Using Food Combinations To Lose Weight

Some people believe that by combining certain foods, you end up with something called "negative calories". These are supposed to consume energy instead of providing it, so taking in "negative calories" is said to help with weight loss. While it is true that scientific evidence cannot prove or disprove this theory due to a lack of methods to watch calorie consumption in real time, many experts are not convinced of the existence of such food properties.

Another theory of combining foods to lead to weight loss uses a different mechanism. In the early 20th century, Doctor William Howard Hay thought that the underlying reasons for health problems, including weight problems, lay in chemical combinations that result from the food we take in, particularly the result of having acidic bodies. His theory grouped foods into three classes: alkali forming foods, concentrated proteins and concentrated carbohydrates.

His theory was that some foods should not be eaten together at the same meal. As an example, starches should not be eaten together with proteins and acidic fruits. While peer reviews and clinical trials proved that there were no weight-loss benefits to the Hay Diet, it does seem that a fair number of people subscribe to this idea. However, other accompanying rules to Hay's theory did indeed advocate better eating habits, even though the central idea was flawed.

These better habits form the basis of many so-called crash diets. While following one feature of these diets is a generally good idea, most of these types of diets advocate an extreme form of "healthy eating." They pinpoint one feature of healthy eating and require a dieter to focus his or hers main attention on that one point. This often leads to other complications, such as a lack of nutrients when other food groups are ignored.

There are ways of losing weight through eating that do not involve seemingly-alchemical reactions in the body. The following are basic guidelines to healthy eating that everyone should follow as weight loss will be the result of the body normalizing itself to match the current conditions of one's diet.

The first rule is to eat less, or more precisely, consume fewer calories. If you were to reduce your current calorific intake by a mere 500 calories per day, approximately the amount in two regular sodas, you should be able to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week. Although this may not sound a great deal, you will be amazed how quickly this mounts up if you are losing it on a regular basis, you will also be encouraged when you see that the weight stays off.

The arithmetic around calorie counting is fairly straightforward: calories that are not used up through physical activity are stored as fat in the body. So, by consuming fewer calories, the body can turn its energy-deriving attentions to the fat deposits that are left in the body. Fasting is not the answer as it deprives the body of nutrients that the body does not store, like vitamins and minerals. It can also lead to the opposite effect, causing your body to go into starvation mode where your body tends to hoard calories in order to survive. This type of behavior can even cause you to gain weight!

Although increasing physical activity is definitely not eating to lose weight, it is however an indispensable part to losing weight quickly. Additionally, exercise builds muscles, so that the diet won't affect them adversely. Muscles are metabolically active, meaning that they require energy to maintain themselves, so building up some lean muscle mass is a way of increasing your basal metabolic rate.

Changing the diet to shift towards more vegetables and fruits is the way to go for most people. The trick is to find combinations that satisfy urges. For example, a meal consisting of just vegetables and fruits can prove disappointing, so instead go for a little meat or carbohydrates and a larger amount of vegetables and leave fruits as desserts or snacks. Fruits make great desserts and snacks because their sweet properties give just enough good sugar for your body to have plenty of energy throughout the day. You do not have to give up meat or carbohydrates to lose weight, but you do have to reduce and control the amount you eat. Lean meats, such as chicken or pork, are better choices than red meats. However, all of them should be eaten in a variety, for a healthy diet.

The best combination that you could use for your long-term diet is: high-fiber, low-fat, low-sugar, low-sodium, fresh food and absolutely no processed foods. Following this general formula will help you achieve better health and lose weight. Don't forget that portion control is the key element to making this work, so watch how much you eat.

I agree that there are so many weight loss scams and quick fix promises out there that sometimes you just don't know who or what to trust, but don't lose faith as I would add that there are genuine weight loss programs out there among all of the nonsense.

Let's face it. Weight loss isn't easy and when it comes to feeling good about yourself, losing weight is often a person's biggest goal. Unfortunately very often you will try a diet, lose a little weight for a few weeks and then stop losing weight altogether, or you will try a new diet and find yourself hardly eating at all whereupon you become depressed. We've all been there.

Remember that you do have control over your diet and your metabolism but in the end, however, it is all about calories in versus calories out. Get that right and your metabolism moving and you will have fewer problems with the pounds.

The one thing you should understand about yourself is that just by reading this article you have shown that you are determined in your mind to lose weight and you are looking for all the good advice you can find. You have shown conclusively that unlike the people who merely think about losing weight, you are someone who is determined to do something about it. You are a go getter, you take action and you WILL get to your dream weight no matter what.

So, well done.

Mike Hooker