Advanced Diet

After reading The Beginner's Guide to Dieting, you'll know how to start your diet. This guide will give you solutions to specific problems you may have including what and when to eat, how to end a diet and some ways reduce your calorie intake.

Advanced Diet | How To's | Articles | FAQs | Free Diets | Forums | Guides | Top 5 | Tools

• Number and Size of Meals
  • The size of your meals and frequency you eat them can have an effect on how you look, not so much on your weight, but on your body composition - how much fat your body stores.
• My Diet Isn't Working
  • There are plenty of reasons why you are not losing weight, so it is important that you try and fix your mistakes rather than get frustrated and quit your diet all together.
    
• Diet for Turning Fat into Muscle
  • Turning fat into muscle requires going on a calorie restricted diet to burn the fat and also giving your body the proper nutrients it needs to build muscle in its place.
• Slow Metabolism Diet
  • Everyone's body works in a different way. For some it is easy to lose a few pounds and for others it can be close to impossible. Differences such as these can be attributed to our genes.
    
• Lunch for Losing Weight
  • Lunch can be tricky if you're trying to lose weight. You need a meal that is low in calories and can be quick and easy to prepare at work or school.
    
• Breakfast for Losing Weight
  • Breakfast is the first meal of the day and because of this it is also the most important. When you wake up, your body has been fasting for 6-8 hours and needs all sorts of nutrients to get moving.
    
• Cheat Days
  • For most people the definition of a diet is to reduce calories in order to lose weight. Most of the calories that are cut come from the foods that many of us find delicious such as chips, sweets and fast food.
    
• Diet Plateaus
  • When you first start a diet, the weight will probably come off pretty quick. Before long, weight loss will slow down and can even stop completely.
    
• Basics of Weight Balance
  • Some are looking to lose weight and others are looking to gain weight but maintaining weight is usually not talked about a lot.
    
• You Don't Have to Diet Forever
  • Ending a diet the proper way will ensure that you keep all the weight off, stay healthy and never go back to your old and unhealthy ways again.
    
• Make Your Own Menu
  • Cooking shouldn't have to be a chore. To many, cooking is a job, career and even a way of life. To some it is an art and to you it should be fun.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is there a difference between dieting and being healthy?
  • An all too common myth is that dieting, no matter the method, will make you healthy. Losing weight can be approached from two directions: the healthy and the unhealthy way. Making long term lifestyle choices will help you lead a healthy lifestyle, lose weight and get you to your healthy weight range while short term crash diets will set you up for failure.
• What's the difference between a calorie deficit and calorie surplus?
  • Whether you're trying to gain weight, lose weight or simply stay where you're at, you need to control your calorie intake. Gaining weight requires that you eat more calories than you burn while losing weight requires the opposite. Your calorie balance (difference between what you eat and what you burn) will determine your weight, there is no way around it.
• Can skipping meals help me lose weight?
  • Losing weight can sometimes be complicated. The amount of food you eat, the type of meals you cook and even the drinks you have can all play a role in how much weight you lose. Even with all of these factors, there is only one rule you need to follow to lose weight: create a calorie deficit (burn more calories than you eat) with a combination of calorie reduction and exercise.
• Why am I not losing weight?
  • Losing weight is only possible when one condition is met: eating less calories than you burn. If you don't follow this rule, there's no way to lose weight.
• Will weight training make me gain weight when I'm dieting?
  • Weight training has long been associated with muscles. It's never been thought of as a mode of exercise to engage in when trying to lose weight. However those who choose to leave strength training out of their routine out of fears it will cause weight gain will miss out on a host of benefits that can't be realized with cardiovascular exercise alone.
• Does being a vegetarian help with weight loss?
  • One of the reasons why weight gain is so prevalent in this country is the intake of high fat meat, cheese and milk. While this isn't the only factor, cutting these foods out can have a very positive impact on your weight, looks and even your health.
• What are empty calories?
  • The term empty calories describes foods that are very high in energy but low in nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber and essential fatty acids. While on a diet, you should avoid excessive intake of these foods because you can put yourself at an increased risk of a vitamin and mineral deficiency.
• Can I eat some junk food while on a diet?
  • It depends what your definition of 'some' is. If some is a little than you can have some. If some is a lot, it will probably cause you to reverse your weight loss.
• I'm eating so little, why am I not losing any weight?
  • If you eat less calories than you burn you will lose weight. While this is true, there is a point where you can eat so little, you will cause your metabolism to slow and not lose anymore weight.
    
• What can I do if I'm not losing weight on my diet?
  • The problem, if you are not losing any weight, is either you exercise too little or eat too much (or a combination of the two).
    
• What time of day should I weigh myself?
  • When you're trying to lose, maintain or gain weight you need to weigh yourself regularly to check your progress.
    
• Are shakes good for losing weight?
  • All kinds of shakes have long been sold to help dieters lose weight. Protein powders that come in strawberry, chocolate and vanilla flavors all promise to help you build muscle, lose fat and be healthy. But do these shakes hurt or help with your weight loss goals?
    
• What foods should I cut out to reduce calories?
  • When going on a diet you might be tempted to cut out all carbs or all fats to limit your calorie intake.
    
• What foods will fill me up?
  • The best way to keep yourself from snacking on junk food during the day is to fill yourself up with foods that will keep you satisfied.

Top 5 Lists

• Top 5 Ways to Speed Up Weight Loss
  • Losing weight can be frustrating because often, the results are slow to come. Here are some ways you can speed up your weight loss in a healthy manner.
• Top 5 Ways to Lose Weight Without Counting Calories
  • Reducing your calorie intake is the only way you'll ever lose weight but counting calories can be a pain. Luckily there are ways to cut down on your calorie intake without writing down endless numbers.
• Top 5 Weight Loss Myths
  • Losing weight is a simple enough process. You increase your physical activity, cut your calorie intake and bam, the weight melts away. Even so, there are half truths and lies being spread about how to lose weight faster and with less effort. Don't get caught up trying weight loss strategies that aren't based on real science.
• Top 5 Ways to Eat Smaller Meals
  • Smaller meals can help your body better utilize the calories you give it. This can lead to healthier meals, weight loss and a reduced body fat percentage.
• Top 5 Foods to Avoid While on a Diet
  • Dieting is about replacing unhealthy foods that are high in calories with healthier ones.
    

Tools

• Free Diet Plans
  • This tool will provide you with a daily meal program that is personalized for your own needs. Whether you're looking to gain, lose or maintain weight, the SH Trainer can help you reach your goals.
• BMI Calculator
  • This tool will calculate your body mass index (BMI) which is a good indicator of a healthy weight range.
    
• Calorie Calculator
  • This tool will estimate your daily calorie needs based on your age, height, weight and activity level in order to help you figure out how much to eat to gain, lose or maintain weight.
    
• Healthy Weight Range Calculator
  • This tool will calculate a healthy weight range based on your height.
    
• Weight Loss Calculator
  • This tool will estimate how long it will take to achieve your weight loss goal.
    
• Body Fat & Body Density Calculator
  • This tool will calculate your body fat percentage using measurements you obtained with a skinfold caliper.
• Health Calculator - Daily Calorie Needs Calculator, BMI and Ideal Weight
  • This calculator will give you information such as your daily calorie needs, BMI and ideal weight. If it detects that you are either overweight or underweight, it will recommend a calorie intake to bring you to your ideal weight.
• The Straight Diet
  • This is a 9 week diet plan that will help you improve your eating habits and lose weight.