How to choose foods to lose weight

Have you ever seen those articles which claim to tell you which foods you should be eating to lose weight? Miracle foods which will make the pounds drop off, or foods which are 'bad' for you, even though they belong to a nutritious food group.

I have arrived at the conclusion that the only foods which are bad for you are the ones which are loaded with sugar and additives, all the yummy cakes and pastries. Even then, an odd treat can help to boost morale without piling on too many pounds, as long as you stick to one bar of chocolate or one slice of cake.

For the last couple of weeks, I have been weaning myself off chocolate and other goodies and have been eating a range of foods to lose weight, like whole wheat pasta, plenty of vegetables and salads. I still eat potatoes, but have them without loads of butter on them. One alternative to butter is to use some Philadelphia spread cheese, the extra light version and put that on your potatoes or even on a free range chicken breast. The garlic and herb version is particularly tasty this way.

This is the first weekend in months that I haven't craved any chocolate or a glass of wine. I believe that we get into habits which are difficult to break, like having a bottle of wine at the weekend, or crisps and chocolates in the evening while watching TV.

My conclusion based on my own experiences is that there are no specific foods to lose weight, only natural and healthy foods which won't cause you to gain weight. If you eat all the processed foods, ready meals, drink lots of alcohol and eat cakes and pastries, you will have to face the fact that you won't lose weight. If you have any ideas for tasty meals which are healthy, please let us know.

My struggle with chocolate cravings

As I have mentioned in my previous posts, I have discovered I can lose weight by eating clean foods, like vegetables, salads, whole grain rice, whole wheat pasta and natural ingredients in my meals. This may sound difficult to do, not to mention boring, but I really enjoyed my meals and felt-and looked-a lot better for it.

For eight weeks, I went back to basics eating only natural foods. I cut out caffeine, alcohol, dairy and any artificial ingredients. Stir fried vegetables were used for most of my meals for the first couple of weeks until I became a little more adventurous. Shepherd's pie made with vegetables and topped with sweet potato is a versatile dish which most people enjoy. Vegetable crumble is another favourite, not to mention the curry. I will include some recipes in future posts.

After eight weeks, I introduced some low fat dairy, including cheese, skimmed milk and free range eggs. I only drank small amounts of alcohol at the weekend but continued to drink caffeine free beverages. However, Christmas arrived and I relaxed my eating habits and that's where the trouble started. Chocolate and sweet food became my go to food, I couldn't get enough!

Although I limited myself, I constantly craved chocolate and sweet desserts. Once I had started eating them, I found I wanted them all the time. Was it possible that I was addicted to chocolate? If anyone has the answer, please let me know.

The only way I could curb the chocolate cravings was to only eat the purest chocolate, those bars which contain around 85 per cent cocoa solids. It is quite bitter but satisfies the longing for something sweet, strangely enough. My time of falling off the wagon lasted around six months. I have decided not to beat myself up for my lapse, even though I did gain half a stone. I am now back on the healthy eating, although I am not as strict as before.

If there's anyone else out their who believes they may be addicted to chocolate or other type of food, please let me know.

What is involved in clean eating?

You may have heard of clean eating, especially now that it seems to be the latest topic in the diet world. I had never heard of this when I started to eat a more healthy diet, but it appears that it has the same principles: eat more whole, natural food and avoid processed junk foods.

What does 'clean eating' mean?

Basically, 'clean eating' means consuming a diet of whole foods and avoiding foods which have been processed or refined. Although this may sound boring, there are many health benefits to this form of eating. By eating natural, whole foods you will have more chance to obtain optimum nutrition levels which will help to avoid ill health. Existing conditions may also be improved by eating a better diet. Clean foods will help to remove toxins from your body and avoid some of the health issues which affect us all at times.

How to adopt the principles of 'clean eating'

Eat more regular small meals each day, rather than just two or three, so that you always feel satisfied and avoid snacking on tempting biscuits and pastries. By eating six small meals each day, you will help to improve your metabolism.

Avoid any foods which are processed, which is basically anything which has a list of ingredients, especially if you can't even pronounce some of the contents of a dish. Refined sugar is just empty calories with no nutritional benefit at all. Some people believe that refined sugar is addictive, leading to you eating more over time and increasing weight gain.

Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, organic if at all possible. Avoid white bread, flour, rice and pasta and eat the whole grain variety. If you eat meat and fish, buy free range organic if possible. If you struggle to afford it, just buy and consume less rather than purchase poor quality factory farmed products.

Cooking meals yourself rather than buying ready made meals is much easier than it seems, as most of the ingredients in a clean eating diet are much quicker to cook than other foods.

Benefits of a clean diet

I am not a nutritionist and therefore can't tell you about health benefits on a clean eating diet. What I can do, is tell you of my own experience. During the first week of cutting out caffeine, alcohol and processed foods, I had headaches and suffered from an ache in my shoulders and upper back. I have been told this could have been withdrawal symptoms from caffeine and some of the other ingredients in processed products. Towards the end of the second week, I started to feel much better, with more energy and I stopped craving chocolate cake and biscuits. I drank lots of water, adding fresh lemon in a morning.

Weight loss was a massive benefit for me and I averaged a weight loss of one to two pounds each week. This may not seem a lot, but I didn't miss any meals, always felt full and as along as the food was natural, I could eat what I wanted. After eight weeks I had lost almost a stone in weight, felt more energetic and looked much better. My skin seemed healthier, with a smoother texture and fewer spots. As I was experiencing the menopause at the time, I also noticed my hot flushes reduced considerably. Now some of these benefits may have been coincidental, but I believe they were due to the better diet.

What happened after eight weeks?

I had a trip to London planned with my daughter and while there ate a vegetarian dish which had been deep fried. I also had a couple of lagers and a glass of wine. I enjoyed everything enormously, although I had a stomach ache later that evening and felt bloated. I had been avoiding dairy products for the first eight weeks and re-introduced eggs into my diet with no adverse effects. I maintained the improved diet until Christmas, when I reverted to some of my old eating habits.

This is another story altogether and the start of a period where I put some of the weight I had lost back on, and went through a time of struggling to get back on track with my eating regime. I will let you know what happened in another post. Thanks for reading this far, and if you want to share your experiences with me, please leave your comment.

Why you are putting on weight

Anyone who has gained weight fairly quickly or without apparent cause should see their doctor, as there are various medical conditions which could cause weight gain. These include thyroid problems, diabetes, some medication and other conditions. However, more often than not, it is more likely that you have gained weight for another reason, one which can be sorted out quite readily at home.

Gaining weight is simply consuming more calories than we burn off during the day, although lifestyles can play a significant role. Consider your lifestyle and how various factors could help you pile on the pounds.

Stress

Stress is something many of us experience on a regular basis, so much so that it is often a part of our everyday lives. Our jobs, financial worries, the family, health and plenty more all cause stress at some point in our lives. This may result in us eating more ready meals loaded with sugar, salt and fat as we don't have the energy or motivation to cook healthy meals. We may drink more alcohol as a way to relax, even though alcohol can disturb our sleep patterns and result in more stress. If you are feeling stressed as you are short of time, you may not get as much exercise as you should.

Lack of sleep

If you have lots of late nights, you may not be getting enough sleep. This can affect our moods and energy levels, perhaps leading to eating more junk food and drinking more alcohol, all leading to weight gain. If you are tired you are also less likely to want to hit the gym after a day at work.

TV

It is so tempting to sit in front of the television eating your meal and not moving for the rest of the evening. You are also more likely to graze on snacks through the day and evening if you are sat watching TV. After a couple of hours watching TV, you are more likely to feel demotivated and less energetic and so be tempted to stay where you are and not exercise.

Size of portions

I think it is safe to say that many of us pile our plates high with food at meal times, and it's not usually with salad! Eating out at buffet style restaurants encourages us to eat more, returning for second and third helpings. Many restaurants serve extra large portions of food which we feel obliged to eat, piling on the pounds.

What can you do to change bad habits?

I was guilty of all the above, feeling so stressed that I couldn't be bothered to exercise or cook healthy food. At one point I didn't even want to walk the dog, which I am pleased to say soon changed when she piled on the weight. All I wanted to do was come home from work, get something quick and easy to eat and slump in front of the TV. Snacks like crisps, nuts and dips were all part of my night time routine watching my favourite shows, along with a glass or two of wine. Eventually I realised I had reached a point where I felt unhealthy and unattractive, had lost confidence and didn't know how to tackle the problem.

My daughter helped me by saying she wanted to change her eating habits to help improve her skin-she suffered from acne at that time. I joined her healthy eating crusade as I couldn't eat goodies in front of her, as I felt guilty. Out went the alcohol, fizzy pop, biscuits, sweets, crisps and other food which is considered junk, and in came fresh fruit and vegetables, plain water and herbal teas, oats, and other natural foods. This may sound extreme, but we stuck to this for eight weeks. The first couple of weeks were hard but it got easier. After eight weeks, I had lost around 10 pounds without dieting and never feeling hungry or deprived. At this time I just walked more each day. I am glad to say the dog also became much fitter! I will provide more details about this way of eating in a later post.

Make the time to plan healthy meals ahead of time so that you have something ready when you get in from a hectic day at work. You will also find that you save money doing this. Rather than slump in front of the TV, make time to eat as a family and discuss the events of the day.

Don't pile your plate so high that you end up feeling bloated. Use a slightly smaller plate and only have more if you are genuinely hungry after waiting for half an hour. You will soon get used to eating slightly smaller portions and any digestive problems you suffer from, like bloating and excess wind may improve considerably.

Take time to consider your health and well being, getting enough sleep each night. If you are burning the candle at both ends, either partying or working too hard, try to adjust your routine so you get between six and eight hours sleep a night. A regular sleep pattern will help you to feel more alert, concentrate and avoid those unhealthy snacks during the day.

Take time to study your lifestyle and which factors could be causing you to put on weight. Taking care of yourself and making a few changes could help you shed the pounds.