meal planning tips

Meal planning to lose weight is a waste of time. Let’s look at the facts: A UCLA research study concluded that people on special diets did lose fat, but within two years 83% had gained back more weight than lost. Their research concluded people who did not go on a diet, were better off from a weight standpoint than those who did.

I know healthy meal planning sounds like a good idea. Here’s why it doesn’t work:

It’s way too much hassle.

As the facts prove, sooner or later people get tired of looking at all the charts, diagrams, and planners- and go back to their old habits. Here is meal planning made easy:

DON’T WASTE TIME MEAL PLANNING

Meal planning for weight loss needs to be so simple and so easy that it’s not something that takes any special effort whatsoever. If you put together some special healthy weight loss meal plan- the odds are sooner or later you’ll get tired of the whole concept of custom meal planning, and you’ll stop doing it!

Does that mean we should abandon the healthy weight loss meal or diet plan? No. It just means we need to replace it with easy meal planning- which is no planning at all. No matter if you call it fast meal planning or busy meal planning- it’s still planning!
And planning is still work. So don’t meal plan- just eat healthy!

You don’t need to put much thought or effort into healthy food. Don’t make a new body and life more complicated with manufactured foods. I put as little thought into eating as possible. I never “meal plan.” With a full schedule, two kids and a dog, I can’t plan on what will be happening 2 hours from now. I’m sure your life is the same way. Knowing what’s healthy made weight loss easy. I simply eat what and I like. Every meal is decided on in about three seconds, if that long. It can become that simple for you also.

Permanent weight loss does not take any special meal planning tips. It takes a change in your eating habits. You do not need to pay for a personalized meal plan from a giant weight loss company. Just buy natural food at the grocery store. That’s all you have to do!

It’s not the $50 “meal planning for busy moms” software that’s going to make you lose weight. It’s the changing of your grocery shopping and eating habits that are going to make you [and your family] lose weight. If past food habits caused weight gain, you can’t expect to not change and lose weight.  Keep it simple! Simple is easy. Simple is doable. Buy more healthy food and less unhealthy foods, meaning more natural food and less processed food. Buying fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, eggs, skim milk, cheese, chicken, fish, lean meats, and so on- does not take much thought. Your life is the same, only simpler and better [and you get to eat more].

Every meal compounds over time to help or hurt you. It might take some time before you’re rewired to make healthy choices all or most of the time. That’s okay. It will become easier. You have to start someplace, so start by shopping smarter. Buying the same quantity of junk food you always bought is a very bad idea. The next time you go the grocery store, make conscious choices. Don’t buy from past habits. Be honest about what goes in that grocery cart. Don’t kid yourself here. If it goes in the shopping cart, it goes home, and it will be right there tempting you 24/7.

Want to get off to the fastest start possible? Stop buying man made junk and processed food for the first couple months until cleaning up that diet is relearned. Then after the time needed to develop new habits, you won’t have any problem ignoring the junk. If junk food is in the house and still being eaten, all you’re doing is dragging out the process of cleaning up your diet [while progress is sabotaged at the same time].

Don’t even think in terms of a fast or quick meal planning. Don’t plan at all! Just shop wisely. The more natural foods you eat, the faster you’ll lose weight. To succeed at healthy meal planning and weight loss, don’t make life more complex, make it simpler.

Posted: November 19th, 2008 under Weight Loss Tips.
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There are five foods that can help you lose fat fast and keep it off. The best part? Some of them you probably already eat! The rest are simple pantry staples that are easy to add to your diet.

1.      Caffeine

Finally, evidence of what we had all hoped for! Studies show that caffeine is actually good for you. Caffeine releases fatty acids so that they burn faster. Drink caffeine in the form of coffee, tea, and diet soda.

2.      Antioxidants

When caffeine is combined with antioxidants, the two mix to form a super food that burns calories. To get this calorie-killing punch, and justify your chocolate craving, eat antioxidant/caffeine-rich dark chocolate.

3.      Milk

Stop depriving yourself of the calcium and vitamin D that your body needs from milk to save calories. Studies show that drinking milk helps you lose more weight than simply reducing your calorie intake. In the study, milk drinkers lost 10% more weight than those who skipped milk altogether. Make sure to get your milk boost with fat free or reduced fat milk to get the best results.

4.      Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Salmon, cod, tuna, and mackerel contain omega-3 fatty acids. Eating them can raise fat metabolism. This makes your body burn fat faster and lose 20% more weight.

5.      Fiber

Foods like whole wheat breads and pastas give your body fiber. For every gram of fiber you eat, your body blocks seven calories from turning into fat. Eat 25-30 grams of fiber a day will meet your daily allowance.

Start including these foods in your diet and you’ll start to see your metabolism change. Over time, you’ll lose weight; if you want to see dramatic results fast, combine these tips with an exercise plan like this Fatloss4idiots review. With a speedy, healthy metabolism and a serious workout regimen you’ll be amazed at how fast the extra weight disappears.

Posted: November 18th, 2008 under Weight Loss Tips.
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