Celebrity Weight Loss Secrets – What They Don’t Want You To Know

Celebrity Weight Loss Secrets – The Truth About How They Do It And Why It’s Not As Easy As They Make It Sound

Not a day goes by without at least one celebrity revealing their weight loss secrets which run the gamut from Megan Fox’s bizarre practice of drinking a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar to Madonna’s super healthy regime of yoga and a strict macrobiotic diet.

Their stunning figures and skinny size jeans turn some of us green with envy and leave us with a burning desire to know exactly how they got that fabulous body, and more importantly – how they keep it short of stuffing their faces with Kleenex to calm hunger pangs as some models are rumored to do.

Some celebrities are more forthcoming than others about what it takes to stay skinny and fabulous looking such as Kim Cattrall who has been quoted as saying, “I diet every day of my life. After 40 you’ve got to.” Okay, maybe I don’t need to look as fabulous as Kim Cattrall because the thought of dieting every day for the rest of my life is just too depressing. But I’d sure like to be less like the puffy and plump Pillsbury Dough Boy

Other celebrities, who obviously want us to believe they were first in line when “good genes” were handed out and that they have metabolisms that burn calories as fast as a jet engine burns fuel, have been quoted as saying they “eat whatever they want,” “never diet,” and “are lazy and hate to exercise.” Yeah, sure. They don’t get toned arms and tight butts by sitting around eating Twinkies and Oreos.

What are the real “Celebrity Weight Loss Secrets?”

Although I’m far from famous myself and don’t know any celebrities personally, here’s what I’ve learned from reading celebrity gossip websites (my guilty pleasure that I will hotly deny if you ever ask me about it), perusing Tabloid headlines while waiting in line at the grocery store, and reading interviews celebrities have given.

The real key to their weight loss isn’t so much about what they eat or don’t eat, but is the fact that they can hire fitness coaches, personal trainers, and personal chefs.

There’s nothing like a personal trainer knocking on your door and dragging you out of bed in the morning to give a person structure and accountability. Do a little reading and the theme become evident. Celebrities gush about their personal trainers and how they got them in shape and keep them in shape. Some celebrities even have their personal trainers travel with them so there’s never an excuse to not exercise.

Then there are the personal chefs some celebrities have. It’s easy to eat healthy and delicious food when there is a chef doing your grocery shopping, which eliminates the temptation of grabbing a Kit Kat and Pepsi that are within reach while waiting in line at the grocery store and your stomach is growling, and then having that chef cook for you. There’s no excuses about being too tired to cook and stopping at McDonald’s on the way home for a Big Mac, Fries and Coke; or not having anything in the house to eat but having a phone in good working order which makes it easy to order in a fatty greasy pizza with a side order of breadsticks.

The structure and accountability celebrities get from their personal coaches, trainers, and chefs – while expensive – flat out works. It’s just not the same as online programs or group coaching where it’s easy to “cheat” and not give it your all.

Does that mean you are doomed if you don’t have a wallet bulging with one hundred dollar bills?

No, but if you need someone to make you accountable and to make sure you exercise then it’s time to find someone to help you with that.

Hire a personal trainer to work with you if you can afford it, even if it’s just once a week or a couple times a month. For a cheaper option consider a college student. They are always looking for a way to make some extra money and some of them are fitness fanatics, although keep in mind that the cheaper cost will mean not having a certified personal trainer so keep it simple and hire them to make sure you get out for that morning run, jog or walk.

Or find a friend or family member that will be tough with you and make you accountable. Maybe you’re lucky enough to have a friend that will show up at your door every day and won’t accept any of your feeble excuses about why you can’t exercise that day. Don’t, under any circumstances, ask your spouse to be the person dispensing the “tough love.” That will just get ugly.

Food can be a little trickier since personal chefs do not come cheap, but cooking school students will work for reasonable wages. Contact your local cooking school or technical college that has a cooking program and see if you can hire a student to cook for you. Hire that student to do your weekly shopping, cook for you once a week, and then stock your fridge with labeled containers of healthy food. Or, consider trading cooking duties with someone you know. They cook and shop for you one week, and you do it the other.

The key is find a way to find structure and accountability that is really hard for you to opt out of and to find someone to remind you of why you want to lose weight and get healthier even though it’s raining outside and the last thing you want to do is put on those athletic shoes and go for a walk or run.

How A Dog Can Help You Lose Weight

If you are one of those people that find it hard to motivate yourself to exercise like you should, enlist the help of your furry four legged friend, your dog.

Dogs love to go for walks. Even if you are not feeling motivated and up to a daily walk, your dog is still more than happy to follow you around with those puppy dog eyes waiting for you to give in and go.

At our dog’s last vet visit, we were told our dog needed to lose a few pounds and were asked about how much exercise she got. Although we live in the country on several acres of land where our dog has the freedom to romp and play at will; our vet pointed out it’s not the same as giving her daily exercise like a walk or run would. And, he only half-jokingly pointed out as he patted my husband’s found stomach, it a daily walk with the dog wouldn’t do my husband any harm either.

Dogs Love Walks (They're Good For People Too!)

So a few month’s ago the daily walks with our dog and my husband started. I go along on the walks but I don’t actually hold the leash because our dog doesn’t really walk, she pulls on the leash like an Alaskan sled dog because she wants to go faster and smell more things. I have a hard time controlling the dog when she’s in the mood to pull on the leash like that, which is most of the time and she’s not a huge dog, she weighs less than 50 pounds but she’s strong enough to nearly pull my husband off his feet if he’s not paying attention when she sees a rabbit or squirrel that she thinks needs to be chased.

At first the walks were only a mile in duration. Now my husband and dog, her name is Montana, walk three to four miles a day, walking for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. There are days my husband does not feel like going for a walk. But, Montana knows the routine at our house. After my husband walks in the door at night and has eaten she knows it is time for a walk. That’s when Montana starts to act like she glued to my husband. She follows him around the house, dancing around him, licking his hand when she can, wagging her tail, and looking at him in that happy “we are going for a walk now aren’t we” way.

Even on the nights he has looked at her and said “Montana, I don’t feel like going for a walk tonight,” the dog just tilts her head as if to say “But we have to go.” Now that the dog is used to the routine of walking, my husband never lasts more than 10 minutes after saying he doesn’t want to walk. He gives in and goes because he can tell how much Montana wants to go because like any dog worth its furry coat, she doesn’t give in. She just keeps waiting and being excited about that walk and stays right next to my husband as a reminder that he needs to take her. Now, even if it’s raining (or snowing) they go for a walk.

They have only missed a few nights and that was because it was storming with lightning. On those nights my husband rewarded the dog by playing a game where he chased the dog (yes, he chased her around the house much to her delight), and played a long game of tug of war with her to tire her out and make her not miss her walk too much.

Has all that walking helped? It sure has. When our dog got her shots last week she had lost two pounds. My husband has lost nearly 10 pounds over the last three months by going on the daily walks. He hasn’t made any modifications to his diet or added any other exercise. Just the walking itself has resulted in the weight loss for him.

I’m not advocating that you get a dog just to help you exercise every day. But if already have a dog, get up off that couch and take him or her for a walk every day. It will be good for both of you. And, if you have been wanting to get a dog anyway and are ready for the commitment of caring for a dog and giving it the exercise it needs, then visit your local animal shelter or humane society and talk to them about adopting a dog who needs a loving home.

Diet Buster Restaurant Sandwiches Unwrapped

The people from the Eat This Not That series of books have compiled a list of the 10 worst sandwiches in America (only 10?).

When they say the word “worst” they are not referring to how they taste because there’s some really good tasting sandwiches on their “hit list.”

It the huge number of calories, fat and sodium that’s lurking in these hand-held creations that make them gut busting disasters.

Who knew a sandwich containing grilled shrimp could have almost 2,000 calories in it?

What sandwich is that? It’s Cheesecake Factory’s Grilled Shrimp and Bacon Club, described as: “Charbroiled Shrimp, Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato with Our Special Dressing. Served with French Fries or Green Salad” and containing, according to the 10 Worst Sandwiches in America article, 1930 calories, 24 grams saturated fat and 2,965 mg sodium. cheesecake factory shrimp club

Yikes!!!! No wonder it has the dubious distinction of being the number 1 worst sandwich on the list.

While the sandwich doesn’t look super healthy and low in calories it certainly doesn’t look like it could contain that many calories. I’m guessing the nutrition information also includes the fries that come with it, but still….that special dressing must be pretty special – and loaded with calories!

I guess it goes to show that even grilled shrimp can be turned in a caloric nightmare.

Some of the other sandwiches on the list: Other sandwiches on the list include:

Cosi Steak TBM (Tomatoes, Basil and Mozzarella) weighing in at 829 calories

Arby’s Ultimate BLT Market Fresh Sandwich weighing in at 880 calories (love this sandwich but will definitely be sharing it with someone else the next time I order

Blimpie Special Vegetarian 12″ weighing in at 1,186 calories (I’m speechless! How can a vegetable sub be so fattening?)

Quizno’s Large Tuna Melt
weighing in at 1,760 calories (not completely surprising to me since I’ve had this sandwich and the large amount of mayo used to make the tuna salad is quite obvious).

culver burger

Maybe it’s time to go back to a simpler lunch and have a brown bag lunch of a an old standby of ham and Swiss on rye for 438 calories or to swing by Culvers for an all American lunch of a regular burger and small fry for 731 calories.

10 Weight Loss Tips that Work in a Minute or Less?

A recent article on Yahoo, written by Prevention magazine Editor in Chief Liz Vaccariello gives 10 Weight Loss Tips that Work in a minute or less.

As the article states, weight loss tips that are easy and quick to implement are more likely to be used by most of us because our lives are so busy and crazy.

The 10 strategies given to burn calories and fat are:

1. Mix a juice spritzer
Combine your favorite juice (half of your usual amount) with plain or sparkling water. You can cut up to 85 calories per glass–and lose 5 pounds or more a year.

Not a bad idea but is watered down juice all that tasty? I think it’s a better idea to just cut down on the amount of juice and have more water instead. Or, switch to a lower calorie juice like my favorite – tomato juice.

2. Walk while you talk

Burn calories while you talk on the phone: Do the laundry (68 calories), set the table (85), or water plants (102).

I’m okay with the idea of walking around while talking on the phone. But isn’t it a little rude to multi-task and do laundry, set the table or water plants while talking to someone? Don’t they deserve our undivided attention?

3. Study the wrapper
At a quick glance, that candy bar appears to contain 220 calories. But a closer look may reveal that it (or a bottle of juice, bag of crackers, or bag of nuts) provides two or more servings–which more than doubles those calories.

This is a big pet peeve of mine. Packages that look like single serve shouldn’t trick us by having multiple servings in a package. It’s a good idea to peruse all labels and wrappers before we purchase although I admit to not doing it all the time. Sometimes I just don’t care!

4. Sip green tea before a walk
The caffeine frees fatty acids so that you burn fat more easily. And the polyphenols (antioxidant compounds) in green tea appear to work with caffeine to increase calorie burn. (If you have high blood pressure, skip this tip.)

I knew green tea was a healthy beverage but didn’t know it freed up fatty acids. I’m not a green tea fan but am finding it’s easier to drink with a little honey stirred into it. And, I never steep it more than 2 minutes – that prevents it from getting too strong and bitter tasting.

5. Pack a lunch
Dining out more than 5 times a week may make you eat more–nearly 300 calories a day–than if you dine out less frequently.

Yeah, it’s a good idea to pack our own lunches, but doing it in a minute or less? Not realistic.


6. Dip your bread

Use olive oil in place of butter. It’s healthier and may also help you eat less. In a recent study, dippers ate a total of 52 fewer calories, on average, than those who used butter.

I love dipping my bread in olive oil but sometimes I really do want butter. I keep whipped butter in my fridge. The air that’s pumped into it helps me use less.


7. Sprinkle flax on cereal

High-fiber ground flaxseed can help curb your appetite and eliminate calories. Add it to yogurt or muffin and bread mixes–it’s available in health food stores.

I’ve started using flaxseed, but have learned to buy the whole seed and not the pre-ground flaxseed because it loses a lot of its nutritional value after being ground.

8. Schedule a blood test
About 1 in every 12 women (most of whom don’t know it) has an underactive thyroid, which can slow down her metabolism.

I can attest to this one. I found my thyroid was underactive. In addition to making it extra hard for me to lose weight, I was tired all the time. The good news about having an underactive thyroid is that the test for it is simple – just a quick blood test. And the medication is reasonable. WalMart sells a 30 day supply of generic thyroid medication for just $4.

9. Supersize your H2O

Buy the big bottle when it comes to good-for-you stuff such as water: You’ll drink more.

We all know drinking water is good for us but I’m one of those people that has a hard time drinking plain water so I use zero or low calorie mix ins for part of my water every day to make it easier for me to get it into my body.

10. Eat a chunky salad
Chop carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, zucchini, or other veggies instead of shredding or slicing. It takes more effort to munch bigger pieces; you’ll do more chewing and eat less during the main course.

This is a good idea but who can cut up (or chunk up) vegetables for a salad in a minute or less? I can’t even select the ingredients from a salad bar where they’re already cut up in less than a minute!

Overall I think all these tips are good and I’m going to do my best to implement ones I haven’t already made a part of my daily life. But, I won’t kid myself and think they’ll all be super easy to do or take a minute or less to do. I may be superwoman in training but I don’t move at the speed of light! (at least not yet).

Will Being A Vegetarian Guarantee Weight Loss?

Go to any local natural foods or organic store (or “hippie store” as my son calls them) and you’ll see slim and healthy looking people stocking up on fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, raw nuts, veggie burgers, veggie meat-like crumbles and tofu.

The logical thing to think is that being a vegetarian means a person will lose weight without having to “diet” right?

That’s what I used to think, but sadly I was wrong.

I personally know several people who are vegetarian and while I admire their willingness to forgo meat in protest of inhumane treatment of animals used to supply that meat or to have a more gentle footprint on our planet, they are not all slim “skinny minis.” In fact one of the fattest people I know is a vegetarian.

If a person becomes a vegetarian and focuses on healthy eating, which means lots of fresh fruits, and vegetables, along with whole grains, legumes, low fat dairy, nuts in moderation, eggs, and healthy soy products like soy milk and tofu; then they are on the right track to being a healthy weight and healthy overall.

But many times when a person becomes a vegetarian they replace the meat they used to eat with pasta, cheese, peanut butter, nuts, and bread. Those foods are all fine to eat – include chocolate in that list and I could happily live on those foods – but a diet high in those foods will not a thin person make unless said person is living on just a couple bites of those foods each day. Plus it’s hard to find a non-vegetarian food on the chips aisle, except for pork rinds. And the chip aisle is not exactly brimming with low calorie, nutrient dense food.

Losing weight, no matter if a person is a meat eater or not means focusing on lots of fruits and vegetables because they are filling and low calorie, with balanced amounts of other nutrients and yep, portion control (although I never worry about how many fruits and vegetables I’m consuming – that’s the one instance where I think “the more the merrier” but only in the case of ones not drenched in fat or sugar).

Vegetarian Times (great magazine on healthy living whether or not a person is a vegetarian and a wonderful source of recipes to help a person get more vegetables into their diet), has an interesting article in their January, 2010 issue about 5 pitfalls that people who decide to go vegetarian make. One is that carbs get overconsumed – often in the form of pasta – and that leads to weight gain.

If you want to become Vegetarian, by all means give it a try. I think it can be a great healthy lifestyle and I am seriously considering it myself (but can I truly give up bacon?). But, as the article in Vegetarian Times I mentioned above says, I will proceed with caution because I know I’ll have to carefully consider how I’m going to replace the meat I will no longer be eating and how I will deal with the sense of deprivation I’ll probably feel from giving up meat. I don’t want to replace it with tons of high sodium veggie burgers and other meat replacement products or with heaping plates of pasta with cheese (yum, yum and yum!); but instead with healthier choices such as beans which are high in protein and fiber and are filling (not that I’ll ever willingly give up pasta).

Walking To Lose Weight – How To Walk Those Pounds Away

Walking is a normal part of most people’s everyday lives.  At least it used to be until most of us got so dependent on our motorized modes of transportation that it became normal to hop in our vehicles and drive 2 blocks to the gas station for a cup of coffee because who has the time or inclination to walk there and back.

Walking is so normal to our bodies and can be a great aid in our weight loss efforts.  Plus there are tons of free “walking to lose weight” plans available online from reputable sources.  Just Google “walking to lose weight” and you’ll get a bunch of options to choose from.

There’s two big mistakes that many people make when they embark on a “walking to lose weight” plan though.

1)       They don’t walk briskly enough or long enough to effectively zap fat.

2)       They don’t invest in a good pair of walking shoes.

Walking to lose weight is different than taking a leisurely stroll around the block.  Work up a sweat and aim for 60 minutes of walking most days of the week.  It should be hard to talk in full sentences, so if you can carry on a full bore conversation while walking it’s time to step up the intensity.  Do it slowly though, building distance and intensity over time.  Don’t expect to get sixty minutes of brisk walking in most days of the week if you’ve been a dedicated couch potato.  And always talk to your health professional before starting any exercise program.

You say you don’t have a 60 minute segment of time to devote to walking each day?  Then try for 30 minutes or walk in 10 minute increments throughout the day (during a break at work; during your kids soccer practice, after dinner, etc.).   And don’t give up those leisurely strolls.  Every step you take is good for your body and burns calories (and every calorie burned counts!).

Also, take the time to get yourself a good pair of walking shoes.  New Balance and Saucony are my two favorite brands.

To making walking more fun and to help you stick with it, use these tips:

-          Get a walking buddy (being accountable to another person will help you get your butt off the couch on those days that you’re feeling less than energetic).

-          Get a dog, but only if you have the time to take care of and love a dog.  My dog is my best walking buddy because she’s always ready to go for a stroll no matter the time of day or the weather.  Dogs are a big commitment though.  They need to be fed and bathed and loved.

-          Get a pedometer to track your distance and time and to help you build up your speed and endurance.  Optimally, work yourself up to 10,000 steps a day.

-          Listen to music while walking (headphone in just one ear for safety though please).  Good music makes the time fly.

-          Get a change of scenery.  Walk in different places; your neighborhood, a nearby trail, on a park trail, in the woods, and even while power shopping with friends (I racked up 7 miles during a shopping trip a few weeks ago).

-          And, as mentioned above, invest in good walking shoes

Walking is the easiest and cheapest exercise to do because it can be done almost anywhere – no gym memberships required.  All that’s needed are comfortable clothes, a good pair of shoes, and the will to get your butt out the door and do something good for yourself.

The Best Diet For Women – Tales Of A Chronic Dieter

I’m pretty sure I could write a 600 page book on the best ways “to not lose weight” and how to “diet and gain weight and be a yo-yo” in less time than it takes to inhale a box of Twinkies.

You name the diet or diet pill and I’ve probably tried it (the grapefruit diet, Atkins, the popcorn diet, the three day diet, Nutri-System, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, South Beach, Dexatrim, cleansing diets, dieting for dummies, liquid diets, fasting, raw food diet, Cabbage soup diet, Curves diet, LA Weight loss, the Zone diet, the chocolate diet, the apple cider vinegar diet, and many many more that would literally take pages of space to write).

But, to write you a condensed version of what I’ve learned: “the best way to lose weight, keep it off, and be healthy” is to do it the old fashioned way – diet and exercise.”  Yeah, what a bore and what a blow to the multi billion dollar diet industry that little tidbit of news is.

To me, (and please keep in mind that I’m not a nutritionist or medical expert- just someone who has decades of experience trying to lose weight), I think the best diet for women is one that includes everything in moderation.  Banning foods (especially chocolate and carbs) is, IMO (in my own opinion), a certain disaster.  After all, women have that special time of the month (lucky us) and what do most of us crave then?  Yep, it’s huge bars of chocolate and entire loaves of bread.  That means if we are doing our best to follow one of those crazy diets that completely bans carbs or completely bans sugar (get real please) we get to the point when no amount of willpower is going to keep us away from that Hershey bar or delicious soft pretzel.   Then, instead of having a single serving (aka – one normal size candy bar or just one soft pretezel) we typically say “Well I screwed up so I may as well eat the entire bag of chocolate candy or the entire box of pretzels.  Then, the downward spiral to gaining the weight back starts.

Personally, I think us women need to take a look at guys to help us understand weight loss better because a guy typically can lose weight so much easier.  Why?  It’s a well established fact that men’s bodies have more muscle than women’s bodies and, pound for pound, muscle burns more calories than fat.

But I’ve also noticed that, given a choice, most guys at a buffet head right for the proteins while women give the bread and dessert sections longing stares before heading over to the salad bar for some greens and fat free dressing.  A perfect meal to a lot of guys is a steak with a side of steak.  For a lot of women the perfect meal is warm crusty bread with a side of warm crusty bread and a little chocolate for a sweet ending.

While both men’s and women’s bodies need both protein and carbs for good health (the chocolate is healthy too as long as it’s dark chocolate), protein is a building block for muscle and helps to muscle that’s been stressed (from working out) to repair and build itself.

Plus, protein is satisfying and helps us feel full longer (and who wants to go hungry and feel like they’re starving when they are dieting?).

So, doesn’t it stand to reason that a diet that includes generous amounts of protein would be perfect for women (okay not steak with a side of steak though).  That doesn’t eating protein and excluding other food groups like the Atkins diet promotes.  I’m talking about a diet that includes a broad range of healthy foods from every food group: proteins, fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy, whole grains, small amounts of healthy fat like olive and grapeseed oils; and treats here and there because everybody needs some wiggle room in their diet.

I’ve also noticed guys tend to never feel guilty if they eat something less than healthy.  They’ll eat a piece of chocolate cake, enjoy the experience, and move on.  Women, on the other hand, tend to feel guilty about possibly taking a tiny little bite of cake – whether or not they actually give in and eat any.

I’m not here to advocate a specific diet plan for women and that’s because I truly think there is no “one size fits all” diet plan.  Just as each of us are different individuals with different personalities and different lifestyles; we have different diet plans that are a better fit with our lives and our likes and dislikes.

But, to help women find the best diet for them that gives them the best chance of long-term success here’s the things I think should be looked for in a weight loss/diet plan:

- promotes healthy eating and doesn’t ban entire food groups

- includes at least 2-3 servings of protein a day

- promotes a slow and steady approach to weight loss; no more than 1-2 lbs a week

- encourages physical activity (at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week)

- includes emotional support (whether it’s face to face meetings or online forums) because us women are nurturers by nature and we need nurturing and support of our own when facing the challenges of trying to lose weight successfully

- fits your lifestyle (for example, the odds of failing are high if you love to cook and have to cook for your family but choose a meal delivery program that doesn’t allow you to prepare your own meals; and vice versa – if you choose a program that asks you to prepare all your own food when you and your kitchen appliances, with the exception of your microwave are sworn enemies).

The Best Way To Lose Belly Fat (And Other Annoying Fat Deposits)

If you’ve ever had insomnia and turned to the television to distract you in the wee hours of the night, you’ve probably seen numerous infomercials for crazy looking gadgets and workouts guaranteed to give you rock hard abs.  You may have even purchased a few of them in a weak moment.  It’s pretty hard to resist the lure of people with those gorgeous rock hard abs telling us we can have them too if we only use their piece of equipment for a few minutes a day (and of course part with our hard earned money to get our hands on said gadget).

And I bet if you’ve purchased any of that equipment it’s probably now languishing in the closet, in a corner of the garage, or has been sold on eBay because those rock hard abs never materialized.

Why?

It’s because most of us who succumb to those advertisements have extra fat around our stomachs and until we lose that fat, the abs we work so hard to tone won’t be visible because that extra fat hides it.  And just because we want to lose the extra fat we have hanging around bellies before we lose fat on any other part of our body, our body decides where it’s going to lose the fat first no matter how may sit-ups, crunches or other ab targeted workouts we do.

Does this mean you are stuck with a belly that jiggles like a bowl full of Jello?

Absolutely not!

But here’s the solution you may not want to hear.

The best way to lose belly fat (and other annoying fat deposits) is by diet.  Exercise is definitely important too but people who want to lose fat should put their biggest focus on eating fewer calories than they take in to lose weight.

I’m not saying to skip the exercise.  It’s important too, but ask almost any doctor and bona-fide fitness expert about the best way to lose belly fat and they’ll say to focus 90 percent of the effort on losing excess weight and 10 percent of the effort on cardio and resistance training.  Most of us who want to lose that annoying belly fat do just the opposite.

So stop torturing yourself with those endless reps of crunches.  Instead focus physical activity on high intensity whole body workouts that turn your body into a fat burning furnace (sweating is good!) and do strength training (typically 3 days a week of each, alternating cardio workouts with strength building workouts, but always consult your health professional first).

In addition, watch sodium and alcohol intake because they can cause us to retain water and bloat which can make our stomachs look bigger than they really are (and who needs that?).  Plus, drink plenty of water to discourage fluid retention.

Any health diet plan you can follow will help you shed those extra pounds whether it’s joining an online program, attending weight loss classes, scheduling one-on-one sessions with a nutritionist, or following the program detailed in one of the numerous weight loss books available (try before you buy and check one or two or ten out of your local library).

Focus on healthy foods instead of filling up on processed foods, chips, refined carbs, and oodles of sugar that’s in soft drinks and candy (don’t completely eliminate these foods if you love them; instead have them as a treat instead of as part of your daily food intake).

Lean protein along with low fat dairy, plenty of fruits and vegetables, and whole grains will help you not only with weight loss but will also help you have the energy to exercise and build muscle, which will help you burn even more calories.  It’s a win-win situation.

So stop spending your money on ab gadgets and ab targeted workouts.  Instead focus on a healthy weight loss plan along with a combination of cardio and strength training exercise so that you can lose that belly fat for good and find those toned abs that have been hiding underneath it. 

28 Tips For Long Term Weight Loss

Yes, you can lose weight and keep it off.

And yes, it can be done without thinking you’ll have to be hungry for the rest of your life or subsist on meals of steamed broccoli, plain chicken breasts and salads with fat free dressing.  Yuck!  Living like that is no fun.

How can losing the weight and keeping it off be done?

Here’s my 28 best tips for long term weight loss:

1)       Remove the word “diet” from your vocabulary. Losing the weight and keeping it off means changing your lifestyle instead of dieting to lose the extra weight and then going back to old habits, resulting in constant yo-yo dieting.  Replace the word “diet” with the word “healthy.”

2)       Eat when you are hungry; not when you are bored, sad, happy, etc. Find non-food ways to deal with emotions and instead of stuffing your face with food to deal with them.  Yes, chocolate gives you a natural high but that great feeling won’t last if you gobble down 3 Hershey bars in 10 minutes.  Find activites such as painting or woodworking or knitting that keep your hands busy so you can’t stuff your face with food when you’re not hungry.

3)       Think slow and steady when it comes to losing weight. Experts agree that 1-2 pounds a week gives a person the best chance of keeping it off.  That means no “crash dieting.”  The weight didn’t pile on overnight so don’t expect it to come off overnight.

4)       Write down what you eat. Yeah, I know writing down what you’re putting in your mouth is a pain in the arse.  But, it helps you remember what you’ve eaten throughout the day and makes you accountable to yourself.  You don’t need a fancy food journal.  A small inexpensive notebook, a piece of scrap paper or even the back of an envelope will work just fine.

5)       Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables every day. Fresh fruits and vegetables are high in nutrients and fiber and are low in calories.  Make them a part of your everyday food consumption.  But eat a balances diet.  Also have lean protein, low fat dairy and whole grains, plus work a treat in every once in a while.

6)       Eat high fiber foods.  There are lots of delicious healthy whole grain breads available and don’t forget about popcorn. It’s high in fiber and delicious (just avoid drenching it in buckets of butter).

7)       Adopt the motto of “everything in moderation.” That means you’ll never completely ban a food from your eating plan.  Why?  Doesn’t being told you can’t have something make you really really want it?  It’s like telling your toddler not to touch something.  It almost guarantees they are going to make an effort to touch it anyway.

8)       Learn what your “trigger” foods are and don’t keep them in the house. By “trigger” foods I mean ones that you can’t stop eating and don’t stop eating until the entire package/container is gone.  Mine is kettle potato chips.  I don’t stop until the bag is gone even if I’m feeling stuffed.  My husband’s are Milk Duds and Mounds Bars.  One of my friend’s is Peanut M&M’s.  When any of us really want those foods we either buy a single size portion or take it to a party/family gathering where other people will help eat it.

9)       Stop thinking you have to look like Twiggy to be healthy. Experts say that losing 10 percent of your body weight can make a significant positive difference in your health (lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, pressure on your knees, and your risk of diabetes).  I’ll use myself as an example.  After losing 25 pounds (10 percent of my body weight which means that yes I’m a big girl and still have more to lose) my fasting blood sugar went down 20 points, my blood pressure went from borderline high to normal, and my cholesterol went down a little (not a lot but I was lucky and it was in the normal range even before I lost weight).

10)   Have regular checkups at the doctor.  That helps you keep being healthy as the focus of your weight loss and can help pinpoint factors that might be hindering your weight loss efforts.  For me, I found out my thyroid was sluggish after a simple blood test my doctor recommended when I said I was always tired was having an extremely difficult time losing any weight.

11)   Aim for 8 hours of sleep a night.  More and more research is pointing out how our modern day lifestyle of cheating ourselves of enough sleep is also creating more risk for being overweight.  Give your body what it needs and get enough sleep.

12)   Don’t skip breakfast. Our metabolism gets sluggish when we sleep.  Help get it going in the morning by eating something even if it’s just a banana or a container of yogurt.

13)   Exercise regularly.  The American Heart Association recommends that “all healthy adults between the ages of 18-65 should be getting at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity five days a week.”

14)   Eat more than 3 times a day. Instead, have 5-6 smaller meals and don’t go more than 2-3 hours without eating a little something to keep your blood sugar stable and your metabolism humming.  Can skipping meals wreck your metabolism?  I think so.  I have a friend who only ate 1 meal a day for years because he was a truck driver and didn’t want to take time to eat until he stopped his rig for the evening.  He’s now retired but he readily admits he still can only eat one meal a day otherwise he gains weight.  He doesn’t pig out in the evening either.  He eats what I consider a normal size meal.  Don’t let that happen to you.

15)   Drink lots of low to zero calorie liquid, 8-10 glasses a day.  Water is best but if you can’t stand the taste of plain water then use flavor enhancers like True Lemon, True Lime, True Orange or Crystal Light.

16)   Eat most of your calories instead of drinking them. I love Starbucks and my vehicle pretty much knows how to get there without me having to steer it.  But some of the choices there (and at any coffee shop that makes specialty beverages) can have as many or more calories than an entire meal.  Instead of having whole milk in a latte, opt for skim or soy or almond and skip the whipped cream on top (although I admit to indulging in it once in a while as a special treat).  Those two  options can cut hundreds of calories from one latte.

17)   Stock your fridge and pantry with healthy choices. Lean protein, fresh and frozen fruit, fresh and frozen vegetables, whole grains, and low fat dairy are the best things to keep handy, along with single serve bags of healthy nuts like almonds and walnuts.   The problem for some people (myself included) is that a lot of healthy foods aren’t always quick and easy to prepare or handy for a quick snack.  Case in point: it’s much easier to grab a handful of chips to snack on than to cut up vegetables to eat.  Cut up vegetables when you bring them home from the store and put them where you can see them instead of hiding them in the crisper.  For the quickest lean protein, buy fish.  It’s a natural “fast food” because it cooks up in just a few minutes (shrimp literally takes 3-4 minutes to cook).

18)   Love yourself. Negative chatter inside our heads can be our biggest enemy when it comes to weight loss.  It’s mine.  That negative voice inside my head loves to tell me “it’s too hard,” “go ahead and eat that whole pie cuz you can always go back on your diet tomorrow,” “you’ll always be a fat pig,” “you’re crazy if you think you can really lose that weight,” and “you don’t deserve to be healthy and happy.”  Tell that voice to shut up (100 times a day if necessary) and instead start giving yourself positive messages such as “I’m worth it,” and “I deserve to take time to take care of myself.”

19)   Stop thinking you’re “bad” when you eat something less than healthy. There are very few people (actually I don’t know of any) who always make healthy choices and who never overindulge.  The key is to not use it as an excuse to keep on overeating and overindulging.  Have that treat.  Enjoy it.  Then focus on going back to eating healthy again.  I’ve read over and over again that the 80/20 rule works for food as well.  If you eat healthy 80 percent of the time, you’ll be okay.  That may sounds like you can pig out every day but if you are eating 1,500 calories a day that means having 300 calories in treats which could mean 1 teaspoon of butter on a white dinner roll and a small dish of ice cream; not the entire bread basket or the entire container of ice cream.

20)   Try modeling. No, not the kind of modeling that involves walking down a runway but modeling the behaviors of someone you know who is a normal weight and is healthy.  Watch how they eat and what their everyday life is like.  Then imitate them.  My friend is normal weight and never tells herself she can’t have a certain food.  But, she always stops eating when she is full – no matter how tasty the food on her plate is; and will push away an expensive dessert after just one bite if it’s not super delicious because she will not spend calories on food she doesn’t love.  Plus she has an active lifestyle, which brings me to the next tip.

21)    Adopt a healthy lifestyle. Most healthy and normal weight people are not couch potatoes.  Activity is a normal part of their everyday lives.  They enjoy hobbies and activities that are require physical exertion such as: gardening, woodworking, hiking, bicycling, tennis, sailing, kayaking, swimming, jogging, water skiing, downhill skiing, snowshoeing, bowling and putting lots of miles on their legs while strolling along the beach, taking in some culture at a local museum, or spending the day doing some power shopping.  They don’t spend the entire weekend plunked in front of the television eating junk food.

22)   Make eating an activity that is not combined with others i.e. watching television, while driving, etc. It means being aware of what you are eating.  How many of us have opened a bag of chips while watching television only to stick our hand in the bag, find it empty, and wonder where they all went – knowing full well that we were the only person sticking our hand in the bag and munching away?

23)   Eat less fast food and share or take home half of restaurant entrees. I think a big part of our society’s weight problems today are that we have no idea what a normal portion is because they have grown so much over the years (as have our waistlines).  Try cooking more of your own meals too because then you have control over ingredients (you’d be surprised at how much butter restaurants slather on food they serve you).  Don’t have a lot of time to cook?  Get a slow cooker and give it a workout.  Meals can be put together in just a few minutes in the morning.  Then at night you can walk in the door to a hot meal.

24)   Get support from other people.  Find someone to talk to about the struggles you face and to also share your successes with.  It can be a family member, close friend, or even online discussions with others.  There’s the old saying that “It takes a village to raise a child.”  I think the same thing applies to losing weight and keeping it off.  Don’t think it’s bad to need emotional and physical support.  Take advantage of help from wherever you can get it.

25)   Remove the negative from your life. This can be the hard to do but if people in your life are negative towards you and they won’t stop even after you talk to them about it then it’s time to be strong and cut them out of your life (for example the friend who is always saying “why bother trying to lose weight – you’ve never been successful the last 99 times you tried.”).  Surround yourself with positive and encouraging people. You deserve it.

26)   Manage your stress. Too much stress is bad for us in a lot of ways.  Besides the obvious negative of making us crabby, wound tighter than a drum, and ready to blow like Mount St. Helena at any moment; it can contribute to weakening of our immune system, is bad for our heart, and lead us to overeating as a way of dealing with stress.  Find ways to relax.  Practice relaxation techniques such as relaxation breathing, give yoga a try, or give biofeedback a whirl.

27)   Stop obsessing about every morsel of food you put into your mouth and stop feeling guilty for eating something you enjoy.  If you really want to have a piece of chocolate cake, then eat a small piece and enjoy the heck out of it.  Then go back to eating healthy and exercising.  That doesn’t mean you should eat the entire cake or have cake every day.  Remember to enjoy the foods you love “in moderation.”

That brings me to may last tip for long term weight loss.

28) Know that the choice is yours and that losing weight, maintaining weight or gaining weight is about choices you make. Work on making choices that help you with your goals.   That also means being accountable for your choices.  Nobody makes you have that extra piece of cheesecake.  The choices are yours.  Make the ones that are best for you.  Remember YOU ARE WORTH IT!

3 Of My Favorite Fat Loss Workouts

I never thought there would come a day when I would use the words “workout” and “favorite” in the same sentence.  I used to equate “working out” with torture and something to be avoided at all costs.

It’s not that I can say I now love to work out because I don’t.  But, I do love what it does for me.  It’s helping me lose weight, gives me more energy, helps me feel more clear headed and focused, is helping me get healthier and is making me look better because I’m building some muscle and getting toned rather than getting more lumpy every day by sitting on my butt and eating junk food.

That’s why I exercise.

Any exercise that gets your heart rate up and gets you sweating for at least 30 minutes will help you lose fat.  But, in my mind, some types of exercise are a whole lot more fun (when I say “fun” I really mean I’m able to get myself to do them instead of using all my energy to come up with excuses to not exercise).

Here’s my 3 favorites:

1)       Bicycling – I’m talking bicycling outdoors on an actual bike, not on a stationary bike in a gym or in the basement next to an old ratty punching bag.  Getting outside in the fresh air and riding bike is not only good exercise but it is refreshing and a throwback to my childhood when I jumped on my bike every chance I got to explore and go hang out with friends.

Most areas of the country have great bike paths – some are paved and easy to ride and others are rugged trails in woods that are a challenge.  Time passes fast while bike riding (an hour or two goes by in a flash) because there’s usually so much to see whether it’s a little chipmunk popping his head up out of the grass to see who’s invading his territory, deer meandering through the woods and having their dinner, a stream or lake with rippling water to marvel at, varying neighborhoods to take in while riding in urban areas with their unique construction and with the interesting landscaping homeowners and apartment dwellers like to display, and other riders who are almost always ready to exchange friendly Hellos.”

Try dusting off that bike sitting in the garage and give it a spin around the neighborhood.  You just might get hooked on it like I have.

2)       Walking – Yes it’s that old standby that’s the first type of activity a doctor will mention to get a person moving.  Of course, people new to exercise need to start out slow and always need to talk to their health care professional to make sure they are not overdoing it.

Walking to lose burn fat and lose weight is different than taking a stroll around the block with a friend or a spouse discussing your day though.  Personally I have the best fat burning walks when I’m either out with my dog (who is a bundle of energy and who is already to go a little farther and a little faster) or when I’m by myself.  To really get the heart pumping and to burn calories a person needs to be walking briskly enough that having a conversation is hard.  My doctor says that if I can say more than a few words at a time without having to take a breath then I’m not working hard enough on my walk.  So unless you have a fitness buddy that is into “silent support” while walking, save the fun filled conversational walks for another time.

Don’t use inclement weather as an excuse to not get out and walk.  Pretend you are the mail delivery person who doesn’t let rain or snow or cold weather stop them from getting their mail delivered.  If it’s raining, put on a rain coat and go out anyway.  You are not the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz – you won’t melt.  Invest in boots with a good tread or buy “shoe chains” to give you traction in snow.  Dress in layers to keep yourself warm and wear a hat because up to 40 percent of our body heat escapes through our head.  If it’s storming with lightning then find an indoor location to walk such as the local mall or wait for the storm to pass.

3)       Curves 30 minute workout. Okay, so maybe this one isn’t fair to the guys since Curves is a women’s only gym but since I’m of the female gender and since I faithfully go to Curves 3 times a week to do strength training, it makes my list of my three favorite fat burning workouts.

Why?

First of all, it’s strength training which builds muscle which is essential for fat burning because we all know that muscle burns more calories than fat, right?

Secondly I like that there are only women at the gym so I don’t feel self conscious going there.  A regular gym is way too intimidating to me.  All those incredibly fit people and all those horrible mirrors do nothing for my self esteem and make me want to run out the door, not stay and get a workout in

Third, it’s only a commitment of 30 minutes that I can fit into my day and that I know builds muscle because I can see the muscles I’m building in my arms (they’re still little but very exciting to see!).

If you’re not a woman or don’t have a Curves gym where you live, then look for a different way to get some strength training in.  Maybe there is a gym near you that you wouldn’t mind going to.

In addition to getting regular activity that gets your heart rate up and gets you sweating, don’t discount the importance of any activity to help you be healthy and remember to eat healthy as well so you have the energy and stamina to get your exercise in.