Dieting is nothing new, nor is the elusive ideal weight! For most it is a synonym for deprivation or a fad trend – pineapple diet anyone? Getting to that magical 'goal weight' is seen as the ultimate aim, as we endure strict regimes to do so. But it doesn't have to be this way! Weight, ideal or not, is a personal thing and everyone has different needs.
What is weight?
Put simply, it's a number on a scale. As long as those scales are accurate, it's a true indication of your weight. But how do you know what a healthy weight is? BMI (Body Mass Index) is a good indicator of what your weight means and is a universally recognised measure. Health experts may use BMI as a quick way to check if you're underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. To find your BMI, divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared. There are plenty of calculators online with the scale associated.
In conjunction with BMI I would recommend you check your body fat, as this will tell you the fat/muscle ratio you have. Let's take two individuals. Even if they have a similar BMI, they can have a very different body composition. Keeping your body fat percentage at a healthy level is important because it can help reduce your likelihood of getting serious health problems, specifically heart disease.
A balanced plan At the start of every L&Z plan I will measure your BMI and body fat. That's because before we consider any diet plan, we need to make sure that it is balanced, promotes energy and health and crucially, is personal to you. Whatever your plan, it should never be about starving yourself or enforcing social isolation. It should be about understanding how nutrition works for you and discovering some new flavours along the way!
Finding your focus As you know, I do not like diets, so let's focus on some positive changes! Some of those could be obvious, such as a taste you love, but there's so much more to food than taste. For example, we associate dairy produce with being rich in calcium and though that's true, foods like kale, spinach and almonds are great for promoting healthy bones because they're also rich in calcium. Others help with vitamin deficiency, (fish and mushrooms are great for vitamin D) while foods like nuts and seeds are proven mood-boosters, because of their high serotonin levels. Mood is vital, because if we feel positive, we're much more likely to achieve our body goals.
There's more to tasty treats than sugar When we think of 'treats', things like sweets and chocolate spring to mind. With a lot of 'instant gratification' snacks like this, sugar is the star attraction, but there's much more to taste than sugar! Exploring different tastes and textures and developing your palate can open you up to a world of new flavours. We can all identify what is sweet, sour, bitter or salty, but what about umami? Though it was discovered over 100 years ago, it only began being talked about 20 years ago, after new receptors in the tongue were discovered. A Japanese word which translates roughly as 'essence of deliciousness' it's not as exotic as it may sound and can be found in such common foods as onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, avocado and beef.
More taste, more flavoursome experiences, and more ways to tailor your weight loss programme to suit you!
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