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Understanding Variety, Balance, and Moderation
A study conducted by the American Dietetic Association found that 2 out of 5 people surveyed thought eating a healthy diet required giving up the foods they love. Actually nothing could be further from the truth. Avoiding your favorite foods will only lead to binging on that very food somewhere in the future. There are three important guides to use when developing a healthy diet: variety, balance and moderation.
Variety – You should select a number of different foods within a particular food group.
When you eat the ‘same foods’ every day you miss out on important nutrients found in other foods within the same group. For instance, if you only eat carrots as your vegetable source, you get plenty of vitamin A but no folate. Folate is found in dark green vegetables like spinach, broccoli and asparagus. Another reason to add variety in your diet, particularly for fruits an vegetables, is that each color of fruit or vegetable contains different cancer retarding substances called phytochemicals.
Balance –You should eat foods from all of the five different food groups. The different food groups are:
Grains
Vegetables
Fruits
Milk
Meat and Beans
If you eat a bean burrito with salsa, an apple, and low fat glass of milk, you have covered all of the groups. Try to consciously consume balanced meals throughout the day. Overeating any particular group will cause you to miss vital nutrient found in other food groups.
Moderation –You should use portion control at meals and not over consume any one food. Realize that there are no “good” or “bad” foods. All foods, even those that are high in fat, have there place in a healthy diet plan but must be controlled.
By using these three pillars of a healthy food plan you can lose weight and adequately fuel your body throughout the day.
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The Biggest Loser Club Tip: Understanding Medically Supervised Weight Loss Programs
With the rise in obesity rates in the U.S., medically supervised weight loss programs have become more popular than ever. A medically supervised program simply means that a doctor monitors your weight loss treatment. You must come to the weight loss center each week to attend regularly scheduled classes often taught by a registered dietitian. Based on your risk level (high or low) you meet with a doctor either weekly or biweekly.
During these visits, labs are drawn and results discussed to ensure safe and healthy weight loss. Supervised programs make sense for a lot of reasons. Individuals who need to lose significant amounts of weight often have additional medical conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol and type II diabetes. As weight loss occurs throughout the program these conditions improve prompting adjustments in medication. Another common feature of most, but not all, medically based programs is the use of very low calorie diets (VLCD). These diets usually range from 800-1000 calories and incorporate the use of meal replacements. The premise of VLCD is to eliminate all food choices initially focusing on behavior modification. This is where you start relearning proper food choices and portion sizes.
Over the course of weeks and months foods are progressively added back into the diet. Once you reach your target weight you are able to move into the maintenance phase of the program. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to be severely overweight or obese to join a medically supervised weight loss program. If you are overweight or obese and suffer from several other medical conditions a weight loss program supervised by a physician may be a best weight loss plan for you.
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Family Support for Weight Loss
If you are to succeed in losing weight you must have your family onboard. They must be your biggest cheerleaders. Below are several important things your family should do and avoid as they assist you along this process.
Things to Avoid
Threats: Using threats will only serve to anger the overweight family member. Nothing positive can come from it.
Don’t conceal food.
The overweight family member will find the food sooner or later and be resentful.
Don't attack or lecture.
Avoid talking down to the overweight family member. This will make them feel worse about themselves not better.
Don’t expect perfection.
Weight is something that’s managed not cured. Be patient and compassionate if there is a setback.
Don’t avoid social activities due to the overweight family member’s weight. This will cause the person’s self-esteem to plummet and create resentment towards the family
Things to Do
Be positive: Always be willing to provide an encouraging word and pat on the back.
Keep a relaxed atmosphere at home. This allows plenty of time for the overweight family member to devote to eating right and exercising more.
Be an exercise partner.
Forgive lapses. The overweight family member feels badly enough as it is, no need to make them feel worse by coming down on them. Stay positive and move forward.
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The Biggest Loser Club Tip: Choosing An Effective Weight Loss Program
With so many weight loss programs on the market, selecting the right plan to meet your needs can be a difficult chore. Before joining a weightloss program you should investigate all of your options. Don’t settle for the first program you find in the phone book, because it might not be right for you. Collect as much information as possible about each potential program so that you can make an informed decision. Healthy weight loss programs that are safe and effective should:
Teach healthy eating and calorie reduction without eliminating specific foods or food groups.
Provide proven strategies for making positive and healthy behavior change
Consider your cultural differences
Encourage participation in a structured exercise program and increased daily physical activity (taking the stairs instead of the elevator, etc…).
Promote a steady and slow weight loss over time to reach target weight loss goals
Provide medical supervision if the program includes consuming meal replacements or special diets like a very-low-calorie diet.
Have a plan to assist you in keeping the weight off after you have lost it.
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Strength Training For Weight Loss
Strength training includes any type of exercise where you work against resistance. This includes any movement using your own body weight, bands, tubes, resistance machines, or free weights. Incorporating a strength training routine into your weight loss program can help you lose weight. First, resistance training is a great calorie burning exercise. On average you will burn approximately 200-400 calories per session. Another benefit of strength training is that your metabolic rate will stay elevated for some time after the workout.
Some research studies show that metabolic rate can stay elevated for more than 12 hours. This means you are burning more calories even at rest. However, the main advantage of strength training is that it preserves muscle so as you lose weight more of it comes from fat. If you continue resistance training for several months you may actually gain muscle. Adding muscle is great because it takes more energy to fuel the extra muscle with most of these calories coming from fat. As with any new exercise start gradually. Begin lifting a couple of days a week using light weights at first. As your confidence grows, you can increase the number of days you train, the amount of weight you use, or the number of exercises you do. An appropriately designed resistance training program can be an effective tool for weight loss.
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The Biggest Loser Club Tip: Use the Plate Method to Lose Weight
Of course you've heard that eating out can really pack on the pounds, so you've started preparing weightloss meals at home. Good for you, but you may be thinking, "Why isn't the weight just falling off"? It is important to understand that you can still overeat a healthy balanced meal no matter how nutritious it may be. It all boils down to calories in versus calories out. Be aware and watch those serving sizes! One way to be mindful of your balanced meal and serving sizes is called the plate method.
Arrange a healthy balanced plate in the following manner:
½ of you plate should be fruits and vegetables. Choose fruits that are a variety of colors and non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, cauliflower, spinach, peppers, and salad greens.
¼ of your plate should be grains. Examples of grains include cereal grains (breakfast) or cooked grains, pasta, bread, crackers and starchy vegetables such as corn, potatoes, and squash. Try to include grains that are high in fiber like whole wheat pasta and brown rice.
¼ or less of your plate should be meat and beans . Choose lean protein like chicken, fish or most variety of beans
There is no magic to using the healthy plate method. Try to use the above guideline when plating your weight loss meals. With some practice you can be reassured that the calories you consume will be under control allowing safe and effective weight loss.
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The Importance of Weight Loss Support
There is no denying that weight loss is a difficult challenge. You must make so many changes in order to lose weight; at times it can become overwhelming. This is one reason gaining support is vital for success. Most of you will not travel down the road to weight loss on your own. At some point in your journey you will need a helping hand.
Start locating individuals and/or groups that can provide the supportive relationships you need to be successful. Weight loss support truly is about developing relationships. The greater your support network the more resources available to overcome obstacles when they arise. You may receive support in a variety of forms. One powerful type of support helpful for weight loss is emotional support.
An example of emotional support may be as simple as a friend complementing you on how well you did in aerobics class last night. Emotional support can help you through a tough time by listening, providing encouragement, or expressing acceptance for you. Emotional support makes you feel good and assists in keeping you on the path to weight loss. Support can also be more tangible and practical such as keeping your children while you go exercise or providing you with financial assistance when you are in a bind. Enlisting support is important for your weight loss efforts so get busy recruiting your team.
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The Biggest Loser Club Tip: What Weight Loss Can Do For You and Your Family
The current obesity statistics in the United States are quite alarming. Sixty-five percent of Americans are overweight and of these, 31 percent are obese. With these numbers, it’s easy to see why more people than ever are attempting to lose weight. And there are many good reasons to lose weight.
One of the most important reasons for weight loss is improved health for you and your family. It is well documented that many diseases are directly related to being overweight or obese such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and sleeping disorders. A modest 10 percent weight loss will not only decrease your risk of disease but will also improve already existing medical conditions. Successful weight loss can also improve your energy levels. Imagine the energy you would have if you weren’t carrying around that extra weight. Not only does weight loss improve your self-esteem but it helps you look better. Appearance is a major motivator for and benefit of weight loss.
Another common reason people set out to lose weight is to escape the social difficulties related to being overweight. We live in a cruel society, one that discriminates against those who are overweight. For some, losing weight may help land a better job or feel more comfortable interacting is social situations.
As you start to take a healthier path and lose weight, you'll set an example for others in your family to eat right and exercise more. A healthy family stays healthy together, so talk to your spouse and kids about ways to cut down on the junk food, and come up with fun family activities that you can do together to help increase your activity level. Weight loss is very important to maintaining a healthy family. If you won’t lose weight for yourself, do it for your children. Be a role model to living a healthier life for your kids.
