Plan and Prepare Prepare all your meals for the day in the morning or the night before. Know what you are going to eat and when. Pack food in Tupperware and a cooler if you are going to be away from home a good part of the day. Any time you are caught unprepared and hungry, you have a 100% greater chance of eating poorly than otherwise. This strategy also applies to your exercise regimen; plan for it daily, or else it just won’t happen. Eat Five or Six Small Meals a Day Eating small meals every two to three hours keeps your blood sugar more stable and keeps you from going into that “I’ll-eat-anything-in-sight” hunger mode. You cannot afford to miss scheduled meals; doing so will set your metabolism into a confused tailspin. Include Protein in Every Meal Every one of your five or six small daily meals must include a small amount of low-fat protein (15 to 30 grams): chicken, fish, non-fat dairy, lean beef, nuts, protein powder, etc. Low-fat protein not only keeps your insulin levels stable, but it also helps you maintain lean muscle tissue while training and dieting.
Cut the Sugar Simple sugars like those found in candy, cake, and other junk foods not only contribute unnecessary calories to your diet, but they also rob your body of important nutrients, elevate insulin production, and make you fat. Eating sugar is an emotional dependency. STOP EATING FOODS HIGH IN SUGAR.
Say “No Starch Please” Eliminate starchy foods from your diet: pasta, white rice, bread, bagels, tortillas, etc. Starchy carbohydrates act the same as simple sugars; they break down very quickly and are stored as fat. Become a Veggie Lover Vegetables are thermogenic foods, meaning they elevate your metabolism. Green, leafy veggies like broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, brussels sprouts, etc., are particularly good for cranking up your metabolic furnace as well as providing much-needed micronutrients. All vegetables are good for you so pick the ones you like then steam ‘em, grill ‘em, eat ‘em raw …but eat ‘em in abundance!
Hydrate Most of us live in a constant state of dehydration. The common symptoms of this are chronic fatigue; headaches; muscle cramps; dry skin, hair, and eyes; constipation; and physical weakness. Your body is 70% water; that water is used in almost every metabolic process in our body. If you do not replace it, you will die. Drink a minimum of 62 oz. of water a day; drink more than that, if you can handle it. Drop the Bad Fats, Increase the Good Fats have gotten a bad rap. Yes, fats like those found in fried foods, pastries, candies, dairy, red meat, and processed foods are bad for you (in any quantity), but not all fats fit in that category. Some fats are essential to your metabolism and wellbeing. These fats are found in some nuts—almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts—or in some types of fish—salmon, cod, orange roughy, sardines—as well as in some oils—extra virgin olive oil, safflower, and flax oil. A combination of various sources good fats totaling 15 to 25 grams is recommended.
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