Key Elements Of A Successful Diet Plan
Because obesity is becoming a growing health problem in today’s society, more and more emphasis is being placed on dieting and weight loss. Obesity has been associated with a number of health risks including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain cancers. If you are planning to lose weight, it is sometimes difficult to start and to stay motivated. For every successful diet, there are a number of things to consider:
- Caloric Intake. Our daily caloric intake should be based on our age, sex, body type and height. Also, as we age, our bodies burn less calories, so as we grow older, we should in theory be eating less food. However, since most of us have certain eating habits, this is often the reason why most of us gain weight. For your weight loss plan or diet plan, determine how many calories you need per day, which can often be found online. Then write this number down and put together a meal plan that is centered around this number. Remember that in order to lose weight, the daily caloric intake cannot be higher than the daily caloric requirements for your body
- Starving for weight loss. Starving yourself by skipping meals in order to speed up your weight loss may seem like a good idea, but could hurt your efforts in the long run. Starving yourself will slow down your metabolism, could result in increased fat storage and could lead to increased production of stress hormones, which will make you more irritable and may interfere with sleep.
- Genetics. How much you weigh, tends to be inherited from your parents. So if you plan to lose weight, put things in perspective: everyone has a certain body-type, which is largely based on genetics. If you create your diet plan, keep in mind that not everyone can be super thin and that a healthy diet combined with exercise will benefit your overall health.
- Insulin. Obesity is often linked to type II diabetes and this is why in over-weight people, there is either less insulin released in response to food or the insulin itself does not trigger the appropriate response in cells (insulin resistance). A healthy diet is focused on limiting insulin peaks throughout the day, which can be accomplished by eating smaller meals. In addition, avoid plain sugar and foods containing high-fructose syrup. As an alternative for sugar, you could use honey or stevia extract.
- Leptin. Leptin, a fat hormone produced by fat cells, plays a major role in the regulation of metabolism and appetite. A small number of people have mutations in either the leptin gene, one of the leptin receptors or leptin transport proteins, which contributes to obesity. Insomnia seems to stimulate appetite by lowering circulating levels of leptin.
Weight loss takes time, so do not expect to lose weight fast. Just determine your daily calorie requirements and create a “plan”. As a motivation booster, you could start a diet with a friend or family member. The number one reason that diets don’t work is when you don’t have a weekly meal plan written. A busy life style does not allow for daily shopping and the worst thing you could do is to stop by the grocery store on your way home from work. When people are hungry, they tend to buy more food and more unhealthy foods. So plan your meals a week in advance and know what you are eating each day. Record what you are eating every day, whether in points or calories.
Successful weight loss also includes regular exercise. Exercising often will increase your caloric consumption and will make your diet more effective. Weight loss supplements can support a diet plan further. Which weight loss supplement to take is a personal choice. There are many good weight loss supplements on the market. Just try to avoid supplements that make you jittery. Ingredients such as fucoxanthin have become rather popular lately. Fucoxanthin is a pigment from brown seaweed, and has been shown to significantly increase cellular energy use and metabolism.
How much protein to eat?
A sensible diet consists of lean protein, which can come from lean chicken, fish or in case you’re a vegetarian, from tofu or beans. Remember that estrogen plays a major role in fat storage and retention, so limit the intake of foods that are high in so-called “phyto-estrogens”. These foods include tofu and avocados. Try to add foods to your diet that increase testosterone, such as broccoli and Brussels’ sprouts.
