The total calories that you should be consuming depend on whether you are a women or a man. It depends on your body structure and your activity level. So you need to make some adjustment on the numbers I present.
If you have been eating around 1800 calories per day you can slowly move your intake down to 1600. Work down from this level over a month's period to 1400 calories. Don't go below 1200 calories per day. Otherwise you can over stress your body.
If you have just started out and are eating 2400 calories, decrease your calories to 2000 or 2100. If you don't lose weight in 2-3 weeks reduce your calories lower. Over a month's time you can move down to 1600 calories and see if you start to lose weight. If you do, stay at this level.
It's not a good idea to make a drastic shift in your consumption of food since your body can react and get into a "starving mode." In this mode your body will store more fat making it difficult for you to lose weight.
Remember not to eat junk food. When you eat quality food, it takes less food for you to become satisfied as compared to eating junk food.
Protein, Carbohydrates, and Fat
There are many ideas about what combination or percentages you should eat of the various nutrients - protein, carbohydrates, and fat. I don't believe that exact percentages exist, which will provide weight loss and good health for all individuals. Each one of you will require different percentages depending on your weight, health, body structure, emotional make-up and a variety of other conditions. For this reason some diet programs work with some people and not with others.
One of best eating habit programs that will help you to lose weight is to eat:
* quality protein
* low glycemic carbohydrates
* quality fats
* high fiber
* high water consumption
Quality Protein - is essential for the body to survive. There 8 essential amino acids and 14 non-essential. Protein is used to regulate certain body processes by contributing to various chemical reactions and by creating a number of body chemicals.
Eating excess protein results in an acid body, which favors disease. Protein eaten alone causes a 25% increase in your metabolism. When combined with fat and carbohydrates there is only a 10% increase. What this means is that eating more protein and less fat and carbohydrates gives you a boost in metabolism.
It is recommended that around 30% - 35% of your eating habits consist of protein.
Carbohydrates - consist of simple and complex sugars. When carbohydrates are eaten they are broken down into sucrose, which is readily accepted by your cells. Sucrose is converted into energy in your cells. If you eat a lot of high glycemic carbohydrates, your bloodstream becomes overwhelm with sucrose. The excess sucrose in your cells will be converted to fat and stored.
Because most people have been adding weight eating high glycemic carbohydrates, it best to change your eating habits and decrease your intake of these carbohydrates. In general people have been eating 80% high glycemic foods (HighGF) and 20% low glycemic foods (LowGF.) You need to change that to 80% LowGF and 20% HighGF.
This means that you should limit eating foods like potatoes, bread, corn, pasta, muffins, and any flour products. HighGF encourages the storage of fat since the more sucrose you have in your blood, the more sucrose is escorted into your cells by insulin.
You need to concentrate on foods, which are LowGF. Many of these foods are vegetables with small amounts of carbohydrates and high fiber content.
LowGF discourages the storage of fat since less sucrose is in the blood and less is escorted into your cells.
Quality Fats - which are eaten with your meals, prevent sugars from moving quickly into your blood stream.
You need to eat more of the good fats. It's these fats that will help you lose weight. The good fats are omega 3, omega 6, and medium chain fatty acids, MCFA.
Here is the breakdown on the quantity of each type of fat that you should be eating. These percentages are what you should be working towards so that fats provide you with good health and help you keep your weight down.
* saturated fats 10%
* polyunsaturated fats 20%
* monounsaturated fats 60%
There you have it, the numbers and percentages of protein, carbohydrates, and fats that give you a balanced diet so that you can lose weight.
Rudy Silva has a degree in Physics and is a Natural Nutritionist. He writes a newsletter call "Natural Remedies Thatwork.com." For more information the on the essential fatty acids, visit his web site at http://www.fatty-acid-remedies.for--you.info
Most of us eat at restaurants for a variety of... Read More
Please feel free to comment, so that the article may... Read More
People who consume too much alcohol have good chance of... Read More
Archeological records indicate that man has cultivated the olive tree... Read More
Because I believe diet and exercise are so important, I'm... Read More
(ARA) - By now you probably think you've heard all... Read More
Are there any benefits to be obtained from drinking water... Read More
THE RISKNo doubt you've heard of the increasingly popular "raw... Read More
How many times have you tried to diet/lose weight in... Read More
1880s - Characterization of monosaccharides by Emil Fischer.1952 - Fresh,... Read More
Finally, dieters and healthy eaters everywhere have reason to rejoice,... Read More
Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who's the healthiest of them... Read More
Come on, guys and gals. Those Trix are for kids.And... Read More
What ancient tribes and people of the Amazon have known... Read More
Water is the single most important element for human existence,... Read More
You may have heard that essential fats are an important... Read More
You may have noticed an ever-expanding choice of oils at... Read More
Endurance Sports are like music concerts. They start at a... Read More
"It's not what you eat, it's what's eating you that... Read More
If you drop a bomb, you kill not only your... Read More
Since 1994, food manufacturers have required the Food and Drug... Read More
With so many people concerned about natural and organic foods... Read More
You're always hungry right? The last thing you have time... Read More
Our bodies are truly incredible machines. What makes cells healthy?... Read More
Zingiber officinale has been held in the highest regard by... Read More
Your healthOrganically grown fruit and vegetables are not covered in... Read More
Your fiber intake is a critical factor in weight loss... Read More
During the past thirty years there has been a steadily... Read More
You've no doubt heard the saying, "You are what you... Read More
It is believed that cane sugar was discovered before the... Read More
This is usually the forgotten element of most mass programs.... Read More
Magnesium is an important mineral that serves numerous essential functions... Read More
In parts 1-6 of this series of articles titled "Take... Read More
The Mediterranean Diet is now recognized as one of the... Read More
Have you ever watched someone who appears thin and healthy... Read More
A frequent misunderstanding about macrobiotics is that it is a... Read More
You would probably think that I was writing a lot... Read More
You wouldn't judge a book by its cover, would you?You... Read More
Archeological records indicate that man has cultivated the olive tree... Read More
The Benefits of SnackingYou may feel regretful about snacking, but... Read More
Endurance Sports are like music concerts. They start at a... Read More
OK, no more excuses. Here's how to stop making everyone... Read More
Cholesterol finds its way into our bodies in two main... Read More
As any student of chemistry will assure you, acids and... Read More
Eating right to suit your blood type" is a subject... Read More
Strict "no carb" phases of low carb diets have developed... Read More
Picture yourself in one of the following scenarios.You're cruising along... Read More
You may have heard that essential fats are an important... Read More
"It's not what you eat, it's what's eating you that... Read More
What is health? Everyone wants this thing called health, and... Read More
Nutrition |