Thursday, June 20, 2013

Professional Weight Loss Consultants Offer Tips For Staying Slim

By Liliana Mills


It's well known that most people who lose weight on low calorie or low fat diets gain it back within weeks. This isn't surprising, since it was their normal way of eating that made them gain weight in the first place. To slim down permanently, people need to make healthier food choices. Weight loss consultants recommend these simple changes to help you stay slim without starving yourself.

Fill up with fiber. According to research, people whose diets are high in fiber are less likely to be overweight. Fibrous foods take longer to chew and digest and can keep you feeling full for longer. The fiber itself passes through the body undigested. The best source is raw vegetables and fruits eaten complete with the skin. Natural fiber is also found in wholegrain pastas, cereals and breads.

Eat a high protein breakfast. Cereal, toast, muffins and other high carbohydrate breakfast foods can cause a blood sugar to drop a few hours later. To avoid mid-morning snack cravings and fatigue, try eggs instead. They are a great source of protein and a range of vital nutrients. Two scrambled eggs have about 170 calories and can be microwaved in minutes.

Avoid battered or breaded foods. Processed battered and breaded meat or fish products are high in unhealthy fats and low in nutrition. The leading brand of chicken burger contains over twice as many calories as a skinless chicken breast and significantly less protein. You can grill or roast a real chicken breast for your sandwich in the same time it takes to heat up a portion of frozen breaded chicken.

Avoid addictive snacks. Foods made up of starch fried in oil and topped with salt are hard to stop eating. It's common for dieters to grab a couple of potato or corn chips and go on to eat the full bag. Starchy snacks that are baked rather than fried have about half the calories. Try wholegrain crackers or pretzels. Or eat roasted, salted nuts for a crunchy snack with protein and fiber.

Eat your fruit whole. Fruit juice is advertised as a healthy, natural drink. In fact, it's not natural to remove the edible skin and pith from fruit and leave only the liquid and sugar. A 12 ounce glass of apple juice contains the same amount of sugar and even more calories than a can of cola. If you eat an unpeeled apple, many of the calories will be burned off as you chew and process the fiber.

Don't let the low fat label fool you. Processed diet foods with less fat than the natural versions rarely help people to lose weight. In order to replace the lost flavor, manufacturers add extra chemicals, sugar and starch. Unless you immediately burn them off, your body stores these sugars and starches as fat. They also raise your blood sugar, meaning your hunger is only satisfied temporarily.

Weight loss consultants agree that of you want to stay slim for life, you need to change your eating habits. Cut out processed food products and eat more natural foods. Cook nutritious meals from fresh produce. Simply making healthier choices could cut your intake by about 200 calories a day.




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