The Forever Diet - Healthy Lifestyles

The first question on everyone’s mind is probably “results forever or diet forever?’, and the answer is both; but steady, lasting results from a steady and marginal amount of effort. What I’m writing here is no secret and it is not some new fad diet. What this is is a way for me to cut through all the hype and align expectations while raising hope and confidence in those trying hard to lose and keep off weight.

First I’d like to qualify myself so you know I’m not just blowing smoke. I’m 27 and right now weigh in at 182 lbs. This has not always been the case; in fact my weight has changed in the past so rapidly that I was lucky to have the same weight two days running. I’m 5’10 with a small frame and at my heaviest I had 232 lbs. packed onto it. At my lightest I was 158 lbs. These fluctuations were the product of binge eating and dieting, emotional eating, stress, depression, an unhealthy diet and poor knowledge of proper nutrition. Within the last few years though I’ve started to make gradual changes across the board and with each forward step invested more of my time and attention into knowing what a healthy lifestyle is, and ultimately, adopting one for myself.

The first change I made was to stop drinking and smoking cigarettes. Now I can’t take all the credit for these two changes as I was forced to make them both but I can assure you that they make a huge difference after they’re gone. Yes, I put on weight after quitting cigarettes and yes it was hard to get off but once it’s off and the nicotine is out of your system you have a constant to work with. You can play a bit and learn how your body responds to different things. I don’t suggest quitting to someone just starting a healthy lifestyle because it is hard and the problem arises when you link the two. A relapse could trigger bad feelings triggering bad eating habits again. These things should come in time but not all at once.

The reason I mention these two changes are that they gave me the chance to start living healthily again. I felt better, had more energy and even though I gained the weight from quitting it wasn’t fluctuating anymore. I gained it and then stop gaining or losing. I was eating 4 square meals a day at around the same time everyday and I started to learn how my body works. Once you start to really know your body you can start to apply different methods and gauge your results.

Eventually, with this new found energy came the need to expend it and I started doing calisthenics, or body weight exercises. Exercise is important and everyone should be doing something daily. A walk around the block is something so don’t exclude it. Don’t think that because you can’t get to the gym you shouldn’t make an effort. Everything counts. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Parking a bit farther away from the store you’re headed to. It all adds up and these small changes will become natural for you once you get into the swing of things; you only need to start making them.

Surpassing exercise in importance is your diet. What you eat makes a world of difference in how you look. You need to learn what is healthy to eat and when you should eat it. Don’t trick yourself into believing that you will go without good, tasty food now that you’re making better, healthier choices. The amount of healthy food is endless right now. With a little creativity you can make a new and delicious meal every day and keep your taste buds happy. The first thing you need to do is learn the nutritional facts of food and what they mean.

I am not a physician or a certified personal trainer so I will not go into depth with what each nutrient is, is derived from and what its’ effects are. I will however cover the basics and more information on anything I mention can be found at a plethora of health and fitness or medical websites. Having said that, here we go.

You have carbohydrates, protein and fat. Carbohydrates are used for energy and if not used are stored as fat. Protein is the nutrient that takes the most amount of calories to process, so it speeds metabolism, and it fuels muscle growth and recovery as well as many other things. Fats come under many different names and you should read into each one you are consuming but remember that the name gives it a bad, undeserved reputation. A lot of fats are very healthy and necessary for proper brain function, joint lubrication and proper metabolic health.

First, we’ll start with carbohydrates. You have two different types of carbs, fast-digesting and slow-digesting. Fast-digesting carbs are mostly sugars; white breads, pasta and, of course, sugar are examples. These types of carbs enter the bloodstream quickly and spike your blood sugar. This is good in very few scenarios. Weight lifters and more specifically bodybuilders will use this to their advantage, eating a small amount before a workout for quick energy and a decent amount after a workout with a protein. Studies show that the high blood sugar after a workout pushes more protein into your muscles and will prompt more and faster growth. These are really the two times it’s beneficial to indulge in these tasty yet unhealthy nutrients.

Slow-digesting carbs are your whole grains and quinoa and brown rice. With the health craze going on right now, you can pretty much find anything you want to eat in a whole-grain form. Pastas, breads, bagels…everything. Keep this is mind while shopping, make healthy choices in the food store and it forces you to follow through later. These types of carbs digest slower, releasing a smaller amount of energy over a longer period of time. Carbs will make you feel full and keep you energized throughout the day. They are an essential part of every diet, they just need to be watched and kept in moderation. This is one big thing you will see once you start to learn your body. Learning how your body responds to carbs can be an extremely essential tool in fighting fat for good. Keep in mind, you are fueling your body by eating carbs so you should stop eating them after your 4^th or 5^th meal so that you have nothing unused that can be stored as fat when you go to sleep. Also try and keep them on the low side when initially losing because depleting your body of carbs forces it to use the ‘gas’ in the ‘reserve tank’ (I will explain these labels in just a minute). It’s called ketosis and all it basically is is your body using stored fat for energy. You want to ride the line here. Not store fat and use a little stored fat when you can but don’t go crazy. No carb diets are bull. You’ll take all the fat off and you will need to eat carbs again and when you do your body won’t be used to them. It will remember that you haven’t had stored energy ‘fat’ for a long time and it will make up for lost time. Remember that your body is a machine intended to ensure survival.

Protein should be eaten with every meal. I also suggest the ‘grazing’ method where you split up your overall calories for the day into 5 or 6 smaller meals instead of 3 big ones. That way you are eating a small healthy meal every few hours. Protein will make you feel full as well as raise your metabolism and aid in recovery from any workout regiment you’re participating in. The benefits are endless and as I said earlier you should do some research on protein, its’ uses, types and benefits, as I am only giving a basic description. Tuna, lean chicken breast, turkey breast, nuts, beef, eggs and protein powders are examples of good sources of protein.

Fats, as I said, have a bad name. For example Omega3 fatty acids are grouped under fats and they have been shown to work wonders. Conjugated Lineolic Acid, or CLA,is another one that has been gaining some attention over the years. It is found in milk and is thought to assist in weight loss amongst other benefits. Read up on fats and know what you are ingesting. A healthy balance of protein, fats and slow-digesting carbs that is spread out equally into 5 or 6 meals and falls under your calorie restriction for the day will make you lose weight. Think of your body as a car with a reserve gas tank that sucks up any unused gas after every trip. Think of the trips in the car as the time between your meals. You want to fuel your car just enough to make it but not enough that you’re storing the remainder in the reserve tank (fat cells).

Fruits and vegetables are your go to food whenever looking for a snack. You can eat as mush as you want and should mix in all the colors of the rainbow as they all offer different vitamins. Try and have at least one type of vegetable at every meal. Their benefits are undeniable and they will keep you full until your next meal.

Food is energy and we here in America take for granted that food is as available as it is. We also consume very unhealthy food choices like fast-food and preservative-filled, ready made options from your local shopping center. Remember that marketing is the game for food distributers and putting ‘good source of probiotics’ and ‘low-fat’ on the front of a yogurt will sell products but take the time to spin it around and look at the nutritional facts. You’ll get the hang of it and know exactly what you are looking at in no time. I won’t have to tell you soon that a yogurt that is low-fat and healthy should not contain 38 grams of carbs, 21 of them being sugar. Before I move on, educate yourself and don’t let advertisements fool you!!

I mentioned preservative-filled foods and fast food. Along with the fact that you should be eating a diet mixing the three nutrients in sufficient amounts and breaking them down into smaller meals that make up your calorie restriction for the day, you should spend the extra money on organic food if you can afford it. A quick personal opinion is that preservatives are put in food to preserve them for long periods of time, what do you think that they do once they are ingested into your body? Organic food is ubiquitous now and you know what you are getting and what’s inside. No hormones or preservative or drugs. It’s worth it when you are eating healthy to go the extra mile and buy clean, wholesome food from a reputable seller.

Now, you’ve made the decision to change and started by changing your eating habits and diet. Good start! Now you should be weighing yourself every morning to gauge your progress. Remember that what I am explaining here is how to live healthy. It’s not a crash diet so be patient. The weight will come off but slower then no-carb diets and the like. The difference is that when you lose it you’ll still be making these small healthy eating choices and your metabolism will be steady, not reliant on weight loss pills and their effects or anything else. You will start to know your body and you will be able to control any weight loss or gain at that point. It’s hard and slow work but it pays off in the end with a lifetime of health and happiness so stick with it!

Every morning, wake up, go to the bathroom and weigh yourself. If after a week of eating better and making more effort to expend energy through the day you haven’t lost anything it only means that you should tweak your diet a little more. Maybe ingest a little less carbs or lower your calorie restriction a little bit. Either way, these experiments will make you the master of your body. Pay attention to the results and even keep a journal of what worked and what didn’t. You will be in total control soon and someday will be giving others advice.

It really is as easy as that. You can’t over think it. Try and stay active, do something physical everyday. Plan your 5 or 6 meals out ahead of time and if you can bag your meals beforehand you’re in great shape, if not your body will be used to eating every few hours and you won’t be starving when you go to get food for one of your meals. When we are starving we make bad choices in food. Go with your new knowledge of your body and diet and make a healthy decision. Learn about the nutrients that make up a calorie and learn to use them to your advantage. Make sure that between each meal you are using the energy or ‘gas’ you put into your body. With those changes you will see a difference which will effect your mental state. You’ll fell better about yourself and the work you put in thus far and from then on it becomes easier, it becomes a lifestyle.

I hope this information has proven to be useful and I wish you the very best with your trip down this path in life. Stay optimistic, informed, aware and dedicated and you will lose weight. Good luck, I wish you all the best in the world!