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domtimothy46176 -> RE: yet another weight loss topic, no not negative this time lol (12/4/2005 3:15:21 PM)
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I'm not a dietician nor am I qualified to offer medical advice. Having said that, however, I will note that my reading and my personal observation is that eating too little can lead to a decrease in weight loss or even in additional weight gain. While this may. at first blush, seem counter-intuitive, it is a result of the way our basic biology functions. When our food intake decreases below a minimal level, our body goes into conservation mode, storing everything. Only when our intake is within normal ranges will we see weight loss function per the equation [caloric intake - caloric usage].
What I've found most often cited as the optimal approach is a diet of healthy foods, such as meat, fish, vegetables, fruit and dairy, in balanced proportions. The diabetic diet, consisting of 3 balanced meals and 3 healthy snacks, works well for many who would otherwise have difficulty with between-meal snacks. A family doctor can refer you to a dietician that can educate you on the realities of healthy eating and explode many of the dieting myths that are so rampant in our society.
My greatest personal challenge in maintaining a healthy lifestyle is my ongoing attraction to unhealthy foods. As much as I love fast food, and I do, it's not healthy to eat it on a regular basis. I love soda pop and chips but they are not healthy foods, as much as I might wish they were. Store-bought sweets and many of the heat-n-serve entrees are short on nutritional value and loaded with excessive amounts of soium and/or sugars.
Although I have found that it is a great challenge to maintain a disciplined approach to my food intake, when I succeed I am rewarded with an increased sense of vitality. When I eat too much fast food or simply don't eat enough healthy foods, I can tell a difference in how my body feels. Luckily I have discovered that, while healthy food may never have the same immediate impact on tastebuds as junkfood, it does taste great once you get accustomed to lesser amounts of sodium and sugars.
A lot of folks want to lose weight but actually need to live a healthier lifestyle. While there are many different ways of taking off a quick 5 or 10 pounds for that special occasion when you need to fit into that little dress that just a bit too snug, radically changing your body shape requires a plan that takes into account your personal physiology and lifestyle. Many times you'll find that, if you want to change your body, you have to change how you live. That's not a popular statement, especially given our society's propensity for band-aid fixes and our inclination for immediate gratification.
One need look no further than Hollywood to see the connection between lifestyle and physique. Those whose livlihoods are tied to their appearances and who have the financial wherewithal to afford the best medical science has to offer routinely procure the services of both dieticians and personal trainers. Exercise is only half of the battle, eating right is the other half. Even then, not everyone is born to wear a size 5 nor would everyone look proportionate.
Personally, I want to look and feel my best. For me that means I need to keep my schedule arranged so that I eat a home-cooked meal at least 4 or 5 nights a week and I need to balance my soda intake with a proportionate amount of water. I eat more veggies than I prefer and I keep my chips and snack cake binges to a minimum.
Shopping, luckily, is something that toy was taught to do as an unmentionable so I've had the advantage of learning from someone with experience. As it turns out, the unprepared foods needed to cook healthy meals is actually cheaper than buying frozen meals. Initally stocking the kitchen did require a bit of an investment in pots, pans, utensils, spices and basic foodstuffs, such as flour, breadcrumbs and other miscellaneous, but, over the course of the last year, my grocery bill has shrank.
Those who have little or no time to actually cook will most likely find it extremely difficult to make wholesale dietary changes but if you have an hour a day it's amazing what you can accomplish. Eating healthier is not more expensive and the result is worth the pangs of withdrawal. As you begin to feel healthier it has a profound psychological effect that permeates your entire life.
Timothy
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