Weight Loss Diet Strategies: Part One
Part 2  3  4  5   

There are all sorts of diets out there that can help you lose weight (not necessarily fat), but they are so miserable that it's impossible to stay on them very long - even more difficult is keeping the results you achieved before going off the weight loss diet.

There is an overwhelming amount of information in the weight loss diet industry, which leads most dieters very confused and frustrated. I will do my best to clear up this confusion so that you can finally achieve your weight loss goals. The following 5-part article will help you structure a weight loss diet that is right for you – one that produces the best possible results!

But before you read this below article, you should first take our FREE Fitness Analysis! You'll receive specific recommendations on a very effective weight loss diet based on your responses to our brief questionnaire. You'll also receive the new e-book, Big Fat Lies absolutely FREE of charge. Click here to get started!

Carbohydrates and Proteins Together
When on a weight loss diet, it is important to balance meals and snacks with carbohydrate-rich and protein-rich foods together. A meal with carbohydrates alone often results in one becoming hungry sooner because glucose levels shoot up and then crash down afterwards. This can leave you feeling tired, hungry, and weak. When protein is included, you will not only stay full longer, but glucose levels will stay more consistent and you will feel energized for a longer period.

It is important to understand how protein and carbohydrates interact with each other when on your weight loss diet. Each food nutrient is broken down at different times. Carbohydrates are digested in about two hours. Proteins take longer to digest, and when the two are combined or eaten together, protein slows down digestion of carbohydrates, and energy from carbohydrates is released more slowly. Protein actually slows down the release of glucose from carbohydrates into the bloodstream.

Thus, eating protein-rich foods with carbohydrate-rich foods stabilizes the glucose, which could otherwise lead to hunger. This keeps us feeling energetic and satisfied until the next meal. In addition, when carbohydrates are used as energy, they spare proteins from being used as energy so they can be used to build and repair tissues. For example, a meal only rich in carbohydrates, such as soup, bread, and salad would result in a period of hunger soon after the meal.

On the other hand, a balanced lunch that includes a protein source such as a chicken breast with salad will provide and sustain energy. In other words, a meal is not a weight loss diet "meal" if it doesn't contain a lean complete protein and a complex carb together at the same time; this is very important to your success and The GHF Customized Diet Plan follows this guideline closely.

Choose Your Carbs Based on Whether They are "Natural" Versus Processed
If you want the best results on your weight loss diet, you would be wise to avoid (or at least moderate) processed carbs including white sugar and nearly all products made from white flour including baked goods, bread, crackers, pretzels, pasta, bagels, and so on. Switch mostly to natural, unprocessed carbs like vegetables, oatmeal, yams, brown rice, potatoes, beans, lentils, etc.

You could probably consume small amounts of sugar and refined carbs and still lose weight as long as you continued to burn more calories than you took in each day. But the high calorie density isn't the only reason to avoid processed carbs. Refined carbohydrates provide little or no nutritional value and have an adverse affect on insulin levels (which adversely affects fat loss). You shouldn't just be concerned with the number of calories you eat each day; you should also be concerned with the quality and nutritional value of those calories. Your weight loss diet goal is to get the most nutritional value out of every calorie you consume.

Try Carbohydrate "Cycling" for Maximum Fat Loss
There's no question that a low-carb/high-protein weight loss diet can be effective. However, it may seem like the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. Fortunately, there is a solution to these problems and it is called "carbohydrate cycling." In fact, much of The GHF Customized Diet Plan foundation is based on a very effective fat-loss strategy called "Carbohydrate Cycling." Carbohydrate cycling might just be the most effective weight loss diet method ever devised! This weight loss diet technique has been one of the most well kept secrets of bodybuilders and fitness models, but it can be used by just about anyone to accelerate fat loss or break a fat-loss plateau.

Carbohydrate cycling is the practice of rotating lower carb days with higher carb days instead of keeping carbohydrates at a constant all the time. This method allows you to burn fat at an accelerated rate during the lower carb days and then to replenish your glycogen (carbohydrate) stores on your higher days. This helps to prevent your metabolism from slowing down and makes your nutrition plan much easier to stick with because you have a higher calorie/higher carb day to look forward to and enjoy. We explain this amazing weight loss diet technique, and how to customize it to you, in The GHF Customized Diet Plan.

Be sure to check out Part Two for additional strategies for an effective weight loss diet! And don’t forget to take our FREE Fitness Analysis for personalized weight loss diet advice and to receive the new e-book, Big Fat Lies, absolutely FREE!