| |
| |
| Safely Transitioning Off Meal Replacement Plans
Meal replacements have been part of the diet landscape for decades. They have helped numerous people lose weight, and more importantly, they have helped people learn the difference between healthy and unhealthy eating choices. Both quantity and quality of life improvements can be credited to the concept of meal replacement solutions. Those that have successfully relied upon a meal replacement plan can reflect fondly on how the plan helped address a fundamental diet obstacle: choosing what to eat. One of the greatest challenges that a dieter faces - if not the greatest - is discovering what to eat, and what to avoid. Answering the latter is usually easier, since most experienced dieters are rather well aware of what they should not be eating. Yet they are often left wondering: what should I eat? Dieters who are fortunate enough to be able to answer this with a simple: I'll eat my meal replacement foods often see their diets succeed beyond its vulnerable infancy [i]. Dieters who rely on willpower alone, or follow a poorly designed "fad" diet, often do not lose weight. The most that these dieters usually experience is maintenance of current weight, or perhaps a few pounds lost, likely through water loss. As with most weight loss solutions, there are some potential pitfalls that can undermine dieters. And perhaps the most ironic of these pitfalls exists for those dieters who have chosen a meal replacement route to achieve their weight loss goals. This difficulty is explained, and solved, below. Diets supported by meal replacement plans are often successful; and herein exists the potential problem. Once a dieter has lost his or her desired weight, there is a transition period from meal replacement food to "normal" food. Without the proper nutritional supplements in place to ensure that this transition is both smooth and long-term, a high number of dieters revert back to their pre-diet unhealthy eating habits. The result, regrettably, is the regaining of weight; and for many dieters, yet one more failed attempt to shed pounds and inches [ii]. The blame for this regained weight is typically, and incorrectly, assigned to two sources. The first target for this misplaced blame is the meal replacement plan itself, which promised long-term weight loss yet apparently failed to deliver. The second misplaced blame, and the one that can do the most damage, is directed towards the dieter him/herself. It is just "another failure", and a crushing blow to self-esteem. However, as noted above, this blame is misdirected. The cause of the problem is neither the meal replacement plan, nor the dieter's lack of willpower. The culprit here was that once the meal replacement plan had done its job, there was no strategy in place to maintain that accomplishment over the long term. Fortunately, there exist some very well designed nutritional supplements and plans that support this transition strategy. These nutritional supplements are not candy bars posing as "energy bars", or protein powders laden with calories and fat grams [iii]. Rather, these authentic nutritional supplements are scientifically designed, low-calorie, complete eating solutions. That is, they can be used to supplement a meal that is not fortified with vitamins or complete protein, or they can be used -- without health risk -- to replace a meal when healthy eating choices are not available. Meal replacements have proven their value in the "battle of the bulge"; especially since they provide dieters with an easy answer to the question: what do I eat today? However, it is just as clear that the period just after weight loss, when the meal replacements program ceases, is critical. Far too many dieters are left without a transition plan that enables them to safely return to a diet of non meal-replacement items. Fortunately for these individuals, and for future dieters as well, there exist authentic and medically engineered nutritional supplement solutions that bridge this gap, and help ensure that a hard won weight loss battle is a long-term victory. ABOUT PROTICA Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at http://www.protica.com You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com REFERENCES [i] Source: "Are you Sabotaging your Diet?". Prevention.com. http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1-4-57-190-4559-3,00.html [ii] Source: "Meal Replacement Diets". All About Info Ltd. http://dietsnutrition.allinfoabout.com/features/replace.html [iii] Source: "Nutritional Supplement". Rolf Rasmussen. http://www.ezinearticles.com/?Nutritional-Supplement&id=8188 Copyright 2004 - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Unchaining Yourself from an Unhealthy Food Addiction The cry of "I have no willpower!" often emerges from the consumers who jokingly surrender to their lack of will when it comes to eating something clearly unhealthy. However, scientific nutritional research has identified that something much more serious - much more dangerous - is often at work here. Boost Your Immune System The Immune System is probably the most important system in your body. It was designed by nature, millions of years ago, to aid the body in recovering from injuries and illness. Does your body know its ABCs?? What are Glyconutritionals?The Greek word "Glyco" means "Sugar". Most people think of sugar as being bad for you. 7 Bad Eating Habits You Should Change Immediately People are obsessed with dieting and weight loss! Don't believe me? Just tune-in to any source of advertising.. Herbs that Heal Naturally The word herb is used to refer to any part of a plant used for flavoring or medicine. Herbs for relaxation so sleep will come, and relieving pain or water retention have the welcome plus of being void of the side effects that come with chemical medications. Brown Sugar is Not Brown Rice Question from Jack:A question from Jack, one of the subscribers to the MericleDiet newsletter, "Reference your tip regarding diabetes. The only sugar I use is brown and is this a concern in my case?"Answer:The word "brown" has gotten a lot of play lately regarding "healthy eating. The Cost Of Being Sick And One Possible Alternative: Glyconutrition A lot of people I've talked with about health supplements usually are coming from about the same place - you know: "been there, done that." People are tired of hearing about the latest and greatest and - for the most part - figure that all supplements are pretty much the same. Wanna Look 10 Years Younger? Have More Fruits Fruit calories are very healthy as compared to calories in fast foods or processed food.So, don't avoid fruits. Fruit for Breakfast - The Secret to a Healthy Life Do you want more energy? How about more of the vitamins, minerals and enzymes that your body craves? Try eating fruit for breakfast! Fresh fruit - apples, grapefruit, strawberries, cherries, oranges, kiwi, melon, and grapes all count. In fact, any fruit works - and there are so many to choose from. Preventing Heart Disease: What to Eat About 12.6 million Americans currently have heart disease. Alcohol as a Key Ingredient to a Healthy Diet Evidence suggesting that alcohol is "cardio-protective" first appeared in the literature about 30 years ago. The Framingham Heart Study [the longest running population study of heart disease which began in 1948] provided the first solid evidence of this association. How Essential Fatty Acids Improve Your Brain Power and Mental Health What is your brain made ofOver 50% of your brain is made of good fat. Twenty percent of this good fat comes from EPA and DHA. From Cell to Super Cell - with Glutathione Imagine you're a cell.Inside your body runs the machinery that creates life itself. MonaVie Acai Berry Juice - The Tree of Life from Amazonian Rainforest... What ancient tribes and people of the Amazon have known for centuries, the world is just discovering. That an ancient berry, called the Acai Berry, may cause a sexual sensation. Finding the Elusive Complete-Protein Source Images of "protein powder" containers with accomplished bodybuilders on their labels help inform consumers that protein is a critical macronutrient in strength training success. Yet what is sometimes lost in this protein-bodybuilding link is that protein is an essential component for everyone, regardless of physical activity. Busting the Dairy Myth - The Truth About our Health and Dairy Millions of people around the UK consume dairy products on a daily basis. Our huge consumption of dairy is due not only to the convenience it brings to cooking and the habit of cooking with and eating dairy for the majority of our lives but more alarmingly because of the mantra that we are fed by government and the dairy industry that it is beneficial to our health that somehow you need dairy to ensure you consume enough calcium to maintain strong and healthy bones. What Actually Is Health? Nature works mostly on the principle of thing and no thing. Light is the thing and darkness is the absence of light. Fish Oil Data-some new facts about Fish Oil According to the renowned research scientist and inventor of the Z one Diet Plan Dr. Barry Sears, studies are increasingly focusing on high dose fish oil. Vitamin and Mineral Facts Vitamins & Minerals are essential to sustain life. Its what keeps us alive and healthy. Lifestyle Wellness LIFESTYLE WELLNESS = An Adventure of Health + Vitality!Not a strong wind, nor a surge of pressure, nor a fit of passion, nor anything, can throw you off when your body, mind and spirit are in perfect balance. -Unknown'WELLNESS'.
|
| © 2006 |
