Food For Thought Weight Loss

Dont Let Food Weigh You Down

What is the fastest way to lose weight? Lose weight fast, no exercise needed! Take this pill and you will be 10lbs lighter by the weekend! We have all heard these advertisements claiming that there is a miracle cure for obesity and that we can lose weight without any effort whatsoever. Well as I am sure you are all aware, this is not the case. I believe the majority of the problem when it comes to weight loss is food. Individuals seeking to lose weight feel as if they are losing out on something because they restrict themselves so badly on the foods they eat or don't eat. It is believed that the minimal calories and extreme workout is the answer when in fact they may be hampering their weight loss.

The truth of the matter is you need the food so your body has the energy to do the exercises needed for successful weight loss. If it doesn't have the calories to burn, you may begin to feel run down and tired. Food is actually the staple to your weight loss goals, dont let it hamper you, allow it to empower you! I am going to discuss and open new ideas when it comes to food and weight loss. Some you may be aware of and others you may not have thought of as an alternative.

Lets begin with Water, we all know its important to drink plenty of water when your dieting, but as many I am sure have found sometimes you need something more! I hate water, I drink the 8 glasses a day and act like a big baby when doing it. Instead of picking up the soda (even diet is bad), I looked for great and healthy alternatives so that I still had variety for my beverages and wasn't tied down to water all the time. Try Juice, any kind of juice as long as its 100% Juice without all of the added gunk. Some of the juices you can try include:

V8, V8 Splash, Cranberry Juice, Grapefruit Juice, Fuze, Orange Juice, Apple Juice, Grape Juice, Blended Juices, or Fresh Juice.

You can make your own juices at home. This allows you to mix and match the ingredients to your taste. The combinations of flavors are endless and healthy for your mind and body without all of the gunk in them. Go crazy and enjoy.

When it comes to Snacks, I am a snacker! I always have something on hand to satisfy my hunger and generally is was the regular thing Potato Chips, Candy, Debbie Cakes, and all the high calorie, fatty snacks. Now it does take some work to find things to suit your particular tastes but it is possible to have great snacks with little to no fat, and very few calories. You just need to look outside the box! Take for instance some of the snacks I keep on hand at all times.

Little cups of Applesauce, easily accessible and I can take them anywhere. Of course Fresh Fruits and Veggies. If you like Chocolate why give it up! Fat Free Pudding Snack cups (60 calories, 0 Fat) are really good! Baked Lays, I love whoever came up with the Lays Baked line, they are fantastic and I can have my chips occasionally. V8, for a snack, yep you can have it for a snack and it is filling. The best snack that frequents my table is Popcorn, light microwave or air-popped, very low in calories and little to no fat! Soup, yes soup for a snack! I eat Campbells Chicken Noodle all the time for a snack! Really Satisfying!

Now lets get down to Meals. I know a lot of individuals including myself have felt limited to a meat and a salad. This is not the case, remember think outside the box! Here is when a Crock Pot can become your best friend. With the meat cooking slowly in a Crock Pot a majority of the fat is cooked out of the meat, making it very healthy. Instead of Grilled Chicken, try Chicken in the Crock Pot with some Chicken Broth, add some Egg Noodles if you like! You may also take the chicken cooked in the crock pot and tear it up, add some BBQ Sauce and Bake it. See 2 meals from 1 simple meat, however the possibilities are endless. Imagination is key when it comes to healthy eating. Try a Turkey and Veggie Stir Fry with a little bit of rice. You may also like Hot Dogs with the Chili, Ketchup and Mustard, use Turkey Dogs, they are just as good but healthier.

The problem is we get our minds into a rut only looking at what we cannot have and don't spend enough time on what we can have. There are great foods with endless combination's that are very healthy, you just have to take the time to consider the possibilities! Think of the foods you love and a healthy substitute, its easy! If you like Tacos, use ground turkey, in place of ground beef, you cannot tell the difference its the seasoning you taste. You can still have your hamburger, just use a higher grade of meat and squish all the fatty juices out of it, add some lettuce and tomato and you will not notice the juice because the tomato adds some juice in your mouth. Butter can be replace with I Cant Believe Its Not Butter, tastes the same but healthier, cook with Olive Oil (the healthy oil) instead of Vegetable Oil. See its not so hard, just remember not to think of yourself as limited, you have unlimited possibilities.