When you’re dieting and trying to lose weight, every piece of food looks like a potential victory. Going to a buffet and helping yourself to a big slice of cake might leave you feeling satisfied and even a little bit proud of your effort – but it won’t do much to help you lose weight. The same goes for a burger and fries. Or even a chocolate croissant – they’re all tempting treats when you’re dieting, but they don’t provide much in the way of nutrition.
So what’s the answer? A balanced diet that’s low in calories and high in nutritious food.
Not all calories are created equal, and neither are carbohydrates, proteins, or fats. Your body needs some fats to function properly, and there are good fats and bad fats. So, while peanuts and chocolate might both have a lot of calories, one will help you build strong bones and teeth while the other will make you fat. So which is which? The answer is simple – it depends on the type of food, how it’s prepared, and most importantly, how you plan on using it.
Most people eat too much sugar, which can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes. This, in turn, can lead to cravings and poor dietary choices. If you’re someone who frequently has blood sugar fluctuations, it might be a good option to look into the Glycemic Index (GI) of the foods you’re consuming.
The Glycemic Load (GL) of a food is a measurement of how much sugar is in a particular serving size of food and how quickly your body processes it. Some foods have a high GL, meaning they’ll raise your blood sugar more than others – even though all of them have the same number of calories.
When you eat foods with a high GI, your body will immediately begin converting them to glucose. This, in turn, can cause your blood sugar to rise. For someone who’s already prone to blood sugar fluctuations, a high GI diet might be too much of a good thing and could potentially do more harm than good. This is why the GI is most useful when implemented as part of a diet plan. It provides valuable information about the carbohydrates in your food and how these carbs react with your body. This, in turn, can help you make better nutritional choices for your body and achieve your desired results when dieting.
How Does Nutrition Impact Our Results When Losing Weight?
When you’re dieting, you’re necessarily trying to reduce the amount of calories you consume. That means cutting back on certain foods and favoring others. For example, if you’re cutting back on carbs, you might decide to eat more protein-rich foods or vice versa. The same goes for fats. You don’t want to eliminate any type of food entirely during your diet, but rather, reduce the amount you eat.
When you reduce the amount of food you consume, your body will begin to adjust to its new lifestyle and start burning calories more efficiently. This, in turn, can help you achieve your desired results when dieting.
Should You Eat To Nourish Or To Fatten?
When you’re dieting and want to lose weight, it’s tempting to try and eat as much as you can to boost your metabolism and speed up the process. This is especially true if you’re cutting back on calories and want to maintain your current weight. So, you might wonder, should I consume more vegetables and fruits to fatten or more protein and dairy to nourish my body?
While it’s important to eat enough food on your diet to maintain your energy levels and properly carry out all the necessary functions in your body, you don’t want to go overboard and gain weight. Just keep track of what you’re eating and be mindful about adding too many calories.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have starving yourself. This, of course, is a recipe for disaster. When your body is not getting the nutrition it needs, it will not function at its best. And when this happens, even simple tasks like walking down the street or sitting in a chair can seem impossible. So, while it’s important to watch what you’re eating and make sure you’re staying at a healthy weight, it’s also important to make sure your body is getting the right amounts of nutrition.