Are you frustrated with your latest weight-loss attempt? Do you regularly work out and eat healthy only to watch the numbers on the scale slowly climb or remain at a standstill? If so, rest assured, you are not alone.
Currently, millions of North Americans are on a multitude of weight loss programs with one goal in mind -- to achieve their ideal body. High protein, low protein, Atkins, South Beach, you name it -- people are throwing up their hands in nutritional bewilderment trying to make sense of it all.
The tricks of the nutritional trade
Unfortunately, not only is yo-yo dieting expensive and frustrating, the continual gaining and losing of weight slows down metabolic function making future weight loss attempts even harder. If you've had a hard time losing weight or have trouble keeping it off, you just may be sabotaging your weight loss attempts without even realizing it. In addition to eating the proper types of foods, such as whole grains, lean proteins and essential fats, there are specific behavioural approaches to eating that are critical components of losing weight.
The "tricks of the nutritional trade" to stop sabotaging your diet and look -- and feel -- your best include:
1. Stop eating by 7 p.m.
As the lights go down, so does your metabolic activity. Many people do most of their munching in the evening, which is a one-way ticket to weight gain. When you stop eating after dinner, you allow your body to have a daily "mini-fast" that helps you to lose weight, optimize digestion and flatten your tummy. Make breakfast and lunch your larger meals of the day and eat a reasonably sized dinner consisting of protein (chicken, fish, eggs, soy) and low glycemic carbohydrates (whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits).
2. Don't skip breakfast
Research shows that breakfast-skippers tend to be more overweight than their counterparts who have morning meals. Even if you do not feel hungry in the morning, try to eat a protein shake, an egg-white omelet or whole-grain toast with a low-fat cream cheese spread.
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