Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Women Get Your Bodies Back

   No, success in dieting for fat loss for many women who want to lose weight is often more dependent on filling the need to satisfy the taste buds, calm the mental battle that deals with the thought of deprivation, boredom, habits, and so many other little things.

  
   Calories in, calories out. We’ve been told that dropping pounds or maintaining our weight rests solely on this simple equation. Wrong! “In reality, not all calories are created equal,” says dietitian Ashley Koff, RD, a coauthor of Mom Energy and a FITNESS advisory board member. “Quality is just as important as quantity.” Here’s why: Munching two 100-calorie packs of cookies for your midmorning snack gives you a total of two to three servings, or about 36 grams of carbs, and very little protein. Your body uses just 15 to 20 of those grams of carbs for energy, and unless you’re highly active, it will probably store the rest, Koff explains. As a result, you end up gaining weight rather than losing it.
    Stop the calorie obsession and focus more on balancing your nutrients. “Every time you eat, aim for ­unlimited amounts of nonstarchy vegetables and one serving each of carbs — whole grains, fruits, or starchy vegetables, like carrots and corn — protein, and healthy fat,” Koff says. Consuming foods in every category gives your body a steady supply of energy all day with no fattening side effects. So instead of cookies for your prelunch snack, nosh on an apple and some nuts or vegetables and a little dip made from low-fat Greek yogurt.
 
  
    Some of us have done away with breakfast, lunch, and dinner in favor of the six small meals many experts tout as the key to staving off hunger and losing weight. But this strategy can easily backfire if small meals creep into traditional-size ones or turn into all-day snacking. The trouble is, when you’re nibbling a little bit here and there, it’s hard to keep track of how much you’re putting away. “Plus if you’re not getting full at any given time, it sets you up to consume even more overall. There’s something psychologically and physically satisfying about eating a complete meal and having that truly full feeling rather than just taking the edge off your appetite every hour or two,” says Marjorie Nolan, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. At meals, it’s typical to have several different dishes, but grazers may munch on just one thing, like pretzels. That means you can down a whole bag and still walk away unsatisfied, Nolan explains.
Instead of picking at food all day, shoot for three meals and two snacks or five mini meals. Be sure to combine a few tastes and textures at each sitting, like carrot sticks and whole wheat crackers dipped in hummus, or half a sandwich. Plan small meals in advance so you aren’t tempted by — or stuck with — whatever open bag happens to be within reach. And write down what you eat so you keep tabs on just how much you’re consuming.

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