Lifestyle Choices

Most people who are plump are jolly and good natured. They are pleasant and easy going and not at all hard to get along with—until perhaps they take it into their heads to begin to reduce! Most of them are full of alibis and reasons for their extra weight. Except in rare cases there is only one reason why any of them are plump and well padded. They just love to eat! (more…)

Most people who are plump are jolly and good natured. They are pleasant and easy going and not at all hard to get along with—until perhaps they take it into their heads to begin to reduce! Most of them are full of alibis and reasons for their extra weight. Except in rare cases there is only one reason why any of them are plump and well padded. They just love to eat!

“What’s the use?” they wail. “Everything I eat turns to fat. I just can’t lose weight.” This is probably true, partly because of the way they are going about it.

Going on a reducing diet is no new experience for most of these people. Usually they have tried all kinds of diets, liberal and otherwise. For a time they succeed, but in the end they often find themselves back at the same old level, far above the average for their height and age. Sometimes they are the butt of unfortunate jokes among their friends. In desperation they determine once and for all to lose weight. They are invariably in a hurry to do this. Some abandon food altogether for a time, only to return to their former eating habits with a vengeance and perhaps add a few more pounds. This is not a sensible way to lose weight. (more…)

Why do you want to reduce? Probably for two reasons. You are not happy over what you see when you look into the mirror, and you don’t like what your friends are saying. But do not be in too much of a hurry to get those pounds off. This is where you might have failed before. It is usually better to reduce more slowly. It is not a temporary low calorie diet that you need, but rather an entirely new pattern of living.

Most likely you will not need to make any drastic changes in your diet. Just be sure it is well balanced. Begin by taking smaller amounts of foods you usually eat. Don’t cut out any single item except, perhaps, those rich desserts that you don’t really need. But remember, some foods high in calories may also be necessary to maintain good health.

Potatoes and whole-grain cereals are excellent foods. They should remain in your diet. Just be careful about the amount of food that you take. Omit those that are especially high in fats and carbohydrates. It is so easy to take more than you actually want. Watch this carefully. (more…)

The only way to lose weight is to change your eating habits permanently so you follow a life regimen of eating moderate quantities of good, wholesome food, which provides a full complement of nutrition for lasting health and beauty. This means reeducating both your palate (to expect different tasting, lighter foods) and your appetite so that you lose weight gradually. This way you also do not have any of the diet shock that leads to going off a regimen and defeats its purpose. Two pounds a week weight loss should be your goal, not more. Then you can keep it off. (more…)

The behavioural treatment of obesity is based on changing daily habits and behaviours to reach the desired goal. The basic premise of behaviour therapy is to reward beneficial behaviours and discourage detrimental ones. However, state of the art behavioural treatment has a wider perspective and focuses on eating behaviours, social support, exercise, attitudes and nutrition. The aim is to modify the situations which promote eating and to evaluate the consequences of eating behaviour. Behaviour therapy involves specific processes which are aimed at modifying behaviour.

Self-monitoring

The client is asked to monitor when she eats, how much she eats and why she eats. This increases self-awareness so that eating cannot ‘just happen’, and enables her to evaluate her success and whether any changes have occurred. put their eating into context and to learn to say ‘I am not useless, the odd slip is inevitable and I will now return to my diet‘. This eradicates an ‘all or nothing response’ which can often result in the client abandoning the diet. (more…)

Dietary Recommendations: Fat

Total fat in the diet should be limited to 30 percent or less of the total calories consumed.

Saturated fat in the diet should be limited to 10 percent or less of total calories consumed.

Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats should be substituted for saturated fat in the diet.

Dietary cholesterol should be limited to 250 to 300 milligrams per day. (more…)

The number of calories needed per day depends upon the body’s metabolic rate (MR), which, in turn, depends upon such factors as age, sex, size, muscle mass, glandular function, emotional state, climate, and exercise.

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the basis for your caloric needs. The higher the BMR, the more calories you burn at rest. Your MR is a combination of your BMR and calories expended in normal daily activities. The MR is usually higher in males, young people, large people, lean and muscular people, and in nervous people; in cold and hot weather; and during exercise. (more…)

Moderation is a good general rule of nutrition.

Too little of important nutrients can lead to health problems. Excluding entire food groups can cause problems and is not advised. People who restrict or eliminate meat from the diet must be sure to carefully select other foods to insure a healthy diet. Just as too little food can cause problems, excessive intake of various nutrients can cause problems. More is not always better. Moderation (neither too much nor too little) in choices of foods is advised.

It is not necessary to permanently eliminate foods that you really enjoy, but some of your favorite food may not be among the best of choices. Enjoying special foods on occasion is part of moderation. (more…)

The first step in fat control is establishing realistic goals.

Too many teens and adults, both men and women, establish unrealistic goals for their physical appearance. Fat weight, and body proportions are all factors that can be changed, but people often set standards for themselves that will be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. It is important that goals be set for fat and weight control that can be accomplished for both the short term and the long haul. This necessitates developing an understanding of your own body proportions as well as your body fatness. Unrealistic goals may result in eating disorders (see Concept 20), failure to meet goals, or the failure to maintain fat loss over the long haul. The measurement procedures used in Labs 13A and 13B should help you establish realistic goals.

Goals that emphasize the behavior of eating less and exercising more are more effective than those emphasizing a specific outcome such as weight or fat lost (or gained).

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There are some guidelines for controlling the work environment to aid in fat loss.

• Take food from home rather than eating from vending machines or catering trucks. Even snacks should be brought from home where they can be prepared based on guidelines listed above.
• Avoid the use of snack machines. Most snacks from machines are high in calories and low in nutritional value. Fresh fruit from machines is an exception.
• If you eat out, plan your meal selection ahead of time. Write it down and know its calorie content. Be aware that many fast foods are high in caloric content and fat.
• Do not eat while working.
• Avoid sources of food provided by co-workers; for example, food in work rooms such as birthday cakes or candy in candy jars.

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There are some guidelines about shopping that can help people interested in fat control.

• Shop from a list. This helps you avoid the purchase of foods that contain empty calories and other foods that will tempt you to overeat.
• Shop with a friend. This is another way to help you avoid the purchase of unneeded foods. For this technique to work, the other person must be sensitive to your goals. In some cases, a friend can have a bad, rather than a good influence.
• Shop on a full stomach to avoid the temptations of snacking on and buying junk food.
• Check the label for contents of foods. If the calories are not listed, be wary of buying them. Many so-called weight reduction foods have caloric contents equal or in excess of normal foods.

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There are some general guidelines for eating that can help people interested in losing body fat.

• Restrict calories in moderate amounts per day rather than making large reductions in daily caloric intake.
• Choose foods from the four basic food groups (see Concept 20). This is the most healthy way to diet and is also most likely to be successful over a long period.
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• Eat less fat. Research shows that reduction in the fat in the diet not only results in fewer calories consumed (fats have more than twice the calories per gram as carbohydrates or proteins), but greater body fat kiss as well.
• Severely restrict empty calories. Foods with empty calories provide little nutrition and can account for an excessive amount of your daily calorie intake. Examples of these foods are candy (often high in simple sugar) and potato chips (often fried in saturated fat).
• Increase complex carbohydrates. Foods high in fiber such as fresh fruits and vegetables contain few calories for their volume. They are nutritious and filling, and are especially good foods for a fat loss program.
• Learn the difference between craving and hunger. Hunger is a physiological phenomenon that is a result of the body’s need to supply energy to sustain life. A craving is simply a desire to eat something; sometimes a food that is notparticularly liked. When you feel the urge to eat, you may want to ask yourself: is this real hunger or a craving? Hunger is accompanied by growling of the stomach and is most likely to occur after long periods without food. If you have the urge to eat soon after a meal, it is probably from craving, not hunger.

SOYBEAN NUTRITION

The soybean is a self-contained protein factory. Through the action of bacteria living in its roots, the soy plant can make its own nitrogen fertilizer to stimulate protein production. Research conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has shown that the soybean produces such high-quality protein that it can supply the essential amino acids the body needs daily. Soybean protein is high in quantity, as well; one-half cup of cooked soybeans contains 14 grams of protein. (more…)