyed this post and would like more from yours truly then you’re luck because I’ve got something else to share with you..

My very good friend John Shaw has allowed me to offer you a FREE copy of his book "Weight Loss Success" together with some of the best weight control help on the planet.

Now you can buy this book for about $40 on eBay or at Dymocks book store but he's giving you the opportunity to get it without cost, however you'll have to hurry, this is only going to be available for a limited time.

So if you want your FREE copy, make sure to take action right now before he get's stingy and removes the offer.

To get your free copy today, simply enter your email below and keep an eye on your inbox,

Jasmine.

      

Food Addictions.

 Food Addictions And Eating Disorders.

 

Food Addiction. 

What is a food addiction?

A good way to describe it is a compulsive or uncontrollable urge to eat food which is unrelated to hunger.

A Craving You Can’t Seem to Control.

You may overdose on potato chips or tortilla chips once in a while, but would you consider yourself to be a food addict?  

The answer is important, because it could be the key to determining what course of action you need to take in order to lose weight.  

A number of medical experts say that food addiction is just as serious as nicotine or cocaine addiction—and can potentially be just as deadly.

 

When you suffer from food addiction, you have an overwhelming desire for a particular food.  

The desire is so strong, in fact, that if you are unable to consume that food, you suffer from withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and depression.   

Food addicts crave the comfort that a particular food gives them.  

They also may engage in binge eating.   

Their cravings for food may be both physical and psychological.

It should be pointed out that there are different varieties of food addiction, for instance, there is compulsive overeating, where an individual goes on eating binges that can last several days.   

The compulsive eater may sometimes lose weight, but tends to gain it back again.

Symptoms include eating quickly, compulsively eating alone, and eating when there is no evidence of hunger.

 

Eating Disorders.

 

Bulimia, in which an individual overeats, then purges either by vomiting or by taking laxatives, is not a food addiction as such but is more correctly described as an eating disorder.   

Signs of this condition include isolating oneself when eating, trying to consume huge portions of food rapidly, and being preoccupied with one’s weight.

Another eating disorder which affects too many people in the community is anorexia, where an individual attempts to starve his or herself in order to achieve an unrealistic weight.  

 

Anorexics tend to be 15 percent below normal body weight and have a phobia about being fat.  

They have difficulty eating with other people and appear to be obsessed with their weight.  

They may engage in ritualistic behaviour involving food and may suffer from depression.

The good news is that eating disorders, including food addiction, can be successfully treated.  

This treatment can come in a variety of forms.  

Sufferers may work with a psychotherapist to develop new ways to deal with food and their related emotions.  

The therapist might be able to identify the source of the individual’s fear or anger, generally the reason behind the individual’s addiction.   

In the majority of cases the psychologist will help the individual to develop a treatment plan which spells out expectations and goals, both for the short-term and the long-term.   

In the most serious cases, an individual may have to undergo in-patient treatment at a psychological facility where treatment often involves helping the individual to return to healthy eating habits, dealing with the underlying emotional causes of addiction, and learning effective coping techniques.

Food addicts often follow the tenets of the same kind of 12-step program used by alcoholics.  

This involves admitting their powerlessness over food, their belief that they could be restored to normality and an admission of their faults and failings.  

In addition, those with eating disorders often draw strength from support groups made up of people who have similar difficulties dealing with food, just knowing that there are other people who face the same challenges can be incredibly therapeutic.

It is unclear at this point whether eating disorders are genetically-based illnesses.  

Certainly, however, there is evidence of eating patterns being passed down from one generation to the next and in fact, many sufferers may only seek help after they have determined that their illness could adversely affect their children.

It is entirely possible that an eating disorder can never be cured, that it can only be treated.  

In other words, the recovery period can last a lifetime however, one should never lose hope of beating an eating disorder.  

With patience and with time, individuals can learn the behavioural skills which will enable them to keep their weight under control.  

Of course, there will be times when individuals will be tempted to indulge in sweets or excessive carbohydrates however, knowing the pain that they will undergo if they continue their harmful eating habits could be just the incentive they need to stay the course.

 

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NOW, if you enjoyed this post and would like more from yours truly then you’re luck because I’ve got something else to share with you..

My very good friend John Shaw has allowed me to offer you a FREE copy of his book "Weight Loss Success" together with some of the best weight control help on the planet.

Now you can buy this book for about $40 on eBay or at Dymocks book store but he's giving you the opportunity to get it without cost, however you'll have to hurry, this is only going to be available for a limited time.

So if you want your FREE copy, make sure to take action right now before he get's stingy and removes the offer.

To get your free copy today, simply enter your email below and keep an eye on your inbox,

Jasmine.

      

Take Stock.

What Do We Mean By “Take Stock”?

We mean, take a good look at yourself, not in terms of your physical appearance, it doesn’t matter what you look like at the present time, but you need to assess, as best you can, your abilities, your talents, how you interact with others, your personal preferences and so on.

Once you’ve “taken stock” you’re ready to plan your weight loss programme.

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With a little research you will be able to list on paper your regular activities, your goals and interests etc. and then work them into a diet and exercise programme that will work for you.

It isn’t easy to sit down and do a very honest evaluation of your current condition however it will be very beneficial, not only in terms of your weight loss goals but also with regard to your health in general.

You have to ask yourself some quite hard, searching questions and, this is important, you mustn’t “fudge” the answers, after all it’s your body and your life which will benefit from the changes which you’re about to make.

It’s a sobering fact that the second biggest reason behind avoidable deaths, not only in the U.S. but throughout almost the entire developed world, is obesity.

What this means for you of course is that your own evaluation of your own circumstances could possibly have life or death consequences, your life or death!

So take it seriously, be as honest as you can be, enlist the help of those who love you if you’re game and write it all down, a week or two down the track you may need to remind yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing.

Too many diet plans take a “one size fits all” approach which may work for some people for a while but in the long run are doomed to failure, after all you’re unique, your diet plan needs to fit you and that’s why, after you’ve done your evaluation on yourself you would be well advised to contact a professional dietitian and have him or her draw up a diet plan designed specifically for you.

Take your personal inventory with you when you see your dietitian and discuss with him/her your weight loss goals, the areas where you feel you’re struggling, where you perhaps need a little more help, how you think you might improve etc..

Tell her/him how long you’ve been struggling with your weight, whether you seem to be constantly dieting and whether you have the tendency to regain your lost weight after a period of time.

Discuss with your dietitian what would be a realistic weight loss goal for you, generally if you lose about a kilo each week you’re doing well, too much more than that and you’re putting an unnecessary strain on yourself, both physically and mentally.

The physical condition of your other family members may also be relevant information which will help your dietitian when she/he is working with you to form a good diet plan.

Just as when you visit your medical practitioner you would tell them of any history in your family of things like heart attacks, diabetes, cancer etc. so you should inform your dietitian.

Do you suffer from a high level of cholesterol? 

Is your blood pressure stable and normal? 

Are you under any undue stress? 

Do you get sufficient regular exercise?

These are all legitimate questions which your dietitian may ask and you need to be prepared with the answers as far as possible.

Having done all of this with regard to your personal “taking stock” it’s important to understand that this has not been done to make you feel bad about yourself but rather to help you and those who will be helping you get a much better idea of where you are now with regard to your health and well-being and to plan a course of action to get you to where you want to be.

It’s also a good idea to do this exercise every once in a while, say perhaps two or three times a year, so that you can see the progress you’re making and perhaps re-evaluate your goals so that you might achieve even greater success with your diet and exercise program.

As I’ve said above, taking stock is an important part of your journey to a better, slimmer, fitter you, but having said all of that, “taking stock” is just the beginning, you must now ACT, because nothing will change if, at the end of the day you do nothing.

--------------------

NOW, if you enjoyed this post and would like more from yours truly then you’re luck because I’ve got something else to share with you..

My very good friend John Shaw has allowed me to offer you a FREE copy of his book "Weight Loss Success" together with some of the best weight control help on the planet.

Now you can buy this book for about $40 on eBay or at Dymocks book store but he's giving you the opportunity to get it without cost, however you'll have to hurry, this is only going to be available for a limited time.

So if you want your FREE copy, make sure to take action right now before he get's stingy and removes the offer.

To get your free copy today, simply enter your email below and keep an eye on your inbox,

Jasmine.

      

Keep A Food Diary.

Why Keep A Food Diary?

Many people keep a daily diary and each has his or her own reasons for doing so.

As children we're often encouraged to write down things that have happened during our day and to put pen to paper to record our hopes and dreams and our progress towards them.

As we grow and get a job a diary is often a basic requirement, a way of keeping track of appointments, of things we must do and so on.

In fact we're told by those who should know that writing down our goals is the first step to achieving them so it seems to follow that we should be keeping track of our progress when we're losing weight and a food diary or calorie counter is perhaps the best way of doing that.

When you're already keeping a diary for other areas of your life then a food diary is an easy addition to what you're already doing but if, like me, you're not a "diary writer" then it isn't as easy as it sounds.

After all who in their right mind would bother to write down everything they put into their stomach; everything, every day, every minute of every day?

It isn't easy is it?

But just think for a minute, we spend so little time eating that keeping a food diary recording what we eat should really take no time at all.

The key here is motivation.

If we have a genuine desire to lose some weight, if we are determined to do so then keeping a food diary and counting the calories of everything we eat and drink shouldn't be a daunting task.

It takes so little time to write down what you had for breakfast, really, how long does it take to write: "2 eggs, 2 rashers of bacon, 1 slice of toast with butter, 2 cups of coffee with sugar".

No time at all.

Same for lunch and dinner, such very little time is involved in keeping a food diary that we all should be able to do it without any trouble at all.

If we have the motivation to do so.

So how do get that motivation?

Well perhaps one way could be to have a "fat" picture pasted onto the front cover of our food diary and keep it where it will be seen when we sit down to eat.

If we don't want others to see it put it on the inside of the front cover.

Another way may be to record our weight at the start of each day as the first entry in our food diary for the day, that way we will have a running report on how well our weight loss programme is going.

The next thing to determine is what information should we record in our food diary.

The easiest way to do this, at least in the beginning, is to list not only the foods we eat but also the calories and portion sizes.

I don't mean here that we should weight everything as we eat it, that of course isn't practical, but we can give a rough estimate of how much we're eating even if it's only "a large, medium, small" portion.

As we get used to keeping our food diary we might go on to categorise the types of food, is it a vegetable, fruit, red meat, fish and so on.

This information when considered with our recorded weight at the beginning of each day will give us some very good indications as to what is helping us to lose weight and what is hindering us.

It will also be very useful as a tool to help us when we're planning our meals.

Now, we all like to indulge ourselves every so often and there's no need to feel guilty when we do, it helps to keep us on track and prevents us from feeling deprived when we occasionally eat something which we love but which doesn't contribute to our weight loss, the key here is to do so in moderation.

A few bites of that chocolate cake won't derail our efforts, eating the whole cake might do so, but we must make sure we write that down as well, not doing so will be counter productive and may lead to feelings of guilt.

Another useful "trick" is to reward ourselves when we find that things have gone particularly well, even if it's only a gold star stuck on the page that proves to us that we're doing the right things, it's amazing what extra motivation it will provide as we look back through our food diary to check on our progress.

There is no doubt that for many of us counting calories and the food diary habit is a challenging one to adopt but once we've made it a daily part of our lives we will find it to be a very worthwhile investment in our weight loss programme.

--------------------

NOW, if you enjoyed this post and would like more good stuff from yours truly then you’re luck because I’ve got something else to share with you..

My very good friend John Shaw has allowed me to offer you a FREE copy of his book "Weight Loss Success" together with some of the best weight control help on the planet.

Now you can buy this book for about $40 on Ebay or at Dymocks book store but he's giving you the opportunity to get it without cost, however you'll have to hurry, this is only going to be available for a limited time.

So if you want your FREE copy, make sure to take action right now before he get's stingy and removes the offer.

To get your free copy today, simply enter your email below and keep an eye on your inbox,

Jasmine.

      

Emotional Eating.

Are You An Emotional Eater?

Before answering that question we need to know what an “emotional eater” is.

Emotional eating, according to those who are supposed to know these things, is eating as a result of something which is happening in your life which is related in some way to your mental or emotional state rather than eating because you are, or think you should be, hungry.

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Modern thinking regarding unwanted weight gain puts most of the blame firmly on eating as a way to relieve some of the stresses of life.

This applies to both men and women and so called “comfort food” is to blame.

Anxiety, depression, significant loss, even plain old boredom can cause us to raid the fridge or the cookie jar to get a fix of this comfort food.

When you can’t be bothered to go and exercise or do that job in the yard that’s been waiting for days, or weeks, sometimes it’s just easier to make a coffee, grab a doughnut and chill.

When you’re depressed you may think that you have nothing better to do than eat and that eating, emotional eating, can easily lead to weight gain which in turn can cause more depression, it becomes a vicious circle which can be hard to break.

So, are you an emotional eater?

How do you tell?

You need to ask yourself some key questions and give yourself the honest answers.

Do you have a tendency to eat when you’re sad?

When things get you down, when you’re overly concerned about something, when you’re scared?

Do you use food, especially very sweet or fatty food, when you need a lift or after you’ve had a disappointment?

Does food help you to deal with some of the more unpleasant things which you have to face from time to time?

If you’ve answered “yes” to any of these questions, or others like them, you may well be eating to help you deal with the emotional issues associated with them.

If you have indeed identified yourself as an emotional eater the next step is to accept that fact, much as an alcoholic needs to accept that he or she is an alcoholic, you can then begin to deal with it.

The most effective way to do this is to use a diversionary tactic.

When you’re down and you consider going to the kitchen for a comforting snack find something else to do instead.

Go for a walk around the yard or down the street, pick up the needles and start to knit that new jumper for yourself, or crochet a new blanket, that would take your mind off food for a while.

You’ll find that as you start to become involved with something else the thought of food will just fade into the background or even disappear altogether.

Another thing you should do is to identify the things that start the food cravings or the regular times when you tend to “over-snack”.

Do you eat while you’re watching TV in the evenings, while you’re mentally engaged in something, while you’re reading etc.?

When you know the answers to these questions you can more easily work out a strategy to change your behaviour patterns to those which don’t involve eating or snacking.

Also, just as with any other emotional issue, it will help if you have a support network of those who care about your health and well-being.

This network could be made up of your immediate family, your work colleagues, your social group or perhaps even others who are in the same situation as yourself.

You might even consider joining a support group who specialise in helping those who want to slim down.

Whenever you feel the need to get stuck into the snacks you could contact someone in your support team for a little, well, support!

Should you find that you are eating because you are depressed or particularly anxious it is important to seek out professional help.

Your medical professional is the place to go for help to overcome those feelings, depression is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly or treated as inconsequential, professional help is never far away and seeking it is the proper course of action under those circumstances.

If your depression becomes severe there will be organisations run by both your government and private sources which are specifically there to help those in that situation, seek their help, don’t try to deal with it on your own, in Australia it’s called “Beyond Blue” their phone number is 1300 22 4636 

--------------------

NOW, if you enjoyed this post and would like more good stuff from yours truly then you’re luck because I’ve got something else to share with you..

My very good friend John Shaw has allowed me to offer you a FREE copy of his book "Weight Loss Success" together with some of the best weight control help on the planet.

Now you can buy this book for about $40 on Ebay or at Dymocks book store but he's giving you the opportunity to get it without cost, however you'll have to hurry, this is only going to be available for a limited time.

So if you want your FREE copy, make sure to take action right now before he get's stingy and removes the offer.

To get your free copy today, simply enter your email below and keep an eye on your inbox,

Jasmine.

      

Eat Breakfast.

Why Breakfast Is So Important.

Many of us wake in the morning, head straight for that early fix with a cup or two of coffee, shower, get dressed for the day and then realise that we don’t have time to sit and eat breakfast.

We might grab a slice of toast and tell ourselves that’s all we need, after all we’re on a diet aren’t we and the less we eat the better.

Wrong!

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If this is you then you’re doing yourself much more harm than good.

There are a number of very good reasons to eat breakfast, particularly if you are a dieter. 

For a start, eating at the start of your day, regardless of what time that is, will speed up your metabolism and that is a critical factor in your effort to lose weight.

When you think about it, you generally eat dinner sometime early evening and if you wait to eat again until lunch the next day that’s often about 18 hours between food intakes.

That’s not good for you.

Also, by missing out on breakfast you may have a tendency to eat a bigger lunch than you should which doesn’t help in your efforts to lose weight.

There are any number of scientific studies to show that those who eat breakfast are in the great majority when it comes to losing weight.

It seems to go against logical thinking that in order to lose weight you should eat more food but that “logic” definitely does not apply when it comes to breakfast.

As an aside, and while it has little to do with losing weight, eating breakfast has been shown to aid concentration and improve your ability to focus which is a definite advantage for those who are studying or who have jobs that require a great deal of mental agility.

Having said all of the above, breakfast is not just something to put into your stomach at the start of the day.

The type of food you eat is also very important.

Your breakfast should preferably be primarily a high fibre meal or a meal which is full of protein and should contain plenty of vitamins and minerals to help you remain healthy right through the day.

Avoid sugary sweet things like most packaged breakfast cereals which many of us tend to add more sugar to anyway.

That type of breakfast will give you a short lift in your energy levels due to the sugar but will do you no good in the long run.

Another good reason to eat a healthy breakfast is that will lift your mood, something that is very important when it comes to dieting and losing weight.

It’s easy to get down when you’re dieting and anything which will help to overcome that without jeopardising your weight loss goal has to be a good thing.

Breakfast is the first meal decision of your day, if you make good choices at breakfast then you are much more likely to make good meal decisions for the rest of the day and while it is better to eat something rather that nothing you should be careful in the food choices you make at breakfast.

One thing that must be avoided is treating breakfast as an opportunity to over-indulge.

The thinking might be that if you eat a good breakfast you could skip other meals during the day and this is not a good idea.

For your body to be at its best it needs regular intakes of nourishment, healthy meals at reasonably regular intervals and depending on whose advice you follow this may mean three meals a day or it may mean five or six smaller meals.

Last but by no means least you must realise that eating breakfast is a habit and like any other habit, good or bad, it takes some time to get into it.

Persistence is the key here, eat something for breakfast every morning, if need be start with a small helping of something healthy, make sure you actually sit down and eat, don’t take breakfast on the run, if necessary write it into your schedule for the day and make sure you do it.

Start a good habit and after about a month it will be so ingrained into your thinking that you’ll just do it.

Jas.  

============================

NOW, if you enjoyed this post and would like more good stuff from yours truly then you’re luck because I’ve got something else to share with you..

My very good friend John Shaw has allowed me to offer you a FREE copy of his book "Weight Loss Success" together with some of the best weight control help on the planet.

Now you can buy this book for about $40 on eBay or at Dymocks book store but he's giving you the opportunity to get it without cost, however you'll have to hurry, this is only going to be available for a limited time.

So if you want your FREE copy, make sure to take action right now before he get's stingy and removes the offer.

To get your free copy today, simply enter your email below and keep an eye on your inbox,

Jasmine.