Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Healthy Diet Plan for Weight Loss

Our lifestyle doesn't give us enough time to eat healthy. We are always in a rush and hardly have time to stop and think about what kind of food we are eating. Take away, deep-fried, and sugary foods all give us instant gratification, but in the long run, we only end up falling prey to various health-related problems.

Diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, gastrointestinal problems, and obesity are all on the rise. Our unhealthy lifestyle is swiftly taking us down a very dangerous road. However, when we stop to think and make the conscious decision to do our bodies' justice, keeping to a healthy lifestyle is not that difficult. All you have to do is to plan your daily diet carefully and understand what your body's requirements are.

When you plan a healthy diet plan for weight loss, remember your goal is permanent weight loss. Do not go on a crash diet. If you decide that carbohydrates are bad for you and stop having any carbs at all, it will have a negative effect on your body.

Don't eliminate any particular food group. Doing so may help you lose weight in the initial few days of dieting, but the truth is that instead of burning fat, you end up losing precious muscle and water. You will feel drained, tired and sick all the time. Carbohydrates give our body energy, and without it, our body will be starved and undernourished.

If you follow an unhealthy diet and lose weight too quickly, it will have an adverse effect on your nervous system. Moreover, once you are off the diet plan, the pounds will be back, and your body will be left to fend for itself.

Do not be fooled by the advertisements that promise instant weight loss in few days. Set realistic goals for yourself.

Age and sex are important criteria to keep in mind. People from different age groups require different diet plans for weight loss. A teenager and an elderly person will have different needs, so you should aim for a balanced diet plan keeping these factors in mind.

Never skip breakfast. That is a cardinal rule. After 10-12 hours of sleeping, your body needs an energy boost. Avoid any sugary or deep fried stuff in the morning. You can have a whole-wheat sandwich with a glass of milk or fresh fruit juice. Fruits are always a great breakfast as well, as they consist mainly of water and fiber. Fibrous food absorbs the fat that sticks to intestinal walls and flushes it out of our body.

Red meat is not good for health as it tends to increase our cholesterol levels. Shift to white meat and fish as an alternative. Instead of deep frying the fish and poultry, you can broil and bake or grill them.

If you are in the habit of grabbing a café latte every day, just remember it contains about 190 calories. Substitute it with a simple coffee, which contains around 5 calories. Shift from your favorite cola (137 calories) to lemon soda (2 calories). Instead of a scoop of chocolate ice cream (985 calories), have a cup of strawberries (53 calories).

Bring about these changes gradually in your lifestyle. Once you start avoiding fast food, you will find that you really don't feel like having them anymore.