Dieting Made Easier

When you're just starting out on a weight loss program, dieting can seem very intimidating. Adding to the confusion of starting a new diet plan, are the endless pills and programs advertised on television that claim they can end all of your weight problems. Trying to decide which dieting option will work the best for you can seem exhausting, but it doesn't have to be. There are some basic dieting rules that you can follow to create your own diet plan that fits your likes, your dislikes and your schedule. The first thing you should do, especially if you're new to dieting, is start a food journal. You should write down all of the foods that you eat in a day, what times you eat them and how many calories, carbohydrates, protein and fat grams are contained in them. This will allow you to see exactly what you're eating each day and what changes are needed to maximize the effects of your dieting program. One of the best things you can do before you begin dieting is get a general understanding of the meaning behind food labels. Don't panic - I promise, it's actually quite simple. The first thing you want to look at are the nutrition facts listed on the label. While dieting, you'll want to pay close attention to serving size, calories, fat listings, protein, carbohydrates and sodium. You'll need to do this to keep your dieting journal anyway. If you're eating a food that doesn't have a label, such as a fruit or a veggie, you can look it up in a calorie book or on the internet.
In addition to understanding the nutrition facts on food labels, you should look for the list of vitamins and minerals contained on the label. These are usually listed under the black line beneath the protein count. While dieting, you should avoid empty calories. These are foods, which contain calories, but offer little to no nutritional value. As a rule, the nutrients listed should offer between 5 and 20 percent of your daily values. The last portion of the nutrition label that you'll want to pay attention to while dieting is the list of ingredients. The ingredients are listed in order of most abundant to least abundant within a food. As a rule, whether you're dieting or not, you should avoid foods that contain sugar or any sugar variations such as high fructose corn syrup; enriched flour; or partially hydrogenated oils in their first five ingredients. Don't worry about understanding every ingredient in every food. Just be watchful for the key ones listed here, as they can sabotage your dieting efforts very quickly. So, the key to effective, uncomplicated dieting is to understand the nutritional values in the foods that you're eating. You don't need magic pills or expensive weight loss programs. You simply need to know what you're putting into your body. Keep track of your energy intake in a food journal and then track your energy output in an exercise journal - dieting really is just that easy.