The dos and don'ts of weight loss

Not sure about how to diet, or of the best way to lose and maintain your weight? Well, here are a few do's and don'ts to help you on the road to fitness.

Do.....

• Eat regularly
  Re-fuelling when you are hungry is a good idea, but make sure that you snack on the right things. Good snacks are fruit, vegetable sticks and low fat dips, scones (watch the butter), sandwiches, toast, smoothies and low fat or diet yogurt.

• Take a walk at lunchtime
  Just small changes make a big difference over time. Offer to make the coffee at work or wash up, just walking over to the kettle every day for a few weeks counts! Or could even exercise at your desk.

• Go shopping with a list
  There is nothing worse than standing in the chocolate aisle with a growling stomach, it makes it all the more tempting to grab foods that are high in fat and sugar. Make sure you do your food shopping with a list — and not when you are hungry too.

• Don’t be conned by marketing
  Low fat does not necessarily mean low calorie; many manufacturers lower the amount of fat in dessert foods and increase the amount of sugar to compensate. Make sure you read the labels on food stuffs so you know exactly what you are eating.

• Get support
  This is really important if you are to succeed at losing weight in the long-term. Being surrounded by people who will eat the same foods and encourage you along the way is a good idea. Find a ‘buddy’ or someone in your family to boost your morale. This can really help if you are taking up a new exercise regime; it makes backing out much harder to do!

• Watch your portion sizes
  Next time you go out, look at the amounts that your friends eat; you may be surprised at how much you consume in comparison to others. It is important to get your meal portions correct so try to eat more fruit, vegetables and starchy foods and less of the protein, dairy products and fatty and sugary foods.

• Set yourself achievable goals
  This is important as you have something to aim for and if you make it achievable then you feel good when you reach the goal, rewarding yourself perhaps with a nice hot bath or a night out to the movies.

• Tackle problems and don’t rely on food as a comfort
  A large number of us use food as a way of relieving stress and as a way to unwind when we are not even hungry.

• Remember that there are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ foods, only ‘good’ or ‘bad’ diets
  This means that you can have treats; it is really important to be able to have what we call ‘flexible restraint’ and pick and choose when you have foods such as chocolate and chips.  

• Do monitor your food intake and physical activity
  Using a diary or blog to record what you eat and how much you exercise is an excellent start. This helps you to understand where are your ‘danger periods’ on a daily basis, such as in the evenings when you relax in front of the TV. Once you have found out when you are most likely to waver it is easier to find ways to help yourself e.g. going for a walk instead of watching TV or having a bath, reading a book etc.

Don't.....

• Don’t rely on just changing your food intake to lose weight
  Research has proven that a combination of both exercise and altered eating habits is the best way to lose and maintain weight loss.
• Think a fad diet will be the answer to your weight issue
  This is a sure-fire way to head for the junk food. Many fad diets promise great weight loss but are unbalanced, and only make you crave the foods that it advises against. Life is for living and we should try to have a sensible and realistic approach to weight loss!
• Don't miss breakfast!
  A classic way to think you are cutting back is to miss the most important meal of the day. By missing breakfast you are more likely to go for a snack mid-morning and it may not always be a healthy one you reach for!
• Don’t become obsessive about your food intake
  If you feel you are permanently on a diet, ask yourself why. There is no point going out for a meal and feeling deprived, think of coping strategies to make such occasions as enjoyable as they should be. Why not cut back the day before you go out for that meal or even the day after?

Top 5 Negative Calories Food to Reduce your Weight

The niche of Negative Calorie Foods is still developing and many people are still unaware about it.

Before reading about the best of ‘Negative Calorie Foods’, it is vital to understand what is meant by this term. There are calories in nearly every kind of food we eat. However, some foods are a bit difficult to digest and their overall effect is such that the body has to exert a lot of effort to metabolize them. The total amount of calories gained from Negative Calorie Foods is less than the total number of calories spent to digest them. As a result, the body is left with a Negative Calorie Value or deficit. These foods are considered ideal for being integrated with our daily food to ensure that the total number of calories consumed in the day is restricted. Merely eating Negative Calorie Foods can lead to nutritional deficiency but smartly combining them in the diet regimen can help us to lose weight. The most recommended of Negative Calorie Foods that provide little calories but significant health benefits and nutrition include:

1. Onions: Might Make You Teary But Are Worthy Food Ingredients

Onions are among the most valued of herbs, known for their culinary and medicinal value. Onions are rich in water and fiber and nearly devoid of any calories. Further, they tend to raise the metabolism of the body. This is why onions are recommended for preventing cardiovascular disease, i.e. by raising the metabolic rate onions reduce the risk of developing blood clots. A faster metabolism means that more calories are being burned to fuel the body’s energy demands. The more pungent the onion, greater are the chances of finding high concentrations of immunity-promoting phytochemicals apart from immunity-boosters like sulfides.

2. Lettuce: Your Perfect Daily, Calorie-busting Companion

Perhaps, the easiest of Negative Calorie Foods to be consumed daily, lettuce has a very low calorie count. It is primarily composed of inedible fiber and water. This kind of fiberis very difficult to be digested and is eventually directed towards the large intestine to be expelled. The fiber content exerts pressure on impacted stools, helping the body to get rid of toxins. Besides this, lettuce is loaded with Vitamin K and chlorophyll, apart from vitamins B2, C, A, B1 and folic acid and minerals like manganese and chromium.

3. Cucumber: No Calories In This Cool Customer

Cucumbers contain a high concentration of caffeic and ascorbic acids. These agents fasten the overall metabolism and prevent water retention. Being primarily composed of water and fiber, cucumbers offer negligible amount of calories. However, they are enriched with nutrients like folic acid, vitamins A and C. The skin of cucumber is a good source of molybdenum, magnesium, silica and potassium apart from trace minerals like silica.

4. Cauliflower: Calorie Buster to the Core

One-cup of cauliflower contains nearly two grams each of fiber and protein and only 26 calories! Cauliflower doesn’t contain any kind of fat and its fiber content ensures that the body burns a lot of calories to digest it. Cauliflower is recommended because of itshigh concentrations of calcium, folate, selenium and potassium. It is among the few vegetables suspected to have a notable anti-cancer effect due to the presence of a substance called indole-3-carbinol.

5. Watermelon: Tastiest of Negative Calorie Foods

Watermelon is among the best-tasting foods in this list, being refreshing and fulfilling, that can easily take care of your hunger pangs without contributing many calories. Watermelon is among the richest sources of lycopene in the natural world. This compound utilizes the body’s natural fat content to be fully metabolized.