As we are removing exercise from the equation, the focus will now
turn to diet and lifestyle factors. Firstly to be clear a diet is
simply the foods that you eat on a daily basis. We are all on a "diet",
most simply don't understand what diet means. Now as we want to lose
weight without using exercise, we have to look very closely as the foods
and drinks that we consume on a daily basis and the calories that we
take in to ensure that are eating habits are aligned with any type of
weight loss plan.
The first place that we should look at is the
food groups that we are eating daily. To ensure healthy weight loss of
around 1-lbs per week, we want to be eating starchy carbohydrates,
fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and lean sources of protein like
eggs, fish and nuts. Some of these foods are known as super foods and
contain many vitamins and minerals which are essential for the body and
help aid weight loss.
There are only 3 main food groups,
carbohydrates, fats and protein. We do have micro-nutrients, but that is
a whole other subject. We need to make sure that approximately 60% of
the foods that we are eating are carbohydrates.carbohydrates. Carbs are
the primary source of fuel and energy for the body, so we need to make
sure the body has enough energy for everyday activities. There should
only be minimal fat from the foods that we are eating and the remaining
will be protein, which will provide essential nutrients for growth and
recovery.
So now we have established what the food groups are, we
can now look at out "diet" to see what ration of food we are consuming
in regards to food groups. This is important because we can identify if
we are eating too many calorie dense foods which are high in saturated
fat, or if we are lacking nutritional value from any of the food groups.
The
best way to go about this is to simply create a food dairy. This can be
a simple word planer or you could opt for a smart phone app, the choice
is yours, but this has to be the first real step to keep track of what
you are eating. A good practice is to plan your week ahead and divide up
the foods that you purchase into the given food groups so that you can
align your grocery list with foods that give you nutritional value and
will help aid weight loss. This is very manageable with a little bit of
planning.
Alternatively instead of writing down every food that
you eat daily during the week, you could take pictures of the food that
you eat and shoot a picture of the food label so that nutritional value
and calories are recorded without writing things down. This is a good
strategy for busy people.
Many studies have found that people who
take pictures of the foods they are eating as a way of recording and
tracking food intake found it easier to reduce and remove many of the
unhealthy food choices that were on their diets. It is very easy to see
how this works, not many people will be very enthusiastic about taking a
picture of a greasy cheese burger and chips, over a healthy salad. This
theory works well and saves time. It is all a matter of choice.
The
next thing to look at would be the liquid drinks that you have daily
and in the week. This is important as far too many people drink far too
many sugary and carbonated drinks that have almost no nutritional value
in them at all. These types of drinks are loaded with calories that will
do no benefit to your waistline.
To lose weight we need to ensure
that the right types of liquid drinks are in our diets. You should be
looking to swap carbonated drinks and alcohol with pure clean water and
health drinks like smoothies and shakes for added variety. Water can
play a very vital role in any weight loss plan, and is especially
important if there is no exercise in a person's lifestyle.
Water
is a big player in these kinds of eating plans, because water will often
fill the gap of hunger. If water is taken with a meal, there is less
chance of over eating and thus reduces the chance of weight gain. Water
will also help with the process of digestion and also flush out
unhealthy toxins from the body to ensure a clean inside.
As
mentioned the best way to add variety with drinks in a healthy eating
plan is to throw a few smoothies into the mix. These are a great
addition because you can get the much needed 5 fruit and vegetables a
day and also they are a time saver. Many people struggle to get enough
fruit and vegetables a day into their diets, smoothies provide the ideal
solution.
The typical recommendation for healthy weight loss is
about 1-lbs per week. You should not look to lose any more than this.
This is very manageable without starving the body of needed nutrients.
To lose a pound of weight per week, you need to reduce 3,500 calories
from the diet that you are on. This works out at a calorie reduction of
500 a day to keep in the healthy range.
Another common problem
that many people face in today is that they are sitting around for long
period of time in the work place. This can make it tricky to keep to a
healthy eating plan without cheating. It has been proven in many studies
that people who sit around for long periods of time eat more generally
than people that don't. In this case, try to stand up and walk around
whenever possible. A few other ways keep the weight from piling on, are
to use the stairs instead of the elevator, walk instead of using the
car, and walk the dog more often.
Overall the diet is the most
important aspect of a weight loss plan, and since we are not exercising
or training, this is especially important. It will take a bit of careful
planning and commitment to get into the habit of recording the foods
that you eat on a daily basis, but within a few short weeks, it will
become a regular habit.
Discover how to lose weight without strict dieting, using drugs or surgery. GET 6 FREE WEIGHTLOSS EBOOKS
http://www.natural-healthy-weightloss.com.
Ashley Hubbard is a weight loss Consultant. Ashley takes a natural
approach by encouraging healthy eating practices, regular exercise and
healthy lifestyle habits. Get the latest and most up to date ideas,
methods, strategies and news stories on healthy weight loss here at
Ashley's blog
http://www.learnhowtoreduceweight.blogspot.com
