change of diet

Question
Hello I'm 17 and tend to binge eat when I'm dieting hence I'm 25 pounds overweight with no hope to loose it, I was wondering if I just eat normaly during the day perhaps I could stop binging in the nights but what exactly should I be eatting? I cant seem to find that information anywhere.... is it still going to be ok to have a biscut or coookie now and then? should I stay away from fried foods? Can you give me an idea of what a planned day of eatting is...breakfest/lunch/dinner? is it possible to loose weight via eatting normaly?

Answer
Tara,

Great questions. First, you have to understand that everyone is genetically programmed to have a different 'healthy weight'. While it sounds like you could lose some weight I encourage you not to compare yourself to others when determining what is an ideal healthy weight for you.

As far as the binge eating goes - Yes, you should eat more normally during the day to prevent the binge eating. You should never allow yourself to get really hungry. Ideally you want to eat a good breakfast, lunch and dinner with healthy snacks between meals. You want to eat several small portions a day and never a big portion.

When it comes to what to eat, you should educate yourself a little on the glycemic index of foods - check out www.glycemicindex.com for more information. You should try and eat low glycemic meals and snacks. These are mostly whole grain, high fiber sources of carbs, fruits and vegetables and lean sources of protein (chicken, fish or high protein vegetables like soy, etc.)

An occasional cookie or biscuit is not going to hurt too much. Occasional means once a week or less - not once a day. Obviously, the more you cut this out the better. But equally as important is the ability to stick to a healthy eating plan. Don't think of it as a diet because that is short term thinking. You need to find healthy foods, like I talk about above, that you can enjoy forever. Health is a life-long journey, not a quick fix. It's very important to find something you enjoy and can stick to.

Also, physical activity is a major part of the equation. It helps your body utilize the calories that you eat more efficiently. Exercise will drive more calories to muscle and less to fat. Don't discount this part of the formula.

Hope this helps.

For more info you can contact me through my website at http://www.thebraincode.com

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