| I am always asked my opinion on many of the popular | | | | programs require you to buy additiional foods and |
| weight loss programs such as; NutriSystem, Jenny | | | | meals, not to mention all the different promotions. So |
| Craig, Weight Watchers and e-diets. Most offer | | | | I'm not weighing price as a major factor as much as I |
| convenience and affordability in their plans, but the real | | | | am comparing the foods and benefits from those |
| questions is whether or not they can truly help you | | | | foods. |
| lose weight. | | | | A healthy meal or diet should include... |
| Yes everyone would like to eat pancakes, muffins and | | | | - Eating protein with each meals such as beef, chicken, |
| cereal for breakfast along with pizza and pasta for | | | | fish, eggs |
| lunch and dinner. Unfortunately, you are not going to | | | | - Provide some good fats from nuts and seeds, fish or |
| re-program your metabolism to stay in its | | | | olive oils |
| ‘fat-burning' zone 24/7 with that kind of diet. Most | | | | - Fibrous veggies, this is where you are going to get |
| of the dieting programs supplement their meal plans | | | | your good carbohydrates. |
| with shakes, health bars or other processed foods, | | | | - Stay away from soft drinks, juices, and sports |
| which can sometimes be convenient, but a good diet | | | | energy drinks |
| should be something you can follow long term in order | | | | - Stay away from as much processed, refined foods. |
| for it to be successful. | | | | If you follow those simple steps or find a program that |
| The biggest turn off for most of the programs are | | | | follows those steps your chance of dropping those |
| taste and portion size. But the real culprit is the fact | | | | extra pounds will increase. That being said, the only |
| that many of these diets don't help regulate your blood | | | | program I have seen and recommend is the one by |
| sugar. Many of them focus on calories, fats or carbs, | | | | Healthy Meal Balance. |
| which aren't the real problem. Blood sugar and your | | | | What I like about their dieting plan is that it is Real Food. |
| ability to keep it stable is a major factor in helping you | | | | No shakes, bars or processed foods. They don't make |
| drop those unwanted inches. | | | | you count anything, which I like. The food taste pretty |
| Dr. Atkins was one of the first doctors, to recognize | | | | good, more importantly their weight loss program is |
| the importance of blood sugar when it came to losing | | | | simple and easy to follow. It's convenient and may be |
| weight and keeping it off. When you eat proteins and | | | | more economical than other programs. |
| good fats along with some veggies you stand a better | | | | The Big benefits besides losing weight with the Healthy |
| chance of keeping your blood sugar stable than if you | | | | Meal Balance is that it will help with |
| were eating pastas, noodles or rice. It's when you | | | | - Blood sugar issues such as diabetes, hypoglycemia, |
| feast on foods that are loaded with carbohydrates, | | | | insulin resistance |
| especially refined carbohydrates that you start | | | | - Adrenal fatigue and exhaustion...you will never |
| throwing your blood sugar up and down all day, which | | | | re-balance your adrenal glands if you can't keep your |
| takes you out of your fat-burning zone. | | | | blood sugar stable. |
| Some of the dieting plans use lots of filler foods such | | | | - Yeast or Candida Cleanses that are often needed to |
| as; rice, pasta and noodles to cut their expense and | | | | overcome the overgrowth of yeast, fungus, candida in |
| make the meal look more appetizing. Unfortunately, it's | | | | the intestines due to antibiotics, birth control pills or |
| those refined carbs that throw off your metabolism, | | | | steroid hormones. |
| which slows down your progress. | | | | To get the most out of any program you want to... |
| Too many carbohydrates cause your metabolism to | | | | - Take time to eat your food in a relaxed state and |
| store fat. This is why the various low carb or low | | | | enjoy it |
| glycemic diets have been so helpful. What happens as | | | | - Don't drink more than a few ounces of water with |
| a result of cutting back on those filler carbs - is you | | | | your meal |
| typically end up eating more protein, which triggers | | | | - Chew your food and give thanks |
| your body to burn more fat. This is what "To Burn or | | | | - Not to skip a meal |
| Not to Burn - Fat is the Question" is about. | | | | In my opinion there are many additional reasons to like |
| I am not a big fan of counting calories, fats, | | | | Healthy Meal Balance over the other heavily |
| carbohydrates or some type of point system for the | | | | advertised programs. It's not going to fit everyone's |
| foods I eat. We've gone centuries without having to | | | | needs or wants, but for the majority of people who |
| count those things....so why focus on things that may | | | | are trying to lose those unwanted inches, want it |
| not truly matter. | | | | affordable, convenient and taste good. I think it fits the |
| With regards to price it is a bit difficult for me or the | | | | bill. |
| average shopper to compare because some | | | | |