No matter how hard we all try to lose weight, no matter how many gimmicks we buy into, no matter how many miracle foods or super foods claim all kinds of weight loss guarantees, just about any family physician will say the same thing when you ask him how to shed a few pounds. Exercise more and eat less. That translates into getting off your butt and move, and following a calorie reduction diet.
The only thing you really need to be concerned about when deciding how you are going to attack your calorie reduction diet plan, is to reduce the number of calories you getting sufficiently enough to make weight loss happen while at the same time getting enough calories (and nutrients) to keep your body from going into ?starvation mode.?
We have long known that calories must be cut from most people?s diets if they are going to lose weight, but if you are one of those people who already has a very limited calorie intake and you still find yourself unable to lose weight, you may actually need to eat more calories! This is what happens: Your body is designed to survive at all costs.
That means that, according to your bodily system, if you go eating 800 calories a day all of a sudden, your body system begins to think some tragedy has befallen you and you are unable to find food. So, your body goes into ultra drive to protect you and conserves its consumption of calories so you don?t starve to death. If you have long been eating carefully-counted food as part of a long-term calorie reduction diet and you have stopped losing weight, consult your physician for advice about whether or not to add more calories to your eating plan.
Even though many people find themselves in the above category, most of us still eat more than we can burn off, so we need to follow a calorie reduction diet. The easiest way to do that is to cut out anything we know is ?fattening.? It really isn?t all that complicated. If food is naturally occurring, it is likely to be the best for you and most likely to be a good part of a calorie reduction diet.
That means you should be spending ninety percent of your grocery shopping time in the produce and meat sections. Eat lots of raw or steamed vegetables, consume a moderate amount of lean protein, and avoid man-made food as much as possible. Before you put it in your buggy, ask yourself, ?Did nature provide this or did man?? If the answer is ?man,? leave it in the store.
Examples of man-made items include: bread, pastries, canned vegetables, pretzels, potato chips, cakes, pasta, egg noodles, and so on.
Examples of nature-provided items include: broccoli, green beans, carrots, fruits, lean meats, nuts, and so on.
Along with counting calories, look for God or nature-created foods when choosing how to eat on your calorie reduction diet.
