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Filling Food to Speed Weight Loss

Filling Food to Speed Weight Loss Learn which foods fight hunger by keeping you feeling full longer. Pros and Cons of Protein The Benefits of Eating Whole Grains By Madeline Vann, MPH Medically reviewed by Christine Wilmsen Craig, MD Get the latest health facts, tips, and advice. @EverydayHealth It's the dieter's worst enemy — that gnawing hunger when you're trying to eat less and lose weight. But fighting off those feelings of hunger could be as simple as a walk to the nearest soup and salad bar for lunch. Here's how you can make food choices that will keep you feeling full and help prevent the hunger pangs that lead to diet-busting snacks or binges. Food Strategies For Losing Weight If you want to feel full all day on less food, focus on these eating strategies: Get enough lean protein and fiber. A study of 22 men who changed the amount of protein in their diets for 18-day periods showed that those who ate the least protein were the most likely to report being hungry. "Protein is the number one thing to help you feel full," says Emily Banes, RD, clinical dietitian at Houston Northwest Medical Center. "The second thing is fiber." Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables. Researchers tracked the weight-loss success of 71 obese women between 20 and 60 years of age on a low-fat diet. Half of the women were also told to increase their fruit and vegetable intake. At the end of one year, both groups of women had lost weight, but the women who ate the most fruits and veggies reported the greatest weight loss and were less likely to say they felt hungry on any given day. In fact, when the researchers crunched the data, they found that whether the women reported feeling hungry frequently predicted their ability to lose weight. Other studies have shown that changing your eating habits to focus on these water- and fiber-rich foods will help you maintain weight loss for up to six years. Sip soup. Adding two low-calorie soups to your diet every day could stave off hunger pangs and keep you satisfied longer. Choose soups that are broth-based, not cream-based, to reduce the calorie count; also look for soups that are low in sodium. Consider chunky, pureed vegetable soups, as they have been shown to produce the most lasting full feeling. Timing your soup so that you have it before a meal also reduces the amount you eat at that meal by about 20 percent, according to a study of 53 overweight adults. Eat whole grains. A serving of whole grains will stick with you longer than a serving of refined wheat bread or any other refined flour product, for that matter. Most refined flour is white and often bleached. Pick "airy" snacks. If you must snack and you don't have a piece of fruit or a veggie tray on hand, choose the snack food that has more air in it — think cheese puffs instead of potato chips, rice cakes instead of cookies. You will feel just as full as you would if you ate the same serving size of another snack, but you will consume fewer calories on average. Another way to fight off hunger is to develop a "low-energy density" eating plan. This means that you can eat a large quantity of foods that do not have a high calorie count. Learning about portion sizes and counting calories is one way to approach this, but you can also try the plate method, which dictates that half your plate be full of veggies, one-quarter dedicated to a starch (preferably whole grain), and one-quarter to a lean protein. And speaking of plates, it's worth noting that a study of 45 adults demonstrated that the oft-repeated advice to eat on a smaller plate if you want to feel like you have more food in front of you actually has no effect on the amount you eat at a meal (if you are serving yourself) or your feeling of being full. So, if you prefer, you can go back to eating on your good china — just make sure to emphasize lean proteins, fruits, and veggies. Learn more in the Everyday Health Weight Center.

How to Reach Your Weight-Loss Goa

How to Reach Your Weight-Loss Goal, Step by Step Want to lose weight and keep it off? Follow these tried-and-true strategies for a weight loss plan that works. By Regina Boyle Wheeler Medically reviewed by Cynthia Haines, MD Many people look for a fresh start by resolving to lose weight. If you make that promise time after time but find yourself unable to make true progress, you’re far from alone. A major reason why people abandon their weight-loss goal is because their goals are too big and their expectations are unrealistic, says Michael Zemel, PhD, professor emeritus and former director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Changing your lifestyle is often easier said than done. Dr. Zemel says that people often resolve to go to the gym every day or change their diet completely, and when they can’t do it, they feel like failures and throw in the towel. Many people lead hectic lives, and that healthy meal you envision eating for lunch or dinner may be reduced to finding what’s in the vending machine or going through the fast food drive-thru. “Life can get in the way of your best intentions,” Zemel says. How to lose weight involves more than a vague dream and a refrigerator full of diet foods. To make your weight loss plan a winner this year, use this step-by-step plan as your diet road map: #1 Step to Lose Weight: Set Realistic Weight-Loss Goals Erika Anderson, a grant writer in the foundation department at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, says she tried and failed at losing weight many times because her goals were too ambitious. But in January 2010, she decided to go about weight loss with a different approach. Erika joined Weight Watchers and learned how to lose weight gradually using diet and exercise. “This time, I set small goals — five pounds at a time,” she says. Each five-pound increment took her about two weeks or sometimes longer to lose. “At Weight Watchers, you get a star every time you lose five pounds. I remember getting my first star and thinking about how many more I had to go. But those five pounds add up little by little,” Anderson says. So far, she has dropped 120 pounds and blogs about her weight-loss journey. “If I had set out to lose more than 100 pounds, I definitely would’ve quit. That’s way too overwhelming, but five pounds at a time is doable.” Zemel says setting attainable goals will help you feel successful and motivated to keep going. Plus, you can see results in the mirror, and your clothes will start to fit better. #2 Step to Lose Weight: It’s the Little Things That Count Making small changes can add up to big results over time. Since drastic lifestyle changes often don’t work, find one aspect of your diet that you can change fairly easily. For example, instead of ordering large fries at lunch, opt for the medium or small size, Zemel suggests. Find little ways to work extra physical activity into your day, too. Take the stairs instead of the elevator and find the farthest parking spot at the mall or office lot. When talking on the phone, get up and walk around instead of sitting. #3 Step to Lose Weight: Be Accountable to Yourself Monitor your behavior to see where you can make improvements. Smartphone apps can help, Zemel says, such as using a free pedometer app that will count your steps in a day. A good weekly goal is to add 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day with an ultimate goal of 10,000 steps each day, which is equivalent to about 5 miles. Using a pedometer can also help you realize how sedentary you may be during the day. Be mindful of what you eat as well. Take a mental note or, better yet, use a food diary, to keep track of exactly what you’re eating. You may not realize that you’re dipping into a bowl of mints every night as you watch your favorite TV shows. When you realize how you could be sabotaging your weight-loss goals, you can change your behavior, Zemel says. #4 Step to Lose Weight: Find Support Anderson says that writing her blog and getting support from her co-workers helped her stick to her weight-loss plan. “The blog saved my life,” she says. Before her weight loss, Anderson says she was a compulsive overeater who used food as her “drug” of choice to cope with the death of her mother. You can easily build your own support network to strengthen your weight-loss challenges: The social network. Posting progress and getting encouraging words from friends on your Facebook or Twitter network can keep you motivated. A buddy. A diet or exercise partner can help you stick to your weight-loss plan. Anderson says her exercise buddy helped keep her going during summer boot camp sessions that began at 5:30 am. Your family. Family support can make or break your weight-loss goals. If a spouse is not behind your efforts, dropping pounds can be very difficult, Zemel says. Explain your goals and get them to rally behind you. Reward yourself. Find non-food ways to reward yourself. Zemel suggests splurging on a new, slimmer outfit when you reach a milestone. #5 Step to Lose Weight: Measure Progress Carefully Be prepared to hit some weight-loss plateaus, but don’t be tempted to try a crash diet to jump-start more weight loss, Zemel says. This can cause your body to resist, slowing your metabolism and making weight loss even harder. “There were times when I got really frustrated because the scale wasn’t moving, but I was never willing to give up,” Anderson says. “Eventually, that perseverance moved the scale.” In addition, Zemel says that the numbers on the scale don’t always measure progress accurately. As you get fitter, lean muscle will replace fat, but your weight may stay the same. Focus on the way your clothes feel — if they fit better or are getting looser, your weight-loss plan is headed in the right direction. Anderson says when she starts to veer off track, she recalls when she was heavy and felt far older than her 38 years. “I walked around like I was 70 years old, and I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired,” she says. She also keeps her “before” picture close at hand to remind her of just how far she’s come. Last Updated: 12/28/2012 This section created and produced exclusively by the editorial staff of EverydayHealth.com. © 2013 EverydayHealth.com; all rights reserved.

Richard Bach Quotes

Moving From Fear to Love

Moving From Fear to Love: Balancing the Mind and Heart By Gillian B (Follow on Facebook) I once heard the great expression, "Darkness cannot survive in the presence of Light". Let's examine the elements of this expression to take a better look at the worlds within, i.e., our mental and spiritual worlds. From the Mind In terms of the mind, darkness represents ego-driven thoughts and feeling that are primarily fear-based. These can be feelings of shame, guilt and anger with one's self or others. In today's Western world, one's mind is overrun by a voice that pushes judgment, comparison, competition and feelings of being better or worse than others. We have all experienced it. This voice is our ego. It is responsible for how we perceive ourselves in the world around us and can cause an awful lot of trouble if we don't learn how to live harmoniously with it. The ego has a way of making us believe that we are inadequate and unworthy of acceptance or love from ourselves and others. The ego emphasizes contrast and duality, which is appropriate when you look at the anatomy of its source, the mind. The brain has two distinct hemispheres, two different energies and modalities. From the Heart On the opposite side of the spectrum we have light, our natural state, which represents nourishing, love-based thoughts and feelings. These feelings originate from the heart, which like its anatomy, represents oneness and unity. When we live from the heart or from love, we feel appreciated, accepted and connected. We see the world with love in our eyes and we treat everyone they way we wish to be treated, with kindness, compassion and forgiveness. Simply put, these heartfelt thoughts and emotions create a happy, healthy environment and it is therefore important for us to invite more loving thoughts and feelings into our experience.

Become a Better Health Model and a better YOU!

Become a Better Health Model Here are simple things you can do to help yourself and set a good example for others: Make gradual changes. Drink one more glass of water every day. Walk 10 minutes longer every week. Cut down one less indulgent food or drink every week. Balance bad habits with good ones. Watch TV while you’re on the treadmill. And don’t go cold turkey on your favorite foods—it’s ok to have an occasional treat. You’ll be more likely to stick to your commitment if you don’t feel that you are depriving yourself. Start walking. Take the stairs instead of the escalator. Park at the back of the parking lot and walk instead of cruising for the closest spot. Drink more water and less soda. You can’t expect your kids to cut back on soda if you won’t. Listen to when you’re full. Ban the “clean your plate” rule. Push your plate away when you’re no longer hungry; don’t eat until you’re stuffed. An adult’s stomach is the size of a loosely clenched fist, so it doesn’t take much food to fill it. Grocery shop on a full stomach. It really helps prevent buying unhealthy snacks on an impulse. Slow down! It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain you’ve been fed. By slowing down your eating, your brain will realize you are fuller sooner and you won’t eat as much. Try little tricks to slow yourself down, such as putting your fork down between every bite. Be positive. Don’t talk about your weight or put yourself down in front of your kids. You don’t want them to think that a healthy lifestyle is only about how much they weigh. And try not to complain about how much you may dislike exercising or eating healthy foods—your kids will hear you. Focus on the why as well as the how. Knowing why being healthy is important will lead to meaningful change. When you learn something new or a little tip that works for you, share it with the family. Set a good example and watch your home become a healthier and happier place.

Is Finland's school system as good as the tests indicate?

Is Finland's school system as good as the tests indicate?