A Healthy Weight Loss Program Where You Don't Count Calories

A healthy weight loss program where the body is nourished with nutrient dense foods from a whole food plant based diet is for anyone who is tired of diet plans that are not sustainable in the long term. We are talking about lifestyle changes that will satisfy your hunger and are a proven way to chart successful weight loss for the long term.

Most Americans eat calorie dense and nutrient deficient food which is the major problem with weight gain.  Hunger begins when there is not enough life sustaining nutrients in the diet.  We are eating too many empty calories that support weight gain and as a result you never satisfy your hunger. Dr. Joel Furhman calls this "toxic hunger".

On a successful and healthy weight loss program you do not worry about counting calories.

Here is a real life example: During the week Barbara and I were at the Kushi Institute in Becket, Massachusetts learning the basics of macrobiotics, we ate 3 full meals each day plus we sampled foods from demonstration cooking classes, and we both lost 5 pounds.  This is such a painless way to shed pounds...by eating healthy foods without having to count calories.  And the food was simply delicious!

The body will settle into the correct weight automatically when you are eating healthy foods.

Quick Weight Loss Diets

Quick weight loss diets are usually fad diets that are unsustainable.  Their program is to promote low calorie diets.  You cannot stay healthy for the long haul consuming fewer calories than are necessary to stay healthy.  Two of the most dangerous diets that use the body's starvation defense system to lose weight are the Atkins Diet and the Paleo Diet.

Beware of Ketosis

Consuming fat to energy is the body's emergency process called "ketosis." This is the method that replaces energy that normally comes from carbohydrates. It is not meant for the long term and can cause numerous health issues if continued for an unreasonable time. The Atkins Diet, Paleo Diet and other ketogenic diets rely on this process. These diets that are mainly animal products and fat will make you sick.

Some of the symptoms associated with the ketogenic diets are:

• general tiredness
• abrupt or gradually increasing weakness
• dizziness
• gout
• muscle cramps
• mental and emotional impairment
• headaches
• kidney disease
• constipation
• confusion
• abdominal pain
• irritability
• nausea
• sleep problems
• bad breath

Pregnant women are the most at risk.  Ketones and acetones from this diet may cause brain damage to the fetus.  By all means, stay away from these types of diet programs.

The Major Problem with Weight Gain!

The foods that Americans eat on the Standard American Diet (SAD) are laden with too many calories from fat and sugar.  Fat like sugar is addictive.  Fat gives the desirable taste that we expect from all animal products, main food courses, salads and desserts.  Without the fat component, the "wonderful flavor" we are so use to diminishes.  

So what are we to do?

Getting on a healthy weight loss program will take place if you can take charge of your life and make up your mind to reduce the fat and sugar intake in your diet. The result from your decision will enable you to successfully shed unwanted pounds and keep them off.

The emphasis is going to be on whole foods (which do not include processed foods, meat, fish, chicken and dairy), and these whole foods are mainly plant based. Within 3 to 4 weeks these new flavors will be pleasing to your taste buds, and you will not miss a thing.

Guidelines to a Healthy Weight Loss Program

The body has to have a certain amount of fuel and repair elements to sustain life. The greatest demand is for energy.  You might look at energy like the gas that makes your car go.  Carbohydrates (and we are speaking about complex carbohydrates) are the major players that convert into glucose to furnish the "gasoline" that we run on.

Proteins and fats play a much smaller part that provide for cell health, growth and reconstruction.

Are you someone who worries about getting enough protein?  There is plenty of "healthy" protein in plants to nourish your body without consuming the fat.  Here is something you might not be aware of... a hundred calories of broccoli has more protein than 100 calories of beef, and without all the fat!

When it comes to fat from our food, these excess calories are stored and then converted to body fat that can be used for energy when food is scarce.  How many of us are ever confronted with a scarcity of food?  As Dr. McDougall says, "The fat that you eat today is the fat you wear tomorrow."

If you are overweight and trying to recover from illness, it is recommended that you eat absolutely no animal products in your new program.

If you are healthy and have decided to lose weight, eating organic, grass fed animal products in small amounts is okay.  Animal products, if you have to have them should be no more than 5 - 10% of your daily food intake.  For example, if you have a 2000 a day calorie food intake, this can be between 100 - 200 calories (or about 1 - 2 ounces) per day.  This amount of animal protein will greatly reduce your fat intake. 

Protein from plants can be as high as 20% of total calories and will do you no harm.

So, What is a Healthy Diet?

There is no reason for us to invent a new lifestyle diet when there are so many clinically proven whole food plant based diets available that will solve your weight and other health problems.

Here are a few diets from our website that will serve as guidelines for a healthy weight loss program:

• The Hallelujah Diet - which has a lot of raw foods and especially good if you like salads and juicing.
• The McDougall Diet - is easy to follow and allows for many cooked foods that are easy to prepare.
• The Esselstyn Diet - is an excellent diet and lifestyle to follow for those overweight with heart problems.
• The Macrobiotic Diet - whole grains, vegetables and beans are the mainstay of this diet.
• The Pritikin Diet - there are many different Pritikin Diet plans available, both on campus and online.

All of these diets are safe and can be consumed long term.  They are not "fad" diets. Convincing yourself to pursue the new lifestyle is the biggest obstacle to your success. However, when you do decide to change, it will be the best investment that you will ever make for yourself.

By changing to a healthy weight loss program, you will also find that other health problems will disappear, and you will have abundant energy and well being.  Just give it a 90 day trial, and remember...good nutrition is the key to your success!  You will not be sorry!

        >Healthy Food Choices

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