Are High Protein Diets Really Designed For Women?

Paleo Lunch :

If you have more than a passing interest in weight loss, you're likely to have considered - or tried - a high protein diet. Although high protein diets have been around since the Atkins Diet in the 1970s, they've come back into vogue since Kate Middleton (now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge) was said to have lost weight on the Dukan diet. For the fitness-minded among you, you're probably also familiar with the Paleo Diet, which tends to go hand in hand with CrossFit training. Finally, Tim Ferris started a new movement with his 'Slow Carb Diet'.

Are High Protein Diets Really Designed For Women?

The close cousin of high protein diets is the 'sugar is evil' movement. The argument is that sugar is the cause of the huge rise in obesity, and the low-fat diets of yesteryear had it all wrong.

I'm not entering into the protein/sugar debate here, apart from to say that you can lose weight on a high protein diet, and reducing the sugar in your diet is beneficial for just about everybody. BUT you can also lose weight on any diet that has an iota of commonsense behind it, and the 'sugar is bad' message has been bombarding us since we were all kids, so this is hardly a revelation.

The real problem here is that the 'high protein and sugar is evil' movement is getting so much airplay nowadays that it's difficult not to get swept up by it. It's hard not to feel guilty that you have yet to kick your sugar habit, or admit you'd really like a sandwich for lunch rather than another chicken salad.

Actually, the real, real problem about all of these high protein diets - Atkins, Dukan, Paleo and the Slow Carb Diet - is that they were all developed by men. Before you think I'm completely sexist I do think it matters, and here's three reasons why.

1. Men tend to be overweight due to a general lack of awareness and information about nutrition and healthy eating, whereas emotional eating tends to play a bigger role in women's weight problems.

2. Men tend to be better at deciding to diet and then just following the rules, especially when they're allowed a 'cheat' day (which most of these diets include). Women, on the other hand, tend to be more influenced by hormone fluctuations and their emotional attachment to food.

3. Men tend to think a diet that allows them to eat big quantities of red meat and lots of eggs is a dream come true. Conversely, women are more likely to feel deprived when all they want is chocolate but they have to eat a medium rare sirloin instead. And, when deprivation beckons, it doesn't take long before a diet is ditched completely.

The final straw, of course, is that us girls tend to chastise ourselves and believe we're a total failure when we can't stick to a diet, leading to a spiral towards low self-esteem, an escape to emotional eating, and so the cycle continues.

Admittedly, no diet really takes into account the emotional aspect of eating which is extraordinarily ironic because once you understand your Inner BMI (beliefs mindset imprint) about food and your weight, everything else takes care of itself. However, I do think a high protein diet is particularly harsh for women compared to men, and from my own experience I know that men tend to be able to stick to this diet for far longer than women.

So, if you're thinking about embarking on one of the diets I've mentioned, please remember that you're human (not just a machine that needs food), your emotions are real (not to be stuffed down and ignored), cravings are often a sign to look deeper and weight control is a lifestyle, not a life sentence.

I hope you enjoyed this article, please feel free to let me know your thoughts on my viewpoint.

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Safe and Effective Ways to Lose Weight Quickly

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We have all had times in our lives when we needed to lose a few pounds quickly. Whether it's just in time for your high school reunion, your wedding, a hot date, or a vacation on the beach, sometimes we just need a kick start to our weight loss regimen to reach our reduction goals fast. But don't be taken in by fad diets or supplements that promise the impossible. If you want to get rid of a few extra pounds, try these quick, effective and safe methods.

Safe and Effective Ways to Lose Weight Quickly

Fasting/Cleansing

Many people find that by fasting for as short a period as one day, their body's metabolism seems to speed up while the stomach shrinks and that makes it easier to lose weight via a sensible diet in the following days.

Back in the old days, it was common for dieters to go for days with nothing but a few drinks of unflavored water. Today we know that it is not necessary. As long as you sip on clear liquids, there is no reason you can't provide a bit of fuel for your body in the form of a hot lemon toddy with honey, herbal tea, vegetable broth or chicken stock - and that makes it easier to get through a 24-hour cleanse. Dr. Oz has a 3-day cleanse program that allows you to eat quinoa for breakfast and soup for lunch and that is another option for a completely safe way to cleanse your body.

Whole Foods Diet

Often referred to as the Paleo Diet, a whole foods approach to eating allows you to lose weight naturally. The key is in eating foods that are as close to possible as their natural state. That means focusing on fruits, veggies, nuts and whole grains. You don't have to follow a strictly vegetarian or even vegan diet, but let's face it - it is difficult, if not impossible, to eat animal fats, meat and dairy products in their natural state because most of them are subject to some form of processing before they get to the supermarket shelf.

Besides, we need far less protein on a daily basis than we've been led to believe. Nuts, seeds and grains are excellent, low-fat sources of protein sufficient to fuel even a bodybuilder's daily workout regimen.

FIR Technology

A completely safe way to lose several pounds in as little as an hour is to use the power of Far Infrared Ray (FIR) technology. The application of a body wrap that utilizes FIR technology in a salon is easy, efficient and quick; in just one lunch hour you'll see dramatic effects.

FIR works by heating the molecules in your body which, in turn, make you sweat. As you sweat, all manner of noxious toxins are released from your body. The organs responsible for producing sweat are doing hard work and this burns calories. Rather than making your body's fat melt away, Far Infrared Rays break it down into fatty acids your muscles use for energy.

If you've got a few pounds that need to come off now, start with a 24-hour cleanse, then graduate to a sensible diet of whole foods. Use just one lunch hour to treat yourself to a FIR technology body wrap at your local tanning salon (with the added bonus of relaxing your muscles, alleviating joint pain and reducing the appearance of cellulite) and you'll be sure to lose weight quickly but safely.

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Forego Dieting And Choose A Healthy, Sustainable Weight Maintenance Diet Instead

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Are you dieting? In today's vernacular, dieting has come to mean trying to lose weight. Yet Diet is the food and beverages you consume, and can lead to weight loss (Paleo Diet, South Beach Diet, etc.), weight gain (bodybuilding diet, etc), or weight maintenance (any healthy diet).

Forego Dieting And Choose A Healthy, Sustainable Weight Maintenance Diet Instead

While it might seem like it's all just playing with semantics, there really is a big difference between the two. If you're dieting to lose weight, you're probably making a mistake - most dieters find themselves trapped in the 'yo-yo diet' syndrome, forever losing a few pounds then gaining them back over and over again, often with the result of their weight slowly increasing overall.

Most diets start you off heavily restricting calories and drinking a lot of water. Restricting your caloric intake heavily only works for a very short time - usually your body will slow down its metabolism (the rate it uses energy at) by the end of the first week to compensate for the reduced intake. You may lose a pound or two of true bodyweight, but most of the loss will be from the increased water intake.

You body is truly efficient in its operations, and water is the single most important part of your nutritional intake. People can go up to about 30 days without food, but your system would shut down without water for 6 or 7 days. As a result, your body stores water based on need and available supply. When you drink more water regularly, your body doesn't see the need to store as much of it, so it releases more of its water stores. Since you've increased your water consumption while dieting, your body is lighter more from carrying less water than from burning body fat.

And what happens when you've reached your weight target and end your diet? You go back to your 'normal' number of calories, but now your metabolism is slower so you're actually creating a bigger caloric surplus than before you started dieting. Unless and until your metabolism catches back up, that excess will be stored as body fat as insurance against the next caloric deficit. And it's the same with water - if you start drinking less, your body will go back to storing more of it.

Net result? In short order your weight has gone back up surpassing your starting weight, and you're facing another weight loss diet. Not really what you were hoping for, was it? It's time to break that cycle and get to and maintain your healthy bodyweight.

To start, evaluate your current eating habits and make any necessary changes. You should be eating 3 meals a day, each with a mix of fibrous carbohydrates, quality protein and some healthy fats. Replace white bread with whole wheat, including any buns, etc. Be sure to have a good breakfast - not sugar-laden cereal, salt-laden instant oatmeal or toast & coffee. Instead go for bacon & eggs, oatmeal & eggs or a grapefruit & a protein shake, for example.

Lunch should be tuna, salmon or a small portion of lean red meat, with a side of roasted or steamed vegetables or a salad - but skip the useless calories of the thicker dressings and opt for either oil & vinegar or just a drizzle of olive oil. Supper should be fish, chicken or lean red meat and green vegetables or beans. For best results, fill half the plate with steamed green vegetables.

If you find you need a snack mid-afternoon or after dinner, choose fruit, unsalted peanuts or walnuts. Just remember that while healthy, each has calories so limit the amount you allow yourself. If you're still peckish an hour before bedtime, treat yourself to a cup of cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is high in the phosphoprotein casein, a slow digesting protein that not only helps to curb your hunger but keeps the body burning more calories while you sleep as it your body digests it.

Check your weight about once a week to see if you're headed towards your weight loss goals. It's always best to check first thing in the morning upon rising, before getting dressed. Your weight fluctuates by a few pounds throughout the day, so best to always check it at the same time of day, and doing it first thing helps to eliminate fluctuations based on that day's food intake.

If you're making progress, just keep doing what you're doing - don't make any changes to try & hurry the process. Let your body adapt and continue at it's own preferred rate. On the other hand, if you're not yet losing, try either reducing the calories slightly at each meal, or replace a bit of the carbohydrate portion with additional protein.

Once you're at your target weight, keep monitoring yourself for another few weeks. If your body is still dropping weight, up your portions slightly until you reach a maintenance level. Now when you reach the weight you want to stay at it's easy to maintain, since you're already eating right to maintain that weight - no further changes are necessary as you're now living a more fit lifestyle and eating a healthy diet. And should you slip up the odd time, increasing your exercise level, even going for a couple of walks a day, can usually help to cover up your caloric indiscretions!

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How to Burn Belly Fat by Eating Real Food and Doing Less Exercise

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Many people turn to health food when they decide to burn belly fat. The problem is that the so-called "health food" you find in the supermarket is doing more damage than good. Many of the products that are labeled "low-fat" are often packed with sugar to make up for the flavor of reduced fat. Sugar that isn't burned is stored as fat. Therefore, if you are not understanding the labels on your food products, you could be consuming more sugar and gaining more weight.

How to Burn Belly Fat by Eating Real Food and Doing Less Exercise

A Solution to Your Food Dilemmas

Figuring out what to eat is probably one of the hardest things anyone deals with when trying to lose weight. There are so many diet books and plans out there, all that occurs is information overload. As for myself, I have realized that reducing the amount of carbs I eat works well for losing weight and keeping it off. This means eating real food such as lean meat, plenty of fresh veggies, fresh fruit, and good fats.

I avoid eating bread, baked goods, drinking soda, and stay away from processed food as much as possible. These types of carbs convert into sugar when eaten in excess. It is very easy to overeat foods such as bread or baked goods. A typical breakfast could be a bagel or breakfast burrito. Lunch could be a sandwich. Dinner may consist of pasta or a side dish of potatoes. Do you see how easily your daily carbohydrate intake can add up? All of that food, not to mention what you drink and sometimes even including dessert!

Two eating plans that work well are the paleo diet and clean eating diet. Both promote the consumption of whole foods (meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts, etc.) and avoiding processed food. You can find plenty of information about both online.

Exercise Less and Burn Fat Like Crazy

A common mistake that happens with people attempting to lose weight is that they become cardio junkies. It is assumed that performing a lot of cardio will burn fat. What tends to happen is that too much cardio causes muscle loss. Our bodies need muscle mass in order to burn fat effectively.

If you are not a fan of cardio, then you will like knowing that strength training (lifting weights) is much more effective than cardio when it comes to burning fat. Our muscles burn calories even at rest. Therefore, the more muscle we build, the more calories burned.

Of course the options above are not for everyone. Everyone has their own requirements when it comes to learning how to burn belly fat.

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Calming Dessert Cravings When You Are Eating Healthy

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I have heard of a saying that goes: "You can't out train your diet." In other words, if you eat a lot of junk, no amount of exercise you do will give you results. I had to learn this the hard way. For years, I struggled with getting into the exercise habit. Finally, I changed my mindset and now I exercise regularly and actually enjoy it.

Calming Dessert Cravings When You Are Eating Healthy

However, although I exercise, my diet was still the same. I cleaned it up a little by cutting out soda and watching my junk food intake, but it wasn't enough. I wasn't losing any weight. I realized I had to change my mindset with food the same way I did with fitness.

The first thing I did was to calculate what my daily caloric intake should be. I also tracked my calories the first few weeks to get an idea of the calorie content of meals as well as learn portion control. Yet, my biggest struggle were my dessert cravings. I was used to eating desserts on a daily basis.

Typically after lunch and dinner, I want something sweet. Now after lunch, I reach for fruit but after dinner, I want chocolate. Chocoholics out there can understand what I'm talking about. This is where I utilize Shakeology. If you are not familiar with it, it is an ultra-premium nutritional supplement.

Some people use protein shakes as their dessert replacement. You can also blend up fruit smoothies to accomplish the same thing. Reaching for fruit is a lot healthier than giving in to your favorite treats. If you're concerned about carbohydrate intake, do a search for "paleo desserts." Paleo dieters avoid the bad carbs found in white flour and refined sugar. They often have great recipes for desserts.

Be careful with eating protein bars as a dessert substitute. Find ones that are not full of sugar as they can be just as high in calories and carbs as a slice of chocolate cake. The same goes for granola bars, pudding snacks, etc., and other snacks that are commonly marketed as health food.

Finally, don't deprive yourself of a favorite treat once in awhile. I usually indulge one day a week by eating one of my favorite desserts. I don't go overboard with it, but just enough to be satisfied and not crave it for the rest of the week. I think over time, the cravings will become less and less.

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Lose Weight Fast - Watch Your Sugars and Your Carbs

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We all want to know how to lose weight. One good thing to be aware of is the Glycemic Index (GI) which measures how complex and simple sugars affect our weight. Paying attention to one's GI will help you follow a good diet and lose weight fast.

Lose Weight Fast - Watch Your Sugars and Your Carbs

The Glycemic index is a measure of how high and how fast particular foods raise our blood sugar levels. Without delving too far into the science of it all, if our blood sugar levels rise dramatically our bodies tend to store more of the food we have just consumed as fat. Hence, keeping our blood sugar levels at a moderate level helps reduce weight gain.

We get our sugars from foods containing simple sugars (fruits, dairy products, foods with sugar added) and complex carbohydrates which can be broken down into starchy vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash), legumes (lentils and beans), and grains (wheat, barley, rice). Typically, simple sugars and starchy vegetables are two of the main culprits that jack one's glycemic index levels. Keeping these foods to a healthy amount is key if you want to maintain a healthy weight or just lose your excess weight.

There have been recent trends that attempt to placate the GI diet trend. The "Paleo" diet and "No Carb" diet are ways of keeping your sugars levels down. But I would warn against any diet that leads to extremes. Avoiding carbs entirely is not healthy nor a sustainable way of eating. It is better to follow a moderate diet where the majority of your foods are low sugar foods but that doesn't mean you can't ever eat potatoes or have a tasty dessert now and again. Just mind how often you indulge in these foods.

One's daily metabolism is also geared to use the carbohydrates you do consume at certain times of the day better than at other times. One of the reasons you should never skip breakfast is that the body is ready to use the food you consume in the morning rather than store it as fat. Whereas the sugary or carbohydrate-rich foods you eat at night are more likely to be stored. So try to have your carbs earlier in the day and have just protein and green leafy vegetables for dinner.

Minimize processed foods which often contain added sugar. Avoid juices, pop, alcohol and sugary treats for the most part indulging only a few times a week at most. When you do indulge, you still need to watch your portions. If you eat like a pig you may end up looking the part.

Overall you want to eat 5 to 6 small meals a day. Make sure you get a healthy breakfast first thing in the morning. Keep the starchy carbs no later than lunch. And keep the cheat meals and desserts to a minimum. If you eat well the majority of the time you will see your body return to a healthy weight and you will lose the excess fat we all want to lose.

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Why is Portion Size Important?

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We can learn a lot from our caveman ancestors about food, nutrition and portion size. As they walked the earth some 2 million years ago, stone-age hunter gatherers ate small amounts of fruits, vegetables, fish and lean meat throughout the day. Storing food for long periods or carrying it for great distances was not practical so typically hunter gatherers would eat what they could when they could find it.

Why is Portion Size Important?

People today have a different approach. Many admit to having no breakfast, a big lunch and an even bigger dinner. Thinking of your metabolism as being like a fire helps explain why this is not a good idea. Ideally, you want to keep your metabolism at a steady pace during the day. Skipping meals is like starving the fire of oxygen. Eating big portions is like taking a large log and throwing it onto the fire. In both cases the fire doesn't respond well. On the other hand, eating small portions regularly is like taking a handful of twigs and throwing them onto the fire at regular intervals. The result - the fire burns evenly throughout the day and you'll avoid those sudden cravings of hunger.

The ideal number of meals is six per day consisting of a good breakfast, a medium sized lunch and a small dinner. You need less energy while sleeping hence the smaller portion size close to bed time. Your 3 main meals should be supplemented throughout the day by 3 smaller healthy snacks such as fresh fruit or a handful of nuts.

A bowl of porridge in the morning garnished with dried fruit is an excellent way to start the day. Porridge is an example of a slow release carbohydrate. It releases energy slowly and steadily to your body. Quick release carbohydrates such as cakes, biscuits and sweets tend to give a sudden burst of energy followed by a slump. It's this slump in energy which can leave you feeling hungry for more food.

Other foods such as sweet potatoes in their skins, carrots and parsnips provide us with the essential carbohydrates we need to keep healthy. A lack of carbohydrates in a nutrition plan can sometimes lead to problems concentrating and headaches.

For Fruit and vegetables you should be consuming at least 5 servings every day spread across your meals and snacks. One serving is roughly equivalent to:

• 1 large piece of fruit such as an apple, banana or pear
• 2 medium sized pieces of fruit such as kiwis or peaches
• 1 cup of berries or grapes
• 2 tablespoons of cooked vegetables
• 1 small bowl of salad

For meat and other sources of protein we should be consuming 2-3 servings every day. One serving is roughly equivalent to:

• 1 chicken breast
• 1 medium sized lean steak
• 1 fillet of fish such as salmon, cod or Pollock
• 1 can of tuna
• 2 boiled eggs

For fatty and sugary foods and foods with high salt content, try to consume as little as possible. Reduce your saturated fat intake by cooking with small quantities of vegetable based oils and use reduced fat spreads such as margarine. Avoid refined sugars as they are essentially empty calories and have little, if any, nutritional value.

So if you're trying to kickstart a healthier lifestyle, a great place to start is by eating the kind of natural foods our cavemen ancestors would have eaten in small portions and at regular intervals throughout the day.

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