Eating out is unavoidable but this should not impact your weight loss efforts.  There are little things that make a big difference when eating out and if you manage to follow our weight loss tips correctly, you can enjoy your next meal without feeling guilty and more importantly without breaking your weight loss plan.

10 Dining out tips for losing weight

Tip 1: Select a good restaurant

A ‘good restaurant’ in our context is one that:

Serves a variety of menu dishes (not buffet) including fish and salads

Displays nutritional information for each meal

Has a good reputation for serving fresh food

Tip 2: Decide in advance what to eat

It is better not to go to the restaurant with an empty stomach and it is advisable that you know in advance what to eat. Before leaving home do your research by visiting the web site of the restaurant and make your decisions.

Tip 3: Choose your meals wisely

Eating out once in a while will not destroy your weight loss efforts but it is better to make smart food choices so that the impact is limited to none. As a rule of thumb try to order ‘Mediterranean style’ dishes such as fish, poultry, salads, legumes and whole grains. If this is not possible then give preference to the following dishes:

Steak – remove the fat and eat only the lean part (no sauces or gravy)

Chinese – prefer dishes that have lots of vegetables and avoid eggs as well as sweet and sour sauces. Go for steam rice instead of fried and try to avoid oil as much as possible.

Italian – Pasta with red sauce is a great choice. Carbonara and other cream sauces better be avoided.

Pizza – Vegetarian pizzas or margarita are better.

Mexican – Spicy foods are good for weight loss since they help metabolism. You can order chicken fajitas with vegetables and rice instead of chips. Minimize though the consumption or sour cream.

Tip 4: Drink Water or wine with your food

Soft and alcoholic drinks are full of calories and sugars. You can enjoy your meal with a class of red wine or water. It’s also ok to order a zero (light) soft drink. Also try to avoid fresh fruit juices and cocktails.

Tip 5: Eat an appetizer

It’s a good idea to eat an appetizer before your main meal. This will cut down your hunger and save you many calories. When choosing an appetizer avoid creamy food, cheese (for example nachos), sauces (for example chicken wings with barbecued sauce) and prefer: Salads (for example a small green salad), seafood (smoked salmon is a great choice), soups and vegetables. Have in mind that avocado which is used very often as an appetizer has a lot of fat and calories. (Hint: You can use our free calorie counter to see the nutritional information for each food)

Tip 6: What about side dishes?

Restaurants have many choices for a side dish. You can safely choose steamed or boiled vegetables, baked potato (without butter, cheese or sauces), rice, noodles or even seafood. Potato chips, salads with dressings, fried food is not recommended.

Tip 7: Eating slowly does matter

One of the little things that do play a role is eating slowly and chewing your food very well. When eating slowly you give enough time to the brain to get the ‘signal’ from the stomach that it is full and thus avoiding the consumption of extra and unnecessary calories. Also by chewing your food very well you make the digestion process faster and easier for the stomach. Take your time, talk with your friends, drink your water or wine and enjoy your dinner.

Tip 8: Size does matter

The size of the portion does matter. Restaurants usually have big plates and this makes the food quantity look small but in reality this is not the case. Do not judge the size of the portion from the plate size but during your meal try to stop when you are feeling full. Do not get carried away by what your friends may be doing or eating and make sure that you leave space for a desert as well.

Tip 9: Deserts

Deserts don’t have to be full of fats and sugars to be tasteful. You can still enjoy a fresh fruit salad, a low-fat yogurt or a lemon pie for a desert and be happy. It’s ok to have a small ball of vanilla ice cream but as a rule of thumb try not to eat chocolate cakes, cookies and creamy deserts.

Tip 10: Enjoy your meal without feeling guilty

Even if you eat more than expected it is not the end of the World. Do not feel guilty about it, try to enjoy your meal and try to be better next time. What is important though is to take corrective actions. If for example you eat a few calories more then try to burn those calories the next day by walking, running or using other forms of exercise. You need to keep a balance so that you are happy and satisfied. If you made a mistake during your meal then you need to correct your mistake by doing something more during your exercise sessions.

There is often a misconception that if someone wants to lose weight they have to go on a diet. This usually translates in people’s minds with following a specific popular weight loss diet regime, usually a quite rigid one. It does kind of make sense as it is the way people eat which is most likely the reason they put on weight. I will always preach in favour of following a healthy balanced diet, however, you don’t always need to ‘go’ on a diet or follow a specific diet, or even radically change all your eating habits.

There are loads of little ways by which people can cut the calories down without a radical diet makeover and still lose weight. Read on these weight loss tips on how this is possible.

1. Tackle the portion size.

The simplest way to cut down on the calories is to reduce the size of the meal portion. What the meal contains will make a difference for both health and weight; however if your diet is more or less healthy and balanced or if you are really determined that you don’t want to change what you eat, then go for portion size. This does not mean starve yourself by all means or skip meals. If you were going to have a burger and chips have a small burger and half of the amount of chips you would usually eat.

A personal friend who tends to follow this tip always suggests using smaller size dinner plates and only just about fill them, without going for multiple layers. Well think about the psychological aspect:

a)      If you have an extra large plate and ½ of it is empty you may process this as not enough food or be tempted to fill it.

b)      If you have a medium sized dinner plate and is full psychologically you could think that this is enough food.

Often when we feel hungry we can overload our plates and eat beyond the point of satiety. Think how many calories you can save if you cut the portion size of every meal…

2.  Cut down on fizzy and sugary drinks

Calories from fizzy and sugary drinks are the one’s which tend to go unaccounted for. Possibly because people don’t tend to think that a glass or two of fizz could tip the scales over.

Well a small size cup (16 fl oz/ 345 g) of the classic coca cola* from burger king contains as much as 150 kcal. The glass that you may consume at home is not that far off on the calories. How many of those do you usually consume per day? Do the maths to see how many calories you could avoid. Stick to only 1 or 2 glasses a day or opt for sugar free or low calorie ones. However, be aware that some artificial sweeteners commonly used in fizzy drinks have been questioned regarding the health risks they may carry if over consumed.

Like the fizzy drinks, a lot of the pre-packed fruit juices and fruit drinks can also be as calorific. For example 1 can (12 fl oz / 436 g) of breakfast type orange drink with juice can contain as much as 665 kcal. Having second thoughts about that glass you had for breakfast?

You can use our free calorie counter to track down the calories each food, drink and activity has.

 3. Skip sugary snacks, biscuits and crisps 

Offices, schools, and workplaces in general tend to house a biscuit tin in the kitchen or common area, or a snacks vendor. The same way dampness breads bacteria, offices bread calories. If you add the couple of biscuits with the packet of crisps and the energy bar you had you will probably find that you had an extra meal. Always carry some healthy snacks like a fruit or a handful of nuts to cover you if you get a craving or the munches and try to say no to the very tempting box of chocolates.    

4. Skip cereals and cereal bars

Ok maybe I should rephrase this in skip some cereals, but I must admit I am not part of the cereal fun club all together. Breakfast is an important meal so treat it with respect. Why should you avoid the most popular breakfast and snack? There are 2 ways that you could potentially be saving yourself from extra calories.

a)      A lot of the advertised as ‘healthy’ cereals contain enough sugar to cover the needs of the whole neighbourhood. Apart from the fact that too much sugar is not good for the body, they can also contain a lot of calories. I would first suggest to replace your cereal breakfast with a protein based one such as boiled eggs. However, if you have to have cereal it helps to read the labels and chose the lowest in sugars and calories.

b)      I have spoken about the sugar – insulin vicious cycle in previous articles. Basically you if you have loads of carbs for breakfast you are likely to get hunger cravings half way through the day and end up with a snack. On the other hand with a protein based breakfast you are more likely to feel full for longer and thus not need a snack before lunch.

Cereal bars play on a similar tune; too many calories and too much sugar.

5. Don’t fry. Go for grilling, roasting, boiling

The way in which food is prepared can change the amount of calories it contains. It can also change the amount of trans fats it contains and frying is definitely guilty for doing both. See bellow the values for 100g of chicken (without the skin and bones) if fried, roast or stewed:

100g chicken = 288 kcal fried

100g chicken = 239 kcal roast

100g chicken = 209 kcal stewed

If you do the maths is pretty obvious that stewed will have the least calories, however, if not to your taste you can still roast or grill food and be as tasty. If you skip frying for majority of ingredients/meals then you could be well on your way of cutting 200 kcal daily (if not more).

6.  Opt for fresh food instead of processed food

Freshly prepared foods tend to be less calorific than processed foods. One main reason is that they usually contain loads of carbs and sugars, especially if they are in a sauce. Replace the frozen chicken nuggets with fresh chicken pieces. Ideally you want to skip the breadcrumbs as well but if you have too… Don’t forget to avoid deep frying it as well (see above).

7. Remove the skin of the chicken and the fat from meat

Chicken skin and fat in your steak can add extra calories. Yes it can be really tasty sometimes when all crispy but it will not do any favours to your waistline or your health. Try to buy lean meats or cuts where the fat is visible and remove majority of it. Do the same with bacon as well. It is a fair amount of calories there.

Review by: Hara Hagikalfa

Introduction

Handsome, male, young doctor?  Check! Eye catching cover? Check! Magical properties? Not very sure about that… Promises weight loss without fail? Of course!

One more well marketed book came in the weight loss world in 2010. The flex diet, as it is called, has been created by cardiologist Dr. James Beckerman, who also acts as an expert in WebMD. As with many other diets before it, it guarantees weight loss and a life change. In its essence the diet claims to provide 200 ways to lose 200 pounds.

The flex diet details

The flex diet is divided into 3 phases which are the ‘today’, the ‘every day’ and the ‘your way’.

The today phase lasts for 2 weeks and the main aim is introducing small changes. It essentially consists of a list of 30 ‘solutions’ which dieters can follow during those 2 weeks. Some of the solutions suggested in the ‘today’ phase are: keeping a diary, taking a multivitamin, getting more sleep, apples, grapes, close the kitchen after dinner, wear a pedometer, don’t use exercise as a punishment, try taking whey protein after exercise, blog, call your doctor, become someone’s coach, follow people who inspire you on twitter do calisthenics and so on.

The every day phase is about making every day changes in diet and lifestyle and lasts 3 weeks; according to the flex diet it takes 21 days for behaviours to become habits. Dr Beckerman recons that there are 5 senses of wellness and changes are meant to be made in each of the senses. The 5 senses are eat, drink, exercise, act, and live and the book provides lists of ‘solutions’ for each sense such as:

Eat - eat breakfast every day, avoid bagels, switch to a healthier cereal, use spreads sparingly, use microwave meals, eat tofu once a week, eat salad most days of the week,

Drink - limit alcohol to once a week, switch to skim, save your starbucks don’t drink fruit juices etc.

Exercise – curls, lateral raises, push ups, the fly, chair dips, split squats etc.

Act – walk after meals, walk your dog, etc

Live – read the labels, in restaurants ask questions, make your Mexican food healthier etc.

The your way phase for infinity and consists by more than 100 lifestyle changes and solutions for every day.  Like the ‘every day’ phase changes are made in the 5 senses of wellbeing.

The advice is to pick 2 solutions from every category to follow. If possible pick more solutions; however, the author explains that not all solutions are for everybody thus and it is a ‘flexible’ diet. Dieters are advised to make the diet and lifestyle changes as it suits them.

Something new? Something borrowed? Something blue?

Has the flex diet got anything new to offer? Well to be honest there is probably nothing you haven’t heard before. It is a collection of all the usual things which majority of weight loss professionals, doctors, nutritionists and so on, have said over and over again until they have turned blue in the face. Make lifestyle changes, follow a healthy diet, exercise and try to do it for life in a way that it fits your lifestyle. No doubt it is the right way to go, but is nothing new I would say.

The book does contain some valuable tips (or solutions as Dr Beckerman names them) which can help in achieving a healthier diet and lifestyle. However, that all it is. It does contain some recipes which dieters can use as a guide and also some workouts. I would not go as far as to call it a diet, but I would call it a weight loss tips guide. It does cost to buy and you could possibly get a lot of that information from a number of free weight loss/health/fitness websites, magazines, newspapers and so on.

To the point. Does the diet work?

The flex diet could be described as the cross between a self help book and a weight loss tips manual. Will it help you to lose weight? In theory if people make simple changes to their diet and life style should be on the right way in losing some weight. However, it feels as if the flex manual fails to see diet, lifestyle and behaviours as a whole one picture and suggests that a couple of remedies will solve all the problems. I would question if choosing 2 tips from each category and nothing else, will necessarily work in achieving weight loss (see example box).

The point I am trying to make is that weight loss is not as simple as choosing 10 random tips (2 from each category). Possibly, if you follow each and every one of the 200 tips in the book then you may see some results.

Each tip is explained and backed with scientific research; however a lot of the areas explained are seen in isolation. I would personally question the validity or effectiveness of some of the things he suggests, but overall there is nothing too extreme. Dr. Beckerman seems to not have taken into account the multiple and interrelated factors which can affect weight, metabolism, and behaviours. He does say ‘make the changes as its suit you’ but I wonder if just that is sufficient to account for individualism and individual needs.

Moreover, not all changes are health appropriate for all the people, not every exercise is safe for everybody (see example box 2) and also research cannot always be generalised.

The author does say inform your doctor as a tip in the 1^st phase and I could not stress enough the importance of seeking the appropriate professional’s advice. Certain people for example those of older age or those who are obese and/or morbidly obese, and those with specific health conditions may need more specialised advice than Dr. Beckerman’s 200 tips. The complexities involved with some specific populations may be they cannot be covered only by just 200 general tips.

Who is it for?

If you are looking for somewhere to start from and are none the wiser in filtering the plethora of tips and information from other sources then you will find the book helpful. Also if you belong in the category of people who don’t like to follow specific diets and are just looking for a couple of ways to make a few improvements, then you may find it helpful as well. If you use the flex manual as a supplement to a weight loss diet and implement a few changes which you feel comfortable with, that may work as well.

If you are looking for a specific diet then this book is probably not for you. If you still have the trampoline, the Wii-fit games, the hand weights or the fitness video sitting along with the last revolutionary diet you bought, well you can try some of the tips in the book and find those who suit you. On the other hand there may be a reason why none of the previous diet and life changes worked. A good start would be to find that reason.

The HCG diet has since been a controversial subject and although it is practiced in a number of clinics it is still not recognised by the FDA as safe. In this article we will look at what is the HCG, if safe and most of all does it work for weight loss?

The HCG diet explained

The HCG diet as practiced today is pretty much the same as the HCG diet Dr. Simeons introduced 57 years ago. There may be different variation of the diet available; however they are all based on the principles of Dr. Simeons. The original form of the diet consists of consuming a very low calorie diet of 500 kcal supplemented with low doses of HCG on a daily basis. The HCG can be taken via injection, orally (liquid or pills) and more recently is available as a transdermal (on the skin) cream.

The hormone used in the weight loss programs is usually laboratory produced from cell cultures and not harvested from pregnant women. In some diet protocols a homeopathic version may be used which can be taken in the form of a spray or drops.

The diet can be followed for a long period, and usually a 40 injection or a 15 kg weight loss limit is imposed at a time.

What can you eat with the HCG diet?

The 500 kcal food intake proposed with the diet can be quite strict. The original protocol devised by Dr. Simeons allows seasoning, tea, coffee and water. Also the ratios for the 500 kcal should come from approximately 200gr of fat-free protein and a very small amount of starch. A list of vegetables is allowed as is a specific list of fruit.

Some variations of the diet can be less strict; however they still do limit the food intake in 500 kcal per day. One of the popular protocols available is that devised by Kevin Tredeau. His protocol is divided into four phases. Kevin Trudeau’s protocol in general recommends organic food, plenty of herbal teas and some exercise and is a little bit less strict than the original protocol.

What is HCG?

HCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin hormone and is secreted during pregnancy from the fertilised embryo at first and then from the placenta. The role of HCG during pregnancy is to preserve the corpus luteum (the site in the ovaries where the egg has come from). The corpus luteum in return will secrete the hormone progesterone and oestrogen. It is also considered to be involved in the foetal production of testosterone, enhance corticosteroid production and suppress the mother’s immune reaction to the foetus. Some studies also suggest that HCG hormone in pregnancy is involved in conserving energy and fat deposition and is one of the mechanisms responsible for women gaining weight during pregnancy.

HCG is also used to treat some medical conditions and as a fertility treatment.

HCG and weight loss: the theory

• The theory behind the HCG is that the hormone plays a role in stimulating the hypothalamus (part of the brain). The hypothalamus which is related in controlling metabolism will then mobilise the fat from the fat stores of the body and make them available for use. Some of the clinics / theories support that the HCG diet will ‘reset’ the hypothalamus.
• The 500 kcal food intake is related in that the dieter does not need any more calories as the body will be using the fat which is released from the fat stores. Some studies have also suggested that HCG works in releasing fat when a low calorie intake (energy deficiency) is present.
• Dieters should expect to lose an average of 1 – 2 pounds of fat per day. The clinics support that it is healthy to lose that amount of weight per day as it all comes from fat and not from muscle. Exercise is sometimes recommended to guarantee fast weight loss, as is increasing vegetable and fibre intake.
• Dieters should be expected to feel hunger at the first few days but that will slowly stop. Supported on the theory that energy will be coming from the fat stores, dieters are advised that they will feel healthy and will report a feeling of wellbeing.
• HCG diet will ‘reset’ the hypothalamus and it will also help in making a change for the better in appetite. The eating behaviours adopted through the HCG diet will stay with the dieters even after they have finished. Exercise is recommended in order to maintain the weight loss.

HCG diet the facts and weight loss tips to take with you

• Most of Dr. Simeons theories come from observations he made himself through his practice. There are a few studies carried out in the 1960’s and ‘70’s however they have shown controversial results. More recent studies and reviews carried out in the effectiveness of HCG hormone in obesity and weight loss suggest that there is not enough scientific evidence to support that it actually works. More specifically they suggest that there is not enough scientific evidence to show that HCG causes weight loss, redistribution of fat, decreases hunger or that it induces a feeling of well-being.

• A study carried out in 2007 looked at the effects of HCG in vitro (in the direct cellular level rather than indirect measurements i.e. weight measurements, observations etc). Researchers found that HCG had no direct effect in the breakdown and mobilisation of fat from the tissues. They also suggested that HCG plays a role in conserving energy and may be an influencing factor in weight gain and fat deposition in pregnancy. One of the side effects included for use of HCG as a fertility drug is weight gain.

• One theory the above study suggested is that HCG may indirectly through other pathways stimulate growth hormone which can influence weight loss. An argument that can be made here is that, if weight loss is achieved through growth hormone stimulation and not directly from the HCG, then why not supplement with growth hormone instead and get the same results.

• Most clinics will argue that there aren’t any serious side effects or dangers with using HCG in the low dosages the diet suggests. Some of the people, who have reviewed HCG, suggest that some of the side effects include nausea, headaches, constipation, cramps, and trouble with sleeping.

• Supplementation of HCG is not approved by the FDA as a safe weight loss protocol.

• A lot of people will testify that it works and they will lose weight. With a 500 kcal food intake anybody would lose weight. That calorie intake would be borderline malnutrition and if you starve yourself for as long as the diet suggests no doubt you will lose a lot of weight. This is not miracle or magic cure. Even with metabolism slowing down, 500 kcal are hardly enough to cover for basic energy requirements. The energy you need to be alive let alone function has to come from somewhere, so your body will mobilise its stores, including fat, glycogen (sugar store) and protein.

• With such a low calorie regime you will not just lose weight, you will lose water and protein (in the form of muscle, enzymes etc). This is not recommended as healthy and can have negative effects to health.

• Another testimony that I have come across is that people must stick to the 500 kcal as even an alcoholic drink or the slightest of deviation will cause them to put on a couple of pound overnight. Well I will argue here that if HCG is such a miracle making weight loss cure a slight calorie deviation surely shouldn’t cause you to put on weight? With such a low calorie intake the body will try to reserve as much as possible. So if you give it a little bit of extra calories will think that it needs to save it as is hard times.

• Hunger will disappear after a few days. This is normal and observed in starvation as well. There are a number of things that happen in the body such as using ketone bodies (derived from break down of fat and protein) to make energy.

• If you are determined to follow the HCG diet regardless do try to do it in the safest of ways.

• Consult a medical professional. You could have an underlined medical condition that could be affected from HCG. In addition, the low calorie intake could affect your health. Do not follow if pregnant.

• I would not recommend following exercise through the diet. This is not something I would usually say, but such a low calorie intake coupled with exercise can place considerable amounts of stress to the body. Moreover, 500 kcal may not be sufficient energy intake to sustain the exercise requirements. If you are putting too much strain in your body can have detrimental effects to your well-being and health.

• Try buying the hormone or following the diet form a reputable source. Especially when purchasing from the internet, as you have no means to know what they are selling you. Prefilled injections could also be contaminated, not prepared under proper conditions and guidelines, and most of all the quality could be compromised. It is your body and it is your health. Make sure is safe.

• Give the healthy balanced diet coupled with exercise option a try. It may prove as effective and healthier.

HCG diet review by Hara Hagikalfa

Solely for the purposes of this article I will divide these diets into 2 categories. This is not a scientific division of diet regimes just an easy way of looking into them. One category includes the low calorie diets with or without a miracle nutritional aid and the other the nutritional and lifestyle modifying diets.

1. Low calorie diets and very low calorie diets (VLCD). With low calorie diets weight loss will be achieved if followed for a period of time. However, a lot of them tend to lack of essential nutrients, and they can result in the metabolism slowing down. Other adverse effects can include headaches, gastrointestinal complaints, tiredness and irritability. Needless to say that, such diets are not healthy especially if followed for long periods. Side effects can depend on the severity of the calorie restriction. Diets such as the HCG diet restrict the calories to 500 per day which is by far a healthy recommended calorie level.

Apart from the health issues which surround VLCDs, such diets, are hard to follow and after the initial few days the metabolism tends to slow down resulting in actually decreasing the rate in which weight is lost. Moreover, a lot of the weight lost does not come only from fat reserves but also from protein. The actual reserves of stored protein in the body are very small which means that large amount of the protein lost during radical calorie restrictions would come from enzymes, muscles, organs and tissues.

Fasting style diets and increased calorie restriction can influence thyroid and hormone functions. These diets can also be stressful for the body and/or increase the levels of stress.

Some studies indicate that in the case of obesity, very VLCDs are the best solution. However, it should be considered that in obesity the body has been adapted and used to a specific way of working. Any sudden and radical changes could be a huge shock for the body to cope. Such changes should be made under medical consultation and supervision.

2. Nutritional and lifestyle modifying diets. Through the years the trends in modifying everyday diets has shifted from high carb – low fat to high protein diets. Although it must be noted that high protein diets are not a new thing and some of them date back in the 70s, and some of them such as the Atkins diet, tend to come in and out of popularity.

More and more studies suggest that high protein diets can have favourable results in weight loss and health. However, a lot of the diets can be restrictive in the vegetable intake or not include a wide variety of nutrients. In addition, when moving from a high carb to an extremely low carbohydrate diet, the body can take up to 2 weeks to adjust. During that period of adjustment, adverse effects can include tiredness, carb craving, mood changes, constipation, and irritability. In addition, intake of vegetables and fruit is highly recommended for better health outcomes.

One could argue that making a whole diet and lifestyle change it is a better option than short fix diets. That could be true, as long as the diet modifications do have better health outcomes and are a diet that an individual is happy with. If happy with the diet there are more chances to adhere with it.

10 Diet tips to identify which quick weight loss diets work?

Bellow I have summarised some diet tips about quick weight loss diets to help you navigate through them.

1. To my knowledge there is not such a thing as miracle food, food aid or diet which will break the rules of nature. Weight loss is a very lucrative business and there are a lot of diets which aim in you spending money or advertising a specific product.

2. The first week of dieting you will not lose significant measurable amount of fat and it will mostly be water. Fact

3. Therefore, a lot of the VLCDs which are design for a small period of time i.e. 2days-1week will not actually lead to significant fat reductions. Once you stop following these diets the weight will be gained back as most of it was just water.

4. You should not follow VLCDs for long periods as the health effects can be serious.

5. If you have any health conditions or concerns, always consult a health professional.

6. It is best when modifying your diet to do it gradually to allow for your body to adjust and avoid adverse effects such as mood changes, cravings, and constipation.

7. If following a higher protein diet increase your water and liquid intake as high protein can increase the water loss.

7. The best and most efficient way to speed up weight loss is with exercise. Opt for a mixture between aerobic and strength exercise. You don’t have to join the gym or torture yourself, sometimes simple everyday activities such as walking, cycling and cleaning the house can be as good.

8. Always look at the credentials of a diet. Just because it carries the name of a doctor it doesn’t necessarily make it healthy or safe. A lot of the diets regimes in circulation do not have good quality research to back them up in terms of results and safety.

In addition, just because the celebrity world or the stars follow one regime doesn’t mean is healthy, or even results in sustainable weight loss. Celebrities have the time, the personal assistants, and cooks, trainers and so on to help them lose weight and sustain it. Moreover, celebrities can suffer from adverse effects and health conditions as a result of their dieting even if it’s not made public. Most importantly they have airbrushing and photo manipulation, there is a whole different world out there in the naked eye…

9. With VLVCDs is almost guaranteed that the weight will be re-gained. The best way to sustain weight loss is to change lifestyle and follow a healthy and balanced diet in general. You can lose weight with a radical diet but as soon as you go back to old eating habits the weight will come back. There was a reason why you put on the weight in the first place. Changing those habits is a lot more effective than yo-yoing in kilos.

10. You could probably achieve similar results with just moderately decreasing your calorie intake, decreasing fat, and carb intake and increasing exercise. Then just follow a reasonable healthy and balanced diet to sustain the weight loss.

Many people are confused about the use of protein in weight loss. What is the role of protein in losing weight? What are proteins, why they are important and how they can affect our weight loss efforts?

In one of our previous articles we talked about carbohydrates and weight loss and provided 4 diet tips for the role of carbs in any diet. In this article we will focus more on protein and try to explain why protein is necessary for a healthy weight loss.

What are proteins?

Proteins are usually known to be found in animal products such as meat, fish, cheese, eggs, yogurt etc. They are also found in tofu and soya products, and in smaller amounts in legumes. Proteins can be divided into essentials (can only get them from food) and non-essentials (can make them in our body). The quality of the protein we eat is very important as regardless of the amount of protein we consume if it lacks of essential proteins it could have negative effects to health.

Why are proteins important?

Proteins are essential for our body in all levels. We need them to build muscle, hormones, and enzymes, used for the immune system, bone tissue, organs and the list goes on and on. Protein is the last resort the body will use as fuel as it is very important for the body and will try to preserve it as much as it can. Protein is not stored as such as all protein in the body is active and in working component.

Protein and diet

Protein and weight loss

It was very much believed that high consumption of protein could lead to kidney disease and liver disease. However, some recent studies indicate that although high protein intake makes the kidneys work harder, it does not necessarily lead to kidney disease in healthy humans. In general, research has not clearly shown that too much protein has adverse effects for health whereas too little protein can have fatal effects.

Protein has the effect to make you feel fuller for longer, which in effect can help curb the snacks and have one more benefit in weight loss.

4 Essential Diet Tips

1. Quality can be vital. Quality of protein is determined by how easy can it be digested and how many of the essential amino acids (they make proteins up) they have. Some plant proteins are hard to digest and are incomplete. Combinations of foods provide the best solution. Diet should include a large variety of foods both from animal and plant sources.

2. Balance nutrients. Very high protein diets are usually recommended for athletes but not for everybody. Balanced diets in which protein, carbohydrates and fat are in equal or near equal amounts are usually the most recommended.

3. If you have any health problems, especially related to kidney dysfunctions and high cholesterol consult a medical professional before taking on any diet.

4. Increase water intake. Increasing the protein intake can lead to dehydration. Increasing water intake will help both the kidneys and avoid dehydration.

Carbohydrates (carbs) have been the subject in a number of debates in the world of healthy nutrition and weight loss. A lot of people may have heard or read on food labels about ‘low/high glycemic index’ (GI) or ‘glycemic load (GL)’ or may have read about ‘refined carbs’. What do all these terms mean and how do you find your way when making healthy nutrition choices?

This article will look into carbohydrates and how they are processed in the body. It will provide tips and suggestions on how to optimise what to eat in achieving weight loss and optimizing health.

What are carbohydrates?

As with fats and protein, carbohydrates belong in the category of the macronutrients. In their chemical structure (in simple terms) they are sugars, some more complex and some simple (based on their chemical structure). So when people refer to carbohydrates they refer to foods such as bread, pasta, vegetables, potatoes, cereal and grains and obviously sweets and sugar. Some carbohydrate based foods such as bread, chocolate and potatoes are high energy density foods (contain a lot of calories) and others such as vegetable are low density foods, but also contain a smaller amount of carbohydrates.

How do they work in the body?

Carbohydrates and Weight loss

When we have a meal which contains high amount of carbs, the sugar levels in the blood increase. In response to increased blood sugar the pancreas (organ of the body) secretes a hormone called insulin which main role is to facilitate the taking up of sugars from the blood and storing it in the body. Carbohydrates are often described according to their GL and/or GI.

Glycemic Index: Is a measure of the blood glucose response to the carbohydrate.

Glycemic Load: Is a measure which includes both the amount of the portion and the GI of the carbohydrates. It combines both quantity and quality of the carbohydrates.

Carbs and health

With diets high in carbs the insulin levels increase accordingly. When the cells are chronically stimulated by high levels of insulin they can become less sensitive to the effects of insulin. This can lead to what is known as insulin resistance and has been linked the onset of diabetes (explained in simple terms).

It must be said though that carbs as with everything else are needed for the body. Again the word to say here is in moderation. Some studies suggest that women may need them more than men. Women who are in very low carbohydrate diet appear to be more susceptible to developing mental health problems such as depression. Men are quite the opposite, and they seem to do better in very low carbohydrate diets.

Carbs and exercise

Carbohydrates are quite essential for exercise especially for aerobic exercise. Things like running, swimming, cycling are examples of aerobic exercise. The body does need some crabs as fuel during this type of exercise so it is important if you are following exercise regimes to make sure you are consuming an appropriate amount. What consists of an appropriate amount will depend on the kind, the duration and the intensity of exercise.

A few diet tips to keep in mind for carbohydrates and weight loss:

1. The body will use sugars as its preferred fuel for energy, because it is easy to use. Therefore, in diets high in carbs the body will use the carbs over the fat.

2. Some of the excess calories consumed in the form of carbs, will be stored as fat.

3. Carbohydrates can make you feel hungry. How does this work? Well as mentioned above when eating carbs the blood sugar levels increase and so the insulin levels. Once the blood sugar levels fall after they have been stored in the body for later, and insulin decreases again, the body picks that up and signals that it needs more sugar. If we do not eat, the system will slowly mobilise its reserves for use. However, in the process we feel hungry again as our body tells us that we need more energy.

4. The yo-yo style sugar and insulin levels can affect mood and make you feel irritable. A lot of people will say that ‘if I don’t eat I feel I will drop’. Such an effect is not very good for wellbeing but also it will make it hard to stick to a diet regime at it can make you feel desperate for food. A common trend in dieting is that we should eat a lot of small meals. That does make sense when the diet is high in carbs for the reasons mentioned above. However, some researchers have argued that we need periods of fasting and periods of eating.

Her pediatrician has recommended to my sister to stop giving her sugary or fattening foods because of her weight. When she eats she shovels food in her mouth and barely chews! I'm always afraid she's going to choke! She gags on her food occassionally. She ALWAYS wants to eat. She will whine for long periods of time when she is told no.

How do I or should I talk to my sister about this. Diabetes and heart disease run on BOTH sides of our family. My niece's father (my sisters' boyfriend) is actually a diabetic. I worry about her health and her future. Could she have an "eating disorder" brought on by my sister and my mother always giving and comforting her with food?