No to Calorie-Counting

For eons, calories have been considered the number one enemy of people with weight problems. After all, loading up on calories is the reason people put on weight. For this reason, many people are inclined to believe that cutting back on calories is the only way to drop weight. They even employ mathematical methods (read: calorie-counting) to help keep the flab under control.

However, recent health reports say that counting calories is not exactly the best way to trim down. This is because by excessively obsessing over your calorie intake, you are most likely to skip on the more important part of your diet: nutrition. The thing is that in your determination to steer clear of calories, you begin to consume low-fat foods that lack fiber, are high on sugar, and are therefore, unsatisfying. So instead of feeling full, you wind up feeling more hungry and wanting to eat more food.

But before you panic, Ann Yelmokas McDermott, Ph.D. of the Center for Obesity Prevention has some advice. According to her, people who intend to lose weight should focus on the quality and quantity of their food, as well as the timing of their meals. To really make sure that you are piling up on healthy food while avoiding calories, below are some great tips:

1. Drink more H2O. Recent studies conducted by the Obesity Society found out that people who drink water instead of sweetened beverages experience weight loss. What’s more, it was revealed that the more water you drink, the more weight you lose.

2. Include greens in your meals. Fruits and veggies help stave off hunger because they have high fiber content. By consuming at least nine helpings of fruit and vegetable every day, getting that oh-so-sexy body you desire will be a lot easier.

3. Don’t skip meals. As opposed to what most people think, skipping meals does not help a person lose weight. The thing is that if there are more waiting hours between meals, the body releases a hormone called cortisol that increases appetite. As a result, you will be compelled to eat more.

4. Load up on protein. Recent findings suggest that eating protein can boost the effects of leptin, a hormone that can curb a person’s appetite. Likewise, protein-rich foods are filling, so they can reduce your craving for fatty foods.

5. Exercise. Yes, this is the oldest trick in the dieter’s book, but it is also the most effective. If you truly want to get rid of the unwanted calories in your body, then exercising is the best way to go.

So there you have it — five helpful tips to shed pounds. But to attain your goal of losing weight more quickly, most dieticians also recommend that you take natural weight loss supplements. Most of them include ingredients that are appetite suppressants so they are really helpful if you are truly committed to stopping weight gain. Just be careful of the kind of products you buy in the market. Make sure they are safe first before you take them.