Cleaning Up Your Diet : 7 Steps to Help Increase Your Fat Loss

As a woman, I know the shame and frustration of unwanted pounds. Weight loss is on the top of many of our to-do lists, and it often stays there for weeks and months and years. Weight loss is often the one thing we can't achieve, though we work, struggle, and stay dedicated. Why is this?

An article in the New York Times, "The Science of Dieting," by Jane E. Brody, points out that one of the biggest weight loss problems today is the fad diet, the quick fix. Brody's right to point out the extreme immediacy of today's dieting world. There's low carbs, low fats, restricted choices, and calorie restriction, and all of these deflect our attention from what's most important: the quality of the fuel that we put into our body.

That's right, food is our fuel. It's not just tasty or necessary. Food makes the complex machine that is our body run smoothly and effectively. More and more, the foods we find in our grocery stores, restaurants, and convenience stores are not the best fuel for our bodies. Preservatives, chemicals, and artificial substances have started to deplete the quality of our food.

Though there is contradictory scientific evidence about individual preservatives and chemicals, it is clear that man-made additives are less healthy than natural foods. One of the red herrings in the additive industry is high fructose corn syrup, which has been linked to increased insulin production and even diabetes according to the American Chemical Association. If you read the list of ingredients on any food label, you will find that high fructose corn syrup has made its way into some very unusual places, like bread and lunch meat.

Insulin spikes caused by high fructose corn syrup are a boon for weight gain. The more insulin in the blood, the more food can be stored in fat cells, which is an obvious problem for we ladies trying to lose weight. Another problem is the fact that several products (often low fat versions of products) also contain additives to improve the flavor, so some of the things we think we should be eating to lose weight might actually make it worse.

What can we, as hardworking dieters, do about these troublesome additives? We can clean up our diets! Here I have provided seven substitutes in our typical diet that will make our diets cleaner and more useful for fat loss and health.

1. Bread

We know by now that wheat bread is better than white, but what we might not notice is that not all breads that say "wheat" aren't exactly healthy. Make sure you read the ingredients. You want bread made with whole wheat and without added sugar.

2. Low Fat Yogurt

Yogurt has been a diet favorite for years. Having something low fat and sweet is a dieters dream, but some of those yogurts aren't as healthy as they may seem. They contain a LOT of added sugar, the white stuff that raises insulin levels and can make it difficult to peel off the pounds. Choose plain yogurt instead and add fresh fruit for natural sweetness.

3. Morning Cereal

Yep, you guessed it. Your bowl of cereal each morning is probably also loaded with sugar. Again, read your labels! Also, consider whole grain oatmeal, which is natural, rather than processed cereals.

4. Salad

Another staple of any girl's diet, salads can be a bigger diet trap than we understand. The first problem - salad dressings - is a tricky one. We all know that we should stick with lower fat dressings, but those, too, can contain sugars and additives that don't help your waistline. Higher fat versions, however, contain the "bad fats" that also hinder a diet's effectiveness. Try natural balsamic vinegar and olive oil as a cleaner, more natural choice.

5. Snack Packs

I'm sure I wasn't the only one who was excited to see the many "100 Calorie" packs of snacks and cookies. Such a small pack makes tasty snacks easier to fit into our diets, right? Yes, you caught me. Those snacks don't make it easier because, again, they're full of preservatives and little nutritional value. Try snacking on fresh foods, like fruit or raw nuts, rather than anything that comes in a brightly colored package.

6. Light-n-Quick from the Microwave

We all have those meetings that run late or that project that we have to stay late to finish. When dinnertime rolls around, doesn't it seem easy to just throw in one of those diet, frozen meals? What's the theme we've come to recognize about these diet moves? Preservatives! Look at those ingredients on your quickly made Chicken Parmesan. Is that what you put into your Chicken Parmesan? I didn't think so. If you're pressed for time, make a quick omelet, or keep some pre-baked chicken in the freezer that you can quickly defrost and add to a salad. Cooking really doesn't take so long that you should risk your health or weight loss.

7. Meal Replacement Bars

Yep, these are another convenience food for when you're on the go and another food loaded with sugars and preservatives. Don't rely on them regularly. Use them occasionally, but try to carry a wrap or other snack with you.

What have we learned, then? What do these problem foods have in common? Preservatives! For a successful diet made up of wholesome foods, choose foods that are as close to nature as possible. If it's been canned, bagged, packaged, or processed, it's probably not a good diet choice. Make these changes to eliminate processed foods, and you'll soon see more diet success and increased fat loss.

Sources

Brody, Jane E. "The Science of Dieting: A Fight Against Mind and Metabolism." The New York Times, February 24, 1981.

"Soda Warning? High-fructose Corn Syrup Linked to Diabetes, New Study Suggests." Science Daily, 2007.