Eating Out Can Be Hazardous To Your Waistline

Going out to eat can really put the brakes on your weight loss program unless you have exceptional control over what you eat.  Although many restaurants now offer choices for many types of diets, it's whats on the rest of the menu that might tempt you to stray.  Often high in salt, sugar and oil most restaurant food tends to be higher in calories that what you might prepare for yourself.

And Americans are eating out more and more.  According to Dr. Caroline Cederquist, a physician who specializes in weight management,  less than 20 percent of the calories Americans consumed were eaten outside the home in 1978 but in  2003, that number had climbed to 50 percent.  Combine that with the fact that obesity in Americans is growing each year with as many as two thirds of Americans being overweight and you might come to the conclusion that eating out can be hazardous to your waistline.

One problem is that restaurants often serve huge portions.  That combined with the fact that we  have been conditioned to clean our plates can result in a huge weight problem.  You may feel morally obligated to eat everything on your plate -even if your health and your weight might suffer as a result. If you eat out a lot, you may become accustomed to these large portions and start to eat like that at home as well.   

Another problem with restaurant eating is that they often serve bread or rolls - and usually not the healthy whole wheat kind either.  Now, when you know you are going out to eat, you probably eat less throughout the day or delay or skip eating and by the time you get to the restaurant you are starving.  So what do you do when they bring the rolls?  Of course, you dig in eating way to many rolls.   

You might be dining with a group that likes to savor the experience and order appetizers before the meal but did you know that restaurant appetizers tend to be extremely high in calories?  For example, a basket of fried onions can have a whopping 2,000 calories.  Eat a few appetizers to be polite and you'll have to run the treadmill for hours to work it off!

Many restaurants now offer free soda refills.   Plus the soda glasses tend to be large to begin with so you are receiving greater servings of this sugary beverage.  The tendency may be to order seconds because it's free and you want to take advantage of that but remember, just the soda alone can put you far over your daily recommended allowance of calories for weight loss.  

Perhaps the greatest restaurant challenge to any dieter is the buffet.  With so many choices you may be tempted to get one of everything!  Since you can go back as many times as you want you might overindulge.  You want to make sure you get your moneys worth, right?  

So what can you do if you must eat out several times a week?

First of all, make sure you stick to your diet plan.  Don't give in to eating wrong foods "just this once."  Choose entrees that have lots of vegetables and avoid dessert entirely.  When your meal comes, set half aside immediately and even ask for a doggy bag right away so you won't be tempted to eat the second half when the first is done.  Don't starve yourself before going out to eat and you will be better able to avoid eating those rolls as well as overeating when the meal comes.  If you are not starving when you order, it will be easier to order a healthy meal an stay away from fatty, high calorie entrees.

Generally, if you stick to sensible and healthy eating patterns both at home and when eating out you will be developing good eating habits that will help you lose weight and keep it off for life.

Author Bio

Lee Dobbins writes about Low Carb and Low GI eating as well as other weight loss issues.  Visit www.lowcarb-resource.com for more articles on healthy dieting.

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Getting Enough Fiber Is Important For Weight Loss

Fiber is an important part of a healthy diet, but did you know it can help you in your weight loss efforts?  Filling up on fiber can help you to feel full for longer, therefore causing you to eat less overall which will result in healthy weight loss.

In addition to helping you lose weight, fiber also has many positive health effects.  Fiber has been linked to managing diabetes, cutting cholesterol, and limiting heart damage.  One Swiss study found that eating a high-fiber meal reduced hunger more than a meal which was low in fiber.
How Much Fiber Do You Need?
You should consume between 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day.  While that might not sound like a lot, most Americans only get about 15 grams and many much less. Fiber can be found in most fruits and vegetables including carrots, peas, broccoli, spinach, and cauliflower.

In addition, there are many cereals and breads that have a good amount of fiber, but you must read the labels to determine which ones.  Typically anything made with whole wheat or whole oats or bran will have fiber - plus these cereals tend to be natural and low in fat and sugar which also help with your weight loss and are better for you overall.

How Can You Eat More Fiber?
There are some easy ways that you can increase your fiber intake.  Think about adding garbanzo beans to a salad or soup, or add a tablespoon of bran to your cereal.  Leaving the skins on fruits and vegetables will also increase your fiber intake.  The actual fiber content of each individual food isn't that much so it is best if you simply eat more types or servings  of fiber rich foods each day.

Consider eliminating meat from some of your meals.  Meat has no fiber, and it doesn't give you the benefit that you get with fiber-rich food.  Instead, try eating more grains, fruits, and vegetables.  In this way, you can be sure your meal has a healthy concentration of fiber.

Add Fiber Gradually
It might be difficult for your body to become accustomed to a diet that is rich in fiber.  It is indeed counter-cultural, since many families grew up consuming a great deal of meat.  However, if you're really want to lose weight and be healthy, you'll give fiber-rich meals a try.  Fiber rich foods, combined with sensible eating, can help you lose weight and keep it off.

Don't try to totally change to a high fiber overnight.  It may require a great deal of trial-and-error before you hit upon the right amount of fiber.  However, in the end, you may be amazed at the positive role that fiber plays in your diet.  And it may inspire you to encourage your loved ones to add more fiber to their own diets as well.  A diet high fiber diet can help you to manage the amount of food you eat and has many health benefits.   So load up on fiber-and watch your waistline shrink as a result!

Author Bio
Lee Dobbins writes about Low Carb and Low GI eating as well as other weight loss issues.  Visit www.lowcarb-resource.com for more articles on healthy dieting.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

Simple Tips for Successful Weight Loss Procedures

In a fast paced changing society wherein physical appearance really matters, people nowadays always tend to find ways to present themselves in the most appealing and fashionable manner to get public attention. And with the way media put emphasis on it, there's no doubt one will definitely be encouraged to act in achieving the desired body figure. Thus, extensive advertisements flourished tremendously aiming to inculcate in everybody's mind the best solution on this matter - weight loss. With that, various schemes are being offered suggesting reliable and effective weight loss procedures the easiest and most affordable way.

On top of this is the conventional way of losing weight which is through exercise but with a twist. That means simple workouts are modified in conformity with the lifestyle of each individual. Different forms of exercises with the aid of some advanced equipments are being introduced to the public. True enough, if one will religiously stick to the type of exercise that he's into, the dream of having a healthy and beautiful body will become a reality. Of course, to make it more effective, strict diet will also be taken into consideration.

Now, here comes the influx of dietary food supplements to the rescue promising real weight loss effect with matching specific time frame of getting positive results. Medical breakthroughs brought in pills that contain a mixture of fruits and vegetables which are indeed proven effective to a certain extent. Get thin now the easiest way by taking in dietary food supplement is one of the taglines of these food and drug companies to entice the people to patronize their product. To make it more attractive, famous celebrities who are the envy of ordinary people for having near-perfect physical features are being hired to endorse such products.

One of the well-known weight loss supplements is the acai berry. Enriched with nutrients good for the health, among which are the antioxidants, dietary fiber and monounsaturated fats, this berry has certainly captured the attention of everybody with its proven positive effects. The increased metabolic rate it causes can be attributed to the very large amount of antioxidants it contain resulting to rapid fat breakdown, enhances energy levels, and fights fatigue. With these effects, losing weight is no longer a problem.

Of course, along with these numerous weight loss procedures, a healthy lifestyle should be maintained to succeed in battling with weight problems. No matter how hard one will try to win this battle, if his way of living is completely the exact opposite of the demands of weight loss procedures, everything will be useless and you'll end up with frustration. Lucky for those who can afford, there's liposuction to quickly eradicate those unwanted fats. For some who don't have the means, they experiment complicated exercise one after the other while others will drink too much dietary food supplements. Still others will simply follow a strict diet regimen. Whatever procedure will be taken, one thing is certain - take it seriously toward a successful weight loss for a healthy and body beautiful - definitely!

Glenn M. Tuastomban

Freelance Online Writer, Tutor, Networker

Blk. 15 Lot 8 Virgo Subd., RH 9, Cotabato City, Philippines

 [mailto:glenn_tuastomban@yahoo.com]glenn_tuastomban@yahoo.com 

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