I find summer to be the best time to lose weight because it gives you more opportunities to be active and this time of year farmers markets and local grocery stores are packed with fresh fruits and vegetables. I’m not a fan of magical weight loss pills or starvation strategies. My sister tried the latter, which left her less healthy as she was before. There are many popular diet plans, such as low- carb and low-fat diet plans. Regardless of the diet you choose, studies show that most participants have dramatic weight loss after six months, losing an average of 13 pounds. The most basic rule is to cut calories and don’t forget to exercise!
Once you lose weight, it is very difficult to keep it off. Make sure you include superfoods that will help you maintain a healthy weight, such as eggs, beans, salad and green tea. For a complete list of 15 top picks, visit http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/15-foods-to-help-you-lose. Be aware that besides the types of food, serving sizes are important too in order to reduce calories.
How does a healthy serving size look like? Check out the following: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/PortionSize_ZCard_taggd.pdf
Print out this guide:
How to control portion sizes?
- Serve your meals on small plates
- Buy one serving sized snacks
- Share your meals with a friend when dining out
- Ask for small size portion, or take the leftover home
- Use the Great Plate idea
Source:
- Chang, Alicia: Low Carb? Low Fat? Study Finds Calories Count More. http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2009Feb25/0,4670,MEDDuelingDiets,00.html
- Google Images
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