Food Rules to Ignore

Losing weight can seem like nothing but rules. Disregarding strict food guidelines could be the secret to a successful slim-down. It has been found that people with a flexible approach to eating-one that allows for sweets and other perceived slip ups had a better record of maintaining weight loss than dieters with an all or nothing strategy.

• Eating at night will pile on pounds. The total calories you consume over a 24 hours period or over a week is what causes you to gain weight.
• Bread is fattening, nuts are fattening, pasta is fattening. Whole-wheat bread/pasta is a great source of nutrients, and it won’t make you gain weight more than any other food with the same number of calories.
• When you blow your diet, you might as well wait until the next day to get back on track. Nothing could be further from the truth- always try to get right back on track with your next meal.
• Skipping your meals very now and then will help you lose. When you blow your diet, you might as well wait until the next day to get back on track. Nothing could be farther from the truth- always try to get right back on track with your next meal.
• It’s best to eat at the same times every day. Eat when you’re hungry, not when the clock says it’s time to eat.

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What to eat before, during and after workout

It is shown that what we eat before, during and after a workout can have a significant effect on our energy levels, the quality of our workout, and the recovery process which follows. An effective workout depends on many factors - the most important one being your diet. Foods provide the gas to the body’s engine, and fluids provide the water to your body’s radiator. Without these crucial fuels and fluids, your body will have a hard time performing at its best.

Before Workout:

• Before exercising it’s important to fuel your body. Only then you can adequately handle the physical stress of lifting weights, playing individual or team sports, or running.
• Choose pre-workout meals or snacks that are easy to digest and won't cause bloating or irritate your stomach.
•  Do not hit the gym on an empty stomach. The stress that exercise has on the body, combined with the lack of sugar (energy) will lead to hypoglycemia, a condition that will make you prone to fatigue.
• Aim to drink around two to two and a half cups of water in the 1-2 hours before your workout, and then drink water during and after your exercise.
• Try to keep your fat intake to a minimum, since high fat foods tend to take longer to digest, and can therefore leave you feeling heavy and sluggish during your workout.

During Workout:

• Keep a water bottle with you to re hydrate every 15-30 minutes during your training session.
• To boost your energy during endurance activities, before you reach for a sports drink, consider honey as it is naturally has equal parts fructose and glucose.
• If you are planning a very long bike ride or run, you may want to take along an energy bar, or some easily digested fruit, such as a banana, or orange slices, to help maintain your blood sugar levels.

After Workout:

• After a really tough workout, you should try to eat a recovery meal within 30 minutes if possible. 
• The body loses salt due to sweating. That is why it's very important to compensate via a rich source of electrolyte.
• If you have cut back your carbohydrate intake, but still like to eat a little each day, your post-workout snack or meal is the perfect time to do that.
• Don’t forget to get some protein in, too, for muscle refueling and repair.

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Healthy Juice Recipes for Weight Loss

People eager to lose weight often go on low calorie juice diets. Whereas juice provides with many nutrients, one needs to combine it with some exercise regime to lose that weight. Many people believe this type of diet can reset your physiology to help make weight loss and an all around healthier lifestyle possible. 

Juice diets are popular and healthy ways to lose weight because you gain nearly all of the nutrients your body requires in one little glass. When you consume a juice diet, you over all increase in energy, you get clearer skin and healing of your digestive system.

Some healthy low calorie juice recipes for weight loss are as follows:

• Grapefruit Orange Juice Recipe:

Take 1 grapefruit, 3 oranges. Then take out the juice of these fruits and in blender. Add ice and sip. Grapefruit are beneficial for losing weight.

• Pomegranate Juice Recipe:

Take 1 pomegranate seeds and flesh; 125 gms seedless red grapes, 1 apple, 5 tbsp of soya yogurt, 1 tsp of berry powder (optional), 1 tsp of ground flax seed. Juice the fruits, then pour the juice into a blender with the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth.

• Papaya Juice Recipe:

Take 1 papaya, 1 apple, 4-5 dates. Pit the dates and then blend all the ingredients in a blender. Best when served fresh.

• Carrot Beet Juice Recipe:

Take 7-8 carrots, half boiled and peeled beetroot, 4 leaves lettuce.  Blend all the ingredients and enjoy this healthy juice recipe.

• Melon Juice Recipe:

Take two cubs cubed watermelon, 2 cups cubed honeydew melon, 2 cups cubed cantaloupe and 1 inch grated ginger. Mix all the ingredients in a blender and add ice. This is a refreshing and cooling low calories juice recipe.

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Spices that help in Weight Lose

Adding a wide variety of flavorful spices to your foods can help you control portion sizes and lose weight. The spicy substance may trigger protein changes in the body that cause weight lose and fight against fat storage. Herbs and spices have absolutely no calories, and they’ll make all the difference in the flavor of your food. Here are some of the spices that not only add flavor to your favorite dishes but can help in your battle against fat.

Cinnamon: this helps to reduce blood sugar and helps in carp’s process healthier.

Black Pepper: this boosts metabolism, helps in digestion and aids nutrient absorption.

Mustard: Mustard can speed up metabolism by almost 25% for several hours after eating. They contain selenium, which can help with weight loss.

Ginger:  It improves gastric mobility and hinders the absorption of cholesterol.

Cayenne: cayenne contains Capsaicin which helps suppress appetite and increases metabolism, causing the body to burn more calories. 

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Tips to choose right diet to lose weight

Choosing a weight loss program may be a difficult task. You may not know what to look for in a weight loss program. Each individual is different. There is no universal diet that will help every person to lose weight. Here's how to choose a weight loss program that's right for you.

• When planning your diet it is important that you consider what calories level is appropriate for you.
• Talk to a doctor. Getting a doctor involved in a weight loss program not only helps keep the diet on track, but also helps in the selection process.
• You should consider that whether this diet will be practical and easy to follow.
• Look for a program which increases physical activity. A diet will help you lose weight, but healthy weight loss results from both diet and exercises.
• You should see whether the diet be maintainable for the rest of the day.
• Some weight-loss programs require you to buy supplements or attend support meetings. So see whether the cost of such programs fit your budget.
• Make small, slow changes, which will be easier to make a part of your everyday life.

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Snacks for Weight Loss

If you are trying to lose weight then instead of thinking about what you shouldn't eat, focus on the delicious foods that will help you satisfied. Snacks are vital to a healthy diet; they help keep blood sugars stable, prevent you from getting too hungry at your meals. Chips, cookies, ice cream, candy bars, and crackers are the most popular snack foods. They are also great way to get in lots of needed nutrients. It helps control hunger and reins in portion sizes at meals. 

Here are few snacks that help you to lose weight:

• The best way to lose weight is to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables. Three apples a day can keep weight gain at bay.
• Cheese can be hard to quit eating once you get started. So choose individually packaged light sliced cheeses that equal about one ounce.
• Oats and oatmeal are high in fibre, which helps you feel full and satisfied longer. 
• Nuts and seeds provide protein, so you will feel fuller longer. 
• If you skip all the greasy butter and opt for the low fat variety, popcorn is the ideal thing to keep your stomach from rumbling.
• Grapefruit is a delicious and nutritious sweet-tart snack, breakfast side or salad topping. 
• Dig in to eggs, yolks and all. They won't harm your heart, but they can help you trim inches.

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Lose weight without Starvation

Weight loss is definitely a challenge, but it can be accomplished without starvation diets and excessive amounts of exercise. Starvation dieting lowers the metabolism rate lowering the immune system, energy level and mood. The key to a healthy dieting is patience and a sound strategy. 

Here are ways to lose weight without starvation:

• Eat protein rich foods. Protein rich foods that are naturally appetite sating and worth emphasizing in the diet include meat, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds.
• Eating after starvation increases weight gain. Hunger pains and diminished health will eventually entice you to eat. You will tend to eat more than normal.
• Eat breakfast each morning. You need the fuel to start your day. Opt for whole-grain cereal, fresh fruit, egg whites and lean protein for your morning meal.
• Begin each meal with a bowl of low-calorie soup to help fill you up. Make homemade chicken, cabbage or tomato soup, or opt for canned versions. Buy low-sodium versions to help reduce salt in your diet.
• Using smaller plates and bowls can help make it easier to eat enough, but not too much.
• Foods like pasta, white bread, and potatoes make you fat. If you must have pasta, make yours whole-wheat.
• Eating more slowly helps ensure that food is more likely to register in the body, and reduces the risk of eating more than is surplus to requirements. 

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