Best Diet 4 Idiots – Dieting Aids For Beginners | Dieting Aids – Dieting Difficulties – Healthy Benefits of Dieting

How to Begin Dieting

So you’re a first-time dieter? Where do you begin? There are a million diet plans out there, all claiming to be the best. How do you know which one is best for you?

Start with a journal. Begin writing every day about YOU. Why? Because you don’t know me, why would you listen to me, a stranger? But you’ve known yourself all your life. Write down what you eat every day, and how much of it – keep track of calories. Write down how you feel about yourself and how you would like to change. Define your goals, and take that first step.

One approach is to start with eating what you want, when you want, and as much of it as you want. Start where you are, and slowly ease into changes.

A good place to begin is not with what you eat but how you eat. Eat at a table, not in front of the tv or at your computer. Focus on the food and chew slowly and thoroughly. Put down your eating utensil between bites. Eat until you think you are no longer hungry – this can be confusing at first if you haven’t paid attention before! Wait 20 minutes before eating anything else. If you are still hungry at that time, then have seconds or have some dessert, but don’t just keep eating until it hurts!

When you eat this way you may be surprised that, when you sit down to a big plate of your favorite food, you don’t feel like you can finish it all. This is ok! You are naturally and painlessly adjusting your portion sizes.

Once you’ve accomplished this, celebrate! Buy yourself tickets to a sports event you enjoy. Or stay home and pamper yourself with a home spa treatment – some bath oils, candlelight, soft music, bubble bath, special lotions or ? Or treat yourself to a massage, pedicure, or haircut.

Ready for the next step? You’re looking at who you are, you’re changing how you eat, now start looking at what you eat. Slowly start removing one food at a time that you’d like to replace with a healthier alternative. Maybe regular dairy products with low fat ones, one at a time. Maybe you want to change one meal one day a week. Fat-free Fridays? Tofu Tuesdays? You find something you like to eat that is healthier than something in your regular diet, and switch it out.

Now take a breather, and stretch – well done! Maybe now you’re ready to get a little more exercise – moderate exercise, that is. Take a few extra steps each day, move around a little faster than normal, stretch when you wake up in the morning. Play with the dog more often. Chase your kids around the house!

Here’s a short list of a few other things you can do to start your slow transition to a new diet:

Eat baked not fried
Make a shopping list before going to the store
Trick yourself into eating better with herbs and spices – example: add oregano, sage and garlic powder to ground chicken and it tastes alot like sausage
Add more vegetables and fruits to your diet gradually while slowly eating less processed, high sugar content, or fatty foods
Treat yourself to something not on your diet now and then
Cut back on sodium intake gradually, while eating more foods with potassium in them
Cut back on alcohol consumption – one drink a day for women, two for men – One drink equals 12 ounces (355 milliliters, or mL) of beer, 5 ounces of wine (148 mL) or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor (45 mL). taper off slowly, over one to two weeks, and don’t binge (4 or more drinks in a row)
Cut back on coffee – no more than 2c per day
If you can’t handle working out at the gym or at home, find fun things that you enjoy – walking, walking the dog, hiking, playing frisbee with your dog, tree climbing, dancing, jogging, martial arts, yoga. Whatever you do, do it with attitude! Get pumped about housecleaning and mowing the lawn – step up the speed and get your heart pumping.
Reduce stress – deep breathing, yoga, meditation, massage

And last but not least, get support from family and friends, especially others trying to lose weight.

Feng Shui in the Kitchen for Health and Weight Loss

Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of placement based upon a philosophy of the movement of chi or natural energy to achieve harmony with the environment. In a Feng Shui house, the kitchen represents health. As in all of Feng Shui, metaphors abound; a white kitchen reflects light, aiding in its movement around the kitchen.

The kitchen should not be placed near the front door; in other words, it is not a good idea to enter your house through the kitchen door. Remember, you want to direct the flow of attention, energy, and movement in your home. Too much movement through or attention on the kitchen will indicate or encourage the need to eat, digestion problems, or even eating disorders. Your guests may drop in for a visit, eat, and then leave immediately.

If you are not building your own home, you have to work with what you have. You can block the kitchen from visibility from the front door with a door, curtain, or a room divider, a screen, plants, or even just furniture. You can also divert attention from the kitchen by creating another focus, such as something decorative or that produces movement or sound, such as a fountain or windchimes, a mobile, or an interesting piece of art or sculture.

The kitchen must be kept clean and clear of clutter, to keep the energy flowing. By cleaning out the clutter, you make your kitchen “lighter”, which affects the weight of those using the kitchen, too.

If possible, situate the stove so the cook can see the entire kitchen; this can be achieved by placing a mirror against the wall if that is what the stove is facing.

The colors blue and black, and floral patterns, symbolize water. Blue dishes, tablecloth, etc. will allow for sated appetites with smaller portions and a smooth-flowing meal.

Your goal is to make the preparation and eating of food a positive, relaxing, life-enhancing experience.