Low Carb Diet Plan - When More Is Better
 |
| Low Carb Diet Plan - When More Is Better |
When
most people want to lose weight the first thing they usually do is start a
diet. And a diet to most people means "stop eating".
Wrong!
A
healthy diet should consist of eating less of the foods that contain calories
from simple carbohydrates (sugar and processed flour) and more whole grains,
fresh fruits and vegetables and good sources of protein. This is the basis of a
good low carb diet plan.
As
a matter of fact, a good diet should have you eating more instead of less! Not
more food, but more often.
The
body's a wonderful mechanism. It's geared towards one important goal. Survival.
When your body feels threatened by the lack of food it automatically assumes
that you're starving.
To
combat this condition the body will start breaking down muscle to use as energy
and saves its fat stores for the last ditch effort to save itself from what it
thinks is immanent death.
This
is bad on two fronts.
First,
by using muscle tissue for energy you're losing precious lean mass which is
metabolically active. This means that you need energy to support muscle which
helps to keep your metabolism running at a higher pace. Higher metabolism means
more calories burned even in a resting state.
Fat,
on the other hand, doesn't need any energy to support it. It's simply "dead"
weight.
Secondly,
the body will start storing more fat because it's preparing itself for the
worst. Your survival is your body's most important concern so it'll do whatever
it can to stay alive.
So
what can you do if you want to eat less without starving yourself and sending
your body into this defense mode?
Eat
smaller meals more often throughout the day.
This
works on two levels.
By
eating more often you won't get hungry as quickly and your metabolism will stay
raised because you'll be digesting food more often. Digesting food uses
calories just like any other physical activity.
So
here's the plan. Eat four or five meals a day. Not what most would consider a
meal (main course with two sides and dessert!), but a small portion of protein
along with some fresh fruits and veggies.
This
can be accomplished with a little planning and preparing in your spare time.
Cook
your weeks worth of meals - skinless chicken's an excellent source of protein
and can usually be purchased in a big pack or value pack from your local
grocery store - and refrigerate it in separate packages, one for each meal.
Egg
whites are a very good source of protein too. By mixing three or four whites
with one yolk and tossing it into the microwave for approximately 90 seconds,
whipping it and tossing it back in for another 60 seconds, you can have some
nice fluffy scrambled eggs practically anywhere. Without all the cholesterol!
Buy
your produce and clean it, separating it too into meal size portions. All this
can be done in a few hours on the weekend.
Buying
some disposable storage containers can help keep things convenient and
organized.
Try
to eat every three hours or so to keep your metabolism and energy up. This'll
help you stay away from those snacking binges too.
Also,
drink lots of water. Water will help to cleanse your body and make you feel
full.
So
you see, with a little planning and by adhering to a low carb diet plan
sometimes eating more can be better!
