Weight Loss Information

By Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN
updated on 11/19/2007 at 03:05PM

We are a nation obsessed with food. We love to cook food, eat food, read about food, and share food. There are as many weight loss information books on the store shelves, as there are cookbooks. And every event or occasion from a holiday gathering to a business meeting usually involves food as a focal point of interest. So is it any wonder that our nation's obesity rates have also reached such alarming levels?

Weight Loss Information - Weight Control

We know that weight control can help to reduce body fat, regulate your blood sugar and blood pressure levels, lighten the stress on certain joints such as hips, knees, and ankles, increase energy, and improve breathing. Many of us try to lose weight, but very few are actually successful at losing weight and keeping it off. This happens for several reasons. Sometimes people aim to lose too much weight too fast by depriving themselves of foods they love. Or they try to follow a food plan that isn't realistic over the long term.

The reality is that losing weight in a healthy way means controlling the amount of food that goes into your mouth. And this cold hard fact does not sit well for those who love to eat. Research shows that appetite attacks are caused by many factors, not just the need for food. While some of these attacks might be purely psychological or emotional, most often they are the result of emotions, stress and our complex senses of taste and smell, which play an important role in perceived hunger. I do however think the product Slimirex™ can be a valuable addition to a complete weight loss information program.

Don't feel bad and think you have to lose a lot of weight. You only have to lose 5-10lbs to lower your risk for developing such serious diseases as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. If you want to lose weight, cutting calories is a good place to start. This does not mean you have to stop eating your favorite foods. It does mean eating less. The best place to start is learning how to determine the appropriate portion size for your body type.

Weight Loss Information - Controlling Portions

In order to learn how to control your portion size, start by seeing how much you eat now. Write down everything you eat each day. Be honest! This may be hard at first to remember and acknowledge everything you eat. But it will prove incredibly beneficial in the long run for controlling portion size and understanding when you are at your weakest. Keep your food journal for at least three days. Next, look at your list and compare to the serving size guide below. How does your list compare?

Here are some serving size guidelines:

Protein: meat, fish, poultry - 3 oz. (about the size of the palm of your hand)
Cheese - 1 oz. (about the size of your thumb)
Milk, yogurt, fresh vegetables - 1 cup (about the size of a tennis ball)
Bread - one slice
Rice or cooked pasta - 1/3 cup
Potato or corn - 1/2 cup
Dry cereal - 3/4 cup

Are your serving sizes much bigger than those on the list? If so, this is where you need to make your first weight loss change.

Weight Loss Information - Food Choices

Now that you know how much you should be eating, you can begin to make better selection about what you eat as well. After all, you can cut back dramatically on calories, but if all you eat is soft drinks and candy, your body will soon begin to deteriorate and store fat as a result. Making healthy food choices can be difficult, especially when a fast food drive through is so easy and appealing at the end of a busy day. It takes a little bit of planning and effort to choose and eat healthy meals and snacks. But investing some time in the process will help you eat healthier and lose weight in the process. You'll also save a bundle on quick vending machine snacks and fast food dinners. Here are a few tips for making the best food choices:

Weight Loss Information - Plan ahead to prepare and eat healthy snacks and meals. Make a list of ingredients so you can pick them up on your next trip to the grocery store.
Weight Loss Information - Keep your pantry and refrigerator stocked with healthy foods that you can grab quickly: cut up veggies and fruits, low fat yogurt, and other low fat dairy products.
Weight Loss Information - Limit the foods that are less than healthy. If your husband and children love potato chips, buy a small bag that they can split one evening after dinner. No food is completely off limits if it’s eaten in moderation.
Weight Loss Information - Don’t go to the grocery store hungry. And limit your shopping trips to once a week. This will not only help you resist temptation, it will save you time, money, and energy.
Weight Loss Information - When you cook, make enough so that you have leftovers to reheat later in the week. But be sure to put the extras away before you are tempted to eat it all in one sitting!

About the Author

Dr. Edward F. Group III continues to develop, sell and evaluate exclusively high-end natural and organic healthcare products to support a wide range of health conditions. The products we promote are free of toxic tag-along herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, heavy metals, fumigants, irradiation, liver-toxic glues, binders, or gelatin capsules with animal-source risk and toxic preservatives. For more information, please visit the Web’s best resource on weight loss.