Dieting is a necessary change on the path to losing excess fat and better general health. Diet combined with exercise is the best method for quick results, and inattention to either one can sabotage a person’s efforts.
Healthy Eating
Food seems complex when a person is struggling with choosing the right calories for their weight loss efforts. The key is to take a lifelong approach to eating. Start with consuming only whole foods. These are foods that are not packaged, or are packaged but are perishable. Choose high quality proteins, complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables.
High quality proteins include poultry (chicken and turkey breast preferred,) fish (salmon, tilapia, halibut, etc.,) lean cuts of beef and pork. Vegetarian options include tofu, soybeans, lentils, beans and eggs. Non-fat or low fat milk and yogurt are good protein sources as well.
Complex carbohydrates are carbs which break down slowly and provide long-lasting steady energy to the body. Examples are whole grain pastas and breads and certain fruits and vegetables; but not all vegetables or fruits are equal. The glycemic index of a food dictates how fast the body breaks it down. For example, beans and legumes have a low glycemic index, while carrots and watermelon are high. The results of eating the latter can be the same as eating too much processed sugar.
Dieting Programs
Diet programs like weight watchers or the jenny craig diet have a solid reputation because they promote a healthy lifestyle. These programs do not advocate restrictive crash diets which teach the practitioners nothing about good food choices. Also, a dieting regimen which is too restrictive may not provide a person with sufficient calories to maintain their energy levels during regular and strenuous activity.
A program for healthy eating can begin by eliminating obvious sources of saturated fats such as butter and excessive animal fat. Next, eliminate processed sugar and processed packaged foods. Focus on simple whole foods and consistent exercise and the results will come.