Making healthy food choices
In general, our bodies are made up of about 2/3 water (about 60%). But, in actuality, different people have different percentages of their bodies made up of water.
“Babies have the most, being born at about 78% water. By one year of age, that amount drops to about 65%.”
In adult men, about 60% of their bodies are water. However, fat tissue does not hold as much water as lean tissue (and men have more lean tissue than women). Thus, since fat makes up more of the female body, their bodies are made up of less water, or about 55%. Fat men also have less water (percentage) than thin men.
“In general, the higher the percentage fat tissue an individual has, the lower the percentage total water content in the body.”
Rule of thumb for discrepancies in percentage water in the human body:
1) Babies and kids have a higher percentage body water than adults.
2) Women have a lower percentage body water than men (due to having more fat tissue).
3) The more fat tissue someone has, the less percentage body water and vice versa.
Successful weight loss means making small changes toward a healthy lifestyle. Make sure your weight loss plan is right for you.
Ask yourself these questions; does it include:
• Foods from all ‘food groups’ and sub-categories?
• At least the minimum number of servings from each group?
• Foods you will enjoy eating for the rest of your life (it should not be a ‘short-term’ fix.
• Foods you can buy at the supermarket?
• Some of your favorite foods?
• Foods that fit your budget and lifestyle?
• Regular physical activity or exercise?
If the answer is “yes” to all the questions, your weight loss plan may be right for you.
Though not a comprehensive ‘how-to’ tutorial…these tips are important when beginning or resuming a low-calorie diet. Use them to help you achieve your weight loss goals.
1) Be Realistic. If weight loss is your goal, don’t set yourself up for disappointment or health problems by setting unrealistic goals. This should be a positive experience, so start with small, achievable goals. For lasting weight control, aim to lose no more than two pounds per week.
Crash dieting is bad for you! Among other things, it will ultimately slow down your metabolism, making it difficult to shed pounds as your body typically goes into preservation or ‘starvation’ mode when you don’t consume enough food. A low-calorie diet that dips below 1,200 calories daily is too low!
2) Clean out your kitchen/pantry! High calorie leftovers and goodies such as cookies, cakes, full-fat cheeses and other full-fat dairy products should be tossed out! Cast out seasonal candies and treats, too. Replace them with wholesome, fresh, unprocessed naturally low-calorie foods. Remember, you can only prepare and eat the foods you have readily available. You can’t polish off a package of cookies if they aren’t there!
3) Restock your refrigerator and pantry with healthy, wholesome ingredients. Start fresh and new. Substitute low-calorie and light products for their high calorie counterparts. Buy whole grain pastas, breads, and cereals; and keep plenty of seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables on hand.
4) Slowly cut back on excess calories. Start by monitoring your portion sizes. Portions (and plates) have grown so much that we don’t recognize what a standard serving is or looks like anymore.
Always read nutrition fact panels as food packages often contain two servings but the nutritional analysis label refers to one serving. Become familiar enough with standard serving sizes to be able to ‘eyeball it’ and use smaller plates for meals. Remember, by definition, low-calorie foods offer 40 calories per serving.
5) Minimize your fat and junk food intake. Doing this can and will drastically decrease the amount of calories you take in. Why? Each gram of fat equals 9 calories, whereas each gram of protein or carbohydrate equals 4 calories (less than half). Also cut back on “empty” calories. Refer to what are empty calories for more information. Small changes make a big difference. Swap your 12 ounce can of soda with sparkling water (which is not low-calorie but is actually calorie-free!) and you’ve just lost 1 pound per month!
6) Always eat breakfast. Wait – put down those pastries! Consuming a healthy low-calorie breakfast jump starts your metabolism and sustains you until lunchtime, keeping your blood sugar steady. Ninety-five percent of those that are most successful at losing weight are breakfast eaters. In addition, noshing on a nutritious low-calorie breakfast gives you the opportunity to start the day right, filling up on premium fuel, such as vitamin & mineral-rich whole grains, low/non-fat dairy products, and fresh fruit.
Now you are ready to begin/resume your low-calorie diet!
There are two primary types of dietary fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibers are the fibers that bind dietary cholesterol and carry it out of the body as well as help to stabilize blood sugar by slowing the release of sugar into your bloodstream. Soluble fiber-rich foods include oatmeal, oat bran, flaxseeds, beans, strawberries, psyllium seed and fruit pectin (citrus fruits, apples).
Insoluble fibers provide roughage that speeds the elimination of feces, decreasing the time that the body is exposed to harmful substances. Normal transit time is health-promoting because environmental and dietary toxins have less time to come in contact with the colon lining and therefore have less of a chance to be reabsorbed into your blood stream. Insoluble fiber is found in wheat bran, whole grain products, brown rice, nuts and in cellulose’s from vegetables and fruits.
Therefore, a fiber-rich diet (> 25 grams) can help prevent constipation, and may decrease the risk of developing diseases of the colon, including colon cancer. Dietary fiber may also help protect against diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
When you think cardio equipment for your home gym/home fitness routine, you likely think treadmill, elliptical machine and/or stationary bicycle. While these are all great picks and will allow you to get an effective heart-pumping workout, their are limits. These cardio machines, particularly the highest quality picks, are often expensive, don’t provide a full-body workout, take up a great deal of space and require maintenance that can be a headache. Have you ever considered a home rowing machine? If not, why? Do you see (and use) them at the gym? Rowing machines are under-estimated as an excellent cardio option and considered to be ‘out of style.’ Think twice before you dismiss rowers as an alternative to your treadmill workout. Before you buy: set a budget to narrow the price range.
You should set a budget no lower than $650. Choose an air rower that uses wind-resistance. These machines are more fluid and feel more natural than hydraulic-resistance rowers. Do your research by reading online customer reviews and visiting expert exercise equipment sites. Look for sales and plan to make your purchase in January (when there are huge sales).
