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Nutritional Guidelines
for Weight Loss
by Clark Hansen, N.M.D.
See Copyright
Notice
Meal Planning
The first thing you need to do is stop skipping meals. Fasting sends a message
to the brain to store all incoming calories as fat. Eat three regularly scheduled
meals per day. Two snacks are allowed per day. Choose from the following list:
(1) celery stick
(1) raw carrot
(1) apple
(1) orange
(4) 100% whole wheat crackers
(4) brown rice crackers
(6) almonds (raw, not roasted, no salt added)
(1) ounce baked corn chips
Calories
To lose weight you must burn more calories than you consume. To lose one pound
of fat per week, you must create a negative caloric balance of 500 calories per
day. For example, if you desire to lose one pound of fat per week and you are
currently consuming 2000 calories per day, you need to reduce your food intake
by 200 calories and increase calorie burning by 300 calories per day. You can
increase your calorie burning through aerobic exercise (see Aerobic Exercise
Chart). You need to keep a record of everything that you eat for one week to
get an idea of how much you are currently eating and what portion comes from
proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
Fats
The body needs some fats, called essential fatty acids. These are oils (liquid
at room temperature) and come from seeds and grains. Your body does not need
saturated fats (solid at room temperature), which come from animal sources. Essential
fatty acids are used by the body to produce hormones, and they are also part
of the membrane of every cell of the body. Avoid saturated fats, and choose an
oil from the following list:
Grape seed oil
Virgin olive oil
Flax seed oil
Safflower oil
Sunflower oil
Carbohydrates
1 gram of protein=4 calories
1 gram of carbohydrate=4 calories
1 gram of fat=9 calories
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the brain
and all the muscles. Carbohydrates are converted by the
body into a natural simple sugar called glucose, which is
used for fuel by the body. A small amount is converted into
glycogen and stored in the muscles for a short term energy
reserve. Any excess is converted into fat and stored throughout
the body as a long term energy reserve.
To avoid excess carbohydrate conversion into fat, eliminate all refined carbohydrates,
such as white bread, white rice, confectionary or table sugar, soda pops, etc.
Read labels and eat only 100% whole grain breads, 100% whole grain rice or brown
rice, and whole grain. Whole grains are called complex carbohydrates. They contain
a high concentration of fiber.
Fiber
Fiber, which is found in complex carbohydrates from grains, fruits and vegetables,
provides many essential benefits for the body. It binds to fats in the intestines
and inhibits fat absorption, creating a sense of fullness as its bulking actions
sweeps the intestinal lining clean. This helps to create a sense of satiety and
fullness and, hence, reduces appetite. It also keeps the bowel regular and helps
to eliminate toxins that can cause colon cancer.
Fruits and Sugars
Fruit sugar, known as fructose, is metabolized differently
than refined sugar, or sucrose. However, an excess of either
kind will be stored as fat. Limit your
fruit consumption to two or three fruits per day. Fruit juices should also be
limited to no more than one per day, diluted fifty percent with water. Dried
fruits should only be eaten infrequently in small amounts because of their high
sugar content.
Dairy
Dairy products should be limited or completely eliminated from your diet. The
protein in cow's milk is designed for a 2000 pound animal. Unless you want to
be a 2000 pound animal, you should avoid all dairy! It is simply too high in
fat and protein. When you eat low-fat or non-fat dairy, the protein content increases
as the fat content decreases.
Cow's milk protein is associated with many allergies, Type I diabetes, heart
disease, and even osteoporosis because the high protein content causes a hormone
release of stored calcium from your bones. If you insist on consuming dairy products,
make sure that they are low in fat (1% or less) and not consumed more than twice
per week. There are several dairy alternatives, including soy milk, rice milk,
oat milk, and goat's milk.
Foods to Avoid Completely
Foods that should be completely avoided include: alcohol, bacon, sausage, pork,
beef, lamb, egg yolks, all salad dressings except oil and vinegar varieties,
ice cream, cakes, pies, pastries, margarine, and fried foods. Limit dairy products
to no more than one serving per day.
Exercise Guidelines
Why Exercise
Exercise creates a demand for energy that stimulates your body to burn calories;
it increases the body's metabolic rate; and it increases the number of muscle
cells where fat burning takes place.
Exercise Requirements
To be effective for weight loss, you need to do some sort of continuous aerobic
exercise at least four times per week, for a minimum of thirty minutes and a
maximum of one hour per day. Less will be ineffective, and more will create muscle
breakdown rather than building it up.
Exercise Pace
You need to exercise at a pace which makes it slightly difficult to carry on
a conversation. Your heart rate during exercise should be approximately 180 minus
your age (i.e. 180 - age 45=135 beats per minute). Exercising more intensely
will switch the metabolism into burning sugar rather than fat.
Exercise Precaution
If you are out of shape you should consult a physician before starting any exercise
program. If you are out of shape or have not been exercising regularly, you should
begin with a brisk walk and gradually increase the duration and intensity of
your exercise from 10-15 minutes at a lower heart rate up to 30-60 minutes per
day at a heart rate of 180 - your age.
Acceptable Aerobic
Exercises
Acceptable forms of exercise include walking, cycling, swimming, jogging, or
the use of a treadmill, cross-country ski machine, rowing machine, stairmaster,
etc.
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