Exercise Questions - How Can I Lose 50 Pounds In a Year?

Exercise Question:
I had been exercising using a personal home gym system but I wasn't losing weight as they advertised. I eliminated white sugar and white flour from my diet but I didn't lose any weight. I have added cardio training to my weight training on the ball, but I don't know what to do about my diet. I love fruit for breakfast but my problem is that I may go long stretches without any food during the day, maybe 10-12 hours. Then at night I'm ravenous. I want to lose 50 pounds in the next 12 months. Can you recommend how I should eat to do that?

Exercise Answer:
I can't stress enough how important it is to eat at least 5 small nutritious meals each day. This is crucial for succeeding on any fitness/diet plan and is one of the most important aspects to losing weight and keeping it off for a lifetime! Eating several small meals throughout the day keeps your metabolism stoked but most importantly, it keeps your insulin levels controlled which will keep you from getting ravenous later at night. By eating this way, you will have a far greater chance of success since you will be eating to truly fuel your body.

The best diet plan is one that incorporates these factors into the overall program:

• Clean, Healthy Food
  
• Consistency
  
• Smart Choices
  
• Discipline
  
• Motivation

In terms of the clean foods you should focus on including lean protein sources (chicken breast, turkey breast, egg whites) and lean fibrous carbs coming mostly from non-starchy vegetables (broccoli, mushrooms, yellow squash, green peppers, etc.) Try and limit all starchy carbs from your diet and limit fruit after 6pm, since it contains lots of simple sugars which will effect your insulin levels and hinder your weight loss.

Since you are probably very busy throughout the day, you may benefit from a good protein bar. These are extremely convenient and provide the high quality protein your muscles need to repair and grow. Look for a bar that has at least 30 grams of protein and less than 5 grams of sugar. If you get sick of eating protein bars, then switch it up a little and actually stop off at a fast food restaurant. Yes, I did say fast food! However, make sure to control those urges for quarter pounders and fries. Nowadays, the majority of fast food chains are adding healthy items to their menus. The foods you should look for when eating at a fast food chain are:

Chicken Breast Salads
Ask for balsamic vinaigrette or light ranch and use only a little on the salad. Do NOT include the cheese, croutons, bacon bits or avocado. These are way to high in fat/calories and will kill your dieting plan.

Chicken Breast Sandwich
Broiled or grilled chicken breast only! Leave off all cheese, mayonnaise, bacon and any "special sauce". Great items to include on your sandwich are tomato, lettuce, mustard and pickles.

As you can see, the food item are rather limited, but this is your "safe list" of foods you can eat when your in a rush and need to stop by a fast food chain. If your discipline is lacking and you think you may cheat once you get anywhere near a fast food restaurant, then do NOT stop in. Avoid them at all costs! You want to form good habits which take about 30-60 days to truly form. Stick with the quick protein bar or protein shake and you will be fine.

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