D 2 B Fit Ezine 4

News Flash! Fad Diets, Crash Diets, Quick Fixes, Miracle Pills... they aren't the answer!

It seems very appealing to try out the latest diet craze or fad and "magically" drop the weight, but let's think about the future for a minute. How frustrated will you feel when you gain all the weight back and then some because the diet you subscribed to wasn't something you could maintain for life? Think how much better you will feel when you adopt a healthy nutrition plan that not only allows you to lose weight in a safe and healthy way, but also allows you to keep the weight off for the rest of your life!

Don't worry about revamping your entire diet in a day or a week. Start by making small changes to your eating patterns. Create a habit. Once one habit has been created start working on the next healthy change. It will take time to change your eating patterns since we are talking about behavioral changes. Don't beat yourself up if you slip up, just get back on track!

Eating healthy doesn't mean that you have to give up all the foods that you enjoy! People who eat a healthy and clean diet aren't suffering and leading a miserable life!

On the contrary, when you maintain a healthy nutrition plan you will have more energy, you will be able to function better (breathe easier, think more clearly, and move your body more easily to name a few!) You are also lowering the risk of diseases such as heart disease, certain cancers, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, overweight and obesity, just to name a few! You will be improving the quality and more than likely the quantity of your life just by being in control of what you eat! You can enjoy special treats as well when you maintain healthy nutrition for the majority of the time. There are many reasons why eating healthy is so crucial! What motivates you to eat healthy?

Here are some changes you can start making TODAY which can help you clean up your diet for the long term! Don't procrastinate start instilling these healthy habits today, get the results that you really want that are going to last for your lifetime. Choose one or two of the following to commit to this week, start changing your nutrition and your life now!

1.Eat breakfast. If you don’t currently eat something for breakfast try to get at least a little something in to start your metabolism for the day, I can’t stress enough how important this is! You’ve heard it before and it is the truth, breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

2.Start educating yourself. Read nutrition labels, check out the USDA Nutrition Data Base and look up your favorite foods to find out what you are putting in your body! The more education you have about what you are eating, the easier it will be to make healthy choices!

3.Portion CONTROL! This is a huge one folks! Many people fall into the trap of thinking, “Oh this is non-fat or ½ the calories, I can eat as much as I want.” Wrong! Don’t overeat with the excuse of “It’s good for me”. I strongly urge you to buy a food scale and start measuring out portion sizes. This is a great way to learn what a portion is, and soon enough you will be able to tell just by looking!

4.Stop eating when you’re full. You don’t have to eat everything on your plate. Pack it up and save it for later.

5.Take note of what your “trouble” times are during the day. When do you feel the need to binge or make unhealthy food choices. For many people this tends to happen later in the day or in the evening when they are bored. What can you do to avoid eating during these times? For example if you have a tendency to eat later at night try brushing your teeth right after your last meal. Or prepare yourself some flavored water to sip on or some caffeine free tea, this way you’ll feel like you’re having something without consuming calories that you don’t need!

6.Switch to low fat or no fat dairy products. Just by switching from whole milk to skim milk you can save up to 65 calories per serving! Eating dairy is a great way to get in your calcium for the day which will keep your bones strong, when you choose low fat or non fat products you still get the calcium benefit without all the extra calories.

7.Start cutting out the sugars. This is a tough one since a majority of people are hooked on sugar. Try using sugar substitutes, Stevia is a natural sweetener that comes in a variety of flavors and adds no extra calories to your food. If you’ve got a sweet tooth try craving it with fruits instead of high calorie and fatty sweets. Remember don’t try to change your diet all in one day. Do you have an unhealthy habit of eating ice cream everyday? Try just cutting back to 2-3 days where you are allowed to have a portion of ice cream. Commit to only eating your ice cream on those days. This way you can resist the urge to binge because you feel deprived!

8.Don’t tell yourself you “can’t” have something. As soon as you tell yourself you can’t have it, that’s what you are going to crave. You can have it, but you have weight and fitness goals that you are determined to meet so you “choose” not to eat it at this time.

9.Start cutting out the fatty foods that you don’t need. This means creamy dressings, oils that you don’t need to add to your foods, butter and other high fat high calories additions to your meals that are sabotaging your progress! Again think small, try going one day without buttering your bread or tell yourself that you can enjoy those extra calories every other day.

10.Eat more fiber! You can get fiber from eating more veggies and also by switching to whole grain pasta and bread products. One of the nice things about a product higher in fiber is that it will fill you up more quickly and keep you full for longer!

Whatever you decide to do to clean up your diet, start today! Remember that it will take time to develop healthy eating and nutrition habits that you can maintain for life. Start small, even making small adjustments to your nutrition habits can make major changes in the amount of calories that you are taking in every week.

One pound of fat is 3500 calories, so in order to lose a pound of fat in a week you need to cut out 3500 calories from what you are eating throughout the week or burn off extra calories through exercise and increased physical activity! What can you do TODAY to get you one step closer to your fitness dream?

We hope these tips will kick start your new healthy nutrition plan!