Diet Rules You Can Break

Taming cravings, rules and strategies, weighing, and counting calories represent some of the things that make dieting a real burden. Learn how to stop the vicious circle of your inefficient slim-down plan, forget about too restrictive guidelines and take a look at these diet rules you can break and get ready for a successful weight loss.

Dieting is mostly seen as a set of rules and guidelines that usually work on short-term. In order to maintain your weight and bring balance into your lifestyle, it is important to understand that a strict diet will finally prove being ineffective as long as you don't make it a common, natural part of your lifestyle. Get a more flexible and open view when it comes to dieting and maintaining weight. Therefore, since a couple of these approaches are sometimes too restrictive, some insubordination won't harm anyone. In fact, it has been shown that people who have a more 'gentle' approach towards their eating habits are the most likely to succeed in their weight loss goals.

From cutting carbohydrates to skipping dessert, here are some of the most popular diet rules you can break. Remember that it doesn't have to be black or white, but you can also diversify a little and allow yourself a small delicious treat. This, of course, if you stick to your calorie balance. Replace restrictiveness with moderation and you'll find the key to drop pounds effectively.

No carbohydrates

Carbohydrates contain one essential element your body needs for its proper functioning: fiber. This important nutrient helps you lose weight, prevents constipation, lowers cholesterol, but it also lowers the risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, and even cancer. Besides, fiber maintains the energy level throughout the day and keeps you full for longer. Still, make sure you invest in good carbs such as 100% whole grains, raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, beans, and legumes.

No dessert

Studies have shown that a person following strict diet guidelines will finally end up overeating. Indeed, deprivation only leads to craving more and eventually to overindulgence. This means that a small bite of something sweet will not harm anyone as long as you satisfy your sugar cravings with moderation. Moreover, experts say that sweets are a vital part of a healthy and balanced diet. Pick desserts that have 100 to 200 calories and provide some nutrients too.

No eating late

Recent studies reveal that as long as you don't exceed the calorie range, late eating has no negative results on your weight loss goals. After all, it is important to portion and maintain a balance, while skipping a meal after 7pm might lead to overeating the next day. Still, choose smart and have a healthy dinner, and avoid cookies or chips. In consequence, it's all about the quantity and quality of the calories you take in rather than the time.

Eat 5 - 6 meals daily

It is said that having small meals throughout the day will keep the blood sugar at a stable level and control your cravings. However, there are experts saying that this rule doesn't guarantee a successful weight loss plan and that more meals don't speed up your metabolism. Besides, you don't have to eat if you're not hungry just because there is a special guideline telling you to do it. It is important to listen to what your body needs. Don't turn your diet into a stressful routine, but introduce it into your lifestyle so it becomes a natural part of your everyday life. You can have foods rich in fiber that are easily digested and will keep you fuller for longer. Still, having 5 meals daily is not a bad thing, but there's not sufficient scientific proof that this plan is related to boosting your metabolism.

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5 Golden Rules of Dieting

Want to lose weight? It's time to forget absurd crash diets and begin a new, healthier lifestyle! If you want to feel great and lose those extra pounds, check out these 5 golden rules of dieting!

Stereotypes, perfection... Today's society seems to stand on a foundation made of superficial things and a set of tips and tricks on how to get that to-die-for silhouette. Well, let's face it! Everyone wants to look and feel great! So, we all have tried, at least once, a weight loss regime hoping for a miracle. Still, it is important to set tangible goals and be aware of the fact that extremes are not the best solution. But what to do when nothing works? Always remember that not just short-term restrictions are essential but, when dieting, your entire lifestyle should suffer certain changes. And these five golden rules are crucial! Check them out!

Balance

Okay, so a balanced diet is the key when it comes to successful weight loss. The best thing to do is to eat more often throughout the day and have smaller portions. Why? Because skipping meals and craving for food all day long will have as result a copious dinner. Also, don't skip breakfast since the calories you consume in the morning are easier burned! Have three main meals and two healthy snacks and try not to have dinner after 7.30 or 8pm. Oh, and don't forget to drink water!

Portion control

The less is more rule totally works when dieting. And keep in mind that even healthy foods add extra-calories when eaten in excess. So, you should learn to estimate serving sizes and choose smaller plates, bowls, and cups in your kitchen and measure what they hold. One useful trick is to estimate serving sizes in comparison to known objects. "For example, three ounces of cooked meat, fish, or poultry is about the size of a deck of cards," said says Rose Clifford, RD, clinical dietitian in the department of pharmacy services at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC.

Proper food combining

The way we combine different food groups is extremely important when dieting. Proper food combining not just helps us have an optimal digestion and stay healthy but it is very efficient when wanting to lose weight. Therefore, avoid to combine meat and potatoes/pasta/rice, meat and eggs and milk, potatoes and bread, or fruits and vegetables. So, potatoes and meat should be eaten only with greens, cereals with fresh fruits, and bread with a salad.

Exercise

Okay, so we must admit that diets can be a real burden and that facing cravings, well, a serious challenge. Therefore, what can we do when we simply cannot resist those delicious temptations? Exercise, exercise, exercise!!! You know already that this is a seriously helpful step in every weight loss plan. Walk, dance, jog, get moving! You'll burn calories and stay fit and healthy!

Keep a food journal

It might seem useless yet experts say that keeping a journal might help you "stop the vicious cycle of overeating and over-gaining". Therefore, you should start journaling and write down, every night, what you ate throughout the day. A study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says that measuring food portions, recording what you eat, and reading labels and nutrition facts are practical tools when wanting to drop some extra pounds.

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5 Diet Rules to Forget

So many different strategies to lose weight overwhelm us at times, it's hard to make the right choices. Make sure no misconceptions take over your diet strategies. Learn the whole truth behind some popular diet advice and improve your approach and your progress.

The ideas on the best ways to achieve your weight loss goals are in constant change. Just when thinking that the options we currently embrace are the most functional, a shift in paradigm comes and changes it all and thus confusion settles in. The so called 'rules' of dieting often prove incomplete or are misused and corrections are often necessary. Here are a few rules you might want to rethink:

Ditch white sugar for natural sugar

The concern with natural foods has also expanded towards sweeteners. The common belief is that because the natural sources have more nutrients they are better for you even when dieting. However, overusing them will have the same diet busting effect. While this doesn't mean that you should go for the artificial kinds which make you crave more sweets, the rule go by is to use as little as possible to feel satisfied regardless of the source you use.

Substitutions will help you lose weight

There's absolutely nothing wrong with making your favorite foods more diet-friendly. In fact, it is one of the best ways to avoid major diet slip offs and avoid losing enthusiasm for the changes you're making. It is important to realize that substitutions make sense only when the diet alternative is equally satisfying. If you're just as happy with frozen yogurt as you are with ice cream, then by all means go for it.

However, if the substitution is unsatisfying, you will end up consuming more calories to fill the craving void and achieve a similar degree of satisfaction which is why a smaller amount of your favorite treat might sometimes prove a better solution.

Go gluten free

The gluten free craze has reached impressive proportions lately as even those without Celiac disease are thinking about making the switch. However, like any hype, it's not all that's cranked up to be. To create a similar taste, ingredients such as sugar and fat are used to make up for the loss in flavor. If you're not having gluten intolerance problems, a better way of adjusting your behavior is to simply fill up on natural wholesome foods and lean protein and of course, reducing empty carbs as much as possible.

Abs are made in the kitchen

A common approach to weight management is to simply opt for dieting or exercise, depending on what the individual prefers. It's become a common belief that when it comes to vanity areas such as abs, the best way is to watch your food choices. However, in order to get lasting change you need to focus on both exercise and diet. Why? Because simply creating a calorie deficit isn't enough. You also need to optimize your hormone level to avoid getting back to where you were and to be able to sustain the change on the long term.

No midnight snacks

Ideally, you should give your digestive system plenty of time to rest. However, life gets in the way and we can't always avoid eating late. The good news is that you don't necessarily jeopardize your efforts if you eat late. However, what you eat definitely counts a lot more than when you do it. Experiment with different-sized meals to see what are the options that satisfy your hunger best.

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New rules would make school snacks healthier

Feb. 1, 2013 at 12:33 PM ET

The government for the first time is proposing broad new standards to make school snacks healthier, a move that would ban the sale of almost all candy, high-calorie sports drinks and greasy foods on campus.

Under new rules the Department of Agriculture proposed Friday, school vending machines that once were full of Skittles and Sprite would instead be selling water, lower-calorie sports drinks, diet sodas and baked chips. Lunch rooms that now sell fatty "a la carte" items like mozzarella sticks and nachos would have to transition to healthier pizzas, fruit cups and yogurt.

The rules, required under a child nutrition law passed by Congress in 2010, are an effort to combat childhood obesity. While many schools have already made improvements in their lunch menus and vending machine choices, others are still selling high-fat, high-calorie foods.

The USDA is proposing fat, calorie, sugar and sodium limits on almost all foods sold in school. Current standards already regulate the nutritional content of school breakfasts and lunches subsidized by the federal government, but most lunch rooms also have "a la carte" lines that sell other foods.

"Parents and teachers work hard to instill healthy eating habits in our kids, and these efforts should be supported when kids walk through the schoolhouse door," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Most snacks sold in school would have to be less than 200 calories, and elementary and middle schools could only sell water, low-fat milk or 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice. High schools could sell some sports drinks, but the calories would be limited.

The standards will cover vending machines, the "a la carte" lunch lines and any other foods regularly sold around school. The proposed rules would not cover in-school fundraisers or bake sales, though states could decide to individually regulate those. The guidelines do not apply to after-school concessions at school games or theater events, goodies brought from home for classroom celebrations, or anything a student brings for their own personal consumption.

The new rules would be one of many recent changes to the school lunch program to make foods healthier. Nutritional guidelines for the subsidized lunches were revised last year and put in place last fall. The 2010 child nutrition law also provided more money for schools to serve free and reduced-cost lunches and required more meals to be served to hungry kids.

Last year's rules faced criticism from some conservatives, including some Republicans in Congress, who said the government shouldn't be telling kids what to eat. Mindful of that backlash, USDA exempted in-school fundraisers and proposed different options for some parts of the rule, including the calorie limits for drinks in high schools, which would be limited to either 60 calories or 75 calories in a 12 oz. portion.

The department has also showed willingness to work with schools who have complained that some of the new requirements are hard to meet, relaxing some limits on meats and grains in the subsidized lunches last year.

Schools, industry, interest groups and any critics of the new proposal will have 60 days to comment and suggest changes, before the USDA writes the final rule. The soonest the rules could be in place would be the 2014 school year.

Margo Wootan, a nutrition lobbyist for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says surveys done by her organization show that most parents want changes in the lunchroom.

"Parents aren't going to have to worry that kids are using their lunch money to buy candy bars and a Gatorade instead of a healthy school lunch," she said.

The food industry has been on board with many of the changes, and several companies worked with Congress on the child nutrition law two years ago. Major beverage companies have already agreed to take the most caloric sodas out of schools. Those same companies, like Coca-Cola Co. & PepsiCo Inc., also sell many of the non-soda options, like sports drinks, and have lobbied to keep them in vending machines.

Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, a Democrat, has been working to take junk foods out of schools since the 1990s. He calls the availability of unhealthy foods around campus a "loophole" that undermines the taxpayer money that helps pay for the healthier subsidized lunches.

"USDA's proposed nutrition standards are a critical step in closing that loophole and in ensuring that our schools are places that nurture not just the minds of American children, but their bodies as well," Harkin said.?

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