SCANDINAVIAN DIETS QUICK AND EASY WEIGHT LOSS: December 2008

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Duration: 2 Weeks
If the first priority in improving your overall health is to lose weight ( 20 lbs/10kgs), begin here with the Winning at Weight Loss phase. During these two weeks your main focus is to eliminate sugar while increasing the low glycemic foods in your diet. Even though you won’t be counting calories the concept of eating less calories than you burn still applies. Along with that, eating too few calories will deprive you of the energy you need. The key is a healthy balance!

Meal Suggestions - Winning at Weight loss
Þ Eliminate Your Sugar Intake! The goal is to stop sugar cravings. Remove candy, donuts, ice-cream, chips, cookies and all sugary snacks from your cupboards. Most condiments, such as ketchup, barbeque sauce, steak sauce and prepared salad dressings also contain sugar. Be aware that most of the low-fat salad dressings and low-fat foods are high in sugar. Switch to no-sugar alternatives!

Þ Eliminate pasta, rice, potatoes, legumes, bread, cereal, flour and crackers. At the end of two weeks, these foods will be returned to your diet.

Þ Watch and be aware of your fat intake. Although it is not your primary focus, calories do count. You cannot eat a lot of fat and expect to lose weight.

Þ Maximum two fruits per day. Fruits, although very healthy, contain a lot of sugar and even though it is fructose rather than glucose, it still has an impact on insulin levels. We are suggesting no bananas during the weight loss phase, as one banana has about 30 grams of carbohydrates. Look at the portion size of your fruit -- a portion of grapes is about ¾ cup. This could be 15 if they are small or only 10 if they are large.

Þ Learn to eat the right portion size and avoid overeating. Rethink plate proportions and portions. Make vegetables the main event. One serving of protein should be the size of a deck of cards. Consume all the LOW GI vegetables you wish, and remember, no potatoes or legumes during the two-week weight loss phase.

Þ Avoid processed foods as much as possible. Often they are high in sugar and contain high-glycemic carbohydrates and trans-fat. Read the labels of processed foods and keep in mind that ingredients are listed in descending order of predominance in the product. The ingredient used in the greatest quantity is listed first and the ingredient used in the smallest quantity is listed last. Remember, the more a food is processed, the less your body has to do/work to digest it. Fast digestion means you will be hungrier sooner and tend to eat more.

Þ Include acidic foods. Eating an acidic food can lower the glycemic index of a meal by up to one-third! By slowing your digestion, acidic foods also slow the rise of blood sugar levels, thereby lowering the Glycemic Index. Make oil and vinegar or your home made vinaigrette your standard salad dressing, and add lemon or lime juice to your beverages and recipes whenever possible.

Þ Include fiber! If you follow the Scandinavian Diet program you will get enough fiber as long as ½ of your plate is filled with green vegetables, and you are eating nuts and fruit for snacks. You need at least 35 grams of fiber per day. To make the fiber work best for you, drink plenty of water - at least 64 oz / 1.9 liters of water a day.

Þ Beware of saturated, hydrogenated and trans-fats. Unsaturated fat, found in cold-water fish, plants, nuts, seeds and grains, is the best choice and should be the main source of fat in your diet. Saturated fat, found in dairy and meat products is ok in small amounts. However, trans-fat, found in processed and deep-fried foods, is the most dangerous and should be avoided altogether. Be aware that trans-fats are also present whenever you see the word hydrogenated on the list of ingredients.

Þ Eat Breakfast! Nothing jump starts your metabolism like eating breakfast.

Þ Choose water and sugar -free "diet" drinks instead of regular soda, fruit punch, sweet tea and other sugar-sweetened drinks. Although diet drinks may be better for you from the “elimination or replacement of sugar” concept, it would be better if you eliminate diet drinks altogether. Add a twist of lemon or lime to club soda, seltzer or mineral water. Some clear beverages contain sugar and other ingredients, so read the labels carefully. Power drinks are not necessary unless you are on an extremely strenuous exercise program. In most cases the carbohydrate content in those is mostly sugar. Water flushes waste from the body – an important function when losing weight, as toxins are released from fat cells. Drink at least 64 oz / 2 liters a day (about 10 glasses). As you reduce carbohydrates in your diet, your body will release stored water, so it is very important to stay hydrated. This will account for most of the weight loss during the very first days.

Þ Replace all regular fruit juice with a no-sugar alternative, or better yet with just lemon water or a no-sugar vitamin drink. Whole fresh fruit is also a better choice than fruit juice. Again look at the high fiber options when choosing fruit. For example, apples, grapefruit or pears are excellent high fiber choices.

Þ No alcoholic beverages! When trying to lose weight, or maintain a healthy weight, alcohol intake makes it harder to ingest adequate nutrition while maintaining a balanced diet. Alcohol affects how the liver clears fat from the blood and shuts down the body’s ability to access your fat stores for energy; meaning you won’t burn fat as long as the body is dealing with the alcohol in your body.

Þ Minimize your caffeine intake while you are stabilizing your own natural energy levels. Drink no more then 1 cup in the morning and 1 cup in the afternoon as it may also stimulate the appetite. (Add only 1% or skim milk and for flavored coffee-creamers choose the no sugar alternative) A better choice would be non caffeinated tea such as herb tea. Many herbal teas are very flavorful and contain no caffeine. Remember, many diet sodas also contain caffeine.

LETS GET MOVING

Þ Low impact, gentle exercise! Metabolism is not naturally high in the morning -- it needs to be created. If you are able to fit in a brisk walk, first thing in the morning, studies have shown this will help boost your metabolism and give you more energy throughout the day. It’s very important to eat a light breakfast before you begin. A good choice might be a serving of low-fat yogurt or a piece of string cheese and a small piece of fruit. Think of this as a morning booster. VERY IMPORTANT: START SLOW! If you’re not used to walking or incorporating exercise into your day, start with a quick 10 minute walk and build on that rather than hurting yourself or doing too much in the beginning. If your schedule does not allow you to walk in the morning you will still benefit by walking whenever you can fit it in. Please start the 10,000 Steps to Success Program .

SUCCESS WILL BE A FACT

Þ Weigh yourself everyday. It is not uncommon to see 3-5lbs/1-3 KGs of weight loss per week while participating in the Winning at Weight loss phase. Keep in mind that you are also losing excess water. Weighing yourself everyday helps you monitor your progress and stay on track as you enjoy your success.

Þ Keep a diary of all you eat! Track your daily food intake by using the Scandinavian Diets Nutritional Diary. The most successful people keep a daily journal of all their food consumption. Your diary will also keep you honest and accountable.

Þ Enjoy no or low sugar alternatives! For many products we now consume, a no or low sugar alternative may be available. In the beginning it may take a bit of effort to find them, but you will probably be surprised to discover they taste just as good as the products that are high in sugar. Chocolates, ice cream, muesli, coffee creamers, salad dressings, ketchup and many other foods have sugar free alternatives that are healthier.

Þ Read food labels. You will be surprised how many things contain a lot of sugar. Salad dressing, BBQ sauce, steak sauce, other condiments, cereal, sports bars and sports drinks are just a few examples. Learn to look at carbohydrate, sugar and fiber content. Sugar and fiber are included in the total carbohydrate on the food label. Low sugar and high fiber are generally the best choices.

Þ Reduce your stress level! If you feel stressed and too busy too often, it is time to do something about it in order to enjoy optimal overall health. Less stress lowers cortisol levels which may also help you reach and maintain your weight loss goals. Read our section on stress to learn more .

Once again, welcome to Scandinavian Diets! Our mission is to help you have more energy, bring you healthy food choices that you enjoy, and feel an overall sense of well being. We want to hear how you’re doing. Please let us know about all your success as well as any challenges you have encountered.

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