Diet Plans for Weight Loss

Ever since obesity has been termed as an epidemic, it has attracted attention throughout the world. In America weight loss has become an industry. The air is thick with discussions and counter-discussions about various diet plans being proposed by various people.

There is a 5-Factor Diet, Atkins Diet, Bob Greene\’s Best Life Diet, South Beach Diet, Cabbage Soup Diet, Carbohydrate Addict\’s Diet, Anne Collin’s diet and now you have DASH diet and Fat Smash Diet and Size Zero Diet and …. it goes on!

Proponents of each of these diet plans make claims of how much weight you will lose and how rapidly you will lose weight. Some go to the extent of claiming that you will lose up to 10-12 lbs in a week whereas medical experts warn that such claims are ridiculous and weight loss of such proportions can come about only by losing water which is detrimental to the system. Moreover there is always the danger of gaining weight just as rapidly when you stop working on the plan.

Essentially all these plans boil down to a few basics! The body weight is contributed by fat, muscles, bones and water. Excess calorie intake is responsible for increased weight and so cut down the excess intake of calories. Increase metabolism so that stored fat can be burnt off; burn off the fat that is stored in the body by exercises and fat burning food. But do not starve the body of the essential nutrients.

Basically diet plans fall into three broad categories: the “fad diets”, those that are based on specially processed food and those that can be called as “natural diet” plans.

There is no clear definition of “fad diet”; it is very subjective. Fad diet is popularly believed to be a poor weight loss diet. A fad diet generally becomes very popular very quickly and falls out of favor just as quickly. Fad diets quite often claim very quick weight loss. Their claims for efficacy are generally not confirmed by any legitimate scientific studies. Often promoted by parties that publish books about the diet or those that sell some supplements or ingredients that are part of the fad diet, a fad diet may not achieve anything at all or at times may have an adverse effect on health.

The natural diet plan is based on use of food constituents that are normally in your diet; it recommends some of the constituents as being helpful and some others as being harmful from the point of view of weight loss. For example, it may recommend certain fish such as Sardines, herrings, etc as providing beneficial Omega 3 fatty acids or may recommend use of lean meat but not others such as pork; it may recommend low-fat skimmed milk but not the normal fresh milk. Natural diet is based on very clearly understood and recognized scientific knowledge.

The third category of diet plans mentioned above are based on use of specially processed food ingredients or supplements; this category is so highly commercialized that even if it has scientific basis at times lies on the boundary of fad diet plans.

Jump-Start Your Weight Loss Plan This Fall

Why Wait For The New Year? Here Are 7 Ways To Launch A Diet And Fitness Regimen

(WebMD) During the free-form days of summer, vacations, picnics and carefree attitudes can all get in the way of healthy eating and weight control.

January may be the traditional time to start a weight loss program, but with kids back in school and routines becoming more structured, fall is the perfect time to launch a diet and fitness regimen.

Even the fall weather can serve as an inspiration to be active and eat more healthfully. It’s the perfect time of year to hit the hiking trail, or bite into a crisp, delicious apple. Just breathing the fresh fall air makes you feel healthier.

In fact, in a survey of 1,500 moms conducted by the National Dairy Council’s “3-A-Day of Diary” program, participants said fall is the ideal season to jump-start healthy eating and exercise programs.

The moms said they look forward to getting back to their regular routines (53%) and having more time to focus on themselves (41%) when their kids go back to school. They ranked summer second (behind the winter holidays) as the time of year when they tended to put on the most weight.

“Routines are ideal for helping people, especially moms, find time to fit in fitness, prepare healthier meals and make sure they take care of their own personal health needs,” says Cynthia Sass, MPH, MA, RD, an American Dietetic Assoiciation spokeswoman.

“The combination of more free time, regular routines, and the beautiful fall weather is an inspiration to eat better and be more active outdoors.”

A Bounty Of Fall Foods

Sass suggests seeking out farmers’ markets to select from the nutritious bounty of fall produce.

“Eating foods in season tastes best because of the peak flavors,” she says. “Find a new recipe, or use a food in a different way than before.”

For example, pumpkin is great for far more than pie. How about pumpkin soup, toasted pumpkin seeds, or even a pumpkin smoothie?

“Toss some pumpkin, skim milk, and pumpkin pie spices into a blender for a nutritious breakfast or snack loaded with protein and lots of nutrients,” suggests Sass.

More suggestions: Stir apples into garden or chicken salads. Or make a mock cobbler by mixing cut-up apples (leave the peel on for more fiber), a teaspoon of brown sugar, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of cinnamon into the microwave for 5 minutes – it makes a delicious treat or oatmeal topping.

Also, hearty soups are a terrific vehicle for all sorts of nutritious and delicious fall vegetables.

“Soups are super-filling, easy to make and freeze well,” says Ellie Krieger, RD, host of the Food Network’s “Healthy Appetite.” “Make them with lots of vegetables and broth, instead of cream, for satisfying meals the whole family will enjoy.”

7 Ways To Jump-Start Weight Loss

If you need help getting started, here are seven expert tips to help you jump-start your weight loss this fall:

1. Control your cravings. In the 3-A-Day survey, 52% of the moms said cravings were their biggest challenge in losing weight. Eating every few hours will prevent hunger, keep your blood sugar stable, and reduce cravings, says Sass. “Moms are so busy they tend to go too long without eating, then end up eating too fast, or the wrong kind of foods,” she says. One trick is to plan ahead: Bring along a baggie full of unsalted nuts and dried fruit for when hunger strikes. If sweet cravings are your downfall, Sass recommends chocolate – a few small pieces, that is. Let it melt slowly in your mouth so you can really savor the taste. Don’t avoid the foods you crave; just eat them in small portions.
2. Lace up your sneakers. Half the surveyed moms wanted to lose more than 20 pounds but 72% said they had 30 minutes or less to devote to exercise each day. “Something is better than nothing … even if it is 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night,” says Sass. “It does not need to be formal; just find ways to add more steps into your day.” If you make exercise social (such as walking with a neighbor), it’s more fun, less of a chore, and more likely to become routine. Owning a dog is another great way to get more exercise, as they need to be taken on walks regularly.
3. Don’t fail to plan. Write down your master plan for how you’ll fit in fitness and eat healthier and factor it in as you plan schedules for the new school year. “It is not enough to say you are going to exercise daily; you need to be more specific, such as going to the gym on the way to work Monday, Wednesday and Friday,” says Elisa Zied, RD, author of “So What Can I Eat?” And don’t forget to include snacks in your planning: “If you think of them as random eating, they are less likely to be healthy,” says Krieger. She suggests buying portable snacks such as fruit, nuts, single-serving yogurts, and low-fat cheese so they’ll always be handy. Snacks high in fiber and lean protein will keep you feeling full between meals.
4. Stock your kitchen with healthy choices. Having nutritious foods readily available makes it easier to work them into your diet. Always have cut-up fruits and vegetables on hand; pair them with low-fat yogurt dip for an instant snack or side dish. “Make it a rule to have some fruit or vegetables before you have a treat, like chocolate, and this way you are less likely to overdo the treat,” suggests Zied.
5. Start each day with breakfast. “Having breakfast gets your engine started during those critical morning hours when you are busy at school or work,” says Zied. “Skipping breakfast is an invitation for over-consumption of less nutritious foods later in the day.” Try to work fiber, lean protein, and fruits or vegetables into your breakfast. If you’re not a breakfast person, you don’t have to have much: A low-fat yogurt and a piece of fruit is enough to get your day started and control your appetite.
6. Strive for progress, not perfection. If you follow healthy food and fitness guidelines 80% of the time, the new habits will become a part of your life without overwhelming you. “Many people think in terms of black and white when they think about eating and fitness habits,” says Zied. “In reality, we should get comfortable living in gray, somewhere in between. Doing even 20 minutes of exercise, cutting portions by even a few bites, and switching from 2% milk to 1% milk – these small things can have a big impact on your health and on your life.”
7. Don’t forget portion control. As you get back into a more structured routine, it is a great time to get more detail-oriented. “Just like sharpening your pencils to get ready for school, break out the measuring cups and see how much food you have been putting on your plate,” says Krieger. “Portions have a tendency to get larger, so keep portion sizes in check by measuring the quantity once in a while.”

Supersized P.E.: Ten Tips To Help Overweight Kids Get Healthy

Bags of Halloween candy are piled high in the grocery stores this week, providing a dangerous temptation for those battling obesity. For the parents of overweight children, getting their children to understand the dangers of overindulging after trick-or-treating can be even more difficult.

San Diego State University Exercise and Nutritional Sciences professor David Kahan, offers ten ways to help parents — and teachers — get overweight kids back on track, not just after Halloween, but for the rest of their life, in his new book “Supersized P.E.”

“Being physically active every day is especially crucial for children struggling with weight issues,” said Kahan, a physical education teacher and researcher. “Overweight and obese youth carry social, psychological and emotional burdens that often lead to anger, despair and ultimately, a sedentary lifestyle. Our goal is to help youth love physical activity.”

Supersized P.E. is designed to help parents, physical educators and leaders of physical activity programs to better understand the physical, emotional and psychological issues that reduce the overweight child’s quality of life and help them learn how to be physically active for a lifetime. The book’s recommendations include:

1) Set an Example: Be a good role model of overall wellness.

2) Emphasize a Child’s Strengths: If it’s something they enjoy or are good at, they are much more likely to do it.

3) Foster a Positive Atmosphere that feels safe and inviting, is free of sarcasm, insults and harassment and be a consistent source of comfort and encouragement.

4) Focus on Behaviors, Not Outcomes: Help them control behaviors and focus on how to change, not the results of changing.

5) Face the Facts: Denial is dangerous. Parents and teachers need to acknowledge when a student seems to be gaining weight or is overweight.

6) Develop a Social Support Network: Find a social niche where an overweight child is with others who share the same positive attitudes toward physical activity and health or at least support the child’s needs and intentions.

7) Avoid the Spotlight: Overweight children should not be placed in situations in which their physical performance is on display for all to see and critique. It is better to offer physical activity settings in which the overweight child can blend in and work at his or her own pace/level.

8) Get a Doctor’s Advice: Physical education programs that report a child’s body mass index (BMI) may inadvertently trigger parental overreaction and undue stress on an overweight child. Parents should consider having their overweight child assessed by his or her pediatrician before undertaking an intervention.

9) Nutrition is Key: Educate young people how to make smart food choices. Teach overweight children about serving sizes, how to select low-fat snacks and how to recognize when they are full.

10) Reduce Screen Time: The numbers tell the story, during the average 3.47 daily hours a 100-pound child spends engaged in screen-based media (t.v., computer, video games) he or she burns 166 calories, contrasted with swimming (666), walking the dog briskly (687), playing half-court basketball (937), hiking (957), etc.

Kahan said another crucial part of addressing this major societal issue is for parents to actively petition local schools to take a larger role in helping students meet fitness goals.

“That is why it is critically important for all parents to demand their children participate in quality physical education and physical activity programs, and get a minimum of 60 minutes of daily physical activity.”

Kahan said the challenge is much greater than how to lose weight, but rather, how to help youth balance nutrition and daily physical activity.

Kahan also runs SDSU’s Hardy Elementary School P.E. program, which brings SDSU students studying to become physical education teachers onto the playground to interact and help young students meet their physical fitness goals.

“Teaching this increasingly prevalent population can be a joy as well as a challenge,” Kahan said. “For teachers to really help address the obesity problem they must understand what life is like for an overweight student and how they can create a positive attitude about physical activity.”

Kahan said it is important that teachers, coaches, school nutrition directors, nurses, administrators, parents and community leaders all work in a coordinated effort to put good health and well-being as a top, lifelong priority for today’s children and youth.

“Supersized P.E.: A Comprehensive Guidebook for Teaching Overweight Students,” coauthored by Josh Trout, professor in the Department of Kinesiology at California State University, Chico, is available through the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE).

San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, the university has grown to offer bachelor’s degrees in 81 areas, master’s degrees in 74 areas and doctorates in 16 areas. SDSU’s more than 34,000 students participate in an academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit http://www.sdsu.edu.