Weight Loss Secrets Revealed

Everybody wants firm muscles and slim waists.  But at one time, you must probably have given up hope on finding the right dietary plan to reach those goals.  If you did what you were told by every weight loss expert out there, you would definitely eat more of everything and less of everything.  You would even eat it earlier, later and maybe not at all.

All those conflicting claims such as fat would save and kill you, carbohydrates would make you trim and fat and protein would turn you into a siren and put you on dialysis will throw you in a daze and make you toss out the scale.  But wait, there is still hope.  Based on hundreds of weight loss studies, some glaring ways in which nutrition science is perfectly clear and straightforward stand out.

To lose weight, you must cut calories.  The low-fat/low-carbohydrate diet boils down to this:  You still have to consume fewer calories than you burn if you desire to lose weight.  The perfect weight loss program is the one you can live with whether you cut fats, carbohydrates or a combination.

When you eat, your body has to use up calories to digest the food.  Protein causes this inner fire to burn hottest, followed by carbohydrates, then fat.  Animal proteins increase thermogenesis (fat burning) more than vegetable proteins.  Thus, the best calorie-burning foods are lean meat.  So eat ample protein at each meal especially during dinner.  That way, you are burning the most calories through digestion at the end of the day when metabolism is slower.

Protein-rich foods prolong hunger pangs.  The fuller you feel between meals, the easier it is to avoid binges.  The best food for appetite suppression is whey protein.  A daily shake prepared with 2 scoops of whey protein, fruit and water or crushed ice will improve your waist line.

One obvious fact that every weight loss author agrees on is highly refined carbohydrates such as fructose-sweetened drinks and low fiber breads are bad.  These foods cause your blood sugar to shoot up soon after eating.  You end up feeling tired and hungry sooner than you should.  Even worse are refined carbohydrates that are fried.

When you have fiber in your stomach, food takes longer to enter the bloodstream and your blood sugar level stays steady.  The result is a more constant energy supply and less hunger pangs.

Nutrition experts are one in saying that dairy and other calcium-rich foods help you stay lean, avoid osteoporosis and maybe prevent colon cancer.  The recommendation is to take 1000-1200 mg of calcium every day.  However, too much calcium may increase the risk of prostate cancer and kidney stones.  To reap the benefits of calcium without the risk, avoid taking high dose calcium supplements unless you really need them.  Choose low-fat dairy products fortified with vitamin D.

Omega-3 fats contribute to a better body build.  Omega-3 fatty acids help your muscles recover faster from workouts.  Bigger but less-inflamed muscles equate to faster metabolism that is vital when you are trying to get lean.

Crucial to weight loss success is a plan.  The more tailored to your likes and dislikes, the better.  No one can offer you the perfect weight loss method but the most acceptable health wise is a plan wherein meals and snacks are based on some lean protein source.  Small meals a day are encouraged.  Low-fat and high fat diets can both work together with eating good carbohydrates.