Lose Weight, Stay Healthy

March 19, 2009 by  
Filed under Weight Loss

A good diet is an important factor in when it comes to weight loss. But with all the weight loss trends going around these days, it might be a little difficult to know which ones are good diets for optimal weight loss. Here we will offer you natural weight loss plans through nutrition science.

Eating healthy requires proper amounts of food from the basic food groups. The average person needs around 2000-2500 calories daily, although the ideal amount would be lower for someone hoping for quick weight loss. Half of the person’s weight loss plan in calorie intake should come from carbohydrates, while 30% should be from fats and 20% from protein.

Carbohydrates are an essential source of compounds, even if one is aiming for weight loss, because this is where a person’s energy comes from. Some sugars rapidly break down in the intestine and are absorbed, while some process the second they touch your tongue. Some may take longer to break down, but they are just as healthy for your weight loss plan.

Fats are hardly different from carbohydrates but they contain certain fatty acids that are crucial for good health. Proteins split to create amino acids, and then come back together to create proteins that are essential for muscle growth.

Meat is another healthy source of proteins. The recommended amount for an average person to take in daily is about 3 ounces per meal. This could come in the form of a cup of pasta or two cups of leafy green vegetables. The vegetables additionally supply fiber, vitamins and minerals, as a health bonus to your weight loss program.

A balanced meal can mix up various types of carbohydrates at once, of course. However, it is recommended to go easy on the butter, cheese and sauces that may be extremely high in fat or sugar.

The main basics, therefore, can be retrieved from a number of sources; but when debating a proper weight loss program, it is very important to know which types are high in what.

The ultimate energy source that contains the most calories is fat, so try to keep this to a minimum if you want to optimize your potential weight loss. Fat contains nine calories per gram – that’s twice as many calories as other energy sources! Fat must therefore only be taken in moderation when aiming for weight loss. By doing so, you will also aid in keeping cholesterol levels in check.

All other sources of carbohydrates contain four calories per gram. However, if additionally to weight loss, you aim for health, it is essential to opt for foods with minerals, fiber, and vitamins. Fruits are a great example for this, as are nuts and grains.

Candy is one food that should really only be kept to a minimum for maximum weight loss. As innocent as candy may seem, they are actually produced to be high in fat and sugar, while lower in the nutrients that help the most. Sugar and fat may also be important in the road to good health, but when consumed in a form that contains highly advanced proportions, then that definitely cannot be good in any weight loss trial.

A very helpful tactic in following your weight loss plan is by making a detailed list of items you consume to see how many of the needed nutrients are present in your food and how many calories you are taking in. Add mathematics into your weight loss plan to help you reduce your single obsession: your attempts at weight loss.