I see it a lot, members in the gym come in and work out religiously and never seem to lose or gain weight, depending on their goals. Many of you thought, What, Gain Weight? Yes many people work out with the goal to gain weight and some seem to have the same problem gaining as some people do losing weight. The simple reason people have problems losing or gaining weight is because of diet. We hear it time after time, Diet! It is the one thing we can control as well and most people ignore it.
Eating like most things in life is a learned experience. We Americans as a whole have been taught horribly bad eating habits since we were able to chew our own food. The advent of fast food restaurants and their proliferation and growth have spread our chronic eating habit woes. We choose speed over healthy eating. In and out in a few minutes with a carbonated soda.
Forgot about quantity or the amount you consume and concentrate on better choices. The first step to change is applying what has been learned. Healthy does not mean it doesn't taste good. It seems many people have forgot about herbs. Find your favorites and use them to suit your taste. Baked chicken with lemon and garlic is a great alternative to a whopper and fries. Addicted to french fries like me? Bake them with olive oil and onion salt and I use ketchup
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates come in many varieties and is the biggest food group we consume. Without going into too much detail, every carbohydrate from pure sugar to whole wheat is turned into glucose in the body. The main difference is the speed at which it's turned into glucose. The faster it turns into glucose, the greater the insulin spike will be (because more glucose will enter the blood stream at once). The speed at which a carbohydrate (or any food, for that matter) elevates blood sugar is measured by the glycemic index (GI). Every food is given a specific GI number, and the higher the number is, the faster it elevates blood sugar levels. While not always perfectly accurate, it does give us a clue as to how much a food will affect insulin production.
Eating good carbs does not have to be the Chinese torture test. But we can easily cook pasta,chicken, or fish instead of pastries, cookies, candy and any other junk sugary food. Baked or broiled chicken with BBQ is certainly a better choice than the easily grabbed off the counter junk food. Notice that there is a reason its called junk food.
Some rare carb sources are brown rice, whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, cream of wheat, potatoes, and yams. These rare carb sources are easy and fast to cook and can be really tasty if you have any inkling on how to cook. Don't fool your self by poring lots of oils over these food like fried brown rice. No need to change a healthy meal into a junk meal. Use olive oil , it is simple and easy and pays great dividends.
Fat
Fat: Each gram of fat provides 9 calories. Let me first mention that fat is not evil! At least not all fats are. The "good" fats are the essential fatty acids, fatty acids that your body can't produce itself and that are needed for optimal function. These fats have to come from your diet or supplementation program. These essential fatty acids fall into two broad categories: omega-3 and omega-6. Most people get plenty of omega-6 from their diet, especially if it's rich in animal protein sources. However, omega-3 deficiency is very common in North America, mostly because fish consumption is generally very low. Omega-3 fatty acids, especially the all-important DHA and EPA, have several benefits when it comes to being healthy and building a muscular physique.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Increase insulin sensitivity, which has positive effects on both muscle building (facilitating nutrient transport to the muscle) and fat loss (reducing the amount of nutrients stored as fat).
- Increase the body's use of fat for fuel, especially when exercising.
- Improve nervous system recovery/regeneration and function.
- Improve cardiovascular health by improving blood flow, reducing triglycerides ("bad" fatty acids), as well as the formation of plaque and blood clots
- Reduce inflammation and promote healing.
Eat smart and live longer and more healthy. Eating is a habit than can be easily changed with just a little knowledge. Cut out the worse foods and bring your way around to living and eating in a way that is more beneficial to you. Don't worry about the weight as much as changing what you eat. In time the transformation will happen.
The thing that has surprised so many people is the food that they can make that taste so rich . One day if you really change your eating to a healthy style you will be passing by the conglomerates of fast food restaurant and you will think to yourself, "that really smells awful".
That will be the day you know your life is being rewarded by healthy eating habits. The chain effect has occurred- eating healthy has rewarded you with more energy and a spunk, which in return rewards you with wanting to do more excerise, which in return makes you feel better about yourself, which in return changes you pace in life and more things are accomplished in less time, which in return gives you time to take a stroll and enjoy your surroundings, which in return makes you sleep better and feel like a new person.
Remember, there are no excuses! Even if you have kids. You should not be teaching them unhealthy eating habits. As a responsible parent it is your duty to teach them to eat good foods.
