Gleaning from Various Programs

After I started exercising regularly, I decided to take a look at all of the weight-loss programs I had done. I had learned something different about myself and what motivates me from each one and wanted to take a closer look. I'm not going to name the programs. Like I said before, they all work if you set your mind to stick with them, and I am not advising anyone on what is best for them. So, here's what I learned from the various programs:

I learned to track my food intake. I find that if I don't track, I can really go over what I need to live, let alone what I need to eat if I want to lose weight. (Almost all of the weight-loss programs say you should track! ) There are free apps for your smart phone!

Eat more protein than carbohydrates. They burn slower and feed your muscles.

Eat/and drink less animal protein. We get too much in the U.S.

If you are burning a lot of calories, like, say on a long bike ride, you need carbohydrates, too! Just get these from fresh fruits and whole foods. 

Portion control. This goes with tracking.

Drink water. Your body needs to detox and to hydrate!

Don't eat fake food. A lot of things are disguised as nutrition.

Eat vegetables! Green, leafy, orange, root! They are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber!

Eat fruit. Berries are best. Packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants!

Wine is not a fruit. What?

Sugar, the white kind, is from the devil! Honey, however, is from the gods!

Gluten (in anything made with wheat), in excess, causes inflamation at the cellular level. It makes people sick. We eat too much here in the U.S. Use other grains besides wheat.

Low-fat and fat-free just means they have added something else that is not good for you.

There are healthy fats! Just limit them and count them.

Eat a cup of yogurt a day.

Fresh is best.

Whole is best.

Get some exercise in each day. Even a fifteen-minute walk at lunch counts!

I like structure.

If you need the structure of a program, go for it. What you need right now is what you need to listen to right now!

If healthy food tastes bad at first, hang in there. Your taste buds have been conditioned to like junk food. They will adjust so that what is good for you tastes good, too. But there is a learning curve.

I could go on, but you get the idea.