Once upon a time I was counting them. I knew how much each food had. I was eating only according to calories. I was measuring everything, then calculating some more. Two years later I was so sick of it I didn't want to hear about counting anymore.
When you count stuff - points or calories - you feel your life is all too planned. You have no freedom anymore.
I am not saying be ignorant about what each food contains. I am saying: don't count like a maniac. You will eventually get bored of counting calories and that's when bad things start to happen. Instead, learn what you should eat and what you shouldn't. Learn to aproximate the value of each food.
For example, you should know:
3 oz. chicken breast, only meat, boiled or roaster- 140 calories; fried - 220 calories.
3 oz. chicken leg, only meat, boiled or roasted - 180;
3 oz. pork - in between 140 and 360 calories;
3 oz veal - 80 - 300 calories;
3 oz fish - min. 60;
1 boiled egg - about 75 calories;
1 oz cheese - 70 - 200 calories;
and so on.
You should keep in mind though:
lean meat or chicken is better than the fat one => go for the breast or the loin or tenderloin;
white cheese is better than processed cheese;
roasted and boiled is better than fried;
yogurt can replace heavy cream or cream;
dry beans and peas have more calories than the green ones;
rye bread is the best kind of bread to eat;
vanilla ice-cream has less calories than chocolate ice-cream;
chocolate for diabetics is still rich in calories because of its cocoa content : 3 oz of unsweetend cocoa powder has in between 200 and 400 calories;
dry fruits have a lot more calories than fresh fruits.
Don't replace the sugar with artificial sweeteners because they are not healthy. Learn to drink your tea without sugar: in one week you will learn to appreciate the flavor of the tea, not the sweetness.
If you like your coffee sweet, start reducing the sugar you use little by little. You will like it better in the end. If you use sugar, use the brown sugar not the white one, for the brown sugar has more minerals and it's healthier.
However, do not get stuck with counting calories - try to separate food, as I said before. It helps.
Everyone knows that you need to eat fiber; it keeps your body healthy and it helps you get rid of fat and indirectly, it reduces cellulite.
Before eating lots of fiber I have to warn you about... farting. Sounds funny? Well, everything comes with a cost. You want to stay pretty and healthy, you also need to fart. Ok, I'm half kidding. If you start your high-fiber diet slowly, you won't have surprises.
What can fiber do for you?
It can make you feel full a lot faster. Also, it takes calories to burn food that contain high fiber. On its way out, it drags some of the fat after it. It lowers cholesterol.
You should increase your intake from 14g of fiber to 30g. Middle Eastern countries and African countries eat even 50g a day.
Foods that contain high fiber are:
bran cereal - I would also suggest you be careful not to exagerate with them and to start putting on weight instead of losing! Therefore, read my previous post on separating food - Food Combining to Lose Weight;
beans, peas;
spinach;
cabbage;
whole green beans;
brussels sprouts;
carrots;
potatoes;
apples;
oranges;
rice;
pear;
raw celery;
cauliflower;
melons, etc.
All vegetables have fiber to some extent. So do fruits. So have plenty of them and stay healthy and fit. Even lose weight.
There are certain foods that will make you hungry even after you eat them.
Some foods have a high glycemic "index" that causes a high increase in blood sugar, which causes the body to produce insulin, leading to drop in blood sugar. And that's when you feel hungry again.
As an example, take a chocolate bar, eat it, and a bit later you will not only need something to help you get rid of hunger, but also something sweet again. It's a vicious circle. So, if you want to lose weight and not feel hungry, try to start your mornings with good food that won't increase your hunger. However, do not skip breakfast!
Examples of foods with high glycemic "index" are white bread, cereals, white rice, bananas, baked potatoes, etc. They release glucose fast in your blood. On the other hand, beans, lentils, and whole-grains will do it slower.
On the other hand, you have to look at the satiety level after eating. Some food makes you feel full so you won't want to eat again in two hours. Potatoes are one of these foods. Even though they increase the blood sugar, the feeling of fullness they give will stop you from eating again too soon. Other similar foods are those having high fiber and nutrients:
baked potatoes;
corn flour;
brown rice;
whole grain cereals;
who grains;
fruits;
vegetables.
To give you an example: don't you feel fuller after a very large salad than after rice and meat?
Losing weight and staying healthy is easy, when you care. Forget famishing yourself: there are other ways.
Since I was 15 I've been obsessed with healthy diets, losing weight, sports, and everything included. I read books after books and I collected articles on staying fit and healthy. Even now, 12 years later, I am still reading everything I find on the subject.
I will share with you, step by step, everything I know. Free advice.
About Me
Name: Andreea Home: Bucharest, Romania About Me: Post graduate student, happily married, who has found the perfect job in a perfect company. :) See my complete profile
