The Real Secret to Losing Weight

Diet books and fitness gurus come and go. We hear about new methods and diets daily. This secret and that, new methods and discoveries are talked about in the media all the time.

But... The real secret to losing weight is --That there is no secret, except this one:  If you take in more calories than you use up, you'll store the surplus on your body as fat, usually where you least want it. And if you reduce your calorie intake and move around a bit more, you'll lose weight. Simple, isn't it? This message could be written on the back of an a envelope because, in reality, that is all there is too it, right? In theory, yes. But not in practice because human beings are complicated. We are emotionally driven and seek pleasure all the time. And we get our most intense pleasures from two things; sex and food.

The strongest drives in a human being are to make more human beings (by having sex) and to keep alive (by eating). Those two activities are also considered the most pleasurable. Sex and food are what make the world go around and here, I'm going to talk about one of those: food.

Food is tied up with a lot of strong emotions. It's what we turn to when we're sad, lonely, bored, disappointed or frustrated. But we also celebrate with food.And seduce the opposite sex with it. And reward ourselves with it. And on and on. It's usually all the wrong foods because some of those fatty fast foods contain powerful chemicals that trigger a calm, happy feeling. It's not eating per se that makes us fat is what we eat and why.

So many diets but no real solution.

There are so many diets out there and every time I pick up a magazine, I see yet another one. Weight Watchers, the Mediterranean diet Dukan, Zone, GI, LCH, low carb, low fat, high carb, high fat, eat -what-you-want-as-long-as-it's-only-cheese-and-salad, the zig-zag diet, where you eat carbs and protein on alternative days, the kalcium diet (overdosing on dairy products), the vitamin D diet (eating products high in, yes, vitamin D) and on and on, blah, blah, blah. Go on one of those and yes, you'll lose weight. But chances are that you will 1) get tired of them very quickly and 2)  gain the weight back once you stop.

So, what to do? How will you get the weight off and keep it off? For good? Two things are important to learn: one, how not to feel hungry and two; how to stay away from things you love to eat (and are usually fatty and bad for you) Well, it's hard at first but here is what I know will work.

Not a diet but a new way of thinking. Of all the diets and methods mentioned above, the Weight Watchers approach, The Mediterranean diet and the GI plan are the only ones that make any sense to me.

The GI plan. GI stands for glycemic index and the idea of this eating method is to keep your blood sugar level with certain foods and avoiding those that makes your blood sugar see-saw, which will make you want to keep eating the bad foods, especially sugar. If you read one of their books or instruction manuals, you'll find long lists and a lot of charts. They are good but I don't subscribe to the idea of remembering numbers and charts. I don't even like counting calories. I feel, that if you simply remember to reduce the fat in your diet and try to cut out sugar as much as you can, you will drastically reduce your calorie intake anyway.

The Mediterranean diet is a very good way of applying the GI method to delicious foods. Key components of Mediterranean cuisine include heart-healthy olive oil, protein-rich legumes, fish and whole grains with moderate amounts of wine and red meat. The flavors are rich, and the health benefits for people choosing a Mediterranean diet are hard to ignore—they are less likely to develop high blood pressure, high cholesterol or become obese. But remember that olive oil is fattening, so try not to eat more than two tablespoons a day.

The main thing to understand and remember is that if you keep your blood sugar on an even keel, it will take you longer to get hungry again and you will have a lot more energy and have less mood swings too.

Why?
When we eat sugar and refined foods such as pasta, potatoes, white bread, white rice and sweet things, the pancreas produces Insulin which is an enzyme that helps break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It lowers sugar levels in the blood by increasing the uptake of glucose into the tissues. What happens then? It turns to FAT. Where? On your body, on your hips, thighs and tummy. It gives you wobbly bits, love handles, squishy thighs, well you know. The saying 'a moment on your lips, forever on your hips' is very true.

 Put simply, when we eat those sugary, refined foods, as in cakes, white bread, pizza and French fries, the Insulin immediately gobbles up the sugar and the enzyme Glucagon turns it all into fat later via the liver, depleting the blood sugar levels very quickly. Which means that if you eat sugary food, your energy levels soar for a moment, only to crash again, making you reach for that bag of sweets/danish/Mars bar, etc, over and over again. 

But... if you avoid the refined foods and switch them for foods which take longer to digest, you will avoid the sugar highs and the subsequent dump. You'll keep hunger at bay for longer and as a result feel stronger.

Lose the white and switch to brown. 

If you simply remember that white bread, pasta, rice, cakes and anything with high levels of sugar are bad foods and switch them for brown rice, wholemeal bread and pasta and have an apple or other piece of fruit  or a handful of nuts instead of biscuits and cookies, you'll have come a long way.

The Weight Watchers diets use this idea as well. I like their ideas and the way they manage to motivate people. I also like their products, such as their frozen meals that are tasty and satisfying and very cheap. One of those meals, combine with some vegetables or a salad would make a good, low calorie meal for anyone in a hurry.

My own eating plan

I am, right now, at the ideal weight for me. I have kept this weight steady for a number of years now, applying the method above. So, I thought I'd share what I eat on a daily basis, just as an example of a (mostly) healthy diet that keeps the weight off. Added to this, I exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes a day, (often more) by walking, swimming or doing a work out video.

Breakfast

Three tablespoons of Muesli with a handful of chopped walnuts and a little low-fat Milk. One glass of orange juice
A piece of fruit (apple or pear or orange)
A cup of tea with low-fat milk (no sugar)
A slice of brown bread with low fat cottage cheese.

Mid-morning snack: A piece of fruit. A cup of coffee with no sugar and a square of dark chocolate.

Lunch
Salad with tomato, lettuce, tuna (in water) grated carrot and a hard boiled egg with a n olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing. One slice of brown bread. Small tub of natural yogurt (with no added sugar) and one piece of fruit. Or... vegetable soup: simmer carrots, half an onion, broccoli, celery (or any vegetable you have handy) and a small potato in water+one stock cube, then liquidize. 

Mid afternoon snack

Cup of tea with low-fat milk and one slice of brown bread.

Dinner

Varies. Often some grilled chicken or meat or poached fish with a baked potato and boiled carrots and broccoli. Small piece of cheese on a cracker. Sometimes fruit salad or an apple. Two or three squares of dark chocolate.

I also drink at least two glasses of milk during the day, just to make sure I get plenty of calcium.

Wine? Yes, please. But not every day, only at the weekend, when I have a glass or two on Saturday and with Sunday lunch.

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A word about water. It is said that you should drink at least 1 1/2 liters of water a day, not counting tea or coffee. There are arguments about this but I feel that this would be a correct amount.  It is wise to drink extra water when exercising. Other than that, don't worry too much about it.

Do try to cut the amount of salt you take. Water retention can bloat you and also increase your weight and can damage your kidneys and thus affect your blood pressure.

What I NEVER eat. And I mean, never, ever:

Any kind of sweet (candy), toffee, jelly beans or boiled sweet.

Chips or crisps.

White bread, croissant, cakes, biscuits, donuts, cookies, anything in a 'wrap' (the wrap itself is fattening) or pita bread (except if it's a wholemeal pita).

See? No calorie counting or measuring, just applying what works and ditching what doesn't.