CarboWatch diet fundamentals

As a rule of thumb, weekly calorie requirement of an active person is about 100 calories per pound of body weight. That is 20,000 calories per week if you weigh 200 lbs. If your targeted weight is 170 lbs, your eventual calorie requirement will be 17,000 calories per week. If you keep your calorie intake to 17,000 calories per week, you will slowly start losing weight and it could take more than a year to reach the targeted weight. It is because you need to reduce calorie intake by 4000 calories to lose 1 lb of body weight, and as you approach your targeted body weight, your calorie intake requirement reduces.

For most people in 200 lbs or higher weight category, it is not difficult to lose weight at the rate of 2 lbs (about 8000 calories) per week by a combination of increased exercise and reduced food intake. This level of weight loss is quite perceptible and thus encouraging, even when it is blurred by the day-to-day variation in the body weight due to changing water retention in the body. Intense exercise, like playing tennis, for an hour and a half per day, five days a week can easily burn 4000 calories; that is 1 lb per week of excess body weight. Additional 1 lb a week can be lost easily by watching carbohydrate intake.

• Why reduce carbohydrates intake?
  People are aware of reducing the fat intake and watch it very carefully. However, most of us have much less concern about carbohydrates, especially about the carbohydrates that are not sweeteners. The problem is that all carbohydrates, whether sweetening or not, have the same amount of calories - 4 calories per gram. We devour huge quantity of carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, cereals, etc.), and since these carbohydrates are in excess of what body needs, the body quickly converts them into fat using insulin. If insulin demand is higher than body can supply, we become diabetic. So, watching carbohydrate input is the key to successful weight loss program and better health.

• How to wisely reduce carbohydrates intake?
  Our first question should really be - how much protein I need? The second question should be - how do I get the micronutrients? Our diet needs to be adjusted to meet these requirements on a priority basis. In trying to meet these essential requirements, you will find that carbohydrates and fat will automatically find their way in your food, usually in a larger quantity than what you would expect. If you focus on wholesome natural foods, which are least processed, you will find it is not so difficult to keep your calorie intake under control.
  
  Focusing on high protein foods and minimizing processed foods will automatically control your carbohydrate intake. Leave out bread and cereals from the breakfast as much as possible. Instead take egg-white, milk, or better still soymilk, or yogurt or cheese. Instead of a glass of juice, take an orange or apple or berries with nuts. For lunch, make a sandwich with bread in the middle or take an open sandwich on one slice of whole-wheat or multi-grain bread. When eating a burger, leave out one side of the bun. Eat a fruit or two, or salad. Take milk or soymilk or yogurt as snack in the afternoon rather than cookies. For dinner, take a lot of salad without dressing or with low calorie dressing. Use light Feta cheese with salad instead of dressing. Take your favorite lean main course protein meal. Limit bread intake to one piece. If taking pasta or rice, don't take bread. Take berries or fruits for desserts. Take a glass of low fat milk or soymilk, and leave out the cookies, for the late evening snack.

• What foods are low in carbohydrates?
  All naturally occurring foods have carbohydrates - fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, fish, egg, etc. Most great tasting products are mostly carbohydrates. Proteins are bland in taste. Protein foods are made tasty naturally or artificially with the addition of carbohydrates. Thus carbohydrates are there in every food by default. We need to select foods that are low in carbohydrates, and of course in fat. Many protein rich foods are also rich in fat - meat, milk, nuts, etc. These should be taken in a reduced fat form. Some foods are rich in protein and naturally low in fat, mainly legumes, best among them being soybean. Taking foods made from beans are ideal for controlling weight. Great tasting bean foods are now available in health food stores as well as in supermarkets.

• What foods have essential vitamins, minerals and enzymes?
  Vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Take vegetables and salads to add bulk and dietary fiber to your food without adding much calories. Fruits have carbohydrates, but accompanied with essential nutrients. These are not empty calories. Take fruits, including berries, for dessert, especially when losing weight. Replace juices with fruits.

• How to prepare great tasting meals low in carbohydrates?
  Be watchful of carbohydrates and fat in the foods you prepare. Use wholesome natural ingredients in your food that are rich in protein. Initially it will be quite challenging, since most ingredients you may be using add too much carbohydrates to a meal. Start reading labels for nutritional information. Use this information to calculate protein, fat and carbohydrates in your prepared dish. Do the same for all the items in a meal. Remember, when you are working to reduce bodyweight, you will need to imbalance your diet in favor of protein by reducing carbohydrates and fat. This awareness added to your imagination and creativity is all you need to prepare great tasting CarboWatch compliant meals.

• What is CarboWatch game?
  This simple game assists you in assimilating the fundamentals of energy balance in your body and how to guard and fight against carbohydrates attack. Don't negotiate with an enemy for a truce until you are in control. An individual (against computer) or the whole family can play the game. A board game version can also be printed out in color. This game is currently under development.

• Why to take bodyweight everyday?
  Get a good quality digital bathroom scale, such as from Tanita which also measures body fat and weigh yourself everyday before taking breakfast, but after going to bathroom, and keep record of it. There is nothing more convincing than your scale showing reduced weight when no one else around you notices it. It also keeps you focused. Whenever you are eating, you are conscious about your scale in the bathroom and your yearning for reading it lower and lower. The reward of your eating plan are measurable every day and not uncertain. You will not read declining weight every day but you will see a downward trend. As explained below, the weight will occasionally vary plus or minus one pound or two from the trend line.

• Why my bodyweight fluctuates day to day?
  Day to day body weight fluctuations are associated with the retention of water in the body. Body may retain more water due to consumption of certain foods, spices, and salt; due to physical or mental stress; due to reduced body activity; and due to host of other reasons. As mentioned elsewhere, it is not easily possible for body to lose or gain even one pound of body fat over a 24 hour period, for that would mean you would have to consume foods and drinks containing in excess of 4000 calories over and above your regular daily requirement.

• What is body fat?
  Body fat is measured in percentage of total weight. It can be measured by electronic meters (such as by Omron and Tanita), or approximated by body measurements. Women have higher body fat level than men. Neither too low nor too high body fat is good. The following table gives a chart to help you check where you stand.
  
  

  BODY FAT PERCENTAGES
  Fat Level	Men	Women
  Very Low	7-10	14-17
  Low	10-13	17-20
  Average	13-17	20-27
  High	17-25	27-31
  Very High	above 25	above 31