10 TIPS FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Many people struggle with losing weight. Here are a few that have helped many of our patients:
1. Set realistic goals to lose weight slowly (1 or 2 lbs per week). Losing too much too quickly may result in health problems, as well as cause you to regain quickly after resume eating the way you used to eat. Try to make lifestyle changes in your diet for life – not just to lose weight.
2. Consistency. This applies not only to eating, but to exercising as well. The older we get, the more we realize that we must be consistent with our eating patterns and with our exercise. When we feel like we are gaining weight, it is often because we lost our consistency. Your weight and general health will reflect what you do and eat most of the time.
3. Exercise burns fat quickly and gives you energy. There seem to be many different opinions about whether you need to exercise to lose weight or just change your diet. We believe you need to do both for many reasons and the main two for us are: first of all, you feel better and look better, and can prevent diseases! and number two, you are able to eat more than if you didn’t exercise! HA! It’s true – we all know it!
4. Work on Muscle building.. Just doing small amounts of weight training and/or CORE training can make a big difference (especially for women). Muscle burns more than fat.
5. Metabolic rate. Raising your metabolic rate will use energy which either burns fat or stops fat being stored. Exercise will raise you metabolic rate. We have also found that spicy/hot foods can also contribute.
6. Planning. Plan what you are going to eat. Not planning is one of the key reasons we overeat or do not eat the right foods. Planning makes sure you stick to your your Hauser Diet and don’t accidentally eat the wrong thing. If you find it difficult to plan or just don’t have the time try using some of our recipes in the animal specific pages or look around at other recipe sites. Don’t be afraid to try new things! Be adventurous with your food!
7. Eat regularly and often. Always have breakfast, lunch and dinner – every day. If you are a Lion or an Otter, it is particularly important that you also eat small snacks between meals.
8. Eat good food. You’ve heard it before. Eat real food – not food from a box. Fresh is best! Organic is better! Shop in the produce aisles at the store.
9. Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated all day helps your general fitness and health which is particularly important when exercising regularly and burning fat.
10. Listen to your body. Your body will let you know how it is doing and what it needs. Try not to eat as a stress reliever. Eat when you’re hungry. Stop when you are full.
Additional Diet Tips for maintaining your ideal weight
Less Calories BUT more nutrients
As we age our metabolism tends to slow down and consequently our need for calories usually decreases. At the same time, our vitamin and mineral requirements stay the same or even increase in some cases. A Bear Diet rich in nutrient-packed foods is the best way to get high nutritional value with lower calories.
Calcium
Getting enough calcium from foods like organic dairy products, collard greens, and salmon or from nutritional supplements help prevent osteoporosis as we get older. Recent studies show that calcium may also promote a healthy body weight.
Fiber
Adding fiber to your diet has shown to decrease chances of colon cancer and heart disease. Choose whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals and eat plenty of high fiber vegetables like broccoli, carrots, and celery. Beans are another nutrient and fiber-loaded food. Fiber supplements can also be purchased in bulk or tablet form to increase fiber intake and improve bowel function.
Stop Over-Stimulating Your Thyroid
Eating too many dairy products, fried foods, sugar and sugar-containing foods, soft drinks, coffee, pasta, and white bread products can contribute to the weight gain, low energy levels, stress, and fatigue associated with the over-stimulated thyroid.
WATCH YOUR SUGAR INTAKE
As Bears, your diet is the most balanced of all of the five Hauser Diets. One of the struggles that Bears face is making sure that you don’t just assume you can eat whatever you want. When you don’t face big restrictions for food choices such as eliminate meat or eliminate carbs, you may think that all food is fine to consume on the Bear Diet. Unfortunately, what we see with Bears looking to lose weight is a high sugar/simple carb intake. While you are allowed a very little amount of sugar, you should be aware of the various foods that contain sugar, so you can make wise decisions in the amounts you eat.
We encourage all of the Hauser Diets to avoid taking in too much sugar because it really does nothing for positive for the body, other than producing a smile on your face! Sugar is one of those hidden ingredients that is lurking in many foods that you may not even be aware of. Bears should pay particular attention to reading your food labels in order to get a good idea of what exactly you are putting into your mouths! Obviously we have talked a lot in the past about avoiding foods with a lot of excess chemicals, dyes, and artificial ingredients. Choosing organic or natural foods will help you avoid those. But when it comes to sugar, we recommend that you check your labels for all the different names of sugar. Remember, sugar comes in many different forms, such as glucose, sucrose, maltose, dextrose, fructose, cane sugar, honey, molasses, and the list goes on.
You might be thinking, “There is nothing wrong with my blood sugar levels, why do I have to watch my sugar intake?”
Syndrome X, Metabolic Syndrome, diabetes, hypercholerolemia, are conditions that may develop from eating too much sugar. Your ability to metabolize glucose may be normal now (from the oxidative rate portion of your Diet Typing test), but if you consume large amounts of sugar, you could develop problems later on in life. So we recommend that you keep intake to a minimum. So what exactly is a minimum? Well, here are some guidelines that can help you check your current diet to make sure you are not unconsciously consuming more sugar than you think:
HIDDEN SUGAR-CONTAINING FOODS
Yogurt: This is a food that a lot of people don’t think to check for sugars. Everyone believes yogurt is healthy and will help provide good bacteria to your GI tract. Some yogurts do provide good bacteria, but many do not, but that’s another newsletter. Even if you purchase organic yogurt, the yogurt may still contain a lot of sugar. Your best bet is to buy plain yogurt and then add your own fruit or nuts as allowed on your diet. Try Greek yogurt, which low in sugar and has a good amount of protein, and tastes delish!
We do not recommend sugar free yogurt products because you will be consuming a huge amount of unwanted chemicals.
Protein Shakes: When using protein shakes as a snack or for a meal, make sure to choose products that are nutritionally sound. Bears can use powders that have protein and carbs in them, but if your shake of choice contains sugar grams per serving that are in the double digits, try something new! Again, choosing a plain protein powder and then adding your own flavors in the form of fruits, nut butters, vanilla extract and spices is a much better route to go!
Protein or Meal Replacement Bars: It is hard to find bars without sugar in them, that’s for sure. But there are better choices than others. We like Cocochia bars, Clif organic Z bars, and organic Luna bars. These bars are organic, contain good fats and protein, and also contain complex carbs instead of just simple carbs (sugar), providing fiber as well. Many other bars are just glorified candy bars, so be careful!
Condiments: Are you smearing layers of jelly or honey on your toast in the morning… then drizzling honey in a few cups of tea throughout the day, then adding hazelnut creamer to your 3 cups of coffee? If so, you may be taking in too much sugar when you add it all up. Honey, although natural, and jelly are basically pure sugar. Those creamers are loaded with sugar as well – and who only uses 1 Tbsp? You can add a little sugar here and there, but having more than a couple servings per day is over doing it. Try cutting back. Instead of honey in your tea, try Stevia, a natural sweetener, or a squirt of lemon juice instead. Save the sugar for the 100% fruit jam on your toast! Try drinking your coffee black or with a little added milk. You can learn to like it that way!
Cereal: Even for those of who you think you are consuming low amounts of sugar, you need to check those cereal boxes! You may be surprised at the amounts of added sugar contained in those crunchy nut-n’s! For example, did you know that a serving of Raisin Bran has more than twice the amount of sugar than a serving of Frosted Mini Wheats?! We know, you would never guess! Try some Kashi varieties or plain oatmeal. Avoid those flavored oatmeals because those will be loaded with sugars. Add your own honey or fresh fruits instead. If you want to go totally wild, try adding chopped veggies and hot sauce to your oatmeal and avoid the sweet altogether! Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!
This list is just a start, but these are not the only foods that may contain hidden sugars. Check your labels! Once you get in the habit of checking, it will be quick and easy, and you’ll be eating healthier.
Losing weight on the Lion Diet
The Lion Diet is not an over complexed “diet system.” It has it basic rules that are easy to follow, eat like an lion and watch your portions. If you are new to the Lion Diet and want to lose weight, here are basic guidelines to following the hi-protein/Lo-Carb diet.
EAT LIKE AN LION
Each time you eat, envision a plate, even if you’re not using one. The biggest portion (NOT over portion) of that plate should contain your choice of protein-chicken, fish, beef, eggs, tofu, and pork, (and not laying under sugary sauces or rich gravies or oozing ketchup.)
If you fill the majority of your plate with protein sources like chicken, fish, turkey, pork, eggs, tofu, and beef, you are on the right track for losing weight. Throw a small amount of nutrient-dense vegetables on there and you’re set. This means for every meal…not just dinner. Do you have to be a Lion all day? Yes! This means snack on nuts…not pretzels, eat some turkey sticks…not bananas, and drink water not juice.
We find that most Lions tend to have a sweet tooth so they crave fruit. The goal of the Hauser Diet is not to satisfy cravings but to help you chose foods that will eliminate them. So while we do not recommend fruit for the Lions, we do recommend vegetables. We recommend green leafy, deep colored, and especially cruciferous fresh vegetables – not canned, not cooked to death, not fried, but fresh produce, lightly cooked or raw.
How many vegetables should you be eating? On the lion diet, the majority of your food needs to be in the form of protein and fat, vegetables are a side dish in serving portions.
HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU EAT?
We don’t want you to be hungry. Eat until you are just becoming content, but not beyond. If you battle hunger, grab for some almost non-caloric foods like cucumbers, celery sticks, or radishes. The goal is to always eat like a Lion, so that if these foods don’t quite do it, then you may need to up the protein or fat.
Losing weight on the Otter Diet
No matter what you’re trying to do…lose weight, have more energy, or just be healthy…you have to stay on the Otter Diet. All day, everyday! Don’t get bogged down with calorie counting either, because even if your calories are low, if you’re eating the wrong foods for your Diet Type, you’re not eating healthy….for you!
WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE?
Each time you eat, envision a plate – even if you’re not using one. The biggest portion of that plate should contain your choice of protein …chicken, fish, beef, eggs, tofu, and pork. Then you can use the rest of the plate to get in your servings of vegetables. It’s not that you can’t have any grains during the day…but if you’re eating them at each meal, you’re eating too many. You have to leave grains out of at least one meal a day, even two meals if your portions are big. This isn’t the rule for just your meals, it includes snacks too. Eating a handful of raisins instead of nuts may seem smart, but not if you’re an Otter.
HOW MUCH SHOULD I EAT?
Eat until you just start to feel full. If you eat past that point, even on the foods that are good for your Diet Type, you are overeating. The idea is to eat for necessity, not just because you want to eat. Depending on the case, it could mean only eating when you’re hungry. However, if you’re dealing with certain issues such as hypoglycemia, it may mean eating to prevent a crash…so right before you start to get really hungry. Either way, eat only what you need. If you get the munchies try snacking on some low calorie veggies like celery sticks or cucumbers.
OTTER WEIGHT LOSS TIP
For those of you on the Otter Hauser Diet who need to lose weight, keep your end goal in mind. Giving up your multiple servings of fruit or nightly desserts or even just leaving the jelly off your toast in the morning can be a struggle, but remember that every little bit counts. If you can give those things up now, once you get to your goal weight you will be able to indulge every once in a while without having a setback in achieving your goal. You will be able to enjoy those treats without the guilt that you will probably have if you cheat now. If you haven’t already, write down your goals. When you think about cheating or giving into temptation reread the reasons you’re doing this for yourself!
In Summary:
• Otters get maximum energy from protein and fat.
• Otters need to eat a large breakfast, then eat every 3-4 hours through the day, including a small evening snack.
• No simple carbohydrates are allowed daily, and no more than a single fruit serving.
Losing weight on the Bear Diet
1. Eliminate eating junk carbs every day: alcohol, white bread, sugar, cookies, soda (including DIET soda!) Bears are susceptible to slipping into the “SAD” diet (Standard American Diet) of processed foods that are high in fat and high in carbs.
Choose carbohydrates with caution. White carbohydrates, like white bread, white flour, and sugar, are devoid of nutrients and fiber, so avoid them as much as possible. Vegetables, whole grains, and whole fruits are the healthiest and most nutrient-rich carbohydrates. Choose organically grown fruits and vegetables, when possible since they are grown naturally without using unhealthy pesticides.
Choose foods low in hydrogenated fats, using good fats such as organic olive, coconut, and flax seed oils. Avoid “empty calorie” foods, which are foods and drinks with a lot of calories, but not many nutrients, such as chips, cookies, soda, and alcohol.
2. Eat “balanced” meals for EVERY meal. Think protein, vegetable, and a starch. Don’t be afraid to use fat (like olive oil or nuts) to dress up your meals or to cook with. This is what should be on your plate. Again, if you are skipping on the protein (like chicken) and opting primarily for carbs and fat (like pasta alfredo) you are not following the Bear Diet!
3. Exercise is the next most vital step at boosting your metabolism. Bears can tend to avoid exercise or activities and let the day get away. Mixing up a daily exercise routine with a variety of activities that you enjoy will keep things interesting and motivate you to keep going! You will feel better mentally and feel stronger physically. You can start with walking, if that is the level you are at, but need to strive for some more serious strength training, along with a form of cardiovascular exercise.
4. Eat regularly. Ideally Bears should eat a balanced Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, especially if you are active. If you are trying to just eat once a day and think you are following the Bear Diet, you aren’t! You do not have to skip meals to be skinny. Instead, eat regularly and in moderation, which leads us to our next point:
5. Control your portions. Eat until you just begin to feel full- then STOP. If you eat past this point, you are overeating and not helping your weight loss efforts.
When temptation comes knocking, your will power is the only thing to keep it from coming in and ruining your weight loss efforts. Stay focused on your goal and act like you really want it! You need to want it more than that soda or extra helping of pizza. When Bears practice eating regular, balanced meals in moderation, they have the best chances for successful and long term weight loss.