IMPORTANCE OF PROTEIN FOR WEIGHT LOSS AND MUSCLE GAIN

The Importance Of Protein For Weight Loss & Muscle Gain

It's a well known fact that people who are working out to build extra muscle, need extra protein. But it's not as widely known that protein is also essential for anyone attempting to lose weight.

New scientific studies are consistently proving that protein can offer serious help when you're trying to shed your unwanted pounds. In fact weight loss is actually hindered without sufficient protein in the diet. Let's take a closer look at the role of protein in the body and why you should be ensuring adequate quality protein intake, irrespective of your goals.

Protein 101

The protein you consume in your diet is made up of 3 different types of amino acids.

• Essential amino acids: Your body cannot make these, so they must be supplied in your diet.They include Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine, Lysine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Methionine, Phenylalanine And Histidine.
• Non-essential amino acids: Your body can make these from the essential amino acids you consume.These include Asparagine, Alanine, Arginine, Aspartic acid, Cysteine, Glutamic acid, Glutamine, Praline, Glycine, Tyrosine, and Serine.
• Conditional amino acids: Not usually essential, other than in times of illness or stress.These include include Arginine, Cysteine, Glutamine, Glycine, Proline, Serine, And Tyrosine.

The typical food sources of protein include animal products such as meats, fish, milk and eggs, while  plant sources include whole nuts, seeds, grains, pulses, legumes and soy.

Remember that protein is needed for all growth and repair in the body.

It's an essential component of all muscles, tissues and organs, along with being vital for many processes in the body like the production of antibodies, digestion, metabolism and transporting both oxygen and nutrients in the blood.

Protein also helps to make sure your hair is healthy and shiny, your skin looks great and your nails and bones are strong.

Before we go any further, let's quickly dispel a few misconceptions regarding protein.

“Only Serious Bodybuilders Need Extra Protein.”

Any regular exercise routine, not just hardcore bodybuilding, will increase the number of calories you burn and the amount of muscle your body breaks down.

Because of this it makes sense to supplement your protein intake, for extra fuel (calories) and amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle.

This is the same no matter what form of exercise you are engaged in. In fact endurance exercise and cardio routines create an even greater need for extra protein, than pure weight training.

As you'll discover a little later, protein is not just essential for repairing worn muscle and building new lean muscle, it's also proven to be a potent fat burner in its own right.

“Protein Will Make Me Bulky.”

There's a common misconception that women shouldn't use protein powder because it will 'bulk them up'. This is not actually true.

Women don't get bulky when they use protein powder, or from working out with weights, due to their lower levels of testosterone. But when combined with a workout routine, protein will help to develop some extra muscle and the muscle they already have will be firmer and more toned.

“Protein Will Make Me Fat.”

With regard to making you fat, as you are about to learn, protein is actually proven to reduce fat storage in the body, not add to it.

Remember that because you are combining extra protein along with a workout routine, whether you are aiming for weight loss or muscle gain, your body will NEED extra protein and nutrients for energy, recuperation and growth. Without it, your body could start burning  muscle for the energy it needs.

Don't forget of course, you'll also be burning far more calories due to your higher activity levels, so this also supports the need for extra nutrient dense replacement calories in the form of protein.

On the other hand, if you have a sedentary lifestyle, 'couch potato' style, then ANY extra calories are more likely to be stored as fat.

If you are also concerned about the fat in the high protein foods you consume, stop worrying. Keep in mind that your body actually needs fat for many metabolic processes to take place and for your body to function correctly.

Fats also maintain cell membranes and blood vessels, provide energy, transmit nerve impulses and produce some essential hormones. Many disease preventing phyto-chemicals found in food, along with vitamin A, D, E, and K, need some fat to be absorbed by your body.

On top of that, remember that the extra protein you consume while exercising, along with your higher activity levels will help fat burning.

Now we'll have a closer look at why protein is essential for weight loss.

---

Protein For Weight Loss

No matter what you eat, you'll only lose weight if you use more energy through your daily  activities than your body can produce from the food you consume.

However, your body has to work harder to digest and use foods containing protein, so your body burns more calories as it processes them. Not only that, but as they also take longer to leave your stomach, you feel full faster and for longer.

How Does Protein Burn Fat?

There are actually two reasons why protein helps fat burning:

• It helps to curb your hunger. Proteins help because they take your body longer to digest, making you feel fuller for longer.
• It increases your rate of thermogenesis. Longer digestion also uses more calories and raises your core body temperature and metabolic rate, known as "thermogenesis".

Protein's steady release of energy means it's sustained and doesn't cause your blood sugar to spike like carbs, so you get fewer craving too.

“In a study published in Nutrition Metabolism, dieters who increased their protein intake to 30 percent of their diet ate nearly 450 fewer calories a day and lost around 11 pounds during the 12-week study without employing any other dietary measures."

The Importance of Leucine

Scientists are finding that Leucine is one of the most important amino acids for regulating  metabolism and helping weight loss.

Donald Layman, PhD6, from the University of Illinois, has published many papers on the subject and is one of the key Leucine researchers. He found that a high protein, leucine-rich diet, along with lower carbohydrates intake (150 grams or 600 calories per day) supports not only weight loss, but also blood sugar metabolism and various other factors that support cardiovascular health.

His research shows that when we lose weight our bodies can also lose muscle and bone mass. But Leucine acts as a signal, directly communicating with insulin and making it work efficiently in the muscle. This leads to preserved muscle mass and glucose being used by the muscles as fuel, thereby supporting healthy insulin function.

A high-carbohydrate weight-loss diet on the other hand, causes more muscle to be lost.

*Leucine Unlocks Metabolic Door  J Nutr.   Layman DK, Walker DA.

One of the best sources of leucine is high quality whey protein. Animal and dairy products are the food sources with the highest Leucine content, especially red meat and cottage cheese, followed by cheese, milk, eggs, pork, chicken fish, legumes, peanuts, nuts and seeds.

It harder to get plenty of leucine if you're not eating red meat and dairy products, so a whey protein supplement would be especially beneficial in this case.

Whey Protein: Great For Weight Loss Not Just Muscle Gain

In another study involving 95 men and 32 women, subjects used a 15 gram whey protein meal replacement for two meals a day for six months, then went to one meal replacement for six more months.

While this amount of whey protein is actually on the low side for weight loss, the subjects still experienced great results.

• During the first six months participants lost on average 20 pounds.
• Over the following six months while consuming just 15 grams of whey protein per day, they kept their weight off and lost a further 2 pounds.

Along with the weight loss, many key signs of cardiovascular health were improved during the study, including lowering of total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, insulin and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, while increasing HDL Cholesterol.

*Modest Whey Protein Intake Supports Weight Loss  Am J Clin Nutr.   Keogh JB, Clifton P.

When you are trying to lose weight make sure you eat 5 or 6 small protein rich meals a day, to ensure your body has a constant supply of protein, along with keeping your blood sugar levels steady.

If your weight loss efforts aren't giving you the results you want, even when you include quality protein in every meal, try replacing 2 or 3 of your meals with a high quality Whey protein based shake.

Around 1 gram of protein for each pound of body weight, per day should be your target. So for instance if you weigh 150 pounds, you should aim to consume 150 grams of a day.

Eat a high-protein breakfast and wake up your liver

Because your liver is basically your body's metabolic engine, eating a high-protein breakfast, rather than a carb based one, can raise your metabolic rate by 30% for as long as twelve hours. That's equal to a three to five mile jog.

This is because carbohydrates and fats are much easier for your liver to process and only increase liver metabolism by around 4%. Protein however, has to be broken down and re-built to be used by the body, so your body will burn it at a slower rate.

A study published in the International Journal of Obesity shows that “eating two eggs for breakfast, as part of a reduced-calorie diet, helps overweight adults lose 65% more weight and feel more energetic, than those who eat a bagel breakfast of equal calories”.

Plus, studies have shown protein-rich breakfasts can help to regulate your appetite for the rest of the day.

*Higher Protein Boosts Muscle Metabolism and Weight Loss  J Am Coll Nutr.   Layman DK.

*Vanderwal JS et al , et al. Egg breakfast enhances weight loss. Int J of Obesity, published online on August 5, 2008.

---

Protein For Building Lean Muscle

Quiet simply, protein is essential for building new lean muscle. The building blocks of muscle are Amino Acids and that's exactly what protein is made up of.

Although you consume protein with most meals, real muscle growth needs musch more protein than you'll get in an average diet. For muscle gain you need to ensure your body has a good sized reserve of quality protein to use for muscle growth.

How much protein for muscle growth?

As with weight loss, a good ‘ball park’ figure is 1 gram of protein for each pound of body weight, per day. So let's say you weigh 200 pounds, you should aim to consume 200 grams of quality protein a day. This ensures you have a constant pool of ready to use protein in your body.

You may find it hard to eat enough protein rich foods during the day to reach that figure, so whey protein shakes can help enormously, as they make it easy to significantly add to your daily intake in a convenient way.

Try and eat 5-6 small but nutritious, high in protein meals per day (including protein based shakes). This will ensure your muscles are well fed, your metabolism is steady,  you have the energy to complete your workouts and your insulin levels are kept stable.

Don’t worry if you think 5 - 6 meals a day sounds a lot. It's easy to have a ‘protein shake’ meal that you can drink, as a replacement for 2 or 3 of the full meals.

You can also up your protein levels by basing your meals around the high protein foods listed below.

High Protein Foods:

• Steak (6 oz = 42 grams protein) Most cuts of beef average 7 grams of protein per ounce
• Chicken breast (3.5 oz = 30 grams protein)
• 3 ½ oz fish fillets/steaks average around 22 grams protein cooked. (6 grams per ounce)
• Tuna (6 oz can = 35 grams protein)
• Pork chop (average = 22 grams protein)
• Pork loin or tenderloin (4 oz = 29 grams protein)
• Ham (3 oz serving = 19 grams protein)
• Ground pork (3 oz cooked = 22 grams protein)
• Bacon (1 slice = 3 grams protein)
• Egg (large = 6 grams protein)
• Milk (1 cup = 8 grams protein)
• Cottage cheese (½ cup = 15 grams protein)
• Yogurt (1 cup = around 8-12 grams protein)
• Soft cheeses (6 grams protein per oz)
• Medium cheeses (7 or 8 grams protein per oz)
• Hard cheeses (10 grams protein per oz)
• Tofu (½ cup = 20 grams protein)
• Soy milk (1 cup = 6 -10 grams protein)
• Most beans (half cup of cooked beans = 7-10 grams protein)
• Soy beans (½ cup cooked = 14 grams protein)
• Peanut butter (2 Tablespoons = 8 grams protein)
• Almonds (¼ cup = 8 grams protein)
• Peanuts (¼ cup = 9 grams protein)
• Sunflower seeds (¼ cup = 6 grams protein)
• Pumpkin seeds (¼ cup = 8 grams protein)
• Flax seeds (¼ cup = 8 grams protein)

Breakfast. Most important meal of the day.

Whatever your goal . . . do not skip breakfast.

According to Donald Layman, Ph.D. (mentioned in the experiment above), you should aim  to consume at least 30 grams (approximately the amount of protein in two eggs and a cup of cottage cheese) of your protein intake for the day, at breakfast.

Your body is usually running on empty by morning and without proper nutrition it could start burning muscle tissue for fuel. That's the last thing you want when your goal is to build new muscle.

If your trying to lose weight, you still need to eat a nutritious breakfast. This will help to keep your snacking urges to a minimum and give you the slow burning energy to cope with your activities.

To gain to control of your weight check using natural supplements from nature check www.orderbestsupplementdiet.com and myweighttherapy.blogspot.com

---

Gene Mutation Linked to Obesity: Mice Gain Weight Even When Fed Normal Amounts of Food

July 18, 2013 — Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital have identified a genetic cause of severe obesity that, though rare, raises new questions about weight gain and energy use in the general obese population. The research, published in the journal Science on July 19, involved genetic surveys of several groups of obese humans and experiments in mice.

Mice with the genetic mutation gained weight even while eating the same amount of food as their normal counterparts; the affected gene, Mrap2, has a human counterpart (MRAP2) and appears to be involved in regulating metabolism and food consumption.
"These mice aren't burning the fat, they're somehow holding onto it," says the study's lead investigator Joseph Majzoub, MD, chief of endocrinology at Boston Children's. "Mice with the genetic mutation gained more weight, and we found similar mutations in a cohort of obese humans."
The protein created by the Mrap2 gene appears to facilitate signaling to a receptor in the brain called Mc4r, which helps increase metabolism and decrease appetite as part of a larger signaling chain involved in energy regulation. Fat cells produce the hormone leptin, prompting receptors in the brain to instigate production of a second hormone, αMSH. Mc4r detects this hormone with the aid of Mrap2, leading to a decrease in appetite and weight. Mutations in this signaling chain, including mutations in Mc4r, are known to increase the likelihood of obesity.
Majzoub, first author Masato Asai, MD, PhD, now at Nagoya University in Japan, and colleagues studied mice with the Mrap2 gene knocked out both overall and just in the brain. In both cases, the mice grew to about twice their normal size. Weight gain was greatest when both copies of Mrap2 were knocked out, but the mice still showed weight gain and appetite increase with one working copy of the gene. The weight gain was more pronounced in males than females. In addition, the mice without Mrap2 had more exaggerated weight gain when fed a high-fat diet than normal mice.
Surprisingly, while the mice without Mrap2 didn't eat more at first, they still gained weight faster than the controls. Later, their appetites increased and they continued to gain more weight than the controls, even when held to the same diet and quantity of food. In the end, the mutant mice had to be underfed by 10 to 15 percent to show the same weight gain as their normal peers. As soon as they were let off the restricted diet, their weight gain increased.
To investigate the gene in humans, Majzoub collaborated with Sadaf Farooqi, MD, PhD, of the University of Cambridge, and others to investigate groups of obese patients from around the world. The team found four mutations in the human equivalent of Mrap2 among the 500 people, all in patients with severe, early-onset obesity; each of the four affected patients had only one copy of the mutation.
While the finding suggests that these rare mutations directly cause obesity in less than 1 percent of the obese population, the researchers suspect that other mutations in the gene might occur more commonly and might interact with other mutations and environmental factors to cause more common forms of obesity. "We found other mutations that weren't as clearly damaging to the gene," notes Majzoub. "It's possible that some of these more common mutations actually are pathogenic, especially in combination with other genes in the same pathway."
One intriguing theory, called the thrifty-gene hypothesis, holds that rare mutations in genes like Mrap2 exist because they gave humans an evolutionary advantage in times of severe famine. Further investigation into how these mutations work may lend insight into the body's mechanisms for energy storage and use. In the present study, the lab did not observe anything to explain why the mutant mice were storing more food energy, such as a difference in activity level or heat output.
Majzoub and his colleagues look forward to expanding the scope of the research, studying additional populations of obese people, including measures of their activity and diet, as well as further exploring how the gene alters energy balance.

For further inquiries on how to control and loss weight healthily, check www.orderbestsupplementdiet.com. It is a sure bet for your health and weight.

HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS AND DIETING TIPS ( How To Loss Weight And Keep It Off)

Healthy Weight Loss & Dieting Tips

How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off

In our eat-and-run, massive-portion-sized culture, maintaining a healthy weight can be tough—and losing weight, even tougher. If you’ve tried and failed to lose weight before, you may believe that diets don’t work for you. You’re probably right: traditional diets don’t work—at least not in the long term. However, there are plenty of small but powerful ways to avoid common dieting pitfalls, achieve lasting weight loss success, and develop a healthier relationship with food.

In This Article:

The key to successful, healthy weight loss

Your weight is a balancing act, but the equation is simple: If you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight. And if you eat fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight.

Since 3,500 calories equals about one pound of fat, if you cut 500 calories from your typical diet each day, you'll lose approximately one pound a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories). Simple, right? Then why is weight loss so hard?

All too often, we make weight loss much more difficult than it needs to be with extreme diets that leave us cranky and starving, unhealthy lifestyle choices that undermine our dieting efforts, and emotional eating habits that stop us before we get started. But there’s a better way! You can lose weight without feeling miserable. By making smart choices every day, you can develop new eating habits and preferences that will leave you feeling satisfied—and winning the battle of the bulge.

Getting started with healthy weight loss

While there is no “one size fits all” solution to permanent healthy weight loss, the following guidelines are a great place to start:

• Think lifestyle change, not short-term diet. Permanent weight loss is not something that a “quick-fix” diet can achieve. Instead, think about weight loss as a permanent lifestyle change—a commitment to your health for life. Various popular diets can help jumpstart your weight loss, but permanent changes in your lifestyle and food choices are what will work in the long run.
• Find a cheering section. Social support means a lot. Programs like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers use group support to impact weight loss and lifelong healthy eating. Seek out support—whether in the form of family, friends, or a support group—so that you can get the encouragement you need.
• Slow and steady wins the race. Aim to lose one to two pounds a week to ensure healthy weight loss. Losing weight too fast can take a toll on your mind and body, making you feel sluggish, drained, and sick. When you drop a lot of weight quickly, you’re actually losing mostly water and muscle, rather than fat.
• Set goals to keep you motivated. Short-term goals, like wanting to fit into a bikini for the summer, usually don’t work as well as wanting to feel more confident or become healthier for your children’s sakes. When frustration and temptation strike, concentrate on the many benefits you will reap from being healthier and leaner.
• Use tools that help you track your progress. Keep a food journal and weigh yourself regularly, keeping track of each pound you lose and inch lost from your waist. By keeping track of your weight loss efforts, you’ll see the results in black and white, which will help you stay motivated.

Keep in mind it may take some experimenting to find the right diet for your individual body. It’s important that you feel satisfied so that you can stick with it on a long-term basis. If one diet plan doesn’t work, then try another one. There are many ways to lose weight. The key is to find what works for you.

Not all body fat is the same

Where you carry your fat matters. The health risks are greater if you tend to carry your weight around your abdomen, as opposed to your hips and thighs. A lot of belly fat is stored deep below the skin surrounding the abdominal organs and liver, and is closely linked to insulin resistance and diabetes. Calories obtained from fructose (found in sugary beverages such as soda, energy and sports drinks, coffee drinks, and processed foods like doughnuts, muffins, cereal, candy, and granola bars) are more likely to add to this dangerous fat around your belly. Cutting back on sugary foods can mean a slimmer waistline and lower risk of disease.

Healthy dieting and weight loss tip #1: Avoid common pitfalls

Diets, especially fad diets or “quick-fix” pills and plans, often set you up for failure because:

• You feel deprived. Diets that cut out entire groups of food, such as carbs or fat, are simply impractical, not to mention unhealthy. The key is moderation. Eliminating entire food groups doesn’t allow for a healthy, well-rounded diet and creates nutritional imbalances.
• You lose weight, but can’t keep it off. Diets that severely cut calories, restrict certain foods, or rely on ready-made meals might work in the short term. However, once you meet your weight loss goal, you don’t have a plan for maintaining your weight and the pounds quickly come back.
• After your diet, you seem to put on weight more quickly. When you drastically restrict your food intake, your metabolism will temporarily slow down. Once you start eating normally, you’ll gain weight until your metabolism bounces back—another reason why starvation or “fasting” diets are counterproductive.
• You break your diet and feel too discouraged to try again. Just because you gave in to temptation doesn’t mean all your hard work goes down the drain. Healthy eating is about the big picture. An occasional splurge won’t kill your efforts. Diets that are too restrictive are conducive to cheating—when you feel deprived, it’s easy to fall off the wagon.
• You lose money faster than you lose weight. Special shakes, meals, and programs are not only expensive, but they are less practical for long-term weight loss and healthy weight maintenance.
• You feel isolated and unable to enjoy social situations revolving around food. Without some practical, healthy diet strategies, you may feel lost when dining out or attending events like cocktail parties or weddings. If the food served isn’t on your specific diet plan, what can you do?
• The person on the commercial lost 30 lbs. in two months—and you haven’t. Diet companies make a lot of grandiose promises, and most are simply unrealistic. Unfortunately, losing weight is not easy, and anyone who makes it seem that way is doing you a disservice. Don’t get discouraged by setting unrealistic goals!

Low-carbohydrate: Quick weight loss but long-term safety questions

First published in the 1970s, Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution launched the low-carbohydrate diet craze, which enjoyed a resurgence in the late 1990s. The diet is a carnivore’s dream, focusing largely on high-protein meats and poultry (along with eggs and full-fat dairy products), while banishing most carbohydrates such as bread, rice, and pasta. One popular permutation of the low-carb diet is the South Beach diet, which also restricts carbohydrates but urges people to avoid saturated and trans fats (found in meat and processed foods) and to favor healthier, unsaturated fats (found in nuts and fish). It also allows more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, making it a more balanced approach.

The low-carb eating strategy is based on the biological fact that eating carbohydrates raises blood sugar levels, which triggers an outpouring of insulin from the pancreas. The theory goes a step further, claiming that high insulin levels produce hunger, so people who eat carbohydrates take in more calories and gain weight. The antidote to carbohydrates is fat, which is more satisfying and filling. So, people on a high-fat diet eat less and lose weight. Low-carbohydrate diets also tend to cause dehydration. To make up for the lack of carbohydrates in the diet, the body mobilizes its own carbohydrate stores from liver and muscle tissue. In the process, the body also mobilizes water, meaning that pounds are shed as urine. The result is rapid weight loss, but after a few months, weight loss tends to slow and reverse, just as happens with other diets.

The American Heart association cautions people against the Atkins diet, because it is too high in saturated fat and protein, which can be hard on the heart, kidneys, and bones. The lack of fruits and vegetables is also worrisome, because these foods tend to lower the risk of stroke, dementia, and certain cancers. Most experts believe South Beach and other, less restrictive low-carbohydrate diets offer a more reasonable approach.

Adapted with permission from Loss Weight And Keep It Off, a special health report published by Harvard Health Publications.

Healthy dieting and weight loss tip #2: Put a stop to emotional eating

We don’t always eat simply to satisfy hunger. If we did, no one would be overweight. All too often, we turn to food for comfort and stress relief. When this happens, we frequently pack on pounds.

Don’t underestimate the importance of putting a stop to emotional eating Learning to recognize the emotional triggers that lead you to overeat and respond with healthier choices can make all the difference in your weight loss efforts.

To start, consider how and when you eat. Do you only eat when you are hungry, or do you reach for a snack while watching TV? Do you eat when you’re stressed or bored? When you’re lonely? To reward yourself?

Once you’ve identified your emotional eating tendencies, you can work towards gradually changing the habits and mental attitudes that have sabotaged your dieting efforts in the past.

Strategies to combat emotional eating

• If you turn to food at the end of a long day, find other soothing ways to reward yourself and de-stress. Relax with a book and a steaming cup of herbal tea, soak in a hot bath, or savor a beautiful view.
• If you eat when you’re feeling low on energy, find other mid-afternoon pick-me-ups. Try walking around the block, listening to energizing music, or doing some quick stretches or jumping jacks. Another alternative is taking a short nap—just keep it to 30 minutes or less.
• If you eat when you’re lonely or bored, reach out to others instead of reaching for the refrigerator. Call a friend who makes you laugh, take your dog for a walk, find a fun activity to do, or go out in public (to the library, the mall, or the park—anywhere there’s people).
• If you eat when you’re stressed, find healthier ways to calm yourself. Try exercise, yoga, meditation, or breathing exercises. Better manage stressful situations by either changing the situation or changing your reaction. See related articles below to learn more about stress management.

Healthy dieting and weight loss tip #3: Tune in when you eat

We live in a fast-paced world where eating has become mindless. We eat on the run, at our desk while we’re working, and in front of the TV screen. The result is that we consume much more than we need, often without realizing it or truly enjoying what we’re eating.

Counter this tendency by practicing “mindful” eating: pay attention to what you eat, savor each bite, and choose foods that are both nourishing and enjoyable. Mindful eating will help you lose weight and maintain your results.

Mindful eating weight loss tips

• Pay attention while you’re eating. Be aware of your environment. Eat slowly, savoring the smells and textures of your food. If your mind wanders, gently return your attention to your food and how it tastes and feels in your mouth.
• Avoid distractions while eating. Try not to eat while working, watching TV, reading, looking at your phone, using your computer, or driving. It’s too easy to mindlessly overeat.
• Chew your food thoroughly. Try chewing each bite 30 times before swallowing. You’ll prolong the experience and give yourself more time to enjoy each bite.
• Try mixing things up to force yourself to focus on the experience of eating. Try using chopsticks rather than a fork, or use your utensils with your non-dominant hand.
• Stop eating before you are full. It takes time for the signal to reach your brain that you’ve had enough. Avoid the temptation to clean your plate. Yes, there are children starving in Africa, but your weight gain won’t help them.

Healthy dieting and weight loss tip #4: Fill up with fruit, veggies, and fiber

To lose weight, you have to eat fewer calories. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to eat less food. You can fill up while on a diet, as long as you choose your foods wisely. The key is to add the types of food that can keep you feeling satisfied and full, without packing on the pounds.

Fiber: the secret to feeling satisfied while losing weight

If you want to lose weight without feeling hungry and deprived all the time, start eating foods high in fiber. High-fiber foods are higher in volume, which makes them filling. They also take longer to chew, which makes them more satisfying to eat. High-fiber foods also take a long time to digest, which means you’ll feel full longer. There’s nothing magic about it, but the weight-loss results may seem like it.

High-fiber heavyweights include:

• Fruits and vegetables – Enjoy whole fruits across the rainbow (strawberries, apples, oranges, berries, nectarines, plums), leafy salads, and green veggies of all kinds.
• Beans – Select beans of any kind (black beans, lentils, split peas, pinto beans, chickpeas). Add them to soups, salads, and entrees, or enjoy them as a hearty dish of their own.
• Whole grains – Try high-fiber cereal, oatmeal, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, whole-wheat or multigrain bread, bran muffins, or air-popped popcorn.

Focus on fruits and veggies

Counting calories and measuring portion sizes can quickly become tedious, but you don’t need an accounting degree to enjoy produce. When it comes to fruit and vegetables, it’s generally safe to eat as much as you want, whenever you want. No measuring cups or calorie tables required.

The high water and fiber content in most fruits and vegetables makes them hard to overeat. You’ll feel full long before you’ve overdone it on the calories.

• Pour a little less cereal into your morning bowl to make room for some blueberries, strawberries, or sliced bananas. You’ll still enjoy a full bowl, but with a lower calorie count.
• Replace one of the eggs and some of the cheese in your omelet or scramble with vegetables. Try tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, spinach, or bell peppers.
• Swap out some of the meat and cheese in your sandwich with healthier veggie choices likelettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, cucumbers, and avocado.
• Instead of a high-calorie snack, like chips and dip, try baby carrots with hummus, a sliced apple, or the old-favorite: celery with peanut butter (just don’t overdo it on the peanut butter).
• Add more veggies to your favorite main courses to make your dish “go” further. Even dishes such as pasta and stir-fries can be diet-friendly if they’re less heavy on the noodles and more focused on vegetables.
• Try starting your meal with a low-density salad or soup (just watch the dressings and sodium) to help fill you up, so you eat less of your entrée.

Don’t love vegetables? You’re probably not preparing them right. Veggies can be delicious and full of flavor when you dress them with herbs and spices or a little olive oil or cheese.

Fruits and vegetables to eat in moderation

Fruits and vegetables of all colors, shapes, and sizes are major players in a healthy diet, but you still need to watch out for the following potential diet busters.

• Veggies that have been breaded or fried or doused in heavy sauces are no longer low-calorie, so tread with caution. Opt for healthier cooking methods, such as steaming, and use low-fat dressings and spices for flavor.
• Salads are guilt-free—unless you drench them in high-fat dressing and toppings. By all means, add some nuts or cheese, but don’t overdo it. As for dressing, a little fat is healthy (try a vinaigrette made with olive oil), but again, moderation is key.
• Dried Fruit. Be careful when it comes to dried fruit, which is high in calories and, often, in added sugar. You can eat a whole lot more fresh fruit for the same number of calories. If you do choose to snack on dried fruit, keep your serving size small.
• Fruit Juice. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a glass of juice every now and again. But remember that the calories quickly add up, without doing much to make you feel full. Also make sure that your drink of choice is made from 100% fruit juice and contains no added sugar.

Healthy dieting and weight loss tip #5: Indulge without overindulging

Try not to think of certain foods as "off limits"

When you ban certain foods or food groups, it is natural to want those foods more, and then feel like a failure if you give in to temptation. Instead of denying yourself the unhealthy foods you love, simply eat them less often.

If you’ve ever found yourself polishing off a pint of ice cream or stuffing yourself with cookies or chips after spending a whole day virtuously eating salads, you know how restrictive diet plans usually end. You probably blame yourself, but the problem isn’t your willpower—it’s your weight loss strategy. Deprivation diets set you up for failure: you starve yourself until you snap, and then you overdo it, cancelling out all your previous efforts.

In order to successfully lose weight and keep it off, you need to learn how to enjoy the foods you love without going overboard. A diet that places all your favorite foods off limits won’t work in the long run. Eventually, you’ll feel deprived and will cave. And when you do, you probably won’t stop at a sensible-sized portion.

Tips for enjoying treats without overeating

• Combine your treat with other healthy foods. You can still enjoy your favorite high-calorie treat, whether it’s ice cream, chips, cake, or chocolate. The key is to eat a smaller serving of it along with a lower-calorie option. For example, add strawberries to your ice cream or munch on carrot and celery sticks along with your chips and dip. By piling on the low-cal option, you can eat a diet-friendly portion of your favorite treat without feeling deprived.
• Schedule your treats. We are creatures are habit, and you can use this to your advantage when trying to lose weight. Establish regular times when you get to indulge in your favorite food. For example, maybe you enjoy a small square of chocolate every day after lunch, or a slice of cheesecake every Friday evening. Once you’re conditioned to eat your treat at those times—and those times only—you’ll stop obsessing about them at other times.
• Make your indulgence less indulgent. Find ways to reduce fat, sugar, or calories in your favorite treats and snacks. If you do your own baking, swap out half the butter or oil in the recipe with applesauce, and cut back on the sugar, making up for it with extra cinnamon or vanilla extract. You can also eliminate or reduce high-calorie toppings and sides, like whipped cream, cheese, dip, and frosting.
• Engage all your senses—not just your taste sense. Instead of chowing down mindlessly, savor and prolong the experience. You can make snack time more special by setting an attractive table, lighting candles, playing soothing music, or enjoying your treat outdoors in a beautiful setting. Get the most pleasure—and the most relaxation—out of your treat by cutting it into small pieces, taking time to smell what you are eating, and by chewing slowly and thoroughly.

Healthy dieting and weight loss tip #6: Take charge of your food environment

Your weight loss efforts will succeed or fail based largely on your food environment. Set yourself up for success by taking charge of your food environment: when you eat, how much you eat, and what foods are available.

• Start the day with breakfast. People who eat breakfast tend to be thinner than those who don’t. Starting your day with a healthy breakfast will jumpstart your metabolism, plus, it will help keep you from binge eating later in the day.
• Serve yourself smaller portions. One easy way to control portion size is by using small plates, bowls, and cups. This will make your portions appear larger. Don’t eat out of large bowls or directly from the food container or package, which makes it difficult to assess how much you’ve eaten.
• Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time. You will be more inclined to eat in moderation if you have thought out healthy meals and snacks in advance. You can buy or create your own small portion snacks in plastic bags or containers. Eating on a schedule will also help you avoid eating when you aren’t truly hungry.
• Cook your own meals. Cooking meals at home allows you to control both portion size and what goes in to the food. Restaurant and packaged foods generally contain a lot more sodium, fat, and calories than food cooked at home—plus the portion sizes tend to be larger.
• Don’t shop for groceries when you’re hungry. Create a shopping list and stick to it. Be especially careful to avoid foods at the ends of the aisles and along the perimeter, where grocers tend to sell high-calorie snack and convenience foods.
• Out of sight, out of mind. Limit the amount of tempting foods you have at home. If you share a kitchen with non-dieters, store snack foods and other high-calorie indulgences in cabinets or drawers out of your sight.
• Fast for 14-16 hours a day. Try to eat your last meal earlier in the day and then fast until breakfast the next morning. Early studies suggest that this simple dietary adjustment—eating only when you’re most active and giving your digestive system a long break each day—may help you to lose weight. After-dinner snacks tend to be high in fat and calories so are best avoided, anyway

Soda: The Secret Diet Saboteur

Soft drinks (including soda, energy drinks, and coffee drinks) are a huge source of calories in many people’s diets. One can of soda contains between 10-12 teaspoons of sugar and around 150 calories, so a few soft drinks can quickly add up to a good portion of your daily calorie intake.

Switching to diet soda isn’t the answer either, as studies suggest that it triggers sugar cravings and contributes to weight gain. Instead, try switching to water with lemon, unsweetened iced tea, or carbonated water with a splash of juice.

Healthy dieting and weight loss tip #7: Make healthy lifestyle changes

In addition to your food and eating-related choices, you can also support your weight loss and dieting efforts by making healthy lifestyle choices.

• Get plenty of Sleep Lack of sleep has been shown to have a direct link to hunger, overeating, and weight gain. Exhaustion also impairs your judgment, which can lead to poor food choices. Aim for around eight hours of quality sleep a night.
• Turn off the TV. You actually burn less calories watching television than you do sleeping! If you simply can’t miss your favorite shows, get a little workout in while watching. Do easy exercises like squats, sit-ups, jogging in place, or using resistance bands or hand weights.
• Get plenty of exercise Exercise is a dieter’s best friend. It not only burns calories, but also can actually improve your resting metabolism. No time for a long workout? Research shows that three 10-minute spurts of exercise per day are just as good as one 30-minute workout. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or park in the back of the parking lot. Every bit helps.
• Drink more water. You can easily reduce your daily calorie intake by replacing soda, alcohol, or coffee with water. Thirst can also be confused with hunger, so by drinking water, you may avoid consuming extra calories, plus it will help you break down food more easily. For further inquiries on a healthier life and weight loss control check www.orderbestsupplementdiet.com and http://myweighttherapy.blogspot.com.