Calorie Analyzer

Approximately 69 percent of Americans are trying to either lose or control their weight.This concern over weight loss is for good reason. It is estimated that 65 percent of adult Americans are overweight and 30 percent are obese.

What are the benefits of reaching proper weight? According to the National Institutes of Health, people who are obese (more than 20 percent above their ideal weight) are more likely to have hypertension, increased stress, high blood cholesterol levels, diabetes and some kinds of cancer. Achieving a healthy weight reduces health risks. It also makes you feel better -- more energetic and more confident.

One of the first steps to weight-loss success is to evaluate how you feel, both physically and emotionally, then establish realistic goals. If you want to lose weight, set several short-term goals, and reward yourself (with non-food rewards) each time you make progress. Remember, even small weight losses have been shown to be beneficial. Should you reach a plateau that you cannot get past, perhaps you need to reevaluate your weight goal.

Although your mind may have high hopes for success, your body may have a different opinion. The human body reacts negatively when calories are reduced, even when a weight-loss plan is nutritionally complete. Cutting back on food threatens the body. Your body tries to protect itself by slowing its "basal metabolism," the rate at which it burns calories at rest. This makes weight loss harder. To counter this effect, it’s important to make gradual changes in your eating habits.

When limiting calories, you still need to satisfy basic nutritional needs. Eat a variety of foods every day. Choose from each of the five food groups — milk, meat, fruit, vegetable and bread — and allow for an occasional treat. Balanced food plans encourage making wise choices about everyday food — choices you can make to stay at your proper weight for life.

Most successful weight-loss plans call for a reduction in both calories and the amount of fat eaten. The fat in your diet should be limited to 30 percent or less of total calories each day. 10 tips to reshape your eating behavoir:1.Pan-fry or saute foods with a non-stick spray or low-calorie butter substitute. Bake or broil instead of frying.
2.Eat high-fiber foods, such as a bran muffin instead of the morning donut.
3. Use sugar substitutes when sweetening foods and beverages.
4.Order from the light menus now offered at many restaurants, or purchase low-calorie or reduced-fat products at the grocery store.
5.Try a meal plan using "exchange lists" based on foods grouped together according to similar food values. Most exchange lists include several "free" foods: those lower than 20 calories per serving, such as many low-calorie, sugar-free foods and beverages.
6. Never skip meals. Eat three to six times a day in smaller portions to keep from getting hungry.
7.Use a smaller plate at mealtime to satisfy your psychological need to see a full plate.
8.Eat and chew slowly. Learn to stop eating before you feel full. (It takes 20 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain that it is full!)
9. Weigh yourself on a regular schedule, but don’t become a slave to your scale.
10. Reward yourself with pleasures other than food--buy some new clothes, get a different hair style, see a movie, visit a friend, etc.