Brown Honey’s Diet Tip Corner! - VOLUMN 1; ISSUE 1 : "Trust Your Body"

Behavior Tip - Trust Your Body
Sometimes you need to trust your body more than a scale. Many factors such as the time of day, the weather, exercise, stress and water intake will influence the number on the scale. This can be frustrating when you know you’ve been following your Diet Program well. However, the next time this happens maybe you should stop and think about what you know.
If you “know" that you have been following your program guidelines and even increased your physical activity level, why would you choose to believe that a scale is telling you you’re not doing well if the pounds have not dropped? What does your body tell you? For example, have you lost a lot of inches? This is a good sign that you are losing body fat. Maybe your clothes are fitting loosely, and you feel like you have more energy. Just because the scale may not reflect a loss in pounds, doesn’t change the fact that your clothing size is smaller and you feel good physically.
The number on the scale should change for the better as you continue to move forward in your Diet Program. You should learn to listen to your body to determine your progress. Trusting what your body tells you is more beneficial than a temporary number on a scale. If your body says you feel good and look good, then try to accept the fact that you’re doing good!

Exercise Tip - Managing Metabolism with Muscle
Many people like to blame a slow metabolism when they have trouble losing weight. It is a well-known fact that building muscle can boost your metabolism. In addition, not only does weight training to build muscle help you burn calories during a workout, but after as well. Your muscles need calories during exercise, for recovery, and for maintenance. Muscles are continuously burning calories! Why wouldn’t you want to maintain what you have, and build more? So if you think your body could be burning more calories, consider managing your metabolism by building muscle.

Nutrition Tip - Lighter Pigs, Leaner Pork
Today’s pigs are lighter than they have been in the past! They are lighter in weight and fat content. During the past 20 years, pork producers have reduced the amount of fat in their meat by more than 50%! Pigs used to be bred to be 300 pounds or more. Today, they average at 240 pounds, and also are more muscular. This is due to the fact that healthier vegetable oils and shortening have replaced the need for lard. Furthermore, more people are more concerned about nutrition.
Lean pork cuts today are even comparable to cuts of chicken. The fat content in lean pork amounts to even less than the fat content in skinless chicken thighs. Lean cuts of pork include tenderloin, loin chops and loin roasts. These lean cuts have very little fat, so try to avoid overcooking the pork to prevent drying out. Just because pork comes from a pig, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s fatty. Check your Meal Planner to see if lean pork is an option on your program. Lean cuts of pork are light enough to help you lighten up yourself.


Weight Loss Tip - Think “2" to Lose a Few
Snacking can be beneficial for weight loss if you consume appropriate portions of nutritious foods. Consuming smaller meals with snacks in-between can actually help boost your metabolism and help you shed more pounds. A good rule of thumb to follow is to “pick 2" healthy food choices for a snack, but pick them from 2 different food groups. For example, you can pick a low fat dairy choice and a fruit choice. Or, select a lean protein choice and a whole grain choice. A fruit choice is also a good option.
Selecting a couple items from 2 different food groups will help you obtain a wider variety of vitamins and minerals. It will also help you obtain a balance of carbohydrates, protein and/or fat. Dairy choices feature calcium, protein, vitamin D, and phosphorus. Fruits and vegetables are good sources of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B6, potassium, fiber, selenium and magnesium. Whole grains provide B vitamins, fiber and trace minerals. Good fat choices provide essential fatty acids. Of course, lean protein is important for meeting protein needs to protect your lean muscle mass, and also provides iron, zinc, and B vitamins.
Healthy snacks can be incorporated in your Diet Program to help you lose weight. It can help boost your metabolism, while helping to control your hunger between meals. Think about picking 2 food choices from 2 different food groups for snacks. It will help provide the nutrients you need to keep your body functioning at its best, and help curb your appetite. A couple nutritious snack items can help you shed a few more pounds.