Easy Snack Ideas For A Healthy Diet

It is generally drummed into dieters that snacking is bad and that it should be avoided when you are trying to lose weight. There is actually absolutely nothing wrong with a few snacks between a meal so long as the snack is healthy and nutritional. The mistake too many people make when on a diet is eating a very small breakfast then of course they are hungry and can’t wait until lunch so they head straight for something very high in sugar or fat to satisfy their hunger and their craving.  It is far better to eat a slightly bigger, but still healthy breakfast that is going to keep you satisfied until lunch-time and to make sure you drink enough water, this wards off hunger. Although there are some snacks that you can include in your daily diet that will not interfere with the weight loss process and also stop you feeling hungry.

You do not have to be strict and never ever have any of the so-called bad treats just that these should really be limited when following a weight loss program. But not only that, excessively sugary foods are damaging to tooth enamel and foods high in fat content are bad for your cholesterol, heart and blood pressure. A good rule to follow is the 80/20 rule. Eat 80% of healthy nutritious foods and the other 20% can be anything you like.

By eating a varied, balanced diet your body is receiving everything that needs and then some. You do not have to starve yourself; you just have to be a little bit more selective about what you choose to eat and how often you choose to eat it.

It is important to have these kinds of snacks on hand so you are not always tempted to reach for the biscuit tin:
Dairy: Light, low fat yoghurt, cottage cheese with pineapple or strawberry and low fat-cheese, flavoured milk.
Fruit and Veg: Raw vegetables with seasoning and a fat-free dip such as sour cream, a fruit salad either with or without dipping sauce, whole wheat pitta bread with vegetables or hummus. Dried fruits such as apricots and raisins.
Savoury snacks: Low-fat tortilla chips with salsa dip, whole-grain rice cakes, low-fat popcorn, breadsticks and flatbreads. Raw nuts, preferably nuts that are un-salted, Olives, cereal bars.
Drinks: Flavoured water, Fruit juices (not fizzy), Home-made smoothies; fat-free hot chocolate. You can have usual beverages like tea and coffees just cut out the sugar and if you can stand the taste; try removing the milk in tea for a healthier beverage.
Treats: Frozen yoghurt, Dark chocolate (a lot healthier than milk chocolate!) Maraschino Cherries, Sugar-free jelly beans, dried fruits dipped in honey, Sugar-free jelly.

Losing Weight Takes Effort

If you have been trying to lose weight but have had no success, ask yourself, are you really trying hard enough?

It is not enough to just want to lose weight, you have to be proactive and make it happen. There are various crash diets that people try but everyone knows that crash dieting is not only dangerous and unhealthy, the results are very short-lived. They are ideal to lose weight for a special occasion or just purely for a holiday because that’s as long as the results from a crash-diet will last. And there is always the chance that once you stop a crash diet, within a week the weight will pile back on and you could possibly end up weighing more than you did before.

It is not just about food when it comes to weight loss. Exercise is equally important. It would not matter how little you ate, if you do not do any exercise whatsoever, you can’t realistically expect to lose weight. Exercise is crucial for our health and well-being and there is no exception when it comes to weight loss, exercise is a vital part of it. The key to successful and lasting weight loss success is a healthy, balanced and varied diet that is followed consistently, not just on occasion and frequent exercise.

People with very fast-paced lives might argue they don’t have the time to eat healthily or exercise, but healthy eating does not have to be time-consuming and exercise can be as little as just simply taking the stairs instead of the lift or walking into town instead of taking the car. It’s the little differences we make to our lives that make big changes. It may take time to see results but like they say; Rome wasn’t built in a day.  It is important to stay focused, not get disheartened if you do not lose weight as quickly as you’d like. Slow and steady is far better than to suddenly drop 10 lbs in a week. And as for eating habits, you can make it easier on yourself by not having endless amounts of sugary fatty foods in the house. If it’s not there, the temptation is reduced.

Weight Loss After Pregnancy

It is usual to weigh more than usual after you have given birth but this is no comfort to those who desperately want to get back to the weight they were before they became pregnant.  Especially if try as you might, you have not shed the amount that you were hoping for.

You might be surprised to know that some of the weight could actually be due to fluid retention. Particularly if you had a lot of IV fluids during your labour, but you should lose that fluid weight by perspiring and urinating more often.

Apart from the pregnancy weight f the baby, placenta, amniotic fluid etc., what do you do about the other stubborn weight that will not shift? There are some techniques that can help you to lose your post-pregnancy weight.

·         Drink several glasses of water a day. Replace sugary drinks with flavoured water or normal water and a squeeze of fresh lemon. This can help you to cut out a lot of calories.

·         Eat lean meats such as boneless chicken and very lean cuts of beef

·         Instead of junk food such as crisps and chocolate, snack on healthier foods such as raisins, popcorn, nuts and wheat crackers.

·         Eat plenty of whole grain bread, cereal and pasta.

·         Take part in some light exercise when you feel ready. Take a 10 minute walk with the baby each day and gradually increase the time. Or get a babysitter and go out for a long stroll with a friend.

·         Breastfeed! If you are able to breastfeed your baby, the longer you breastfeed the more calories you will burn, it is said that breastfeeding can burn up to 500 calories a day.

·         Consider joining a gym, preferably one that has a crèche when your child is a bit older. This is a great way to meet other mums who also want to lose weight and can offer some moral support.

If this all seems too daunting and you don’t think you can manage it without a little bit of help, perhaps you should consider trying Capsiplex. A feature shown recently in OK magazine of former glamour model Nicola Mclean, told her story of success with losing her baby weight by using the pro-slimming supplement.