Many dieting books advise against juice. Not because of the calories, but because it bypasses some parts of the digestive system (you don't chew juice or soup, for example).
I have heard that fructose -- as present in fruits and juice -- can suppress the body's sensation of fullness, causing people to eat more. Some people advance this theory as a reason to not eat or drink anything containing high-fructose corn syrup. I was able to find studies both supporting and refuting the theory, though, so I'm not sure if it is true. Both sites obviously have their own agendas:
That sounds simple, but it's not. The amount of calories you need drops with your activity level. So let's say an inactive person needs 1500 calories a day, and they meet exactly that plus a Snickers, which is an extra 271 calories. An active person who needs 2500 calories a day and does the same thing won't be hurt as much from that extra 271 calories; 18% of daily calorie needs versus 11%.
Being active gives you more "slop." Further, being inactive changes what your body does with those calories.
I don"t understand why this remark has been downvoted. This is key!
How to do it is a different question.
My way is to eat mostly fresh food, highest quality meat and fish and very moderate amounts of all.
The most important thing: no sugar, and when I say no I mean no! No yoghurt with sugar, no drinks with sugar and also no artificial sweeteners. They ruin the taste and you will always want sweet things. Better have two bad weeks without any sweet things. After that sweet tasts ugly. This is one really big step. If you don't like sweet any more, the whole diet will become more healty.
I do understand this is very hard to achieve in the US. But for me this is very important. Without sugar I can eat enough without high calorie intake. Similar things are true for alcohol. Especially in the evenings its billions of calories.
I run twice a week (10 miles) and swim twice a week (1 mile) . My weight is 145 lbs at 5ft 10. Running and swimming does not burn a lot, but the regeneration phase does (repair, build muscles, refill energy reservoirs etc.). Plus you 'll soon be in great shape and can take the stairs instead of the elevator ;o). Or the bike instead of a car.
Well, and it takes a lot of time and patience. But in the end it works.
Monks life? ;o). Not at all. Fresh milk with cereals and fresh fruits (strawberries, melons) in the morning taste absolutely great. Fresh salad with barbecued fish and a glass of chilly white wine is fantastic in the evenings.
