Health & Fitness News
self contol
Often when one diet is over, our weight starts to creep up again. To achieve more permanent weight control we have to develop more sensible eating habits.
I`ve lost it
Many diets fail because they focus on food and not what makes us fat.
Often when one diet is over; our weight starts to creep up again. To achieve more permanent weight control we have to develop more sensible eating habits.
Out lined below are a number of techniques of “self control” that are easy to learn and can help you eat how you should.
The methods are based on ideas on how people learn to change their eating habits. They are not magic solutions but people have found them useful
if you have a momentary lapse
Don’t look at it too negatively; everyone strays from the diet occasionally. One hiccup won’t effect your long term goal, the important thing to do is to decide what it is you would like, eat it, enjoy it and don’t feel guilty! If you try do deny your craving it is quite possible that you will end up eating twice as much calories in other food.
When and where to eat
Eat your meals at regular times of the day
Don’t do anything else (e.g. read watch tv) while you are eating
Resisting temptation
Work out your danger times, for example- when you are cooking meals, or in company, or bored, or anxious etc. So that you can be more prepared to deal with temptation, e.g. if your are tempted to nibble while making family meal, keep a low calorie drink beside you and sip it instead. If you need to taste foods during its preparation then use a small spoon.
If tempted to eat, start an activity which makes it difficult to eat at the same time (e.g. phone a friend, wash the floor, read the paper or go for a walk)
Don’t leave food lying around within easy reach, store al food in the kitchen and put extra food away.
Don’t buy the “wrong sort of food” always make a shopping list. Don’t go shopping if you feel hungry.
If you can prepare the next meal at a time when you’re not hungry.
Make sure you don’t feel hungry when you go in to a situation where you maybe offered the wrong types of food, (eat a low calorie food before hand).
Food is often used as a reward. Could this reward be some kind of activity e.g. when the children get in your nerves, is an éclair the answer, or would a good soak in the bath be as good.
Is there a perfect diet?
Unfortunately, no one diet is right for every client. Nutritional needs depend on the client's age, activity level, health status, genetic makeup, goals, and many other factors. Additionally, as those variables change, so too should their intake.
Is there a perfect diet?
Clients are endlessly searching for the perfect diet that will help them lose weight, feel great, and improve their health, and they want me, to help them find it. While I need to work within their health and fitness parameters, these five guiding principles can help clients refine their food intake and reach their desired goals.
Does the Perfect Diet Exist?
What is the ideal diet? There are numerous books that will try to convince the reader that one diet is superior to another. Unfortunately, no one diet is right for every client. Nutritional needs depend on someone’s age, activity level, health status, genetic makeup, goals, and many other factors. Additionally, as those variables change, so too should their intake. Thus, the perfect diet is one that is in constant flux and meets the current needs of the client. While it may be easier to follow a pre-programmed meal plan, that may not be ideal in the long run. Below are some guiding principles to help clients improve their nutritional intake.
Fresh is Best
Whole, fresh foods are superior to foods that are processed. The nutrition content is higher and there are no added ingredients, preservatives or chemicals, especially if the food is organic.
Processed foods provide sensory overload and nutritional deprivation. These foods contain sugar, salt, preservatives, and other ingredients that do not provide much nutritional value but may stimulate overconsumption of them.
Avoid Demonizing Foods
While fresh foods are a better choice, most clients will still want to consume some of their favourite foods, While these foods do not support optimal health or losing weight, making something off limits can make clients want it more. As the saying goes, we want what we can't have. In fact, telling a someone that they cannot eat a particular food may actually have them consume it more than they otherwise would have.
Encourage consuming more foods that are in line with their goals and less foods that are not. Establish how frequently to include less nutritious foods in their diet and appropriate portion sizes. This will allow people to meet their goals while still enjoying an occasional treat.
Include a Variety of Foods Each Week
Too often, people get caught up in consuming the same foods every day. While this may make it easier to plan and stay consistent, consuming a variety of foods can:
Help avoid developing food intolerances
Provide a wider variety of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients
Lower inflammation in the body
Encourage a diverse gut microbiome, which is associated with better immune functioning.
Encourage yourself to rotate the foods you eat, so you are not consuming the same fruits, vegetables, proteins and fats every day. Many use a four-day rotation diet, in which the same foods are eaten only every four days. This allows you to have some continuity and regularity with your meal planning while also keeping food choices varied. Eating foods in season also assists with variety.
Limit Variety within Each Meal
While variety within an overall nutrition plan is important, keeping meals simple may be better than having too many ingredients at a single setting. Some research has shown that people will consume more when there is a variety of food to choose from. In one study, participants consumed 23% more yogurt when offered three different flavours, rather than just one.
Having yourself focus on eating fresh foods and keeping the options at each meal limited helps keep:
Nutrient density high
Calorie density moderate
Quantity of food consumed reasonable
Eat Local and In Season
With the ability to get almost any food at any time of year, it makes it easy for you to eat the same foods every day. Encourage yourself to eat locally and purchase foods from a farmer’s market. Not only are you supporting your local farmers directly, but you are also buying foods that are in season and are picked at, or close to, their peak ripened state. Foods purchased from other countries are often picked in an unripe state and then chemically gassed to artificially ripen them.
Summing it All Up
There is no such thing as a perfect diet. There is no one plan that will magically help clients meet all of their goals. However, implementing these five guiding principles can help your clients make better food choices and improve the quality of their overall diet. This gives them the freedom to choose foods they enjoy, adjust their food consumption to their bodies’ current needs, and reach their health and fitness goals.
The five principles are:
Fresh is best.
Avoid demonizing foods.
Include a variety of foods each week.
Limit variety within each meal.
Eat local and in season.