Calorie counting done the right way

You and I know that losing fat and staying in great shape is a difficult task because it is so hard to stay motivated and it is so tempting to cheat, especially when you can hide the cheating. We dieters have all been in a starving situation when dieting and our mind reasons very quickly why that extra piece of pie is not going to hurt us. We take it, forget about it and then wonder next day why we didn’t lose weight.

For most of us dieting is a constant battle between emotion and reason and when hungry, reason is out of the window and emotion just wins. We do not see the immediate effects of our behavior and therefore our brain is fooled into thinking that everything is all right. On the other hand, let’s say you would get very sick when eating more than you need, overeating would stop very quickly.

Getting sick after a little bit of overeating does normally not happen therefore we need to find a different way to show the consequences of our behavior. We need to show this in a factual manner, an immediate visual display of the results of our cheating. It is not punishment right away, but over time our brain will be conditioned such that taking an extra piece of pie will give negative weight loss results. Then we will start to understand why we don’t lose weight and can pinpoint the causes.

What should this visual display look like? First I like charts, they are very easy to understand and can show trends and correlations between variables. In this chart I would like to see over a period of time, the average calories that I take in per day compared with the average calories that I burn per day. If the chart shows that the intake calories are lower than the burned calories, I will lose weight and vice versa I will gain weight. Correlate that with a chart that shows your weight or BMI (Body Mass Index) over time and I have the tool that helps me regulate my food consumption versus my daily activities.

If I add my hunger levels before and after the meals, I can fine tune my meal plans and daily activities. In this way I can sustain my dieting for a long time and preferably it will become my way of life. I have minimized the hunger pain and increase the pleasure of losing weight and feeling more attractive.

There is abundance of free online food calorie calculators. These calorie counters just display nutrition facts and are not going to help you lose weight. Nor is a simple calorie calculator that tries to calculate your calories burned solely based on your weight and average activity level. These are simple little gimmicks that are a waste of your time.

Only when you seriously can track and correlate your calorie intake and calories burned over time, depending on your age, weight, gender, height and individual activity intensity levels can you precisely measure your calorie balance. Seeing visually that your weight loss program works is a big motivator to stay on track. Also you can see immediately when you are off track and you can adjust your situation accordingly.

Acquiring great health is a complex task. Interrelating factors like diet, nutritional facts, meal plans, calorie balance, body reading measurements, supplement and medicine intake, exercise routines, daily activity intensity and costs will make it very difficult for you to see the forest for the trees.
Well designed software that keeps track of all of the above factors and can correlate them will make it very easy to manage your health, fitness, weight loss, muscle mass gain or any goal you have set…

Beating Food Cravings

Everyone, regardless of how disciplined they are with their diet, will from time to time fall victim to cravings for one food item or another. For people trying to lose weight, these cravings are even more of a challenge to deal with than for someone simply maintaining their weight. Regardless of whether or not you are trying to lose weight however, cravings can be the one thing that makes you break your normal dietary habits and overdo the calories you usually try to do without.

Most people know that getting some kind of exercise and eating healthy, low-fat foods is the key to maintaining good health, but with the hectic and hurried schedules so many people have these days, sometimes eating right and getting exercise can be easier said than done. The best way to insure against dietary disaster when you do get those cravings throughout the day is to plan ahead and use a little strategy.

For one thing, try to plan 5 to 6 small meals with one to be eaten around every 3 hours of the day and make it a point not to miss any of them. It takes an average of 2 ˝ hours for the human body to digest a meal, so by the time you start to feel a craving coming on, it’s almost time for your next meal anyway.

Make it a point to drink plenty of water. Quite often, feelings of hunger between meals are really your body trying to signal thirst. By keeping a bottle of water with you all day and making it a point to take constant “sips” throughout the day, you will keep hydrated, feel better, and eliminate one common cause for cravings to happen.

When you are at home, always try to keep some fresh fruit on hand. If you are hit with a craving, fruit is a better choice than cake or chips. Also, make a fat-free dip and cut up some fresh veggies like carrots and celery and keep them in the fridge. This will give you another quick and healthy snack that you can just grab and eat during a craving.

Never go to a party, a meeting, or any event where there will be food available on an empty stomach. This will set you right up to over eat when you get there. Always eat a small meal or at least eat a good, healthy snack before you go as this will help to stop cravings from hitting you while there.

If there are certain snack foods that you really enjoy, don’t try to completely cut them out. You will only overindulge in them when you can’t control the urge to have them later. Plan these snacks into your day, and just make them snacks that you have once in a while and in moderate amounts when you do.

Remember that just because certain food items are fat-free does not mean they are calorie free. When turning to fat free snacks, be careful of how many calories they contain and adjust your portions accordingly. It is very easy to assume fat-free is “safe” and go way overboard on them.

The next time you are hit with cravings, remember these little guidelines and you will be able to deal with them without ruining your efforts to maintain healthy eating habits.

Are You a Binge Eater

Ever wonder if you have a serious problem with binge eating?

In a recent issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter, I read a feature article about the treatment of bulimia and binge eating.

Bulimia is defined as 2 or more episodes of binge eating (consuming a large amount of food in 2 hours or less) at least twice a week for 3 months.

These episodes may be followed by vomiting or purging (with laxatives or diuretics) and may alternate with fasting and compulsive exercising.

People who suffer from bulimia often view this behavior as a shameful secret.

Binge Eating Disorder (binging that is not followed by vomiting, fasting or exercise) has gotten more attention recently since it is being considered for inclusion as a psychiatric diagnosis.

The criteria are tentatively listed as “a condition that causes serious distress with at least 3 of the following symptoms occurring at least 2 days a week for 6 months:

• eating very fast
• eating until uncomfortably full
• eating when not hungry
• eating alone
• feeling disgusted or guilty afterward

Since most of the population has probably engaged in these eating behaviors at one time or another, I guess it comes down to the frequency and severity of the problem.

You can be a binge eater, but you would have to be binging quite regularly to be considered to have Binge Eating Disorder.

Many people engage in some of these behaviors all the time. People who live alone often eat alone. And while eating when you aren’t hungry is not the most satisfying experience, sometimes it is just an ingrained habit.

You do not have to be overweight to be a binge eater.

Many people with binge eating problems think they are overweight or are worried that they will become seriously overweight.

Dieting does not necessarily stop the binging and is often viewed as being part of the problem rather than the solution.

The body resists dieting by slowing metabolism and increasing appetite, commonly accompanied by an intense preoccupation with food, more binging, anxiety and depression.

If you are struggling with bulimia or severe binge eating problems, seek help and get the support you deserve. Don’t keep it a secret. You do not need to be heroic and suffer alone.

If you engage in some of the binge eating behaviors, join the club.

You can learn to change all of these behaviors, even mild to moderate binge eating by listening to your body, eating mindfully and being kind to yourself.