Weight Loss San Antonio

 Your purchases may not be as virtuous as you think. Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recently analyzed Americans' shopping habits and found that 61 percentof the calories in the food we buy are from highly processed items like refined breads, cookies, crackers, soda and chips. These foods also provide higher-than-optimal levels of saturated fat, sugar and sodium. To healthy-up your cart and help with weight loss, the study authors suggest buying mostly single-ingredient foods and shopping the perimeter of the store, where the fresher, healthier stuff like produce and fish tends to live. Chew some gum while you're at it too. Research shows it could help you buy 7 percent less junk food when you shop (minty gum works best).

 Ugh, I'm so fat!For many of us, that's what passes for a weight-loss pep talk. "There's this common misconception that being hard on yourself is the only way to achieve your goals," says Kristin Neff, Ph.D., associate professor of human development at the University of Texas at Austin and author of Self-Compassion.But treating yourself with kindness, research shows, is a better way to bolster your commitment to healthy behaviors. "Coach yourself through your ups and downs the way you'd coach a friend-with words of encouragement and support," says Neff. "For instance, if you overeat or gain a few pounds, tell yourself, 'Losing weight is hard for everyone-I'm not the only one struggling. I'm going to take it slowly and keep at it.'" Think of every day-even every meal-as an opportunity to start over.

 Studies of successful dieters reveal a hard truth: "They remain fairly strict about their eating forever," says James O. Hill, Ph.D., cofounder of the National Weight Control Registry, which keeps data on thousands of people who have lost weight and kept it off. Sound depressing? Think of it this way, suggests Eat to Lose, Eat to Win author Beller: "You just need to find a nutritional strategy you can live with long-term-like allowing yourself to have dessert or a cocktail or two every so often. It's like moving to a new city. For the first year or so it's difficult, but once you establish a routine you get comfortable. You might still miss things about your old life, but you're happy with your new one too."

 Do you really need to lose weight? We weren't all born to be thin or conform to society's definition of the ideal body. Your body size and shape depend on multiple factors, including your genes, eating patterns, Resting Energy Expenditure (see definition below) and exercise. The ultimate goal is to accept and Love Your Body while trying to improve your health.

 What is a realistic amount of weight for you to lose and maintain? Every individual is different, however studies show that it is safe to lose approximately 1-2 pounds per week for success in maintaining weight loss. Consult with a physician or registered dietician.

 To lose weight you must burn more calories than you eat. Basic body functions (e.g. breathing, manufacturing cells and maintaining body temperature) use 50-70% of your calories. The rate at which your body uses calories for basic body functions is called the Resting Energy Expenditure (REE).

 If you adopt restrictive, negative thinking that accompanies diets, you may feel deprived and ultimately defeated, and this can actually trigger overeating or the development of an eating disorder. To reach a healthy weight, don't diet. Instead practice eating well and moving your body to serve you best long-term.

 There are ways to cope with uncomfortable emotions without using food, and some options are: going for a walk outside, listening to music, drawing/coloring, or talking with friends & family. However, it is important to acknowledge that stress eating is very common, and can be an opportunity to practice self-compassion and forgiveness.

 Even though you are eating well and exercising, you may reach a plateau where your weight stays the same. Plateaus are mainly due to decreased resting energy expenditure (REE). When you consume fewer calories, your REE decreases, thus your body's need for energy decreases. Keep exercising and eating well to help you get through periods with no weight loss. Sometimes a plateau is the body's way of saying that you may not need to lose more weight. Weight loss is not linear, and has complex biological consequences. If you are experiencing physical or emotional distress because of weight loss efforts, reach out to friends, family, or a clinician.

 To maintain your new weight you need to make sure that you are utilizing as many calories as you are consuming. You may need to experiment with the amount of food you need to maintain your current weight. Make sure to keep exercising regularly and eat plenty of nutrient-dense foods.

 Low-calorie diets: It is harmful to reduce your daily calorie intake lower than 1400 calories per day, because your body adjusts to a semi-starvation state and looks for alternative sources of energy. In addition to burning fat, your body will eventually burn muscle tissue. Because your heart is a muscle, prolonged starvation will weaken it and interfere with its normal rhythms. Low-calorie diets don't meet the body's nutritional needs, and without nutrients your body cannot function normally.

 Appetite-suppressant drugs and other diet pills:"Wonder" products that permanently reduce weight do not exist. Products that promise immediate or effortless weight loss will not work in the long run. Appetite suppressants, which often contain a stimulant like caffeine, are associated with side effects including nausea, nasal dryness, anxiety, agitation, dizziness, insomnia and elevated blood pressure. With any product, side effects may be worse if you exceed the recommended dosage.

 Fad diets: Many fad diets emphasize eating a lot of one kind of food rather than a variety of foods, and can be very dangerous. These types of diets are often used to trick people into spending money on ineffective and unproven products. The safest way to eat involves consuming a variety of foods, which ensures that you can obtain all the nutrients your body needs.

 Liquid diets: Liquid diet drinks or shakes that provide less than 1000 calories per day should only be used under close medical supervision. These diets can be unsafe and are not nutritionally beneficial due to high sugar content. There is a very low amount of fiber, which causes a sugar rush and crash. Additionally, liquid diets may not alleviate hunger, resulting in overconsumption of other foods.

 Using smaller plates can help you eat smaller portions. By using smaller plates and bowls, you may be able to gradually get used to eating smaller portions without going hungry. It takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain it's full, so eat slowly and stop eating before you feel full.

 Over the years, you’ve probably heard your fair share of wacky weight loss advice, whether it’s to drink celery juice every day or replace your meals with weight loss “cookies.” And often those tips are promoted by people without any health expertise. (Read: Proceed with caution.)

 But just as there’s a ton of misguided weight loss advice out there to be avoided, there are also a lot of legitimate, research-backed, and expert-approved suggestions for people who are in the right mental health space and have weight loss as a personal goal.

 More good advice is to choose nuts over heavily processed snacks. An article published in December 2019 in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health found that cutting back on processed foods and upping how many nuts you eat by half a serving (for example, from half an ounce to 1 ounce) each day is linked with less weight gain and lower odds of obesity.

 There’s also evidence that a weight loss counselor could help you trim your waistline. A study published in November 2019 in JAMA Internal Medicine found that for people with type 2 diabetes, pairing such counseling sessions (in this case, weight loss via low-carb dieting) with group medical visits helped them lose weight and take less medication compared with a group that did not undergo counseling. A win-win!

Weight Loss San Antonio

 “I have my clients learn how to choose foods they like, really taste each morsel going into their mouths, and chew deliberately. I advise them to chew slowly, swallow only when the food is all chewed up, and repeat. It takes time to know we're full. Eating slowly not only allows us to enjoy our food more but gives us better cues of satiety.” — Janet Zinn, a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist in private practice in New York City

 “So often we’re told what to eat, and then when we don’t like that specific food, we’re less apt to create long-term healthy habits. Try new fruits and vegetables. Find out how to prepare new dishes that provide variety and flavor. Add herbs and spices to elevate flavor. Or if you prefer, savor the sweetness of fruit and the depth of raw and steamed vegetables. There’s no reason that your relationship with food can’t be pleasurable.” — Zinn

 “Our eating habits are sometimes connected to our emotions, whether we realize it or not. When we're stressed, we may use food to help cope with the stress. I work with clients on keeping a daily journal of things they're grateful for — or even just a journal to write in when stressed — so that they're better prepared to cope with the stress by acknowledging it and utilizing other tools, rather than reaching for food as a coping mechanism.” — Lauren Manganiello, RDN, a yoga instructor on Long Island, New York

 “Every Sunday I batch cook enough chicken for the week. I cut off the fat, bake it with seasoning, measure 3.5 ounces, and put that much into a container with some mustard and frozen veggies, so I can grab one a day to bring to work. I also take the time to divvy up in individual containers ¼ cup of rolled oats, 1 tablespoon each of natural peanut butter and ground flax, and a pinch each of protein powder and cinnamon to sweeten. So when I’m a zombie in the morning, all I need to do is add water and microwave!” — Kyra Williams, a personal trainer in Boston

 “Make sure you are lifting weights two or three times a week. Using moderate to heavy weights — three or four sets of 10 to 15 reps with weights that challenge you — helps increase your muscle mass. When you have more muscle on your body, the food you eat is more likely to be utilized as fuel, rather than be stored as fat.” — Williams

 “A lack of sleep increases your hunger hormone, ghrelin, and decreases your satisfaction hormone, leptin, which can contribute to weight gain. When we are sleep deprived, we crave more salty and sweet foods. Why? Because anytime you feel more intense hunger, your cravings for higher energy — aka higher calorie — foods intensify. We also know that the way we think and process our emotions is affected by inadequate sleep, so it’s easy to connect this with an impaired ability to make sound choices in many areas of life, including with food. If we flip the coin, we can safely assume that when we are well rested, we will make better choices. When it comes to eating, that would mean that we would eat when we are truly hungry and eat just until satisfied. Our hormones are also going to be better balanced because our bodies got the time needed to sleep, repair, and refresh.” — Angela Lemond, a registered dietitian nutritionist in private practice in Texas

 “Remember, our body's ultimate goal is to stay alive. As soon as we are being kept from calories, which are literally the life energy for our bodies, it will do things to survive. Our body knows what foods are higher in energy density, and we will crave those more. Honor your hunger and don’t allow your body to think it's being starved. This goes against many of the dieting tactics, but those tactics truly don't work well for people in the long term. I generally recommend eating every four hours.” — Lemond

 “Research has found that people who drank two glasses of water before a meal lost more weight than people who didn’t drink water before meals — and they kept it off. This simple tip works in two ways. Thirst can mask itself as hunger, causing you to eat more. And water makes you feel fuller, causing you to eat less during a meal.” — Megan Casper RDN, a nutrition counselor and the founder and CEO of Nourished Bite

 “Make half your plate vegetables, a quarter of your plate whole grains, and a quarter of your plate lean protein. When you switch the portions of grains and vegetables on your plate, you'll see a difference. The only caveat: Potatoes, corn, and peas are starchy vegetables, so they go in the grains category.” — Younkin

 “Don't feel like you need to overhaul your entire life starting immediately. Assess where you are currently and then figure out where you’d like to be in the future. A great starting point for mostly sedentary people is to get a step counter and see how much you walk on a normal day. Then set a step goal slightly higher than the norm and strive for that, working your way up slowly to a goal of 10,000 steps per day.” — Esther Avant, an online sports nutritionist specializing in weight loss who is based in Kapolei, Hawaii

 “Focus on the weight loss 'big rocks' — there are a few areas that will give you the most bang for your buck when you're trying to lose weight. Prioritizing those and letting go of all the minutiae that contribute to overwhelm will make reaching your goals feel easier and more sustainable. On the nutrition front, pay attention to calories, protein, and fiber. For exercise, prioritize strength training, daily steps, and recovery.” — Avant

 “While the scale isn't useless, it also isn't the only thing that matters. To help you gauge progress that might not be reflected on the scale, take regular photos and measurements, in addition to keeping a running list of non-scale victories. This will help keep the scale in perspective and show you all the positive changes you're making to your health and overall lifestyle.” — Avant

 “Aim for 15 to 25 grams of protein at breakfast. Protein is digested slowly and suppresses hunger hormones, helping keep you full. Additionally, a high-protein breakfast helps curb cravings later in the day. Pair protein foods with fiber and healthy fats, like two eggs with whole-wheat toast and avocado or high-protein frozen waffles with nuts, berries, and a little maple syrup.” — Younkin

 “Eating protein-rich foods at every meal, especially breakfast, can help shave extra pounds. Protein slows down the digestive process and positively impacts your hunger hormones. Protein can also do better at staving off hunger than carbohydrates. Protein-rich foods include quinoa, edamame, beans, seeds, nuts, eggs, yogurt, cheese, tofu, lentil pasta, poultry, fish, and meat.” — Christine M. Palumbo, RDN, a nutrition consultant from Naperville, Illinois

 “The glycemic index ranks how quickly blood sugar rises after eating a carbohydrate food. Eating high-glycemic carbohydrate foods like white potatoes and refined bread, especially when eaten alone, will cause a surge in blood sugar, followed by a quick drop. This leaves you feeling hungry and wanting more food. More long-term studies are needed, but short-term studies like this research provide evidence there is a connection. High-glycemic foods are not totally off-limits though. When you work with a registered dietitian nutritionist, we provide individualized ways to help you balance nutrients to prevent spikes in blood sugar, which can help with curbing appetite.” — Sue-Ellen Anderson Haynes, RDN, a national media spokesperson of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics who is based in Boston

 “Fruits are low in calories and carry tons of nutrients like antioxidants and fiber. According to the CDC, only 10 percent of the U.S. population is meeting their fruit and vegetable intake. Using fruits for dessert will help you meet your daily requirements but also add flavor to your day. Many fruits can be sauteed, grilled, or baked. For example, grilled peach topped with vanilla yogurt and shaved almonds is amazing!” — Anderson Haynes