Weight Loss 101

by Rebecca Vitali

Everyone is thinking about diet this time of year. Time to think about bathing suit weather. To have a healthy diet, consume your food from the four basic food groups. Think about eating them in proper proportions and you will lose weight. If you are an average person, not too large or too small, you will most likely consume about 2000-2500 calories a day. The best proportions are 50% of your calories will be carbohydrates, 30% will come from fat (some fat is good for you) and 20% will come from lean proteins.

Everyone has heard about carbohydrates. But they are not all bad. Carbs are your main source of energy. From simple sugars like glucose and fructose, that rapidly break down in your system. Your body starts processing sugar minutes after you eat it. It is complex carbs you want to have in your diet. Starches, like a nice potato, take longer to break down and are healthy in moderation.

Fats are chemically similar to carbohydrates, and contain fatty acids essential to health. Proteins are lysed (split) to make amino acids, that are then recombined to form proteins used in muscles and other structures.

Meat is normally your main source of protein. Consider consuming about 3 ounces per meal. This amount is about right for the average sized person. Then complement it with a cup of pasta, which is a good source of carbohydrates. Add two cups of leafy green vegetables that will supply your fiber, minerals and vitamins.

So a basic balanced meal is easy to fix. You can make it up simply from a serving of meat or other protein source, starchy carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, corn or potatoes, and fruit. Just go easy on the butter and condiments, like cheese, sauces and other sources of sugar or fat.

Fat has nine calories per gram. This is a whopping double amount when compared to other energy sources. This is why you need to consider keeping foods high in fat down to moderate levels. If you are watching your cholesterol levels, this is imperative.

Carbohydrates have four calories per gram. You will find your favorites among fruits (strawberries, apples, pears), nuts (pistachios, macadamia, walnuts. Try to avoid fatty peanuts or cashews) and grains (they supply fiber and minerals).

Why is candy bad, unless consumed in very modest portions? Because they are designed to be high in fat, high in sugar with much lower amounts of helpful nutrients. Neither fat nor sugar are harmful in moderation. Indeed, they’re essential to good health. But when consumed in a form that contains an excessive proportion, they provide enormous calories and fewer other nutrients.

If you create a list of items that you consume daily, it will show you the amount of helpful nutrients broken down into how many calories each contains. There are numerous calculators that can help you put a little math into your diet plan. This information will aide you in reducing the other number you obsess over - what shows on your scale in morning.

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