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Weight Loss Diet Plans

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With the many different weight loss diet plans available these days it can be difficult to choose one. The keyword here is 'plan'. Success when undertaking any project is to have a well laid plan. A highly successful weight loss diet plan for one individual may not be the same for another. Even the most successful weight loss does not necessarily mean 'permanent' weight loss. Regardless of what plan an individual chooses the foremost important factor to consider should be to, "Think healthy not just thin."

The horror stories of old fashioned diets such as, tapeworm implantation, Phen-Phen, only protein, and fasting with the resulting health problems, namely permanent heart damage or high cholesteral, need not be a concern in modern healthy trends. There are a few highly successful weight loss diet plans that have survived throughout the years and have modernized to continue to provide healthy weight loss for millions of dieters. However, even with the old tried and true techniques statistics show that 97% of the individuals gain all the lost weight back within five years. By incorporating both 'healthy' and 'permanent' as part of a weight loss diet plan an individual will make better choices in setting their plan into action. A list of considerations follows:

1. Incorporate faith, prayer, meditation or whatever form of spirituality an individual uses to summon help with life's challenges, to choose the most appropriate plan, maintaining the plan and continuing the benefits of the weight loss throughout life.

2. Remember to be moderate in all things. Extreme dieting may have extreme results, but they cannot be maintained long term. The above mentioned diets have been recognized as having caused serious, sometimes permanent health problems and even death. The goal to healthy weight loss diet plans cannot be over emphasized. Healthy weight loss is not rapid, but it is consistent, about 2-3 pounds a week. The idea of 'moderate' should be applied to all the following steps.

3. Eat six smaller, more appropriate meals throughout the day rather than the traditional three. The benefits to this are threefold: It eliminates the guilt to between meal snacking, it eliminates the over eating at meal time due to prolonged hunger between meals, and it allows the opportunity for better choices as it is not driven by hunger.

4. Low energy density foods are a healthier choice when making decisions for weight loss diet plans. Two factors take part in what makes energy density; water and fiber. Many fruits and vegetables are high in water which provides volume without a lot of calories. An individual can eat more and get less calories. Fruits and vegetables also contain a high amount of fiber as do whole grains. Not only do they provide more bulk with less calories, but they also take longer to digest. This means that an individual will burn more calories to digest them and also will not feel hungry as quickly.

5. Protein is essential to fat loss. When an individual considers 'healthy not just thin' protein becomes vital. When protein is eaten in appropriate serving sizes it triggers the body to burn the fat stored on the body and build muscle. Protein should be the first consideration in all 6 meals of the day. This is not high protein, but consistent protein, whether natural such as meat and vegetable forms or other forms like those found in health food stores as candy bars, crackers, drinks, even gelatin and pudding desserts. Men will need larger portions of protein than most women, as muscle makes up a higher percentage of their body mass than do women's. Without protein, the body hangs onto the fat and draws on it's own protein sources instead. This is the problem with anorexia, the heart valves are the thinnest muscles so as the body draws on the protein source the valves become damaged.

6. Carbohydrates (carbs) are also essential. Before an individual works out appropriate carbs should be eaten along with the protein. Carbs provide the energy needed for the body to perform at peak levels. Most carbs should be in the form of unlimited raw vegetables throughout the day. However, limited portions of whole grain cereals and breads, cooked vegetables and raw fruits are also healthy choices.

7. Pure water is needed to carry the discarded fat cells through the blood stream into the liver and to make it quickly eliminated from the body all together. Most individuals do

not drink enough water on any given day, so in most cases the water intake should be increased significantly from what they are use to. Eight 8 ounce glasses of water has been the national daily suggested intake of water.

8. Weigh in only occasionally. An individual will notice weight loss diet plan success by the way their clothes fit. The amount of fat lost is difficult to measure even by weight . A woman's body weight will fluctuate naturally throughout the month. A man's body weight can also fluctuate if there is muscle tone changes. Let the feeling of the obvious improvements be the measure of judgement. Remember: fat doesn't weigh as much as muscle and if muscle is replacing fat on the body, weight will not be a good measure of success.

9. Any good weight loss diet plan should include an exercise regimen. Any and all exercise is good. Every day is good, but don't get bogged down in frequency. A 40 minute walk every other day would stimulate extra weight loss. Or a more intense workout 2 or 3 times a week would also be helpful. Anaerobic exercise (weight bearing) is more effective for weight loss than is aerobic (body movement). Anaerobic exercise actually tears down the muscle as a person works out. This is why the muscles are sore afterward. The body has to produce tissue to keep the muscle in shape. This takes a tremendous amount of energy, burning lots of calories, not terribly unlike a new born baby growing, it needs lot's of nourishment just to sleep and grow. When the body is mending itself it is burning calories, even when at rest. But remember, moderate is the key.

Developing a weight loss diet plan can spawn greater results than just present weight loss. It can blueprint a plan for life and forge long term habits in a more moderate way of enjoying food and reaping it's true benefits of permanent weight loss, maintaining optimal body weight throughout life as well as promoting a more healthy lifestyle.