Calorie counting and dieting plateau

A dieting plateau is when no more weight is being lost during your selected fat loss diet, whether it is low in fat, low in calories or whatever, If your goal is to lose weight, you must eat carefully planned meals. Do not skip meals and snack. Eating nothing does not always equal loss of fat.

The Atkins diet was once hugely popular. This is a low carbohydrate and there are other similar type diets. The main problem with these is, not only are they too strict, they also lower our source of energy which leaves us tired and lethargic. 20 grams of carbohydrates per day is the recommendation, approximately an apple, with the Atkins diet, not nearly enough for the body’s needs. The other similar style diets allow more, but still not enough.

Many of us have woken up one morning, looked in the mirror and decided there and then, that is it, I need to lose weight. Our first reaction is to miss breakfast and have a light snack when hungry. Our body overnight has been starved of food while we sleep and by not eating a substantial breakfast, our metabolism is very slow, thus not burning fat but storing what we eat. When the body is in starvation mode, it cleverly stores fat too feed our bodily organs by holding on to everything we eat. Eat more food = Burn more fat.

The downfall to limiting our intake of food so dramatically is we become tired, irritable and low on energy.You will lose weight doing this but it is not really fat loss. Losing fat and losing weight are different. The weight that is lost is actually water, not fat. As soon as the starvation of the body stops and you begin to eat normally again the body will retain its water (like it should) and you will be in the same position as you were before you started.

Calorie Counting

Counting calories requires a lot of dedication and hard work. Counting your calories doesn’t always help with losing weight but it does give you knowledge and insight to what food contains. While it does help to a certain extent, it is still a matter of what those calories are have come from. Although food is broken down by the body for fuel, some are used immediately for energy, and others are digested slower and stored until required.

Fat free foods are not helpful in losing weight.

Products that are low in fat or half fat are confusing and misleading. Fat is needed by the body and is not necessarily stored as fat.

Try to Keep your blood sugar level constant as this allows your body to burn body fat naturally. Avoiding foods high in sugar is important. High sugar foods will give you a sugar rush pushing up your blood sugar levels for a while and give you a short burst of energy. Unfortunately, the higher your blood sugar spikes, the more the body will produce insulin. Insulin production increases the amount of fat stored and the lower it will drop leaving you with very little or no energy and you will be feeling hungry again.Sugar is a carbohydrate which should be avoided as much as possible. Sugars are converted by the body for energy and ultimately if not used will be stored. It is quite a task to decipher on manufactured wrappers what contains sugar. Avoid artificial sweeteners and diet drinks.

For more information visit Target Healthy Food for Recipes, Weight Management Information including Super foods which actually help to lose weight.

Why count calories?

Why count calories?

Should Public Schools start counting calories?

First of all what does Counting Calories have to do with School System?

They count Students, they count Days Attended, they count Dollars they get (or don't get) from us. They count Holidays, Snow Days (or other weather related Days), and a multitude of other things already.
So why count calories?

Because that is one way of monitoring food intake that almost anyone can understand and let's face it, we have a lot of overweight and out-of-shape kids today. So the President thinks our School Systems should be accountable for what they serve our children for lunch. I agree.
President Barack Obama has put child nutrition high on his administration's agenda, going so far as proposing to slash farm subsidies to increase spending on school lunches and other nutrition programs by $1 billion a year.


There are a lot of aspects to providing good nutrition such as Proper Labeling, Nutritional (Ingredients) Content, Calories per Serving, and of course the Cost per Serving that the School Systems have to consider. Plus the old adage "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink" applies. Just because healthy food is available doesn't mean the students will eat it. Personally, I think they ought to get rid of the Vending Machines in public schools.

But this article isn't about the Public School Systems or the upcoming legislation.

It's about Counting Calories, and, getting the right TYPE of calories in your diet.

Is counting calories worth the effort?

Almost every viable diet system incorporates "counting calories" in some form so it does work. It is one of the oldest diet "tools" around.

Well, it works for those that really want to improve their health and are willing to stick to a program.
Let's face the facts folks; most people in the USA (including our children) are overweight, at least to some degree. And a huge number of us would like to loose some weight, we would like to feel and look better.
There must be hundreds of Plans and Programs all claiming to be the best "Weight Loss" or "Get In Shape" solution available and they all want your money. The fact is, if you really want to loose weight, one of those programs WILL work for you.
You do want to be careful though. The "Eat Nothing But Twinkies For Two Months and Loose Weight" diet may sound appealing but definitely does not sound healthy. I would suggest that you, after having chosen a program or plan, you discuss your plan and goals with your Doctor.

Every single Human Being is unique, no two of us are completely alike, and that includes twins. Because of that fact no one diet plan or program is going to be perfect for everyone. There are some that allow for Individual Customization though.
Plans that offer "on-going" support and guidance are the ones that folks seem to have the most success with. Some like to share their experiences (and concerns) with others or with an actual person in the form of a counselor or guide. Others prefer to keep it to themselves and will gravitate to a program that they can personally check daily without having to confer with another person. Plus there are plans that incorporate both features.


So, it comes down to which type of person you are.

Personally I am the second type. Although I do check with my Doctor I certainly don't visit her for counseling once a week or so to discuss the loss (or gain) of a few pounds, especially at $92 a visit. As a result I found a "computer resident" program that helps me do what I need to do... determine the number of calories I should take in for my weight and life-style. It is called "The Weight Loss Oracle" and I think I might actually loose those 30 pounds my Doctor keeps telling me to loose.


My Sister-in-Law on the other hand needs constant reinforcement. She likes to get feedback on just about everything she does. She joined Weight Loss For Idiots two weeks ago and so far says she is really pleased with it. I hope it works for her because she needs to loose a LOT more than just 30 pounds. * If she sees this article I am going to be in BIG (literally) trouble.


So, counting calories along with tasty menus and a support system is a workable system BUT...
You first need to figure out how many calories you require to maintain a stable and healthy weight. For both sexes there is a general guideline to go by. For example, females require approximately 2000 calories on a daily basis while males require more (an estimated 2500 calories per day). Keep in mind that other important considerations are your build, your height, and how much muscle you have on your body when you first start the calorie counting plan.
Once you have this figured out, you can then devise a plan that is appropriate for you. Let's look at a concrete example of this:
If you take in 500 calories less than what you require on a daily basis, then your weight loss will be roughly one pound a week. If you increase this to bringing in less than 1,000 calories then you will lose an average of two pounds weekly. Sound good?
Why does this work so well? If you want to lose weight quickly, then you want to consume fewer calories, than you need to, in order that your body will then need to turn to your fat stores to make up the difference. The main concern is that you take in enough calories to maintain an acceptable level of health and energy for your lifestyle while staying below the required estimated calories.


*** The real key to making "calorie counting" work is to choose the right foods to maintain proper Nutrition for the total calories you are taking in. If you are only counting calories and not looking at the other aspects of your diet you may end up loosing weight BUT at the sacrifice of your health. Obviously 400 calories from Twinkies and 400 calories from fresh Broccoli or Bananas are going to have a different effect on your health. I take a liquid supplement because even the "fresh" produce I buy from the local grocery stores doesn't have all the vitamins, minerals, and trace elements my body needs. I also am ordering another product (in seed form) to supplement my diet and I'll let you know how that progresses in an up-coming article. Hint: It grows green hair on Homer Simpson's bald head.

Counting calories is one part of a health routine that is easy to understand and implement. It, along with a wise exercise program and intelligent choices as to which form the calories come in (in other words Healthy food) can lead to sustained weight loss.

Your responsibility now is to do your own research in respects to which foods you need to intake, what is available locally, what is available on-line, and of course always check with your own Doctor that the plan of action you choose is safe.

Also the odds are if you are overweight so is your child. Perhaps if YOU start eating healthier, if YOU start making wiser choices at the table it will be easier for your child to do the same.

Layard


PS,

Although this free download has nothing to do with Nutrician or Weight Loss directly I think everone can benefit from it in some way.

It is titled "I Can Therefore I Will".

Right Click http://mindfarms.com/freebies/IcanIwill.pdf and save to your computer.

Determine the Number of Calories to Lose Weight That’s Right For You

In order to determine the number of calories to lose weight specifically for you, you should try to use a calorie calculator. I’m sure there are plenty of dieters that would rather not count calories, but instead lose the extra weight by portion controlling their meals. However, just because you eat smaller portions of your meals, it doesn’t mean you are necessarily consuming fewer calories to lose weight. A food calorie calculator can help you determine how many calories you should consume in a day to lose weight based on your height, weight, age, sex, the number of pounds you want to lose, and how often you plan to workout with a fitness routine. Once you figure out how many calories you need, if you are consistent and don’t go over your daily caloric intake, you should start to lose weight quickly.

It’s important that if you plan to monitor your caloric intake to lose weight that you make sure you don’t eat too few calories. When you eat too few calories, especially if you are not working out with a regular fitness routine, it makes it harder for you to lose weight because your metabolism is slowed and your body will think it is starving. Therefore, the best way to lose weight fast is to eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day. This will not only keep your metabolism up, which will in turn will help you to burn more calories, but losing weight will become a little easier. Hence, it’s beneficial if you can figure out the number of calories to lose weight for you by using a food calorie counter instead of portion controlling your meals.

Since you will be eating fewer calories, if your goal is to lose weight quickly, it’s also important that you don’t skip meals. Skipping meals will sabotage your weight loss plans to get the body you want just as if you were eating too few calories. To explain, if your last meal was at 7pm the night before and you skip breakfast the next morning, by the time you eat lunch between 11am- 1pm it will have been 16-18 hours since your last meal. Once more, if you don’t give your body the fuel it needs (food), your metabolism will slow down and as a result, it will be harder for you to lose weight.

While calorie counting may seem like a chore, studies have shown that dieters who figure out the number of calories to lose weight and are consistent monitoring what they eat, shed more pounds than dieters who don’t. If you truly want to lose weight quickly, count your calories, eat 5-6 smaller meals during the day, and workout with a regular fitness routine.

No Fail Strategies For Counting Calories To Lose Weight

If you are counting calories to lose weight there are a few very important things you need to know. Many people approach calorie counting in the wrong way. The biggest mistake that people make is cutting too many calories from their diet.

When you don’t get enough calories for your body to function it goes into survival mode. In other words, your metabolism, which is the rate at which you burn food and energy, slows down. When the body thinks it is starving it will lower the amount of energy it burns and it also makes you crave food. This is the reason why you get those terrible food cravings when you diet. The lesson here is that cutting too many calories to lose weight doesn’t work.
So is counting calories the wrong way to lose weight? No, it is actually the best way but you have to do it the correct way.
The first step is to calculate how many calories your body needs to function. This is called your Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR. This is how many calories you would burn if you were to sit on the couch all day. Since obviously you don’t just sit all day, you need to adjust your BMR according to your activity level.

How Many Calories Do I Need?

Here is the formula to calculate the total number of calories needed for your body to function.
NOTE: There is a link at the bottom of this article to a site that will calculate it for you if you don’t want to go through all of the calculations.

BMR For Women:
655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years).
BMR For Men:
66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )
To factor in your activity level, multiply your BMR number from the above formula by your appropriate activity factor below:
Sedentary (little or no exercise) : BMR x 1.2
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days per week) : BMR x 1.375
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days per week) : BMR x 1.55
Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days per week) : BMR x 1.725
Extra Active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job) : BMR x 1.9
The resulting number is the amount of calories your body needs to function on a daily basis. While many people try to lose weight by cutting calories from this number, the better way is to eat this amount of calories each day and exercise to burn off calories.

Don't Make This Mistake When Counting Calories To Lose Weight

You do not want your body to think you’re starving and slow your metabolism down. It is better to increase activity to speed up your metabolism and not cut your calorie intake. This will result in a slow and steady weight loss. You shouldn’t lose weight too fast. Losing one or two pounds a week is recommended.
To insure that you do not get hungry during the day, you should eat smaller and more frequent meals. Shoot for six small meals during the day. This will stop stomach bloating and give you a flatter stomach. This also keeps you from eating a large meal late in the day which you will not be able to burn off.
Your goal is to eat the amount of your BMR calories in six small meals and to end the day with a negative calorie balance by exercising. When you increase your exercise you will also be losing fat, increasing your metabolism and building muscle which will help you to lose even more weight.
So, in other words the key to successfully losing weight by counting calories is to reduce calories by exercising not by eating less than you should. Most people will find this easier to stick with than reducing calories and starving themselves.

For an easy way to lose weight by counting calories, visit Lose Weight Counting Calories

Exercise To Burn Calories And Lose Weight

When you are counting calories to lose weight, there are two different types of exercises that you must include. This first is cardiovascular exercises and the second is strength training. Both are needed for weight loss and boosting your metabolism.
Many people say that they hate to exercise. But, if you do activities that you enjoy, it is not bad at all. You will also be surprised how many calories you can burn during the coarse of the day just doing small movements. Here are a few examples:

While sitting at your desk - march in place - with your feet remaining flat on the floor lift your leg up about four inches and then lower (just like you are marching) alternating legs.
While standing in the kitchen waiting for dinner to cook, do a few squats or calf raises.
While sitting on the couch watching tv, lift one leg straight out and up, lower it and do the same with the other leg. You can also exercise your arms by lifting them straight up towards the ceiling and then back down again.
When you go to the store, park as far away as possible.
Don’t go through drive up windows, park and walk in.
Always take the stairs instead of the elevator.
No one likes housework, but it does burn a lot of calories.

The Wii Fit exercises are extremely fun - it doesn't even seem like you're exercising.

Don’t miss any small opportunity to do just a couple of exercises. Don't think that exercise is only confined to your workouts. Burning a few calories at a time during the day adds up.

Cardio Exercises To Lose Weight

My favorite cardio workout is done on a mini trampoline (rebounder). It is lots of fun and you can do it while watching tv or listening to music. Start out slowly - you will be working muscles you don’t normally work. It will give you a really good workout.
You will burn more calories and build more muscle with rebounding than with regular exercises. It is also easier on your joints. On the rebounder, you can jog, bounce, jump, dance, do jumping jacks and many other movements. There are many health benefits to using a rebounder including strengthening your immune system and cells, increasing lymphatic circulation, and improving your balance. I think that it also helps get rid of cellulite.
I recommend that you purchase a good rebounder rather than a cheap one. The cheap ones with an inferior mat can actually hurt your joints and the springs break easily which can cause you to fall through when bouncing. I use the Needak rebounder which has good quality mat and springs to ensure a safe and buoyant bounce.

Strength Training To Lose Weight

Strength training is also needed to build muscles and boost your metabolism. You can perform these exercises with weights or resistance bands. Strength training should only be done every other day.
There are several online websites which will tell you how many calories each activity burns. There is a link at the bottom of the page to one of them.
If you follow this advice and eat the correct amount of calories that your body needs and add more activity into your life, you will easily lose weight, firm up and be healthier. You will be able to stick with this type of plan for life and stop yo-yo dieting. This is the best way to lose weight while counting calories.

Stop counting calories and start losing weight

Calorie counting is not the best way to lose weight effectively

Traditional advice tells us to reduce calorie intake to lose weight. New diets and research on nutrition are showing that calorie counting is not the best way to lose weight effectively and permanently.

Do you want to know why counting calories might be the wrong approach to losing weight? Learn here how by stopping counting calories you can start losing weight and this time keep it off for good.

Traditional diets have emphasized the fact that to lose weight we need to reduce our calorie intake. There have only been a very small percentage of diets that have rejected that premise. Among the diet plans to lose weight which reject calorie counting are the Atkins, the Dukan diet and the Harcombe diet. Recently even the Weight Watchers plan are acknowledging that calorie counting is not the best approach to successful weight loss and they are launching a new diet plan based on the quality of the food rather than on simply counting calories.

What is a calorie?




A calorie is a unit of measure to quantify the energy in food.  Thus, for example, the experts have determined that lipids have 9 Kcal per gr. proteins 4 Kcal per gr. They have also determined that there is a need for equilibrium between the calories ingested and the calories spent. 
Why are calories useful to lose weight?

Calories are a base to adjust nutritional needs according to sex, age and other counters.  It is an international system that serves to understand the nutritional information of food.  Calorie counting is also useful to know what we can eat if we are in a diet.  However, to lose weight effectively we need to go further than just calorie counting. 

Nowadays, diets are less strict, easier to follow and put more emphasis on healthy eating.  The new idea is not to eat in terms of calories consumed but in terms of types of food.  The new trend is to choose wisely the food we eat rather than count calories.  To know that a lean chicken steak is less fattening than an entrecote is more important to keep a healthy weight. 

Why stop counting calories?




The idea behind stopping counting calories is that counting your calorie intake on its own is not enough and neither it is accurate towards losing weight. For example, 100 Kcal of tomatoes and lettuce salad does not have the same effect in your body than 100 Kcal of chocolate mousse. Both are light in weight, and both can equal 100 Kcal but the chocolate mousse is going to be more damaging to your silhouette than the salad.

The point is to stop counting calories and think about the composition of the food you are eating. Are you eating fats? Proteins? Carbohydrates?
Counting calories can put your diet in danger

Counting calories alone to lose weight can put your diet in danger because:
We tend to under estimate the number of calories we eat. You might end up eating much more than you are actually eating.
Digestion modifies the caloric value of food. This means that your body doesn’t spend energy assimilating fat but it burns up to 33 Kcal to digest the complex molecules of proteins. A good point for high protein diets!
Calorie counting usually doesn’t take into account the glycemic index which measures the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. The higher the glycemic index the more insulin our body produces, the more fat it stocks and we get hungry faster.
Calorie counting does not take into account the texture of foods. The texture of foods plays an important role in feeling satisfied after a meal. A 100 Kcal food bar or milkshake is not as satisfying as eating 100 Kcal in fruits.


Why reducing calorie intake is not enough to lose weight?




People who have been in several diets over time have more resistance to weight loss than those who had never dieted.  Thus, two women of the same weight and age but with different diet history can see very different results when going under a 1,500 Kcal per day diet.

Another thing to consider is the quality of the food eaten.  A 1,500 calorie diet based mainly on carbohydrates does not have the same effect in the body as a 1,500 calorie diet with a high protein content. 

The Dukan Diet a high protein diet plan

The Dukan Diet rejects counting calories and promises permanent weight loss while allowing adherents to eat as much as they like.

The Dukan diet is a natural diet for quick and permanent weight loss. The nutritionist Pierre Dukan personally monitors your progress -online- throughout a tailor-made slimming coaching plan. Discover the best way to lose weight that Pierre Dukan, your online slimming coach recommends through 4 Easy Steps to Permanent Weight Loss
Starting with a high protein diet plan that ensures fast, safe weight loss and moving to a balanced diet menu that ensures consistent, natural weight loss, the Dukan Diet is the weight loss plan you’ve been looking for!

The New Weight Watchers and its emphasis on the quality of the food rather than simple calorie counting

The PointsPlus program is based on the latest nutritional research on the way your body  processes food. Combined with the proven advantages of the Weight Watchers approach, the program helps you make healthy choices.  Instead of basing a food's Points on calories, fat and fibre, there will be more of an emphasis on the quality of the food. For example, brown rice will have fewer Points than white rice.

To encourage better food choices, fruit and most vegetables will have zero Points. Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, corn and peas will not be in the free list.

How to stop counting calories and start losing weight




It is a matter of common sense.  Eating foods that are satisfying, reducing fat intake, increasing the intake of fresh fruits and vegetables will in time regulate your body and help you lose weight. 

The point is to stop the sensation of hunger.  Fattening foods like chocolates and salty snacks hardly ever reduce hunger; they do not have many nutrients and are high in fat.  Other foods like vegetables, eggs and meat are high in nutrients and stop hunger while burning calories once ingested. 

Other roads to follow to lose weight effectively are to increase your physical activity through exercise and good habits like walking (instead of taking the car whenever possible); climbing up stairs instead of using the lift, cooking your own meals rather than eating pre-packed meals full of additives, drinking more water instead of sugary drinks, and so on.  Little habits can make a difference over time. 

10 Ways to Lose Weight without Calorie Counting

Discover how to loose weight without having to resort to the complexities of counting your calorie intake with these tips for loosing weight.

The simplest and most effective way to lose weight is to begin slowly, making drastic changes to our diet or daily routine are hard for us to adjust to and confusing for our bodies.
In order for us to lose weight safely, and effectively it is important to ease your body into healthy lifestyle changes allowing them to become a natural and sustainable part of your lifestyle.
Suddenly rushing into a physical exercise regime can leave us with tired, aching muscles, and if you are really unlucky an injury. The same is true with our intake of food, our bodies are used to a set amount of food and calories, just stopping this suddenly can leave us feeling hungry and make us prone to snacking and bingeing. People often talk about having a fast or slow metabolism, which refers to how quickly our bodies burn the calories we eat every day. Your metabolism is something you can change, or train if you like. If you tried to run a marathon without training, no one would be surprised if you failed. So why is it we go on a diet and expect our metabolism to suddenly adapt?

No matter how much you weigh or how you feel about your body it is easy to lose weight by making a few simple changes to your lifestyle and diet.

Simply take the time to look at how you live and feel about yourself and start changing who you are.
Use a smaller plate – this will help you reduce your portions size. It is built into us to try and clear our plates when eating; therefore if you put less food out even if you clear your plate you will have eaten less.
Drink a glass of water before you eat – many times when our body is telling us it’s hungry we are actually thirsty. So re-hydrating your body before you eat any meal or snack will ensure that your body has the fluids it needs, which will help digestion and improve your energy levels. Also the fluid in your stomach will help fill you up and will help you feel fuller from eating less food.
Go a walk after meals – even just a ten-minute stroll will help your digestion, get your body into calorie burning mode and boost your metabolism. I’m not talking about a power walk, just set yourself a gentle pace. Walking is a low impact exercise and one of the few that it is safe to do after eating and it has many long-term benefits.
Eat a healthy breakfast – many people skip breakfast completely or have something quick like a cup of coffee and a slice of toast. Eating a high fibre breakfast with a glass of water or fruit juice will set your body up to the best possible start for the day. If you are not a big fan of high fibre cereal experiment, there are many cereals to choose from, and many of them actually taste better with chilled low fat milk, as opposed to full fat. If you want extra sweetness add fruit.
Chew gum – the act of chewing actually convinces our brains we are eating and can make us feel full, even though we have not swallowed anything. This can also be applied to eating; thoroughly chewing your food makes it feel more filling, rather than rushing though you meal.
Bulk up your meals with salad - reducing your portion size and adding some healthy, crunchy salad to your plate will help lower the calories on your plate quite dramatically. Salad is also easier for our bodies to burn and convert into energy, while meat can take quite some time and make us feel sleepy.
Have a healthy desert – if you are concerned decreasing your portion sizes will leave you feeling hungry, have a desert. Eat some fruit or a yogurt after your meal to help fill up your tummy, and help your body adjust to your new eating regime. If possible wait half an hour before enjoying your pudding. This will give your body time to start digesting your dinner and give you a little energy perk.
Try healthy alternatives – when you would normally cook with meats try replacing them with Quorn or other meat free alternatives. For high flavour foods like curries, lasagne or casseroles meat can easily be replaced with its meat free counterparts. Alternatively reduce meat content and use vegetables as a substitute. Experimenting with different seasonal vegetables is a great way to liven up any meal.
Have no food zones – if you tend to snack while at your desk or in the lounge while watching television, declare these no food zones. Food can become associated with activities leading us to believe we are hungry, when really it is just a bad habit. Make sure you really want to eat by making a conscious effort to get up and stop what you are doing.
Put a mirror on the fridge door – this forces you to look yourself in the eye before you eat. The simple act of seeing yourself makes you accountable for what you are doing. While you’re looking at yourself take the time to smile and remind yourself how well you are doing.