It is a known fact that by raising your metabolism, you can burn calories and lose weight. However, many people struggle with keeping their metabolism high enough to even shed a pound. This is where calorie shifting comes in.

Calorie shifting while following a healthy fat loss diet, can do wonders for your weight loss goals. Basically, calorie shifting is the process of tricking your body into losing weight without the need for depriving yourself of food. It works by allowing you to eat several meals a day, reaching a certain calorie level and then switching to another set of food with another calorie level the following day.

For example, on Monday you will eat 1,300 calories, Tuesday you will then raise it to 1,600 calories and then on Wednesday you drop it down to 1,100 calories again. This confuses your system and keeps your body running at a higher metabolism rate trying to adjust to the different calorie intake each day.

Usually when people diet, what they do is go straight to cutting out as many calories as they possibly can. What happens though is that your body goes into what is called “starvation mode” and begins the process of protecting itself. It then begins to hoard calories like crazy reaching out for that alternative food source which in actuality slows down your metabolism and inhibits your weight loss all together. Plus, when you are depriving yourself of food, not only is there temptation to cheat or fall off your diet, but it leaves you unsatisfied, moody and hungry all the time.

With calorie shifting, you can follow a healthy fat loss diet and still enjoy certain foods such as chocolate. That’s because on your lower calorie day, you forgo the chocolate, but on your higher calorie day, you are allowed to eat it. You will not be left hungry and feeling unsatisfied by following a calorie shifting type diet for weight loss.

Although this type of diet works all by itself, there are some tips you should follow.

1. Stick with the plan. Most people fail in their diet programs because they do not stick with it. Change up your low calorie foods if you get bored, create a different menu, but stay consistent.

2. Drink plenty of water. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to help flush out toxins that can be produced during dieting.

3. Exercise regularly. Working out is essential for a healthy body. It also helps boost your metabolism. People who exercise along with following a healthy fat loss diet such as calorie shifting, experience the best results.

A calorie is just a unit of measurement for energy. One single calorie is equivalent to the amount of energy you would need in heat to raise the temperature of one gram of water one single degree Celsius.

That energy is then converted into food and measured to see how much energy you’re taking into your body.

However, this kind of measurements doesn’t take into account many of the crucial factors that actually determine how much weight you gain or lose.

• It’s Not What You Eat, It’s What’s in Your Body

One often overlooked aspect of calorie counting is the measurement of how many of the calories you eat actually end up in your blood stream.

Two people could eat the same meal and have completely different amounts of fats, vitamins, minerals and toxins absorbed by the body.

One person may take in a lot of the fat and gain weight as a result, while another person could eat the same meal and have the fats pass right through his body.

In this case, what matters really isn’t how many calories you’re eating, but how many calories are absorbed.

• It Leaves Out the Quality of the Food

Of course, measuring calories completely leaves out the measurement of the food quality.

Is a calorie of ice cream the same as a calorie from organic lean meat chicken? Just a few decades ago, health experts would have said “yes.” Today however, the answer is a resounding “no.”

Where your calories come from play a much larger role in determining whether you gain weight or lose weight than most people imagine.

• Other Metrics

There are many other metrics you can use to track your progress.

One of the best metrics is your body fat percentage. If your body fat percentage is going up, then there’s probably something your dietary habits that you need to change. If it’s going down, you’re probably doing something right.

Keep a food journal and write down everything you eat. Then compare what you ate to the fluctuations in your body fat percentage. This information can help you identify which kinds of meals result in better results for your body.

This is a much more effective approach than measuring raw calories, which have a different effect on different people.

Another metric you can use is BMI. While the BMI equation isn’t perfect, for the majority of people it can provide a very good indicator of overall muscle health.

In short, calories really have limited use for someone who’s looking to build muscle or lose weight. It simply leaves too much information out to be useful. Instead, try using other metrics that actually give you data that can help you follow the correct course.

Here are some tips on how you can implement a low-fat, weight-loss diet and be successful.

1. Make a realistic plan

As noted above, a plan is essential if you want to stick with your diet and reach your goals. Just a vague “I really shouldn’t be eating that” notion won’t cut it. It also won’t work if you are too strict with yourself right off the bat. Trying to cut out all fat everywhere in every food is not realistic. So, set realistic goals and make a plan accordingly. Here are some things to keep in mind when you make your plan.

• Some fat is okay, maybe even essential, for your health. Cutting out all fat is probably not a good idea health-wise or goal-wise.

• Decide on exceptions ahead of time. Don’t wait until the slice of fudge cake is in front of you before deciding if you are going to go ahead and make an exception and splurge. You might decide, for example, that you only eat cake at birthday celebrations and only eat hot dogs on Memorial Day. Reasonable exceptions are understandable and help make your diet doable.

• Remind yourself that your low-fat diet is pretty much permanent. The notion of going on a diet and then off of a diet may result in your weight going up and down. Adopt these low-fat goals as a lifestyle.

2. Gather recipes

Sometimes, making new foods that you don’t associate with high fat content and flavor can really help. Collect a series of low-fat recipes that can become family favorites. This also gives you somewhere to turn when you need to think of a low-fat meal quickly. It can be easy to revert to the old, high-fat recipes when you are in a hurry or just frustrated with trying to lighten up existing ones.

3. Substitutes

Implement substitutes for high-fat foods and keep those as pantry staples instead of the high-fat ones. Replace butter with healthy fats like safflower oil and fat substitutes like flax meal, for example. Or use strained, fat-free yogurt instead of sour cream. You can get “Greek style” fat-free yogurt if you don’t want to strain your own.

The only thing you need to worry about now is keeping your stomach firm and flat.

On the other hand, if you belong to the large percentage of people who would like to live free from belly fat, you need to initially learn as much as you can about it. This way, you will know what belly fat is, how belly fat develops, why it develops and how you can finally get rid of it.

Once you’ve determined the root of your belly fat problem, you can ask yourself why you still want to lose belly fat.

You don’t need to be as intelligent as Einstein or Newton to discover why people want to get rid of their belly fat. Imagine yourself going to the beach with your girl friends and one guy comes up to you and starts hitting on you.

You look at him and think he’s cute but when your eyes wander downwards to the bulge of fat on his stomach – admit it, it’s not exactly sexually appealing right? Just the same, you definitely won’t have the guts to wear a 2-piece bikini with all that belly fat.

You may have read a thousand times that the physical looks of a person don’t really matter; that beauty fades with age; and all that blabber about being contented with what God has given you. Actually, parts of these things are true.

You really need accept what God has given you and that the personality of a person really counts. However, there is nothing wrong with improving yourself, enhancing your appearance and delaying the signs of aging. As a matter of fact, it is actually a privilege from modern technology.

Therefore, if your reason to lose belly fat is to become girlfriend or boyfriend material or to continue feeling good about yourself then it’s your choice.

Aside from having a more attractive and sexier body, losing all that excess fat is also beneficial for your health. You don’t need to worry about developing heart disease and diabetes (not unless it runs in your family).

Here are some of the natural ways to lose belly fat:

• Only eat foods that are natural and whole. This includes foods like vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains and lean meats. Avoid cookies, crackers and other processed as well as packaged foods.
• Drink lots of pure water to ensure hydration in the internal organs and the proper functioning of the bodily systems like the endocrine system (controls metabolism).
• Start a fitness plan where you can move your body a lot. You can do strength training and cardio exercises for 30 to 60 minutes every day. Good examples are: cycling, swimming and walking.

There are natural ways and surgical ways to lose belly fat. Most people would settle for the natural methods because these are deemed as the safer option.

Some of the noted benefits are:

• Improved joint function;
• Increased muscle, bone, ligament and tendon strength or toughness;
• Temporary increase in metabolism;
• Increased bone density;
• Elevated HDL or good cholesterol;
• Increased bone density; and
• Improved cardiac function.

Strength training is actually different from weightlifting, body building and power lifting. This is because these are a form of sports and not a form of exercise.

Nonetheless, training for these sports activities are naturally interconnected. This is the same with rugby, football, basketball and hockey.

Prior to lifting weights and other strength training exercises, you need to consult your doctor for medical conditions, illnesses or injuries which may affect your health and safety.

You also need to ensure that the program you have planned can work with all the muscle groups. Start with warm up exercises like 5 to 10 minutes of light cardio or with the use of light medium weights.

Each muscle group can comprise of 1 to 2 exercises and for each exercise, do 1 to 2 sets of 8 to 16 repetitions. If you are a beginner, you can actually start with 15 to 16 reps – working your way up once you become comfortable with the moves already.

You may also add 1 repetition of a few pounds of weight per exercise but ensure that your reps don’t go beyond 16 reps. When you reach 16 reps, you can start increasing your weight and dropping the reps down to 10 or 12 reps.

Keep in mind that in strength or resistance training, you are challenging yourself and not attempting to kill yourself. As a beginner, you need to focus on how you can do each exercise properly.

Once you become familiar with them, you can then start worrying about the weight you should be lifting. After 6 weeks, you can already change your routine to something that is more difficult.

If strength training still seems complicated for you, you can make things easier by hiring a personal trainer. Aside from the gym, there are a lot of personal trainers you can find on the net.

He or she should be able to help you set up a program that is catered to your needs. To avoid imbalances that can result to injury, work on all your muscle groups every week.

Are you fed up with that bulge around the middle? Would you like to see it starting to shrink? If you would then not only do you need to be performing the right sorts of exercises but also eating the right kinds of foods. In this article we take a look what we consider to be some of the best fat burning foods to lose belly fat.

Food 1 – Oatmeal

Oatmeal contains a great deal of fibre and when eating in the morning can help to get your metabolism working effectively. So burning off fat becomes a lot easier. Also being rich in fibre you will discover that you won’t feel as hungry as quickly. However make sure that you only eat natural oatmeal and not the flavoured varieties as they contain lots of sugar.

Food 2 – Nuts

We have included this as one of the best fat burning foods to lose belly fat because they really do help to suppress your appetite. If you don’t feel hungry then of course the risk of you snacking is reduced. In a study carried out by the Purdue University it was found people who ate 24 almonds each day lost belly fat more effectively because they prevented them from feeling hungry but had very few calories.

Food 3 – Olive Oil

It is important that even when dieting some kind of fat is being consumed to help control our hunger. The reason for including olive oil in your diet is it a monounsaturated fat so it doesn’t contain properties that could increase your cholesterol levels.

Food 4 – Berries

Although they may be small they like other types of fruits and vegetables contain high amounts of fibre. In fact if you were to consume just one cup of raspberries each day you would be getting six grams of fibre.

Food 5 – Eggs

You may be wondering why these have been included in our best fat burning foods to lose belly fat. Well these contain high levels of Vitamin B12 in them and which our bodies need in order to metabolize fat. In fact if you were to have eggs for breakfast each morning you would actually find yourself losing more weight than if you were to eat a bagel. However before you begin including eggs into your diet and you suffer from high cholesterol levels make sure to speak with your doctor first.

Want a great looking set of 6-pack abs? If you do then you need to know of ways how to burn belly fat. It doesn’t matter how much work on improving your abdominal muscles they won’t appear until you have lost the fat around your belly. Plus belly fat can be detrimental to your health.

Below we offer 5 ways of how to burn belly fat so that you can then have a great looking set of abs in the future.

1. In order to burn off belly fat you need to actually reduce the amount of salt you are consuming. If you don’t then your body will find it easier to retain water and so your belly will remain the same shape no matter how much you exercise.
2. Of the 5 ways on how to burn belly fat we offer doing cardio exercises on a regular we mean daily basis will help. There are plenty of different cardio exercises you can do from running, to swimming to rollerblading or even just going for a brisk walk. All of these exercises help to enhance your metabolism which in turn burns off more fat to provide it with energy it needs to function at optimum levels.
3. The next thing you should do is actually eat a little and often. Instead of consuming three large meals a day you should be attempting to eat 5 or 6 small ones. As well as helping your metabolism to function properly these small meals will prevent you from becoming hungry so the risk of you snacking is reduced.
4. The next thing you must do is eliminate all kinds of trans fat from your diet. Not only do they get stored more easily by the body but can also lead to other health issues. In fact eating trans fats actually increases your chances of developing heart disease.
5. The final way we offer on how to burn belly fat requires you to ensure that you eat breakfast each day. By having some natural yogurt and fruit for breakfast each morning will do wonders for your health and will help to burn off unwanted fat more easily. This is because eating something each morning will help boost your metabolism, which will then burn off fat stored in your body already to provide it with energy to work properly throughout the day.

Smarter Starchy Sides

We all love our big pile of mashed potatoes and gravy, but on a low carb diet this is pretty much off the menu. But, there are ways to satisfy that starchy craving without all the carbs involved. A great alternative is baked spaghetti squash with Parmesan cheese. This filling and satisfying side dish can fool the taste buds into believing you’re getting a tummy full of starchy goodness without all the carbs. Toss in a bit of cream cheese for a real smooth texture that makes this dish even yummier.

Another way to serve a side that tastes starchy without being loaded with carbs is with a brown rice dish. Granted, brown rice is not exactly low in carbs, but you won’t eat that much in a serving when you make a side dish that is loaded with mushrooms, vegetables, and even sausage. This starchy side will definitely have you forgetting about your plate of potatoes.

A New Green

Getting away from the usual green bean casserole can be a struggle, but not when you replace it with a side dish that’s just as creamy and tasty. It’s all about having the same textures in a new dish that we enjoy in our classics. Think of all the healthy greens that can be cooked with creamy ingredients. For instance, a very flavorful green like kale can be tossed with almonds and Parmesan cheese for a tasty side. You have the creamy texture of the cheese and crunchy almonds that replace what you long for in the old classic, but with a fraction of the carbs.

Consider a creamed spinach instead of your usual green bean casserole this year. This is a wonderfully satisfying side dish that is made low carb easily by using almond flour or meal to thicken a white sauce instead of using wheat flour. Add nuts for the additional crunch. Or depart entirely from the greens and choose a cheesy eggplant bake instead. When finding something new to replace the classics, think about what you like about your traditional side dishes and find ingredients that replicate the old, but with a new twist.

Don’t Get Stuffed With Stuffing

This is the dish that has most of us falling way off the low carb wagon. The trick here is to create a whole new taste sensation so you don’t miss the traditional herbed bread stuffing. Here’s where you need to get creative. Instead of bread cubes, think of using cubes of yellow squash, then add cauliflower, sausage, and lots of celery, onion, chopped nuts and traditional herbs. Bake this ‘stuffing’ outside the bird and you’ll get to enjoy a whole new taste without all the carbs of bread.

Again, you want to replace the traditional breaded stuffing with a dish that is different enough to intrigue your guests, and their taste buds. Look at ingredients like squash, nuts, sausage, apples, and even oysters. Use traditional stuffing spices to tie it all together and your new side dish will be a definite hit.

Soups and Salads Move Up to Side Dish Status

Often, we think of soups and salads as starter courses, served before the main dish and sides. But, why not choose a soup or salad as a side to serve along with your turkey or other main dish? Stick with familiar fall ingredients and the flavors will be just right for your holiday table. Why not make a thick, creamy pumpkin or squash soup to serve with dinner? Try a curried carrot and parsnip soup or even a seafood bisque to satisfy that craving we all have for a nice filling starchy side dish. Serve with a sprinkle of toasted salty almonds for crunch and a dollop of yogurt on top for extra creaminess. You can even serve a hearty potato soup and you won’t get as many carbs in the soup as you would in a serving of potatoes and gravy.

Salads loaded with fresh, healthy ingredients can easily replace your traditional green bean casserole or other carb-loaded vegetable side dish. Use crispy spinach and mixed greens with a lot of added vegetables, then toss in goat cheese and other cheeses, along with nuts, and even a variety of thinly sliced hard sausages. Don’t forget to add fresh chopped savory herbs to complete the holiday flavor palate you’re looking for.

Sometimes tweaking familiar traditional side dishes leaves us feeling a bit deprived; we didn’t get our real green bean casserole, stuffing, or mashed potatoes and gravy. But, if we change the menu completely with brand new sides featuring entirely new ingredients, our taste buds are so intrigued, we never miss the old classics.

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Anyone on a low-carb diet will automatically push past the mashed potatoes and gravy. We know it’s loaded in carbs, right? But the clever cook can easily replace the traditional favorite with a new favorite; Mock Smashed Potatoes and Golden Au Jus. The secret to this low-carb dish is simply that you aren’t cooking potatoes; you’re creating potatoes out of cauliflower.

Boil cauliflower, then mash or put in food processor with cream cheese and other ingredients, and you have a smooth potato-like texture. You can thicken the “potatoes” a bit with a tablespoon or so of almond flour if you wish. Add garlic, Parmesan cheese, onion, salt and pepper to add even more flavor. Then the gravy is simple. All you need really is the pan drippings, a little water, and a saucepan over medium high heat. Get the liquid bubbling and let it reduce by half and you’ll have a nice, rich gravy without any added flour. Of course, if you wish to thicken the gravy a bit, a little sprinkling of flour won’t add a significant amount of carbs to the meal.

Green Bean Casserole

You know you love a big heaping helping of this favorite dish, but just one look at that can of cream of soup and you also know it’s off limits. But you can have this traditional side dish again; all you need to do is control the ingredients.

Once you have your green beans cooking and your seasonings ready, you just need the sauce to bring it all together. That thick creamy sauce is what makes the dish, right? Create your own cream of soup by making a simple white sauce using milk and almond flour to thicken. You can also stir in a bit of cream cheese to give it an even creamier texture. It’s really as simple as opening a can once you get the basic technique down.

As for those crunchy onions on top, the carbs don’t account for much in the entire dish, but if you want to eliminate them entirely, but keep the onion taste, oven fry some thinly cut onion that has been coated lightly with olive oil. When they get golden brown, toss them into and on top of the casserole for all the flavor without any breading.

Sweet Potato Casserole

This favorite side dish will take a lot of tweaking, but with the carb savings you’ll enjoy, it’s well worth it. Sweet potatoes are loaded with carbohydrates, and I don’t mean a little; I mean a lot! One trick for bringing the carb count down is to mix pureed pumpkin in with the sweet potatoes. You maintain the texture and flavor (remember, pureed pumpkin doesn’t have any flavor of its own), and bring the carbs down within a reasonable amount.

Of course, you’ll want to avoid as much sugar as possible, so one alternative is to stir in a bit of artificial sweetener, just enough to bring the sweetness to a level that you’re used to. Another way is to readjust your thinking entirely when it comes to sweet potato casserole. You may want to make it savory instead of sweet. A sweet potato casserole made with crispy bacon or sausage instead of marshmallows and sugar could be a nice change on your holiday table.

Cranberry Relish

There are even ways to tweak this tangy sweet side dish. Cranberry relish is typically not what you would call low-carb. The amount of sugar in most recipes is pretty much off the scale, and the canned variety is even worse. But, even though the amount you would normally eat at one sitting won’t amount to too much, there are still ways to reduce the normal amount of carbs.

One interesting way to reduce the amount of carbs in a bowl of cranberry relish is to “bulk” up the relish as much as possible with lower carb ingredients. Surprisingly, the peel of the orange is lower in carbs than the fruit itself. Fill your food processor with raw cranberries and the peels of several washed oranges and process until finely chopped. Then, add sections of the orange, tasting after a few are processed, and stop adding when you have a nice blend of tangy and sweet. Add a sprinkle of artificial sweetener or sugar just until you’ve gotten the sweetness you like. You’ll be surprised how little sugar you’ll have to add if you taste it first.

All of these makeovers have one thing in common – you have to just stop and think before you do what you’ve always done. Often that’s all it takes. When you rethink the ingredients, you can usually eliminate or substitute something that is healthier and just as tasty. You may even be creating new holiday dinner traditions.

Incoming search terms:

• low carb holiday favourites

Good Things Come in Small Packages

For some reason, everything seems to be getting super-sized, even appetizers. These little snacks have expanded to almost side-dish portions in recent years. One of the simplest ways to create a healthier appetizer buffet is to create bite-size portions instead of big platters of dips and spreads. You can scale them back down and still make a big splash. Tiny bites, or “tapas” are becoming all the rage, taking the restaurant business by storm. Maybe your own tapas are just what you need to scale down your holiday appetizers to a healthier size.

Instead of the large cheese logs you have made in the past, try making individual bite-size cheese balls. The same can be done with the spinach dips you currently serve in a big bread bowl. Instead, make tiny bites using similar ingredients. By offering smaller, bite sized portions, your guests will not tend to keep dipping and inadvertently fill up on appetizers before they even get a chance to sit down at the table.

Classics With a Twist

Take a look at some of your favorite appetizers and rethink the ingredients. Swedish meatballs is a great hot appetizer that’s filling and tasty. You can make them small enough to keep them healthier, yes, but you can also replace high-carb breadcrumbs with low-carb alternatives, such as almond flour and meal. Of course you can buy low-carb baking items like flour and biscuit mixes to help with the types of appetizers that require breadcrumbs or a crust.

One of my favorite appetizers is stuffed mushrooms. But, a breading-based stuffing is not on a low-carb diet. Again, rethink the classic recipe and you’ll design a stuffed mushroom that easily fits your dietary needs. Saute a little onion, garlic, and celery with flavorful sausage, then stir in freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Stuff your mushrooms and you have a low-carb appetizer that is sure to please anyone. If you want a stuffed mushroom more like the ones you enjoy at restaurants (they use more breading because it stretches the stuffing) then stir in a bit of almond meal or even finely ground peanuts. You won’t be able to tell the difference, but your figure will.

Those delicious creamy spreads and dips with the thick pieces of crusty bread alongside may be appetizing, but that bread is loaded with carbs. If your diet has you shying away from bread and crackers, can you still enjoy the spreads? Sure you can. Spinach dip, crab dip, cheese balls, and other favorite appetizers are often light on the carbs as long as you find a new ‘vehicle’ to serve them on, or in. Stuff a grape tomato with crab dip and enjoy! Spread spinach dip on a cucumber slice. Cut celery up into one or two bite pieces, fill them with your favorite cheese ball ingredients, and you have an instant low-carb alternative to cheese and crackers.

Stick With a Few Favorites

There are appetizers that are naturally low-carb. Think of your favorite protein-based appetizers and you’ll have a few ideas right away. Wrap just about any seafood in bacon, put it under the broiler, and you have a festive appetizer that is perfect for any holiday buffet. Remember ham and Swiss cheese wrapped asparagus bundles? These are the appetizers that have stood the test of time, and are lowcarb diet friendly.

Also, don’t ignore the obvious; the antipasto tray. Olives, sausage, cheese, pickles, and artichoke hearts artfully arranged, can be all the appetizers you need. This is a classic that never gets boring. Be sure to include a variety of each element to keep the interest.

When the Holidays come around, we all look forward to the appetizer buffet. But, when you’re on a lowcarb diet, the choices can feel limiting. The surprising and wonderful thing is… they’re not! You have a lot of choices, some very familiar, that will keep you happy as well as low-carb.