Fat Loss Diets

Fats are macronutrients that produce the biggest energy, i.e. 37 kJ (9 kcal) per gram, compare to carbohydrates and proteins that provide only 17 kJ (4 kcal) of energy per gram. Excess energy from the food intake that isn’t used for body functions and physical activity is stored in the body, usually as fats; and hence causing weight gain. No wonder some diets are targeting on fat loss. Following are two examples:

Fat Smash Diet

This is a 4 phases (detox, foundation, construction and the temple), 90 days long diet plan for developing healthy eating habits and healthy lifestyle to promote fat loss and maintain a healthy weight.

Phase 1 (9 days) rids the body of toxins and impurities with mainly fruits and vegetables diet and plenty of water - plus daily exercise. Phase 2 (3 weeks) establishes good eating and exercise habits, where lean meat/seafood, selected cereals and extra dairy are added and exercise is increased by 15%. Phase 3 (4 weeks) builds the diet up, pasta and bread are added, portion sizes increased and exercise is again increased by 25%. In phase 4 (remainder of the 90 days) dieters’ lifestyle achieves a balance for maintaining the desired body weight. Most foods are included in limited quantities, and exercise is set at 1 hour a day, 5 days a week.

Flat Belly Diet

The basic of this fat belly loss targeted diet plan is a 1,600-calorie Mediterranean-style diet with an emphasis on wholesome, unrefined foods including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, seeds, lean protein, and very little red meat (once a month), with the addition of a monounsaturated fat (MUFA), at every meal. MUFAs are found in olives, avocados, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, soybean, flax, and olive and sunflower oils.

This 32 days diet begins with a 4-day anti-bloating jumpstart, followed by the 4-week eating plan.

MUFAs have health benefits and target belly fat. They also help control satiety, so by adding in one MUFA at meals and snacks it is easier to stick with the plan and get belly fat loss.

A breakfast high in MUFAs is able to boost calorie burn for 5 hours after the meal, particularly in people with higher amounts of belly fat. MUFA-rich diet helps people lose small amounts of weight and body fat without changing their calorie intake. In addition, it also prevents and controls type 2 diabetes, reduces the risk of heart disease, and helps reduce markers of inflammation. A weight loss eating plan that incorporates MUFA-rich foods into every meal tested on some panelists showed that fat loss not only happen on belly, but also all over their bodies and they felt more energized than they had in years.

Keeping Diets while on the Go

Keeping a diet – whether it is for weight loss, health problems or special diet like vegetarian or kosher – from our own kitchen is relatively easy, but away from home is another story. Whether we eat out or travel, some preparation should be made to maintain our diet.

The following mostly excerpted from an article by Sarah Schlichter in Independent Traveler:

1. Destinations

a. Research your destination regarding local eating customs. Search in websites about your particular condition for useful tips, restaurant and accommodation directories and links to local support groups in your destination.

b. Call ahead. Given plenty of notice, most travel outfitters can make arrangements to meet your dietary needs. Before dining out, ask your destined eateries to fax you take out menus and choose your entree ahead of time.

c. Bring a food allergy translation card, which explain your allergy or other dietary restriction in local languages of your destined country. Several companies offer these wallet-size cards.

2. Transportation

a. Whenever possible, bring your own food onto the plane or train. Find out and follow all pertinent airport security rules and customs regulations. Traveling by car, keep your foods in a cooler for longer freshness.

b. Most airlines can accommodate a wide variety of special diets upon advance notice requested at least 24 hours earlier. Many airlines no longer serve peanuts on flights while others will refrain serving them knowing a passenger has severe allergy. Check their website for this policy.

c. Cruise lines have grown increasingly accommodating of special diets. Vegetarians in particular will find at least one option in most onboard restaurants, while other dieters should call ahead of time to make arrangements.

3. Accommodations
Whenever possible, book accommodations where you can cook for yourself, such as vacation rentals, home exchanges, or a hotel with a kitchen. In some cases the owners of a small bed and breakfast may grant you access to their kitchen.

4. Restaurants

a. Inside your country, chain restaurants where you've eaten in the past are good choices – you're already familiar with the menu and know which items you can eat.

b. Explain your dietary needs to the waiter or chef. Don't hesitate to ask them to modify a dish – boil, broil or roast entrees and sides that usually batter-dipped or fried – or to prepare something aside from the menu — most restaurants can quickly prepare a simple dish such as veggie-only salad.

c. For weight losing dieters eating out remember the following:

(1). Make your earlier meals smaller; have a small, healthful snack in between to quell hunger so you're not end up overeating.

(2). Order an appetizer, plus a side salad if necessary and then stick with a single entrée.

(3). Choose lean cut meats like loin or flank; elect steamed, roasted, broiled, boiled, grilled, or baked poultry.

(4). Avoid cream sauces, butter, oil, battered or batter-dipped and gravy.

(5). Ask the server to wrap up half your meal before you start eating.

(6). Banish buffets. Given more choices we tend to eat more.

5. Medical Considerations

a. Make sure you have adequate medical insurance in the case of an allergic reaction.

b. Research hospitals, doctors or other medical providers where you're going.

c. Carry your doctor’s written explanation of your condition, medical history and how you should be treated in the case of an allergic reaction, along with his/her contact information at all times. Consider wearing a medical ID bracelet.

d. Bring a full supply of antihistamines, epinephrine needles or any other medications for dealing with an allergic reaction.

Lose Weight Counseling

As more people adopts sedentary lifestyle there’s an increase in obesity, which in turn raises the risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, osteoarthritis, some cancers, physical and mental functioning decline resulting in increased rates of nursing home admissions, and premature death. The World Health Organization classifies about 400 million people around the world as obese. So losing weight is an important issue.

More and more studies suggest that counseling could help obese people losing weight. It is a potentially simple but effective tool in the fight against obesity. Unfortunately, research shows us that most physicians are not counseling their patients about losing weight or exercising. In 2003, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTC) released clinical guidelines recommending physicians provide weight loss counseling to their overweight and obese patients.

It is vital that patients are informed of how important losing weight is to maintain their good health. Introducing the subject of losing weight to a patient can be a sensitive issue — especially if patients are comfortable with their appearance and don't consider themselves as extremely overweight. Some patients may think that they have no control over their weight. They, for instance, may believe they are victims of their own genetics, when in fact other factors such as environment and behavior may also contribute to overweight and obesity.

Unrealistic ideas about how much weight they need to lose or what it takes to lose weight and keep it off may also inhibit the patients' motivation. Educate patients that even a moderate amount of weight loss (5% to 10%) along with moderate activity and a modified diet can significantly decrease health risks.

In counseling, patients can get good lifestyle advices that help them deal with their problems. The advice includes encouragement to keep fit, such as taking a walk at lunch and eating a healthy diet. It doesn’t entail any particular weight-loss target. This kind of counseling can bolster more aggressive weight-loss targets for overweight people.

Counseling could also be done by phone or e-mail. Some studies show that phone and e-mail counseling help people sustained their weight loss better than those who met face-to-face. A study, for example, shows that people on phone counseling lost 3.3 pounds more than those in the control group while people using email lost about a pound more. For some people talking to someone may make them feel a bit more pressured to make the change, while the key to lose weight is not to pressure people to make big changes.

Healthy Weight

A healthy weight is neither overweight nor underweight. Overweight can lead to illnesses, such as heart diseases, stroke, or diabetes, while underweight can affect your health, because your body doesn’t get enough food. For a healthy weight, consider these:

Eat According to the Need

An increase in body weight results from an imbalance between energy intake (food) and expenditure (metabolism, thermo-genesis and physical activity). The excess energy is stored in the body, usually as fat. Body weight gain can also result from an increasing muscle mass. So for people having regular weight training, it doesn’t necessarily mean unhealthy.

Make sure that you eat as much food as your body needs. Think before you eat: Do you really hungry? Is there a healthier choice?

Balance the Diet

To get all the necessary nutrients for keeping a healthy body, you need a balanced diet. Ban strange diets. They may work in short term, but almost all are doomed to fail. Choose healthy foods and eating smaller portions, slowly. For most people a balance diet should consist of:

· More fruit and vegetables, whether fresh, frozen, canned, dried, cooked, or juiced. They should make up a third of the diet. Take at least five portions a day.

· More starchy foods such as bread, cereals, pasta, potatoes, beans and lentils. They should also make up one third of your diet. Try to eat in variety and choose whole grain, whole meal or high fiber varieties whenever possible.

· Less fat – especially saturated – salt and sugar. You'll probably eat some foods containing fat, like butter, cooking oils, salad dressings and mayonnaise; keep these to minimum and choose low fat varieties where possible. The same goes to cakes, biscuits, pastries, ice cream and sugary drinks. Sugared soda, fruit drinks, or juice can give you several hundred calories a day. Boil, steam, grill, poach or microwave food rather than fry or roast.

Getting Physical

Be more active. Physical activity is a good way of using up extra calories, and maintaining body weight. Choose activities you enjoy and do them every day. No need to join a gym, though. Some daily routines may help you burning off excess energy, for example, walking after lunch, using stairs instead of lift, walking (or jogging) for some shorter journeys or getting off the bus one or two stops earlier.

Measuring Healthy Weight

There's a good way to know whether or not you have a healthy weight, based on the ratio of weight to height, called the body mass index (or BMI). It based on the fact that taller people have more tissue, and so tend to weigh more.

Your BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. For example, a woman 1.67m in height and weighing 65kg would have a BMI of 23.3. The healthy weight is ranged from 18.50 to 24.99, overweight is measured as 25 or more with obesity determined as 30 or more.

Healthy Nutrition in Some Foods

Nutrition or nutrient is the food materials necessary for cells and organisms to support life.

There are seven major classes of nutrients that can be categorized as either macronutrients (needed in large amounts) or micronutrients (needed in smaller quantities). Carbohydrates, fats, fiber, proteins, and water are macronutrients, while minerals and vitamins are micronutrients.

In general, eating a wide variety of fresh, whole (unprocessed) foods are favorable compared to monotonous diets based on processed foods. It slows digestion and allows better absorption, and a more favorable balance of essential nutrients per calorie, resulting in better management of cell growth, maintenance, and mitosis (cell division), as well as better regulation of appetite and blood sugar.

Some foods can also be combined together to create food synergy that result in healthier diet. These are some examples

Oatmeal + orange juice

The organic compounds in both foods, called phenols, stabilize your LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or so-called "bad" cholesterol) when consumed together.

Tomatoes + avocados

Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a pigment-rich antioxidant known as a carotenoid, which reduces cancer risk and cardiovascular disease. Fats make carotenoids more bioavailable, or better absorbed.

Broccoli + tomatoes

New research shows that this combo prevents prostate cancer.

Blueberries + grapes

In general eating a variety of fruit together provides more health benefits than eating one fruit alone; and no single antioxidant can replace the combination of natural phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables.

Apples + chocolate

Apples are high in anti-inflammatory flavonoid called quercetin, while chocolate, grapes, red wine, and tea, contain the flavonoid catechin, an antioxidant that reduces the risks for atherosclerosis and cancer. Together, catechins and quercetin loosen clumpy blood platelets, improving cardiovascular health and providing anticoagulant activity.

Some foods are healthier than others because they have better nutrients. Check these out:

Greek yogurt

Greek-style yogurt sits in its bowl like a puffy cloud because its watery whey content has been strained. It is higher in protein than the regular variety.

Quinoa

Quinoa is higher in protein compared to other grains. The protein is also complete, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids. Quinoa is also gluten-free, so it’s great for people who may be sensitive.

Nut butters

Rich in unsaturated fats, nut butters – like almond, cashew, hazelnut and pistachio – can help lower cholesterol levels and lessen the risk of heart disease

Flax seed

Flax seeds are unusually rich source of alpha linolenic acid, an omega-3 fat well known for its anti-inflammatory and heart-healthy properties. These seeds are also high in fiber and lignans, compounds which may benefit the heart and decrease the risk of certain cancers.

Dried fruits

Dried fruit – cherries, pineapples, pears – are easily storable substitutes when their fresh counterparts are unavailable. Rich in vitamin A and several B vitamins, dried fruits are also a good supply of minerals, like potassium and iron. They’re high in natural sugars, too.