Changes for Life - Not Dieting

It's that time of year again when many of us regret the lovely meals we enjoyed over the Christmas period as we realize our jeans are too tight! The all-inclusive holiday, trips to the beach and pool is calling us and we want to look good when we slip into our bikini. Now is the time to make  eating choices and get ready to slip into your skinny jeans.

When you’re trying to remove excess weight, you’re probably keen to see, and feel, a difference quickly.
It can be tempting to put your trust in one of the countless schemes that promise rapid, easy ways to shed the fat. Unfortunately, even if these fad diets do help you to reach your ideal weight, you’re unlikely to maintain a decent weight in the months and years afterwards. Remember,  shedding pounds very quickly is unlikely to help you to maintain a healthy weight long-term. And it comes with health risks. Also, if you lose a lot of weight very quickly, it may not be fat that you're losing. It might be water weight or even lean tissue, since it's hard to burn that many fat calories in a short period.
If you’re visualizing a future in which you've shed your excess weight, the best choice is to make healthy changes to your diet and levels of physical activity that lead to a safe, steady rate of shifting the weight, that will last a lifetime.
Trying to reach your ideal weight and being healthy does not mean going on the latest diet craze which may help you shift the excess pounds but as soon as you stop the "Diet" normal service resumes and the weight piles back on. The most important thing for your bodies is to maintain optimum health with a variety of choices from all of the food groups and regular exercise. Your weight will naturally fall with this new routine.

A nutritional diet by definition is a diet that consists of the right nutrients in the right quantities. Generally speaking, we all need fruit and veg, starchy foods, sugars, salt, protein, dairy and even fats! The idea is to work out how much of each food group we need daily/ weekly. By doing this you will completely change the way you look at food and educate you on how to listen to what your body needs and how best to maintain a healthy and varied diet whilst still removing fat. You can even have treats!
Eat the right number of calories for how active you are, so that you balance the energy you consume with the energy you use. If you eat or drink too much, you’ll put on weight. If you eat and drink too little, you’ll remove excess weight. The average man needs around 2,500 calories a day. The average woman needs 2,000 calories. Most adults are eating more calories than they need, and should eat fewer calories.
Eat a wide range of foods to ensure that you’re getting a good variety of the foods to ensure your body is receiving all the nutrients it also needs.

If you’re trying to rid yourself of the extra pounds, the safe weekly rate of loss is between 0.5kg and 1kg. That’s between around 1lb and 2lb a week. Although that may seem like a slow pace,  it's more likely to help you maintain your ideal weight for the long term. Remember that 1 pound (0.45 kilogram) of fat contains 3,500 calories. So to lose 1 pound a week, you need to burn 500 more calories than you eat each day (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories).
Shedding weight faster than this, and you are at risk of health problems that include malnutrition and gallstones, as well as feeling tired and unwell.
Fad diets (that involve simply changing your diet for a few weeks)  are also unlikely to lead you to your ideal weight in the long-term.

1. Eat protein at every meal. Eating enough protein will help you stay satisfied and resist the temptation to snack excessively between meals. Aim to eat approximately .7 grams of protein for each pound of your body weight. Just multiply your body weight, in pounds, by .7 to determine the number of protein grams to eat each day.  Protein also helps boost your metabolism, since it takes more calories to metabolize compared to fat and carbohydrates. Some high-quality protein sources include: lean beef, chicken breast, fish, lentils, beans, and Greek yogurt.

2. Don't drink your calories. You've heard it many times before, but drinking your calories, with sugary drinks, juice, or alcohol, is an easy way to sabotage your diet. Dehydration, though, is an underlying cause of food cravings, so do drink plenty of water! Water helps to keep you full and is a key way to detox your body. To calculate your water needs, take your body weight and divide by two. This is the number of ounces of water you need to drink every day. If plain water sounds boring to you, flavor it with fruit or veggie slices for a fun twist.

3. Just log it. Writing down your food and beverage intake is critical to weight-loss success, because it keeps you accountable.  Many great apps, such as My Fitness Pal, can help you keep track of your diet.

4. No eating after dinner. Late-night snacking is a problem for many people, especially when it's done mindlessly while watching TV or browsing the Internet. When you snack after dinner, your body will be busy digesting your food while you sleep instead of burning the fat. You want your body to be burning fat while you sleep so stop eating after dinner. This is a key to burning off excess weight quicker!
5. Buy a pedometer, clip it to your belt, and aim for an extra 1,000 steps a day. On average, sedentary people take only 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day. Adding 2,000 steps will help you maintain your current weight and stop gaining weight; adding more than that will help you get rid of excess weight.

Ways to Lose Fat Fast—And Fit Into Your Skinny Jeans!  By MITZI DULAN
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2012/09/24/7-ways-to-lose-fat-fastand-fit-into-your-skinny-jeans.

Switching from unhealthy to healthy foods on a small scale is far easier than you may think. By making a few slight alterations to your diet you can make a huge difference to your health and physical fitness levels.
The easiest way to go about doing this is with little switches and changes here and there. By swapping your usual foods and drinks for those that are slightly healthier, you can make a huge difference.
You can, for example, swap your whole milk to semi-skimmed or even skimmed milk, when making breakfast or having a cup of tea. While on the topic of breakfast, you could also swap your sugar-coated cereals for a whole grain version such as porridge. Throughout the day you should also work hard to swap white bread for the whole grain variety, as again this is far healthier.
When cooking curries or pastas it is always a good idea to swap creamy or cheesy sauces for tomato or vegetable based sauces. When eating meats you should always aim to choose leaner cuts of meat that have less fat, so for example, swap streaky bacon for back bacon. If you make these simple swaps then you really will start to notice the difference that they make to the way you look and feel.

Here are some great and healthy ways to reduce your caloric intake:

Eat a healthy diet filled with lots of vegetables, fruits, and whole grain products.
Reduce or eliminate alcoholic drinks
Consume low-fat products.
Reduce your portion sizes and don't eat second helpings of food.
Reduce high-calorie foods, including sugary and fried foods.
Eat more grilled, broiled, and roasted foods.
Try not to pick at foods between meals.

Exercise
Physical exercise is an essential part of any healthy eating plan. Exercise will help you burn excess calories and fat, and will also help to tone and build muscle. When trying to move excess weight, it is a good idea to exercise daily. Be sure to speak to your doctor before engaging in any type of physical exercise. Here are some tips to effective fat burning exercise:

Find an activity that is easily accessible and that you like doing. This will make it easier for you to stick with.
Start slowly. Start with 20 minutes of exercise, three times a week and build from there.
Add in exercise everyday: try climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator, or get off the bus a stop early and walk to work. When you are on the phone if possible get up and walk around. If you feel you need something a little more regimented you could join a gym. I personally have a wii which has a wii fit programme that I can do in the privacy of my bedroom!!
Try to combine all types of exercise into your routine, including strength-building, aerobic, and flexibility exercises.

Diet Don'ts
When it comes to dieting, there is a lot of bad advice out there. Never resort to any of the methods listed below to help you.

Pills:  pills are usually ineffective for fat loss and are often dangerous and unregulated. Some of these pills contain addictive and harmful ingredients and should never be used without a doctor's supervision. If you are interested in  medication, speak with your doctor

Laxatives: Many people use laxatives to try to get rid of the weight quickly. Never use laxatives to try to do this, they only cause water-weight loss and can seriously dehydrate you. When seriously abused, laxatives can become life-threatening.

Fasting: While fasting plays a major part in some diets, it is generally not recommended  as a safe way to remove excess weight. Fasting can seriously impair your body's metabolism, making it more difficult to get your body back on an even keel. Fasting can also dangerously affect nutrient and water levels in the body.

To help keep a steady weight, eating sensibly, and burnng off the calories we take in by regular steady exercise will help to keep us on an even keel and rid us of the need for diets which in the long term do more to harm our bodies than help them.