When it comes to dieting, there are a myriad of options out there to try. There are the plans that count calories, plans that limit the types of foods that you eat, and plans that focus on a certain food or food type and use that as a basis for weight loss.
If weight loss is your goal, you need to examine what exactly you are eating that is causing you to gain weight. Those of us who consume a lot of processed foods on a daily basis are more likely to have an issue with weight loss than someone whose diet is not focused on processed foods that are chock full of white flours, refined sugars and saturated fats.
I had problems with weight loss for years. Slowly but steadily, 50 pounds crept up on my small frame over the course of about 10 years. While each year it was only about 5 pounds gained, after 10 years, it really added up to a lot of excess weight. I tried every diet plan around: portion control, starvation, diets that assigned a point value to foods and diet shakes as meal replacements. While they initially worked and I lost weight, over the long term I just didn’t keep the weight off.
It was not until I was diagnosed with serious health issues that I decided (with the assistance of and advice from my physicians) that I needed to examine exactly what I was eating in order to take off the weight for good and improve my health.
I started by cutting out processed junk foods. I stopped consuming products that are high in sugars and low in nutritional value. I stopped eating products made with white flours and products high in saturated fats. I replaced these products with “pure” foods.
I started shopping the perimeter of the supermarket. My focus changed to purchasing organic fruits and vegetables – high in leafy greens. I now avoid the middle sections of the supermarket that contain the high concentrations of processed foods.
Low and behold, by making these adjustments, the weight started to slowly and steadily shed from my body. Over the course of 10 months, I lost a total of 50 pounds. I spent so many years blaming my metabolism for my weight gain. When in reality, it was the foods that I was eating that were making me fat. I feel better than ever. My health has improved and I feel like a younger version of myself.
The bottom line: low calorie diet plans may help you to lose weight and portion control is an important part of overall health, but calories are not the only consideration. You need to cut out the foods that are simply making you fat.
