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Eating Lighter – Eating Smarter
Whether your goal is to lose weight, recover from an illness or just to feel more fit and energetic, eating nutritious foods and preparing them with smart cooking techniques is always important. There are, of course, many diets and fitness programs you can follow. But for weight loss, the kind of diet you choose is not the only issue. What matters more is that you take control of your daily calorie intake. The approach I favor is called “Eating Lighter, Eating Smarter.” In my opinion, this is a far better way to manage your weight and improve your overall physical well-being than any of the so-called “crash diets” can offer.
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A Restaurant Guide For Healthy Eating
When people try to eat health-consciously or are worried about their weight, it can be challenging to make the right choices when eating out in a restaurant. Although many eateries try their best to accomodate the dietary needs of their patrons, it can still be hard to stick to your guns once you’re handed the menu. Some restaurants offer detailed information about their ingrediences and cooking techniques, others don’t. The restaurant lingo may match the chef’s exciting creations, but it can also be confusing or outright unintelligible. More often than not you are left guessing what to order, what to omit and what to enjoy only in small portions or on the side. There is lots to think about. On the other hand, you also don’t want to spoil your fun.
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Understanding “Restaurant Lingo”
Many restaurants, especially the upscale kind, pride themselves in having elaborate menus filled with detailed descriptions of the meals they offer. The wording can be straight forward or it can be baroque. In any case, “restaurant lingo” is not always easy to decipher. There is no unified language to describe the chef’s creations, but a few terms are commonly used in reference to both ingredients and cooking techniques. Understanding these will help you identify the better choices (and avoid the less desirable ones). Here are some tips to let you get around the pitfalls.
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Why You Need a Dining Out Strategy
Understanding some basic facts about restaurant food and restaurant cooking can help you escape disaster wherever you eat. First, consider your appetite before you get to the restaurant. If this is not your first visit, you are already better prepared. Stick to your preferences. Read the menu carefully and examine all ingredients and cooking methods. Inquire about the possibilities of healthful modifications. Patronize restaurants that are willing to cooperate with you and request wait staff that is responsive.
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Controlling Hunger
All of us respond differently to hunger. Some react to the slightest twinge, others wait until they are nearly starved. Filling up whenever you can eat is not a good idea. It tells your body to increase consumption. Ignoring hunger signals for too long, on the other hand, will lower your energy level to the point where the need for food may lead to uncontrolled bingeing.
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Special Occasions
Events and special occasions can easily turn into major setbacks for any weight management- or fitness program. Holidays, vacations, reunions, parties and weddings – the list of opportunities is endless. Even in exceptional situations, you should never pull out all the stops. You can avoid some of the hors d’oeuvres and desserts, watch your portions, stick to your preferences and resist the urge for second helpings. You may also think about throwing in some extra time for exercise over the next three days to get back on track. Having said that, you should not ever consider food as “the enemy”! Note that nothing is forbidden but everything counts.
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Some Basic Information About Exercise
Any exercise or physical activity is better than doing nothing at all. Without enough body movement, one not only tends to gain weight, but physical abilities begin to decline. Muscle mass shrinks. Heart and lung capacity are reduced. Flexibility suffers. There’s no need to let this happen. Fitness has nothing to do with competitiveness or athletic achievements. Set your own goals and limit your physical activities to a healthy level. Age-appropriateness is also a factor worth considering. Whatever your desired fitness level may be, it matters most that you are able to optimize your health.
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Making Time for Exercise
Having enough time for exercise is not luxury. You will have to find the time somehow, but you can also be smart about your scheduling. There are many ways to increase your physical activity level, whether you are at home, at work or otherwise busy. Be creative and use your imagination. Take the stairs, instead of the elevator. Stretch your legs or walk around the block a few times, instead of sitting by your desk all day. There are countless opportunities…
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Calculating Your Target Heart Rate (THR)
How do you measure your target heart rate? Your target heart rate is the rate at which your heart beats when you exercise “aerobically” – that is when you exercise to the point where you burn fat. Any exercise that works your large muscle groups and gets your heart pumping between 50-85 percent of capacity for a sustained period of time is considered to be “aerobic” (or “cardio”). Jogging, brisk walking, hiking uphill, swimming, bicycling and rowing are some of the better known aerobic exercises.
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Developing Strategies
Successful long-term weight management is often only based on certain lifestyle changes. One of the main reasons dieting resolutions fail is that only peripheral measures are taken, such as ignoring hunger or resisting certain cravings. Soon the resistance breaks down and old habits come back with a vengeance. What is needed is a strategy! Begin by making a thorough analysis of your typical day. Most things we do every day are part of a routine and are hardly ever noticed. And yet, they are of our own making. Since all behavior has been acquired at one time or another, there is no reason to believe that habits (even bad ones) can’t be undone.
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