Natural Weight loss

Table of contents Introduction Ways of gaining weight Weight Management 10 Tips for a better healthier meal 10 Tip for eating out when on your Diet 1000 calorie diet Vegetarian Diet Abs Diet Cereal Diet Calorie Counter

Introduction Fighting the calories is by no means an easy task. I know how it feels to not fit into my clothes after a holiday or a week of letting go! Then comes the arduous task of slimming down again, trying to find a diet to work around your hectic daily routine. This alone is no easy task. Committing yourself to a diet takes a lot of effort, you can’t expect to loose weight by taking some diet pill and sitting on the sofa eating the wrong food and having no exercise. Remember dieting alone is just not enough, you do have to mix it with a little exercise. When I say exercise I don’t mean a 10k run everyday, just go for a walk to keep your muscles working. Did you know that walking is one of the best forms of exercise for your body? Mix your diet with a little exercise and your well on your way to a thinner and trimmer self. Find a diet plan and stick to it like glue, if that does not have the desired effect then try another diet plan. I know nothing makes you feel more defeated than a diet that has no effect and leaves you still feeling overweight. Like I mentioned before dieting is no easy task! That’s why we are going to look into some popular dietary solutions, weight management and a few hints and tips for fighting the calories.

Ways most people fail to lose weight Before entering into the dietary solutions, I would like to explain a few factors which contribute to gaining weight as appose to loosing it. Try to take these factors on-board and remember them in the future. After all finding out the cause of the problem is half the battle! 1. Taking it too easy will always put the weight on. If you have taken some time away from your exercises, don’t be worried we are all entitled to a little time off. However don’t take to long, do try to go for a brisk walk everyday to keep the metabolisms going and also to keep you motivated. 2. Cheating yourself by picking at the chocolate biscuit tin, or having that extra calorific cream cake after lunch. We are all entitled to a treat but beware, cheating your diet will only lead to cheating yourself.

3. Don’t be disheartened by your efforts, if you are finding things are not working with your current diet or you have cheated and gained 2 pounds. Be true to yourself, don’t give up by thinking “I’m fat and that’s all there is to it.” Ditch the defeatist attitude, get back on the horse and make it work! 4. Overdoing the servings, yes it’s that old saying again “just one more.” Know your limits and don’t over do it. Moderation is the key. 5. Drinking excessively not only piles the calories on but also makes you a very hungry person. Also trying to ignore your self conscience is a virtual impossibility when you have had a drink. Words like fancy a pizza and let’s get a takeaway always spring to mind.

Weight Management Managing your weight loss campaign doesn’t solely depend on the correct diet, although the correct diet does take a major role in your weight loss. You must combine your diet with an activity program. By activity program I mean exercise, walking the dog, washing the windows, cleaning the house, doing the shopping. All of these contribute to your daily activity program, do try to achieve around an hour of activities per day every day. Obviously this does depend on the physical fitness of each individual, and also the amount of physical activities certain people are limited to. If you are unsure of what activities to attempt, consult your GP to find out what would be suitable for you. Exercising every day burns the calories; there is no two ways about it. The length of time spent exercising will determine the amount of calories burned. This does not mean you should walk your dog and clean your windows, do your gardening, get the shopping and wash the car all in one day. Keeping it steady is the way to go. Your choice of activities does not have to be centred on your daily chores, try looking into your local fitness centre or community centre. Try an aerobics video or a fitness program, the choices are endless. The best type of fitness is the one you enjoy the most.

Here is a list of benefits that can be achieved from exercising: 

Increased metabolism leads to more calories burned.



Increased strength of muscles and bones.



Decreases the body’s blood pressure.



Increases your fitness levels, this makes you less tired at the end of the day.



Improves your sleep patterns.



Increases the efficiency of the heart.



Makes you feel and look healthier.



Builds confidence in yourself.



Improved sex life

I hope you now realise the importance of exercise within your diet, and how maintaining a daily fitness routing improves the way your body works. There is no need to rush into a pain staking fitness plan. Build up your fitness gradually, start small take a 10 min walk around the block and build on it until you feel comfortable to move on. Most of all try to have fun when exercising, it makes the process a whole lot easier.

10 Tips for a better healthier meal When it comes to cooking a meal for the family, don’t let your diet take a back seat. Just because you’re on a diet and the rest of your family are not does not mean that you have to eat a different meal. There are times when you have to draw the line e.g. Christmas lunch, Sunday lunch and family gatherings. Take a look at some of the suggestion below for a healthier meal: 1. Try steaming or boiling your vegetables instead of frying or casseroling, also stay away from using cheese based dishes. Try to use herbs and lemon juice instead of butter or margarine. 2. Cooking with chickens can pose as a bit of a problem, although chicken is very healthy in its self, containing half the fat of red meat. Don’t go for the easy option of breaded chicken fingers or nuggets this is very unhealthy. Try roasting or steaming your chicken in a non stick pan, and eliminate the use of oil by using a cooking spray. Beware of the chicken skin as this is very fattening, try to buy a skinless chicken or remove the skin prior to cooking.

3. Watch out for different types of bread, stay away from white bread as it is full of sugar. Try to go for wholemeal bread, seeded bread and whole grain bread. Also look for brown rice, wild rice and basmati rice, the tastes are not all that different from white rice and have a much lower starch content. 4. When buying meats like pork and beef, try to buy lean and extra lean. Try some cuts like fillet and sirloin, these have less fat content than the other cuts. Roasting, grilling and dry frying are healthy methods of cooking meat. Once again try to use a cooking spray instead of cooking oil. 5.

If you're preparing turkey, why not try cooking the stuffing separate. You will reduce the fat content by preventing the turkey fat from absorbing into the dressing. Be sure to use less margarine or butter when making the stuffing. Also don't forget to skim the fat off of the gravy. Leave the drumsticks for the kids; as with chicken, choose light meat over dark and you'll save a lot in the calorie department.

6. Why not try serving fruit as a dessert? Serving fruit instead of pie or cake can make a massive reduction in the amount of calories you find in your meal. Instead of cake and pie, try serving a whole piece of fruit, some yogurt or a fruit cocktail. You will usually find that we don’t need a dessert and have one just because of habit. I think you will be surprised at how fruit can substitute the sweet tooth in a dessert. 7. If you must have an ice-cream try a sugar free ice-cream of low fat frozen yogurt. Instead of topping with chocolate sauce or caramel, try some mixed fruit cocktail. The taste of the icecream is almost identical and the sugar from the fruit stops the sweet craving. All in all it’s fewer calories than the full sugar and chocolate variety. 8. When cooking save yourself a lot of calories by using powdered milk. By doing this you will save on a lot of fat and calories. Also by using skimmed milk instead of cream in your favourite cream based recipes can also save on the calories. 9. Try some substitutions in your cooking. Use 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to replace 1 ounce of unsweetened chocolate in your desserts, replace 1 egg with 2 egg whites or ¼ cup of egg substitute, replace half of the oil in dessert recipes with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce, try reduced or non-fat frozen yogurt or sugar free ice cream on pies.

10. If you still find yourself hungry after your meal and you do want to tempt your self to seconds, then go for the vegetables. Choosing steamed vegetables over meat and bread is far healthier.

10 Tips for eating out when on your Diet 1. For a starter, try and keep it light maybe a prawn cocktail or a side salad. Make an effort to stay away from creamy starters and red meats. 2. If you are a pasta lover and find it hard not to eat endless amounts. You must try and stay with a single portion. Also don’t worry if you leave a little no one will persecute you for it, especially not your body. 3. When ordering a meat dish, always go for the chicken. Stay away from fried chicken. Always go for boiled, grilled or steamed. If you must ask for red meat, be sure to ask the waiter for a nice lean piece. 4. If you don’t see anything on the menu, that is cooked to your liking. Ask the waiter if it would be possible for the chef to cook you a dish with say, boiled or grilled chicken, instead of fried. Don’t be embarrassed at this request as you will not be the first or the last to ask for it. 5. Avoid the temptation of cream sauce, butter, oil, batter and home made gravy. 6. If you do not like leaving your food, then you can always ask the waiter, to wrap it up so you can take it home afterwards. 7. If you are a take away person as I am. When you serve your take away at home, only serve half of it, and keep the other half for the next day or for another family member. Willpower is the key here! 8. If you know where you are going for your evening meal. Why not ring the restaurant and ask them to post a menu out to you, or go and pick one up. Now you can give the menu a good read and find out the best meal to suit you. When you arrive at the restaurant, your choice is already made and a healthier one it will be.

9. Buffets are the worst of all restaurant temptations. You must know your portion control. Try and have only one plate. Once again the key factor here is will power! 10. When the day comes for you to go out for your meal, try to eat smaller meals during the day, then you can keep an eye on the calories for the day and evening. However do try to remember not to starve yourself as you may just end up eating like a horse, which is never a good diet tip.

1000 calorie diet Trying the 1000 calorie diet is only advisable for one week, due to your body entering starvation mode and conserving fat. Overdoing the 1000 calorie diet is counterproductive to your body so try to stay on it for only 1 week. After 1 week you will loose between 3-5 pounds. The 1000 calorie diet can be used as a starter diet for a long term weight loss program. Try to aim for 2-3 pounds of weight loss and a good exercise program to begin with. After 1 week on the 1000 calorie diet, try upping your calorie intake or reverting back to a not so severe diet, this will prevent your body’s metabolism from slowing down. Here is a simple 1000 calorie daily menu. Breakfast  

Banana sandwich made with 2 slices of wholemeal bread and a small banana. Small glass of orange juice

Snack 

1 pot of low fat yoghurt (preferably fruit)

Lunch  

1 wholemeal roll filled with tuna and low fat mayonnaise (use tin tuna in spring water) Mixed lettuce salad, red or yellow sweet peppers, spring onions

Snack 

1 bag of lower fat crisps

Dinner

    

Roast chicken breast (without skin) Potatoes, mashed with 30ml semi-skimmed milk Broccoli (all vegetables steamed or boiled) Carrots Gravy (made from granules)

Evening 

1 low calorie hot chocolate drink made with powder and water

Drinks throughout the day 

Diet coke, water, black coffee or tea without sugar

The 1000 calorie diet can be used as a starter diet for a long term weight loss program. Try to aim for 2-3 pounds of weight loss and a good exercise program to begin with. Remember after 1 week on the 1000 calorie diet, try upping your calorie intake or reverting back to a not so severe diet, this will prevent your body’s metabolism from slowing down.

Vegetarian Diet A well balanced vegetarian diet provides many benefits for the body. Some of those benefits include a reduced risk of chronic diseases, such as:      

Obesity Coronary artery disease Hypertension High blood pressure Diabetes Some types of cancer and more…

Your vegetarian diet, must be planned well. If not your body could end up in need of some vital nutrients. Some of these nutrients essential for the body are:    

Protein Minerals (zinc, calcium, iron) Vitamin b12 Vitamin d

Protein sources include, tofu and other soy-based products, legumes, seeds, nuts, grains, and vegetables Experts say that in order for a balanced vegetarian diet, you should eat nuts and whole grain cereals for good sources amino acids. Greens such as spinach, kale and broccoli are a good source of calcium. For sources of vitamin b12 which comes from animals, can be substituted with fortified breakfast cereals and fortified soy drinks. Sources of iron are red meats, liver and egg yolks which are all high in cholesterol. Spinach, dried beans and dried fruits are all good vegetarian sources of iron. A vegetarian diet is healthier than a meat diet. However this does not mean that you have the right to stuff your face with crisps, chocolate and chips everyday. Your balanced diet should include all of the above, i.e. Fruit, vegetables, nuts, dairy produce and soy. Below is a table of some calorie controls in a vegetarian diet: Food Group Vegetables Fruits Grains Dairy Beans, Nuts and Seeds Total Fat

1200 Calorie 5 servings 3 servings 2 servings 2 servings 5oz

1500 Calorie 6 servings 3 servings 3 servings 2-3 servings 6oz

1800 Calorie 8 servings 5 servings 4 servings 2-3 servings 7oz

30-35g

40-50g

50-60g

You can find a massive rage of diets on the internet free of charge! A vegetarian diet is an all round healthier option, and can go a long way to helping you on the road to losing weight.

Abs Diet The Abs Diet works on the theory that every 1lb of muscle gained, your body intern burns an extra 50 calories per day. So if you can build an extra 10lb of muscle your body will then burn an extra 500 calories per day. Using the Abs Diet your body will burn more energy by eating the correct foods and exercising the correct way. Losing 500 calories per day will loose you 1lb of weight per week. Expect to loose up to 12lb in the first two weeks followed by 5-8lb in the forth coming two

The Abs Diet allows you to eat 6 meals per day which consist of 12 power foods, such as: chicken, turkey and other lean meat, olive oil, beans and pulses, almonds, low fat dairy products, green vegetables, oats, eggs, wholegrain bread, whole grain cereals, berries, and protein powder. All other food is a not allowed. For 6 weeks you will eat a series of 12 power foods, which provide the body with all the fibre and minerals you need to stay healthy and build muscle. Along with the diet you will do a 20 min workout three times per week, which will aid in the fat burning. The Abs diet is mainly aimed at men, however women are encouraged to participate. The range of foods you can eat is still good and you do get an exercise program out of it. Also some very good looking Abs, health and sex life. The full diet book is: The Abs Diet by David Zinczenko from all good on-line book stores.

The Kellogg’s Cereal Diet One of the simplest diets around at the moment is the Kellogg’s Cereal Diet. It is not a crash weight loss diet which will loose you pounds upon pounds; however it will allow you to get into those jeans that are 1 size to small. To start the Kellogg’s Diet all you have to do is, eat one bowl of Kellogg’s Special K or Cornflakes for breakfast, and also one for a replacement lunch or dinner. That’s all! Carry this on for two weeks then you will see the results. Expect to loose around 3-6lb. Whist on your diet, Kellogg’s allow you to have the same drinks and snacks as you usually would, but recommend that you eat a well balanced meal every day, with more fruit and vegetables. Another tip from Kellogg’s, is to keep a food diary to monitor and keep you aware of your current eating habits.

Calorie Counter Breakfast Cereal

Bran Flakes, Kelloggs (45g) Corn Flakes, Kelloggs (45g) Corn Flakes, Crunchy Nut, Kelloggs (45g) Porridge Oats, Scots, Quaker (45g) Rice Krispies, Kelloggs (45g) Shredded Wheat, Nestle (2 pieces/44g) Special K, Kelloggs (45g) Weetabix (2 biscuits/37½g)

CalorieGrams Count of Fat 144 1.1 167 0.4 176 1.6 166 3.6 171 0.5 143 0.9 166 0.5 129 1.0

Crisps and Snacks

Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories

in in in in in

a Special K bar (24g) cheese and onion crisps (1 bag/35g) olives (1 oz/28g) ready salted light crisps (1 bag/28g) Wotsits (1 pack/40g)

CalorieGrams Count of Fat 94 1.7 184 11.6 29 3.1 132 6.2 212 12.8

Vegetables

Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories

in in in in in in in in in in in in in

a jacket potato (180g) a salad (100g) Satsuma (30g) cabbage (135g) carrots (60g) celery (40g) chips (100g) iceberg lettuce (1 oz/28g) mashed potato (with butter) (1 oz/28g) mushrooms (1 oz/28g) onions (1 oz/28g) peas (60g) red peppers (1 oz/28g)

CalorieGrams Count of Fat 245 0.4 19 0.3 7 0.2 21 0.5 13 0.2 2 0.1 253 9.9 3.7 0.1 29 1.2 44 4.5 8.4 0.1 32 0.4 7 0.1

Chicken and Meat

Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories

in in in in in

a beef sausage (1 sausage/60g) a chicken breast (200g) a kebab (168g) a pork sausage (1 sausage/24g) bacon (1 rasher/25g)

CalorieGrams Count of Fat 151 11.1 342 13.0 429 28.6 73 5.7 64 4.0

Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories

in in in in in in in in

chicken breast fillets (1 fillet/140g) fillet steak (1 oz/20g) gravy, beef (83ml) ham (1 slice/30g) lamb chops (1 oz/28g) pork chops (1 oz/28g) roast beef (1 slice/35g) roast leg of lamb (1 oz/28g)

162 54 45 35 69 73 50 67

4.5 2.4 2.7 1.0 5.0 4.5 1.3 3.8

Sandwiches and Takeaway Food CalorieGrams Count of Fat Calories in a bacon and egg, bacon and tomato, sausage and egg triple sandwich pack (1 pack/256g) Calories in a chicken, ham and prawn sandwich pack (1 pack/247g) Calories in a chicken fajita wrap (1 pack/185g) Calories in a chicken salad sandwich (1 pack/195g) Calories in a ham and cheese toasted sandwich (1 pack/160g) Calories in a ham and Swiss cheese panini (1 panini/223g) Calories in a spicy Mexican flatbread (1 pack/184g) Calories in a salmon, cucumber and mayo sandwich pack (1 pack/219g) Calories in a tuna mayonnaise baguette (1 pack/230g) Calories in an egg mayonnaise sandwich (1 pack)

778

53.2

349

5.2

263 257

4.1 4.9

429

20.3

557

26.1

282

5.0

530

26.3

535 253

22.9 6.0

Chinese Food

Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories

in in in in in

Chinese bean sprouts (150g) Beef in black bean (386g) Chicken and Cashew (350g) Chicken Balls (1 ball/46g) Egg Fried Rice (200g)

CalorieGrams Count of Fat 92 8.6 432 16.6 311 14.0 45 2.2 250 3.0

Indian Food

Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories

in in in in in

a a a a a

Chicken Bhuna (1 serving/300g) Chicken Korma (300g) Chicken Tikka (150g) poppadum (12g) Samosa (50g)

CalorieGrams Count of Fat 396 22.8 498 31.0 232 6.2 49 2.2 126 6.6

Calories in an Onion Bhaji (22g) Calories in Bombay Potato (200g) Calories in naan bread (½ piece)

65 202 269

5.1 10.4 10

Fast Food

Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories

in in in in in in in in in in

a Big Mac (215g) a cheeseburger a hamburger (108g) a Quarter Pounder with cheese (206g) Kentucky Fried Chicken (67g) KFC fries (100g) McDonalds fries (78g) Pizza Deluxe (1 slice/66g) Pizza (½ pizza/135g) Potato Wedges (135g)

CalorieGrams Count of Fat 492 23.0 379 18.9 254 7.7 515 26.8 195 12.0 294 14.8 207 9.0 171 6.7 263 4.9 279 13.0

Chocolate and Sweets

Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories

in in in in in in in in in in in in in in

a Cadbury’s Creme Egg (39g) a Mars Bar (65g) Celebrations (1 sweet/8g) chocolate (100g) chocolate ice cream (50g) Kit Kat (2 finger bar/21g) Jelly Babies (1 baby/6g) low cal sweetener (1 tsp/1g) Maltesers (1 pack/37g) Milky Way (1 bar/26g) Minstrels (1 pack/42g) popcorn (100g) Snickers (1 bar/64½g) Twix (twin bar/62g)

CalorieGrams Count of Fat 174 6.2 294 11.4 36 1.6 530 29.9 159 10.4 106 5.5 20 0.0 4 0.0 183 8.5 117 4.3 209 9.4 405 7.7 323 18.1 306 14.9

Bread, Biscuits and Cakes

Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories

in in in in in in

a a a a a a

bagel (85g) baguette, French (150g) Cadbury’s Flake Cake (1 std bar/34g) biscuit (15g) Danish pastry (67g) doughnut (49g)

CalorieGrams Count of Fat 216 1.4 360 1.8 180 10.4 74 3.3 287 17.4 140 2.0

Calories in a hot cross bun (70g) Calories in a jaffa cake (12g) Calories in a low fat biscuit (14g) Calories in a scone (70g) Calories in a white, crusty roll (50g) Calories in bread, brown (1 med slice) Calories in bread, brown, Weight Watchers (1 slice/12.2g) Calories in bread, granary (1 slice/25g) Calories in bread, pitta (1 pitta/25g) Calories in bread, white (1 slice/37g) Calories in bread, wholemeal (1 slice/36g) Calories in toast (1 med slice/33g)

205 46 65 225 140 74

3.9 1.0 2.3 7.6 1.2 0.7

28

0.3

59 147 84 79 88

0.7 1.1 0.6 1.0 0.6

Drinks

Calories Calories Calories Calories

in in in in

coffee (1 cup/220ml) a can of coke (330ml) orange juice (1 glass/200ml) tea (1 mug/270ml)

CalorieGrams Count of Fat 15.4 0.9 139 0.0 88 0.0 29 0.5

Alcohol CalorieGrams Count of Fat Calories in a Baileys Irish Cream (37ml) Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories

in in in in in in in in

champagne (1 glass/120ml) a pint of beer a pint of Guinness gin, 40% alcohol (25ml) lager, Stella Artois (1 can/550ml) sherry (50ml) wine (1 glass/120ml) vodka, 40% alcohol

(25ml)

129

5.8

89 182 170 55 221 68 87

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

55

0

Eggs and Dairy

Calories in butter (10g) Calories in cheese, cheddar (40g) Calories in cheese, cream (34g)

CalorieGrams Count of Fat 74 8.2 172 14.8 58 4.8

Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories

in in in in in

eggs, size 3 (57g) milk, semi skimmed (200ml) milk, whole (1fl oz/30ml) yoghurt, black cherry (1 pot/150g) yoghurt, strawberry (1 pot/200g)

84 96 20 106 123

6.2 3.2 1.2 0.2 5.3

Fruit

Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories

in in in in in in in in in in

a banana (150g) a pear (170g) a Satsuma (1 med/70g) an apple (112g) an avocado pear (145g) an orange (160g) grapes (50g) kiwi fruit (1oz/28g) melon (1oz/28g) strawberries (1oz/28g)

CalorieGrams Count of Fat 143 0.5 68 0.2 25 0.1 53 0.1 275 28.3 59 0 30 0.1 14 0.1 7 0.1 7 0

Low Calorie and Low Fat Foods

Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories

in in in in in in in in in in

cheese spread, low fat (50g) Chicken Tikka Massala, low fat (400g) low fat cookies (23g) garlic bread, low fat (84g) a hot cross bun, low fat (65g) a low calorie ice cream (60g) low calorie mayonnaise (11g) low calorie lasagne (300g) a rice cake (10g) a low calorie chicken sandwich (169g)

CalorieGrams Count of Fat 56 1.5 360 4.0 82 1.0 94 2.7 161 1.7 71 3.6 33 3.3 255 9.0 38 3.2 270 4.2

Nuts and Seeds

Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories Calories

in in in in in in in in

almonds (1 oz/28g) Brazil nuts (1 oz/28g) cashew nuts (1 oz/28g) hazelnuts (1 oz/28g) salted peanuts (1 sm pack/50g) sesame seeds (1 oz/28g) sunflower seeds (1 oz/28g) walnuts (1 oz/28g)

CalorieGrams Count of Fat 171 15.3 193 19.1 164 13.7 183 17.8 311 26.5 171 15.8 164 13.6 194 19.2

Thank you for reading; I hope you have an insight to achieving a healthy diet by natural weight loss. Good luck in your quest!