Healthy Eating And Weight Loss - How I Finally Learned What Worked For Me

I finally learned how to eat and drink for optimal health and weight control by taking my first Body For Life Challenge. Body for Life was created by Bill Phillips and is based on bodybuilding principles to preserve muscle and burn fat.

It’s the first ever eating and exercise plan that has really given me results. Many other people have found this too. However, there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution that works for everyone, so since I took my first Body For Life Challenge I’ve adapted it to suit me and my lifestyle.

It’s not just another dieting regime that cuts out entire food groups, causes cravings and ultimately weight gain.

Here’s a summary of the Body For Life nutrition principles:

Instead of cutting out meals, you eat regularly throughout the day, every few hours. This has the desirable effect of revving up your metabolism as your body is working constantly to digest food. You also feel less like binging and have more energy because your blood sugar levels stay constant.

Each meal is made up of protein and carbohydrates to give your body the balanced nourishment it needs. This also helps keep your appetite under control.

When I first heard about all the small meals I would get to eat throughout the day I was overjoyed! I love to eat and I really do have a huge appetite. All that regular grazing stops me from getting really hungry.

On the Program you get into the habit of drinking at least 2 liters of water a day to maximize fat burning. Tea and coffee don’t count – in fact they can deplete your body of water, so it’s better stick to water and/or herbal teas.

One of the appealing things about Body For Life is that once a week you get a free day or cheat day, which means you can indulge in your favorite foods. It’s a common technique used by bodybuilders.

This means you don’t have to wave goodbye to chocolate, pizza or ice-cream forever. In fact, the sudden temporary increase in calories may even kick start your metabolism!

I would have liked to have seen organic foods mentioned, but apart from that I found the nutritional guidelines very helpful for overall well being and weight loss.