Valentine’s Day usually conjures up thoughts of chocolate-covered strawberries, red roses, and romance. So what does all of that have to do with a diet blog? Quite a bit. One of the strategies of someone with a successful diet mindset is to not derail their eating plan regularly. If your Valentine offers to take you out to dinner, you still can have a lot of control over your diet with some tips to tuck away before you head out for the evening. For starters, avoid the bread basket. Most breads are made with refined flour, which actually has been tested as worse than table sugar in terms of how it impacts your blood sugar. A quick sugar spike will cause you to be very hungry in a short period of time. Instead, opt for a salad or a vegetable platter (if not battered and deep fried). For dinner, request the rice or potato to be substituted with an extra serving of steamed vegetables. Those chocolate-covered strawberries I mentioned before — go ahead and enjoy, especially if they are dipped in dark chocolate.
Posts Tagged ‘Diet Mindset’
Your Weight Loss Journey Begins With the Best Diet Plans
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010When you compare weight loss to taking a journey, it helps to think about what you will need in order to get to your destination. Things like a map, supplies, a means of travel — all of these things are important. To choose your “map” for your weight loss journey, begin by assessing the best diet plans, and choose the right one for you.
Issues such as lifestyle, the amount of time you have available for food preparation and meal planning, and health issues all need to be considered as you narrow down your choices and move in the right direction for your individual journey. Exercise is one of the “supplies” you will need to make it to your destination. And think of your diet mindset — your mental preparedness — as the means of travel that will ultimately allow you to reach your destination.
Exercise Plus Diet Equals Freedom from Weight Issues
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
Part of the diet mindset is understanding and implementing all of the components that add up to success in the weight loss arena. Diet is 85% of the battle in terms of importance, leaving exercise at 15%. So the tendency can be to choose to skip exercise and focus solely on the diet. This is not good strategy however. While exercise isn’t the primary component in the weight loss game, study after study has proven that people who exercise are those who tend to adopt a healthy lifestyle. In other words, exercise strongly influences other choices you make, including food choices. For instance, did you know that vigorous exercise alters our hormones so that appetite is suppressed for several hours? Additionally, weight training increases muscle mass, which causes our bodies to burn more calories at rest. And higher intensity aerobic and circuit training incinerates calories, enabling us to more easily obtain that calorie deficit we are looking for. Exercisers tend to drink more water, drink less alcohol, and make better nutrition choices. Exercise also increases endorphins, which improve mood and optimism. A habit of exercise can be learned, and understanding all of it’s many benefits can be the push you need to make the habit a reality.
Strategic Dieting Equals Success
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
New Year’s resolutions are obtainable with some strategic tools and tips to rely on for success. One important thing to remember when dieting is to forget about deprivation. Instead, think about adding in the highest quality, most wholesome foods you can choose, such as fresh produce, whole grains, beans, legumes and lean proteins. Try cutting way back on processed foods, and choose instead foods prepared closely to their natural state.
Trying to white-knuckle it will only end up setting you up for a binge. Think moderation when you crave a treat, and don’t punish yourself if you indulge. Often, we punish ourselves by just throwing in the towel and sidelining our eating plan. An indulgence ends up translating into a lifestyle. Instead, be gentle with yourself and get back on track with your diet plan.
Time to Change My Diet Mindset
Wednesday, December 30th, 2009It happens every year; it’s predictable, and I use it to my advantage. Beginning on Christmas Eve, I loosen up my eating standards. This year it began at lunch time as the Christmas cookies my husband and kids had made the night before were sitting on the counter. I ate two cookies after lunch, and it was all a blur after that! For the next four days, there were cookies, pies, cinnamon rolls, Christmas dinner, Christmas left-overs, and yummy Christmas drinks. I gained 4 lbs. (mostly water weight, because refined carbohydrates require a lot of water to digest). Today I sit here in my loose sweat pants, laughing at the idea of fitting into my regular jeans. But I’m glad I slipped. It’s an annual event that reminds me that I feel absolutely rotten when I don’t make healthy choices. I am tired, sluggish, and bloated. And I am SO READY to go back to my healthy way of eating. The extra 4 lbs. should be gone in a couple of days, and life as usual will resume. With the diet mindset, it’s kind of exciting to be able to crave the healthy lifestyle that we have so carefully cultivated. Happy New Year!
The Diet Mindset Blog: Introduction
Friday, March 13th, 2009For any of you who have tried to enter into a health regimen, whether it be a diet, exercise or both, you know that it can be challenging to reach your goals. It is our belief that the stronger you prepare mentally prior to entering into your health regimen, the more likely you will succeed in your weight loss goals or exercise objectives. This blog will be a compilation of research, personal experience and the practical application of that information into meaningful nuggets that you can benefit from.
We will also update the The Diet Mindset Blog with the latest coupon codes from some of the top diets in the business like: Medifast.com coupons & ediets.com promotions. We ultimately are striving to become the best resource on the net as it relates to mentally preparedness and other things you should do prior to beginning your diet or workout plan. So why not save along the way as well. There are always good deals online that you can take advantage of.