Green Diet

How to Lose Pounds with the High Protein Diet

Don’t be fooled by the name ‘high protein’—high protein is another way of saying low or no-carb diet. All of the fad diets that were no or low carb in recent years were bashed for their unhealthiness. Don’t be tricked into thinking that this new thing—the high protein diet—is a whole new thing!
Low or no carb diet also means high protein or fat diet; it’s just changing the name and hoping everyone will buy it!

What exactly is a high protein diet?

Well, a high protein diet is exactly what it says it is; but the important distinction to make is that in order to be high protein it also has to limit the amount of carbs that you put into your body.
If you keep the amount of carbs the same as it currently is, but up the amount of protein, you will not lose any weight; however, if you take out some of the carb calories and replace them with calories from protein, you will, most likely lose weight.
How it works is a whole different question though, and the bottom line is that it is not very healthy.

First of all, the body does, indeed, need protein in order to be healthy.
The body uses protein to build and to maintain muscle mass, which is absolutely essential to the health of the body. What most people don’t know is that there are a lot of foods that provide protein; meat is not the only source of protein. Other common sources of protein in an average diet include all dairy products from milk to cheese and everything in between, all types of nuts, and several types of beans.

What this means is that even vegetarians, if they know how to design a proper diet, can get more than adequate daily protein intake from milk, yogurt and cheese even if they do not eat meat, fish or eggs.
The abundance of soy products today makes this possible even for vegans.

So the body does, indeed, need protein. On the other hand, the body definitely needs carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are what the body runs on, the energy source of the body, if you will. While protein builds and maintains muscles, carbohydrates give the body the energy to move those muscles so that they can be built and strengthened.
If you cut carbs out of your diet, it’s like asking your car to run on water instead of gas; you’ve taken away the body’s energy source.

Protein can be converted into energy, but the process of doing so is inefficient and produces toxins while it’s converting protein to glucose.
The result is becoming overtired, cranky and constipated. Of course, low and no carb diets make you lose weight, just like the high protein diet will make you lose weight (assuming that not all of the proteins you choose to consume are rib eye steaks and filet mignons wrapped in bacon) but there’s a reason why the food pyramid exists.

The ideal human diet is varied, including foods from all groups. Each group has its purpose, except refined sugars.
If you’re looking to lose weight in a healthy, effective way, the answer is to choose the right carbs (complex), the right meats (leaner), the right fats, (unsaturated, not trans) and to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.

This may not be the quickest way to lose weight, but it’s the healthiest and it’s the most permanent type of weight loss.
High protein or no carb diets help you lose a lot of weight all at once, but it all comes piling back on as soon as you go back to your ‘regular’ diet.

Ways to Jumpstart your Metabolism and Lose Weight

The term metabolism refers to all of the chemical reactions by which complex molecules taken in by the body are broken down to produce energy. Simply stated, you metabolism is the way the human body burns up all the calories from the food you consume.
Your metabolism has been proven to slow down as you get older, but that does not mean you have to live with it.
Experts have identified several ways to jumpstart your metabolism.

In order to rev up your metabolism, you should avoid skipping meals or fasting. Limiting your food intake in this manner can trigger your body to go into starvation mode, which will actually slow down your metabolism.
Eating less than 1000 calories a day means that you are denying your body of essential elements necessary for survival. Your body’s only defense is to slow down your metabolism in order to store energy in the form of fat.
In order to jumpstart your metabolism you should eat 4 to 6 small meals a day.

Keeping the body hydrated by drinking plenty of water is also a great way to stimulate your metabolism. Just like a lack of food a lack of water can actually trigger your body to slow down its metabolic rate in order to survive. Water is the body’s most essential nutrient.
If the body is deprived of water the kidneys will begin to focus their attention on retaining water instead of burning fat. Experts agree that you should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily.

Another way to jumpstart you metabolism is to start exercising. Becoming more active will stimulate your metabolism. Toning up your body is important because muscle is more metabolically active than fat. In addition, aerobic exercise will help you burn calories by increasing your heart rate.
Experts recommend one hour of moderate activity a day, this can be a traditional exercise routine or something as simple as cleaning your house or walking the dog.

It is also important to eat the majority of your meals earlier in the day. This means you should not skip breakfast. If you do then your body is deprived of food from the time you went to sleep the night before until you decide to eat lunch.
This is too long for your body to go without nutrients. It will go into survival mode and slow down metabolism.
In addition, you should make dinner your smallest meal. Experts suggest not eating anything after 8 pm or at least 3 to 4 hours before retiring to sleep.

It is also important to watch your caloric intake as it directly relates to your metabolism. Because you metabolism naturally slows down, as you get older you should adjust the amount of calories you put into your boy accordingly.

Some experts recommend spicing up your foods to give your metabolism a boost. While the actually stimulation of your metabolism by spicy foods is relatively insignificant it does encourage you to eat healthier foods such as vegetables and chicken.

If you are interested in speeding up your metabolism it is important to be aware of gimmicks that seem too good to be true. Avoid cleansing diets that require that you starve yourself. And don’t be conned by foods that claim to be fat burners, such as celery or grapefruit.
There is no proof that either of these will increase your metabolism at all.

Scientists have determined that as you get older your metabolism decreases an average of 5 percent every ten years. Though this may be an inevitable part of aging there are plenty of simple habits that you can work into your daily routine to keep your metabolism stimulated.

The Pritikin Diet is the polar opposite of the Atkins Diet.

However, this diet is not as popular as the Atkins Diet.
The Pritikin diet plan promotes a diet that is high in carbs and low in fats. The diet was originally developed by Nathan Pritikin and further enhanced by his son Robert Pritikin. The Pritikin theory states that because food is readily available man has the tendency to “over consume,” leading to weight gain, heart disease, colorectal cancer, and other diseases.
This diet re-orientates the diet toward high-fiber, unprocessed carbohydrates and low-fat protein sources, and a significantly reduced fat intake and regular daily exercise.
The Pritikin Diet is designed to improve the overall health of dieters as well as reducing risk factors for dietary related diseases.

According to the Pritikin Diet, in order to feel satisfied a human must consume enough food until they have ingested a certain amount of physical weight. The diet also contends that fat is a necessity of good health.
Fat contains more calories per pound than carbohydrates, and eating fat is seen as choosing more calories for the same amount of “fullness” according to the hunger satisfaction theory.

Dr. Pritikin’s theory states that the body does not know whether the bulk ingested consists of fat or anything else; the body only knows whether it has obtained enough bulk to feel sated.
The Pritikin diet is full of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, and non-soluble fiber that all help promote good health. Process foods should be completely avoided, because they are low bulk and high-calorie.

The Pritikin Diet can have many health benefits for many individuals.

Health professionals have agreed that a diet low in fat and high in fiber can prevent many medical problems, including heart disease and cancer. The diet can also health benefits to individuals who already have those health problems and other conditions.
This diet is highly effective when used for weight loss, and is ideal for weight management. Extensive scientific studies have confirmed the effectiveness of the Pritikin Diet.

The Pritikin diet is much different from the popular Atkins Diet.

The Atkins diet is one that is high in fat and protein and low in carbohydrates, while the Pritikin plan is low in fat and protein and high in complex carbohydrates, such as corn, rice, and wheat.
Pritikin’s diet is based on foods such as fruits, vegetable, beans, and low-fat dairy products.
The diet also contains four levels, which are each based on calories. The level is used in conjunction with the weight of the dieter, how much weight a person wants to lose, and how quickly they want the weight loss to occur. The caloric intake is different for each level of the Pritikin Diet. For the first level, the caloric intake is 700 calories, 850 for second level, 1,000 for the third level, and 1,200 for the last level.
The higher levels of the diet are usually best for obese dieter, and dieters that want to lose a lot of weight.

The Pritikin Diet also contains many guidelines that dieters must follow if they want to be successful. Dieters should eat one to three pieces of fruit per day, including one citrus fruit. A serving of orange or yellow vegetables two to three times a week is also recommended for success.
The diet also promotes eating several large servings of green vegetables per day, which may be eaten raw or cooked. It is also advisable to eat to small servings of whole-grain products per day, including breads, cereal, rice, and pasta.

Three servings of protein-concentrated foods, such as fish, poultry, and nonfat milk and yogurt should also be eaten each day. One if the most important elements of the Pritikin Diet is an exercise program.
The Pritikin Diet encourages different types of exercise routines, including walking, swimming, cycling, and using indoor machines that stimulate these activities.
These types of exercise are recommended for optimum weight loss.

Helpful Hints on Comparing Diet Plans

More than two-thirds of all American adults weigh more than they should. With numbers like these it should be no surprise that there are massive amount of diet plans to choose from. In fact, Americans spend an estimated $30 billion dollars a year on weight loss services and products.

The wide variety of diet plans to choose from can make it difficult to select a plan that is right for you. Before committing to a specific diet it is important to do your research to discover what diet is going to best meet your personal weight loss needs. You should examine the advantage, disadvantages and risks of each diet you are considering.
Keep in mind there are a number of diets that are very similar, take the time to learn about their differences.

Here are some helpful hints on comparing diet plans.

First, it is important to select a diet that is going to fit into the lifestyle you lead. This includes any time restraints, medical conditions, or convenience factors.

If you are not sure about which diet your body will react best to, or are unaware of your own dieting preferences you may want to try the metabolic typing diet.
This diet requires you fill out a personal questionnaire to help you determine whether you feel better on a low or high carbohydrate weight loss plan.

You may want to try the macrobiotic diet if you need a diet that is low fat and high in fiber. This diet is great for vegetarians and people who would like to incorporate spirituality into the diet. This diet is thought to prevent certain hormone related cancers.
Another diet that emphasizes spirituality is the Weigh Down diet.

If you feel that you need support in your weight loss attempts you should consider joining an organized weight-loss program like Weight Watchers.
Programs like these allow you to draw strength from experts as well as other dieter that are experiencing the same difficulties.

If you eat a lot of junk food or are having problems with your digestion, you may want to try a detox diet. This type of diet requires fasting to rid your body of unhealthy toxins.

If you have problems with your blood sugar you may want to select a low carbohydrate diet, such as the Zone, Atkins, or South Beach diet.
These diets emphasize limiting or eliminating carbohydrates from your food selection.

If your body does not react well to high protein diets you may want to select the alkaline diet.
This diet will help you counterbalance the effects of protein, caffeine, sugar, grains, and junk food.

If you enjoy Indian food, you may want to try the Ayurvedic diet.

If you participate in bodybuilding, look into trying the Targeted Ketogenic or Cycling Ketogenic diets.

After comparing diets and selecting a weight loss plan that is right for you remember that it takes commitment to make any diet successful.
Research shows that only 5 percent of dieters meet their weight loss goals and keep the weight off for five or more years.
The high failure rate of diets primarily stems from selecting diet that is not right for you.

You will be more likely to stay motivated and loyal to a diet that suits your personal lifestyle, and is meeting your specific weight loss needs.
So it is important to research the diets that are available to you, make informed diet comparisons, and select a diet that you feel comfortable with.
Make sure you investigate what the diet restricts, what it emphasizes, and what it recommends that you supplement the plan with.