8 Nutritional No-Nos

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8 Nutritional No-Nos

Healthful,

nutritional habits embody much more than the types of food you eat. Here are

eight mistakes many of us make at least some of the time.

Eating too few calories

When you eat fewer calories than your body needs, it compensates by slowing

down your metabolic rate, so fewer calories are burned. To avoid this pattern

when you are dieting, a good rule of thumb is to eat at least 10 calories per

pound of your actual body weight (not your goal weight) a day. Then increase

weight loss by elevating your metabolism through exercise.

Skipping or skimping on meals

When meals are skipped, you eat all your calories for the day in a short period

of time, and your body doesn't burn them as efficiently. In addition, skimping

on meals eating fewer portions than you are allowed -- sets you up to get

really hungry before your next meal. You wind up over-snacking or eating too

much at mealtime.

Going through the day without a plan

Start each day with a plan to mentally prepare yourself for each encounter with

food. It will help you reduce the temptation to make poor meal choices.

Focusing only on what you cut out of your diet

Many people spend a lot of energy reducing fat from their diet without putting

equal emphasis on adding healthful food choices. As a result, their portions

are drastically reduced and they feel deprived. By adding vegetables, grains

and fruit to your diet, you'll feel well-fed and stay within your caloric

parameters.

Adopting an all or nothing mentality

Don't give up all your favorite foods; that virtually dooms your diet to

failure. By depriving yourself of the flavors you enjoy most, you are likely to

overeat something else in search of satisfaction. Identify a few foods you

can't live without, then enjoy them, but in much smaller portions.

Fooling yourself with rationalizations

Do you use your calorie savings during the day as an excuse to eat something

fattening at night? Examine your actions, and if you are using rationalizations

as an excuse to eat the wrong foods too often, you may want to reconsider how

you spend your calories.

Setting unrealistic goals

Don't choose a weight goal you haven't seen since puberty. Be realistic, or you

are setting yourself up for failure. Select a realistic weight goal, then break

it into smaller, manageable subgoals.

Drinking too little water

There are two reasons to drink a lot of water. Sometimes when you feel hungry,

you are only thirsty, and water can satisfy the urge to eat. In addition, water

helps keep your metabolic process running efficiently and flushes the

byproducts of burning fat from your body.

Much Love,

Deanna

LUPUS Serenity Prayer...

Lord,

grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change

the things I can, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of doctors I shot when they

said, You're perfectly healthy, it's all in your head "