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July 09, 2008
Weight Loss Without Counting Calories
By now, most diet plans should be free of counting calories, yet there are some that still exist. Those that do should be reserved for the extreme dieter - i.e. bodybuilder - who is trying to reach a small digit body-fat percentage. That's when you have to know exactly how much is going in and of what type.
Needless to say, the approach of counting calories has been put to rest by The Health & Wellness Institute among many other groups, authors, and diet clubs, and the reasons are quite clear - the time and effort to do so will drive you mad, among many others. Another point to this is that most Americans will underestimate the calorie count in most foods (quite possibly the reason that we have an obesity epidemic). According to a 2006 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Americans--even those who are at a healthy weight-consistently lowball the number of calories in large fast-food meals by up to 38 percent. Thirty-eight percent! That means you're getting an extra 380 calories if you estimated 1,000 calories. That's a big miss.
If you're making efforts to lose weight, the one inevitable that must take place - change. And since change is not easy - no matter what subject or area of life - it is more easily done by breaking down the major goal into small 'bite' size pieces. Here is some advice on other approaches to weight loss besides counting calories, as provided by Women's Health Mag --
- Instead counting calories - Try joining a club
- For portion control without the decimal points, sign up for a delivery service like Medifast
- Instead eating by food ratios - Try eye-balling labels
- End the snacking madness by making natural, whole foods the bulk of your diet. That includes fruits, veggies, and lean meats such as chicken, turkey, flank steak, pork chops, and fish.
- Instead of logging 30 minutes on the treadmill - Try pumping up to scale down. According to a recent review by a Duke University medical researcher, treadmill displays inflate the number of calories you burn by 10 to 15 percent.
- A more efficient way to counteract dessert is to pump iron. Though cardio torches more calories minute-for-minute than lifting, weight training keeps your internal furnace going long after you put down the dumbbells.
- Instead of measuring each bite - Try enjoying each bite
- Instead of measuring your meals, try a more measured approach to eating. It takes your brain 12 to 15 minutes to receive the signal that your stomach is at max capacity, so wait for it. read more...
Bottom line: Focus on doing the simple things. The suggestions above are good, and there are many more. Just one or two things over a period of weeks can add up to great results!
HWI
Add fruit and vegetable nutrients to your diet with Juice Plus+®
If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat.
Posted by Dr. Patrick and Julia Havey on July 9, 2008 at 12:50 PM | Permalink
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