Body Fat: Six Step Plan
to Lose Extra Pounds

Article by Diet Bites

Step 1 - Losing the Fat. Time to Look at Our Current Diet.

This step involves looking at our current daily diet and weeding out the fat. Let's begin with tips to assist:

1. Start with the types of cooking fats that you use in the kitchen because they impact the way that our body distributes pounds when weight gain occurs.

When we use those that are high in the saturated lipids, we're more apt to gain in the abdominal area of the body as well as incur fatty deposits surrounding our vital organs.

We recommend the following oils for your pantry as they hold healthier distributions of fats: extra virgin olive oil, canola, and peanut.

2. While we are looking into our pantry area, what else do we see? Is it stocked with numerous boxes and packages of commercially prepared products? If so, it likely holds significant amounts of fat and sodium.

While most might recommend tossing them out, that's simply too wasteful. Instead, use the products up over time - and when you go shopping again, look for healthier options. Let's look at some very healthy suggestions.

Step 2 - Healthier Alternatives to Panty Foods

For information relating to the five basic food groups and how they can work effectively to rid belly fat forever. Diet Bites supports a healthy weight loss plan built upon the food pyramid and the healthy food groups therein. Any other method for losing belly fat simply doesn't provide a life-pattern for permanent weight loss.

Step 2 - Alternatives to Fatty Foods in the Pantry

Those include the following broken down in the Five Basic Food Groups:

Food Pyramid, The Grain Group, 6-11 Daily Servings

Example of Grains

Pasta noodles of all variety preferably whole grain pasta, white rice, brown rice, wild rice, couscous, cornmeal, flour, oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, popcorn, plain rice cakes, popcorn cakes, barley, whole wheat bread, tortillas - both corn and flour,  whole grain cereals.

Food Pyramid, The Protein Group, 2-3 Daily Servings

Example of Proteins

Beef or turkey jerky, dried peas, beans, legumes, nuts of all varieties and seeds.

Food Pyramid, The Fruit Group, 2-4 Daily Servings

Healthy Fruit Tips for Dieters

The best fruits for the pantry include canned and those which are in their dehydrated form - so raisins, dried cranberries, figs, dates, apricots, apples and pears work nicely and most contain generous blasts of dietary fiber. In addition, keep a bowl of fresh fruit readily available for snack time - in sight so you will remember.

When canned is involved, be sure to opt for fruits packed in their natural juices - or unsweetened varieties.

Food Pyramid, The Vegetable Group, 3-5 Daily Servings

Healthy Vegetable Tips for Dieters

Canned versions that are natural with no or reduced sodium make the healthiest choices. Dried vegetables also work well - and some can even be found in your spiffy spice rack - such as rosemary and dill.

Food Pyramid, The Dairy Group, 2-3 Daily Servings

Healthy Dairy Notes for Dieters

Unfortunately, cheese snacks aren't considered a dairy food. Bummers. And it's challenging to keep dairy-based foods in the pantry. There are boxes of sealed milk - including eggnog, but these tend to be high in caloric values.

One good option is instant milk which comes in handy when you live far from the store and cannot make a trip to purchase such. In addition, mixes and other foods that can be prepared with dairy foods make a good option - such as sugar reduced, low fat pudding mixes.

Step 3 - Alternatives to Refrigerated Fatty Foods

We've rampaged through the kitchen pantry, removing foods that are unhealthy for your new diet plan - and now it's time to investigate the refrigerator. What, oh what might we find? Butter? Margarine? Let's see.

Step 3 - Alternatives to Refrigerated Fatty Foods

Let's head on over to the refrigerator and we'll start by looking into the freezer.

What does it hold?

Ice cream, commercially prepared meals like frozen pizza? What about breaded items such as fish and chicken?

Does it contain prepared chicken pot pies? What about desserts like apple pie, frozen cheesecake or dough that is intended to be used to prepare baked foods?

Getting Our Refrigerator to a Healthier State For Our New Diet Plan

If so, the next time we visit our market let's fill up on the following instead: lean cuts of meat and seafood, frozen yogurt, fruit pops, lemon ice, frozen dinners that are low in dietary fat and calories.

Making Healthier Choices for Weight Loss, Not Switching Away From the Foods We Enjoy

Now let's open the bottom part of our refrigerator and peer inside.

Here is where we'll typically find a treasure of dairy foods, condiments, spreadable fats, proteins and vegetables that require refrigeration and juices.

As you look at these items, are there healthier products that you can purchase which taste similar?

For example, franks. What about an all meat, low fat variety? These can hold 1/4th the calories of some regular franks.

As we can readily see - we need not go without our favorite foods in order to lose weight - or in order to get healthier.

We simply need to select healthier choices - like the lighter franks for our beans and frank recipe OR for our delicious chili dog recipe OR for our franks wrapped in biscuits recipe.

What about sausage? For breakfast varieties, look for the low fat offerings. For links - such as Polish type rings, seek the leaner cuts.

How to Reduce Fat & Calories in Bacon

Even where bacon is concerned, the packages that hold the leaner cuts will be our best choices, as well as the thinner slices.

Prepare the bacon in the microwave and the thick slices will contain about 40 calories while the thin slices, about 25 calories.

Be sure to layer the bacon between paper towels which will serve to absorb the oils in the bacon.

What About Dairy Food Options?

As to dairy food selections - hey, you know what to do, right? Look for the reduced fat options. See if you can live with those and if not - use 1/4th to 1/3rd less of the regular, whole dairy food.

Step 4 - How to Win the Weight Loss Battle Using Low Calorie Condiments, Herbs & Spices

These minimal calorie additives can blast flavor into your current diet plan without adding a plethora of calories and fat grams. Let's see what's cooking in our healthy kitchen, shall we?

Step 4 - Condiments, Spices, Herbs

When we sit down to our meal plate when dieting, we often have our energy totals calculated - or at least we have an idea of how many calories we're going to consume.

However, many times we get too hungry - we start adding a lot of condiments and after we're done we experience our 'Oh Whoops!' moment. Too late.

Food Additives Can Be Both Steep & Minimal in Caloric Values

When the condiment is hot sauce, soy sauce, mustard, ketchup, and salsa - the damage is minimal. Very, very minimal. About 5-10 calories per recommend serving.

When the condiment is Mayo, tartar sauce, salad dressing, Asian sauces, butter, margarine, and sour cream - even if these are in reduced fat form, we are in big trouble where our daily energy consumption is concerned.

For example, one serving of some varieties of ranch dressing can hold nearly 200 calories. That's equal to six fish sticks that have been crispy-baked in the oven. It's equal to two servings of cottage cheese and eight cups of green beans.

Therefore, choose wisely when dieting. Better yet, to add flavor without adding fat calories add spices and herbs during the cooking process.

Foods Which Generally Require or Get Added Foods

Salads, Additives to Monitor Which are High in Calories & Fat

Croutons, bacon bits, shredded cheese, animal proteins that have been battered and fried or drowned in sauces, dried fruits, nuts and edible seeds.

Baked Potato, Additives to Monitor While Dieting

Bacon bits, cheese or cheese sauce, butter or margarine, sour cream and chili OR chili sauce.

Chili, Additives to Monitor Which Contain Fat, Higher Calories

Shredded, slices or chunks of cheese, saltine crackers, oyster crackers, tortilla strips or chips.

Tacos, Fatty & High Calories Ingredients & Additives

Fatty ground beef, cheese, sour cream, avocado and extra large taco shells.

Sandwich, Additives Which Impact Caloric Values

Cheese of all varieties, Mayo, salad dressings used to spread on sandwiches, avocado, bacon, animal proteins that have  been fried or battered, lunch meats high in sodium with visible fat, bologna, salami, and fatty sausages.

Step 5 - Time to Time Meals & Establish Daily Calorie Totals

Getting into a scheduled routine sets a healthy pattern for weight loss. It's the best way to retrain the body and to reset the metabolic rate from unhealthy and sluggish to full speed ahead!

Step 5 - Timing Meals, Setting Caloric Daily Values

Numerous debates exist on how the times that we eat during the day impact our weight. I've actually tested this process myself - and reviewed reliable data.

Late Eating Supports Weight Gain

Fact is - the later that you eat during the day, the more difficult it's going to be for the metabolism to burn off the energy.

Here's why....

As the day moves forward, we become tired. The same applies to our body.

It performs well and when it starts getting late, it prepares for the night's rest, slowing down gradually. Including our metabolic rate.

Metabolism Can't Burn Energy as Efficiently Late in the Evening as it Can Earlier in the Day

You can try your own experiment by waiting to eat your normal meal later in the evening.

Do this for one week. Wait a couple of weeks, and then eat your dinner as early as possible without feeling famished before bedtime. Review the differences.

If your personal experience is like my own - you'll see a big difference with weight gain associated with late eating.

Establishing the Number of Calories For Your New Diet Plan

As to your weight loss plan, be sure to set daily energy intake at a doable number of calories.

If you set them too low - your body is at high risk in experiencing a sluggish rate of fat loss as it works to conserve precious energy. 

On the other hand, if you set them too high, you're not going to reduce at an efficient rate.

My Formula for Setting Daily Calories

I'm five foot in height. I'm 60 years old at this writing. I require about 1500 calories per day when I'm active. When I'm inactive, if I eat more than 1350 calories, I will gain weight.

My height in inches works out to my current age - which is actually a coincidence! Sixty inches. If I consume 25 calories per inch of my height, that equals 1500.

For example, if you're my height then 1500 calories may be your perfect caloric allotment for the day if you're active. If you're 5'4" in height, it might be about 1600 calories daily [64 inches X 25 = 1600 calories]. And you can always adjust the amount as you're dieting.

You may require more or less, depending upon several personal factors. For example, age matters.

A young lady that is my height will most likely require more calories. Her metabolic is young, and it's more efficient that my old one.

Other things that impact the amount of energy our body requires and uses is gender, activity level - along with the height and age, as well as our current state of health.

Step 6 - Exercise to Shift Fat, Balanced With Relaxation

If we want to get the best results from our diet plan we must also incorporate a fitness plan which contains healthy elements - just as our eating plan contains. We'll show you how exercise can make you feel better while boosting the results of your healthy diet by rendering sweet weight loss results.

Step 6 - Exercise to Shift Fat, Balanced With Relaxation

We come to the part of our fat loss plan where most individuals deliver a huge sigh.

If you're overweight, that doesn't mean that you don't enjoy activity. In fact, once you get to moving - you probably enjoy yourself quite a lot.

On the other hand, when one settles for activity as well as planned exercise that they don't enjoy, it can be a most miserable experience.

Choosing an Exercise That's in-Step With Your Personal Preferences

On that note, what do you like to do when you're out and about? Do you enjoy walking? Skating? Swimming?

Here is an example of some of the activities that I do that I hope will give you ideas and start you on your way to a thinner you.

Walking, It's Something That Most of Us Can Do

I enjoy walking. At this writing I'm a couple of months away from hitting the big 6.0.

Funny thing because most of the time I still feel like a kid. Still wear pigtails, ponytails and braids, too. And yes, I have bangs. If I didn't my head would look like it was hanging out the window in a car driving 200 mph. I have a face that needs hair. Not on the facial area, mind you - but around the face.

It's always the most fun to explore new areas, but where I live - it's quite desolate. There aren't many trees. There is a lot of sand, a whole lot of burrs and mosquitoes. And snakes. Copperheads and at times, rattlers.

When I walk, I do such on a path that has been cleared - and I walk based on the weather conditions rather than a set time of day.

Sometimes, I will hand-mow our yard in the cool hours of the day. It's fun, seeing strips being cut out slowly. And amid the trim I'm walking at my own pace, burning calories.

Setting Our Personal Pace to Activity Chosen

That's important - being able to set our own pace when exercising. I've never been one to get involved in exercise tapes and CD's.

I have played with a few belly dancing tapes - and you know, if you like that sort of thing, that might be another activity that you can enjoy at your own pace.

The thing is - whatever you decide to choose as your daily activity, stick with it. And on that note, you don't have to exercise each and every day.

Even if you add thirty minutes of activity three times a week - such as walking at your own pace, you'll have a much healthier, stronger body from head to toe. All while burning calories and boosting your metabolism.  

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