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28 Tips For Long Term Weight Loss

November 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment

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!

Filed Under: Featured, Lose Weight Naturally, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Articles, Weight Loss Tips Tagged With: , , ,

3 Of My Favorite Fat Loss Workouts

November 12, 2009 By Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: Featured, Lose Weight Naturally, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Articles, Weight Loss Tips Tagged With: , , , ,

Foods That Burn Fat – 8 Metabolism Igniting Foods

November 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment

When we’re dieting and trying to lose weight we want every advantage we can find to help us burn those calories and get that extra pudge off our bodies, right?

So are there really foods that can help a person burn extra calories?

Realistically, every food we eat gets our metabolism going to some extent because our body has to burn calories to digest it.

But, from what I’ve read and from what I’ve experienced myself I can see why a person’s body uses an apple differently than a bag of Doritos.

I think of it like this: our bodies know what to do when it sees a pure whole food source like an apple because it’s a food our bodies are meant to have and has nutrients our bodies know exactly how to utilize. A bag of Doritos on the other hand, while very tasty, aren’t exactly a whole and pure food source. They contain artificial ingredients and preservatives which our bodies aren’t designed to burn up efficiently so is it any wonder that our digestive system may look at those Doritos and say, “I’m not real sure what to do with these foreign ingredients so I’ll just stick them over here (aka–turn them into fat) and decide what to do with them later.”

Personally when I’m eating healthy and nutritious food I feel better, have more energy, can fight off sickness much better, and I lose weight.

When I fall back into my old habits of eating junk food and drinking soda, my energy levels plummet and I find it nearly impossible to lose weight even though I’m consuming the same number of calories as when I’m sticking to healthy food.

But I’ve wondered if there are healthy foods that can help rev up metabolism and help get pounds off. For instance I’ve always wondered if drinking cold water really does burn more calories than drinking room temperature water.

According to Web MD, the answer is “yes.” Information on the Web MD website says that both men’s and women’s metabolic rates increased by 30% after drinking water and they attributed 40% of that increase to the body’s attempt to heat up the water that was ingested. Plus our bodies work better when they are hydrated which can help keep our metabolism humming throughout the day.

So water is number one on my list of “foods that burn fat and ignite metabolism.”

Here’s seven more:

1) Breakfast Food – remember how your mother constantly told you that you should eat your breakfast? Mom was a pretty smart lady. After sleeping for several hours our metabolism has slowed and needs to get woken up. Breakfast does just that. Whole grain toast, oatmeal, whole grain cereal, eggs, yogurt, fruit and low fat milk are great breakfast foods that are nutritious and filling. You say you’re not hungry in the morning? I say eat something anyway, even if you can’t manage more than a piece of fruit. The idea is to get some food into the body to wake metabolism back up and get it going for the day.

2) High Fiber Foods – Fiber not only helps us feel full longer as our bodies work to digest it and break it down, but that extra work our bodies need to process that food through our system uses extra calories. Think fruits such as grapefruit and apples and bananas; vegetables like broccoli and spinach and sweet potatoes; whole grain breads and whole grain cereals; and beans – the high fiber food that makes you “toot.”

3) Hot peppers – Hot peppers contain capcaisin, a strong alkaloid produced by the glands of hot peppers. Capcaisin causes a body to burn extra calories for hours after being ingested which speeds up metabolism.

4) Almonds – This tasty nut contains essential fatty acids that help to raise body metabolism. I consider them a “win/lose” food though because although they help raise body metabolism it’s easy to eat hundreds of calories worth of almonds in a few minutes. Portion control is key. Try buying them in single serve bags.

5) Green Tea – It contains a healthy catechin, which is a tannin. It’s a powerful antioxidant and it also is known to speed up the brain and nervous system, which in turn causes a person’s body to burn more calories.

6) Coffee – I’m talking the high octane stuff that still has its caffeine in it. Caffeine gives our bodies a boost but be careful because overdoing it on the caffeine can turn a person into a jittery mess and cause sleeplessness.

7) High Protein Foods – Foods high in lean protein such as turkey and yogurt can help boost metabolism because protein helps build muscle and muscle burns more calories than fat.

Now here’s where I add a “catch.” While consuming the foods I just listed can help increase metabolism and burn fat, it doesn’t mean that calories don’t count. Calories do count. Bottom line: a person still needs to take in less calories than their body burns to lose weight.

Filed Under: Diet Friendly Foods, Featured, Lose Weight Naturally, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Articles, Weight Loss Tips Tagged With: , , , ,

What To Eat And Lose Weight

November 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Today’s diet plan boys and girls is this, “ Eat egg whites for breakfast along with 8 ounces of fat free milk and one slice of whole grain toast, salad greens with vinegar and a splash of olive oil for lunch along with an apple, and a plain chicken breast with steamed vegetables for dinner. If you’re really hungry in the evening and just have to have something, then you can splurge and eat a half cup of nonfat cottage cheese. And drink a bunch of water throughout the day” Does that sound delicious or so boring that you’d almost rather eat nothing?

I didn’t just pick that menu out of thin air. It’s one a personal trainer at a gym gave me several years ago when I asked for help with a diet plan. It just goes to show that a person needs to be careful about what they ask for. Look what it got me – a diet plan that I couldn’t follow no matter how hard I tried and one that I hated from the second I saw it. Was it healthy? I suppose so. Was it tasty? No, no and no! (just exactly what was I supposed to put on that slice of toast to make it not taste like a piece of cardboard?)

When a person goes on a diet it’s hard to figure out how to make that healthy food we’re eating taste good without adding a lot of fat because as French chefs say “The flavor is in the fat.”

We all know that lean protein, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy are the mainstays of most any weight loss plan. That’s no secret. And, sadly, we also know that we should limit or completely avoid those tasty white flour products, sugar and alcohol. Yeah, no hope of a cocktail every so often or a candy bar along with seeing broiled fish, brown rice and streamed broccoli is just what I want to look forward to every evening when I get home (not!).

It’s not that I hate healthy food. I do like fish, chicken, broccoli, and brown rice. I just like them to have some flavor without using my old way of cooking which is add some butter and some oil and then to add more butter!

But along with finding flavorful substitutes for excessive amounts of fat, I don’t think it’s realistic for a person to think they can completely give up “treats” because I think that’s a setup for almost instant failure. Why? Because there’s going to come a moment of weakness at the same time an entire family size bag of peanut M&M’s and a 2 liter bottle of Coca Cola are within reach.

I think the trick is to leave a little “wiggle room” for treats (truthfully I have a little something sweet or salty every day and I’ve lost 50 pounds so far); along with finding ways to punch up the flavor of food without using vats of butter and oil.
If you’ve made the commitment to cut back on fat and sugar, what can you do to give your food flavor and punch while still staying on the “losing game” with weight loss?

Here are some of my favorites:
Fresh lemon juice, a splash of good quality extra virgin olive oil, and a little freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (or a more reasonably priced American Grana cheese) along with some sea salt and freshly grated black pepper give baby salad greens a huge punch of flavor without adding a lot of calories.

Another favorite salad of mine is a combination of Romaine lettuce, baby spinach, 1 cucumber, 1 green bell pepper, and 2 stalks of celery all chopped into bite size pieces along with 1 to 2 tablespoons of my favorite full fat Parmesan Peppercorn dressing (I make it myself using Penzey’s creamy peppercorn dressing mix that I make with light sour cream and light mayo and that I stir a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese into). The salad fixings have very few calories and have a huge crunch factor. Yes, the dressing does have some calories and fat in it; but did you know that some fat needs to be eaten along with those healthy vegetables so that a person’s body is able to absorb the nutrients?

Spices, spices and spices. Make friends with the spice aisle in your grocery store, or better yet find a store that sells spices and only spices for a great variety and reasonable price (my favorite is Penzey’s spices).

My spice cupboard gets a heavy workout when I’m cooking lean protein. Jerk or lemon/pepper seasoning are my favorites with fish and chicken. McCormick has some delicious spice blends that take the guesswork out of giving food flavor. Their Montreal steak and chicken seasonings are delicious, and their vegetable supreme seasoning perks up the taste of almost any cooked vegetable. There’s a ton of seasoning mixes available in stores specifically designed to give meat and poultry flavor without adding calories. Check out the spice aisle and then sprinkle it on or rub it in and cook away.

Steamed broccoli sprinkled with Italian seasoning, freshly cracked black pepper and a little bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese is yummy!

Or, give the steamer a break and roast vegetables instead. Toss bite size pieces of your favorite vegetables in a little olive oil and then sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper and a little sea salt. Roast in a single layer on a baking sheet at 425 degrees for 12 minutes, turn, and continue cooking until the vegetables are browned. I never liked steamed cauliflower (unless it was drenched in butter) but I love it roasted. Other vegetables that I absolutely love roasted are broccoli, potatoes, asparagus, carrots and butternut squash.

Salsa, hot sauce and mustard add tons of flavor but minimal calories. Mustard pairs especially well with pork. Breakfast is my favorite time to use hot sauce. I love it with eggs. Salsa is also good with eggs and is a great addition to lean ground meat to make a deliciously moist burger.

To add flavor to whole grains, cook them with low sodium broth or stock instead of water. It’s how I got my whole family to like brown rice.

When it comes to the beverages you drink throughout the day think “I’d rather eat my calories than drink them.” I love Starbucks but their 16 ounce size (Grande size) white chocolate mocha has almost 500 calories. Switching to nonfat milk and skipping the whipped cream on top saves over hundred calories but still weighs in at a hefty 350 calories. A more calorie friendly choice is a 16 ounce latte with non fat milk and a shot of sugar free syrup. It weighs in at 130 calories (less than a third of the calories of the same sized white chocolate mocha). But if you’re not a fan of sugar free anything (I’m not because I don’t think those artificial sweeteners are good for a person’s body), try a latte with a half shot of regular syrup.

Eat fresh whole foods whenever possible and yes I know that’s a good thing to say in theory but is much harder to do when you’ve just worked the entire day, have to get one child to soccer practice, another to a piano lesson, and then need to get a meal on the table before there’s a revolt from your hungry family (that’s if you can convince them to wait until you get home to eat).

A slow cooker is a great investment. You can pop a beef roast in it in the morning along with some beef broth and dry onion soup mix (reduce fat cream of mushroom soup is also a tasty addition to the beef in the crock pot). You’ll be able to walk in the door at night to delicious hot beef that you can instantly turn into delicious hot beef sandwiches. Or, if you have a little more time, you can cook up some potatoes and carrots to serve alongside. Or put some chicken breasts in the slow cooker in the morning that are sprinkled with taco seasoning. Add some salsa and about a cup of chicken broth. Cook on low all day. At night you’ll have tender chicken that can be shredded and rolled up in wraps with your favorite toppings.

When you want to really treat yourself without having to buy pants that are a size larger, indulge in lobster (a little over 160 calories for 6 ounces which leaves enough room to dip it in a little melted butter); shrimp cocktail (about 60 calories for 12 large shrimp and around 50 calories for a quarter cup of cocktail sauce); or top a slice of angel food cake with some fresh raspberries and a dollop of freshly whipped cream (less than 200 calories – about 150 for the cake, a little over 1 calorie for each raspberry and 8 calories for a tablespoon of unsweetened whipped cream).

If you’re looking for a crunchy snack with minimal calories eat some dill pickles or other pickled vegetables. Pickled green beans and pickled asparagus are super delicious and are low in calories.

When in doubt trying to decide what you should or shouldn’t eat while trying to lose weight, choose foods closest to their natural source as possible; foods with a short and natural ingredient list (like my mother says “If you can’t say it do you really want to eat it?”); and avoid partially hydrogenated fats and high fructose corn syrup.

And, when fast food is the only choice besides chewing off your arm, choose a burger (pile on the ketchup, mustard and pickles but opt out of the other sauces and cheese) or grilled chicken sandwich over a deep fried chicken or fish sandwich. A small side of fries won’t break the calorie bank as long as they’re not a daily indulgence because even though a side salad is often a lower calorie choice (depending on the salad dressing chosen), a salad is awfully hard to eat while on the run.

Filed Under: Cooking Tips, Diet Friendly Recipes, Featured, Lose Weight Naturally, Tasty Snacks, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Articles, Weight Loss Tips Tagged With: , ,

11 Effective Weight Loss Strategies

October 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

There’s about a gazillion tips and strategies out there on how to lose weight. Some are helpful and some aren’t, such as cutting out all carbohydrates. Sure, it can help with weight loss but how healthy is it to cut out an entire food group completely and how long will a person be able to ban all carbs before they go crazy and consume the entire bread basket at a restaurant in 3 minutes flat because they feel so deprived?

Instead here’s 11 sensible weight loss strategies that I have found to be effective and possible to follow long-term (no tips suggesting “crash and burn” starvation dieting here).

1) Everything in moderation. Instead of banning entire food groups, have what you really want but have it in moderation. Want lasagna? Have a small portion along with a large portion of salad, not the entire pan. Want chocolate? Have 1 really decadent piece instead of jamming 3 regular-size Snickers bars in your mouth at the speed of light and then hiding the wrappers under your sofa cushions.

2) Brush your teeth. I’m not talking about the twice a day that you already brush your teeth (you do brush your teeth twice a day, right?). I’m talking about using it as a strategy to help you keep food out of your mouth that you don’t want going directly to your hips (or wherever you’re prone to instantly pack on the extra poundage. That chocolate I talked about in the first tip? After eating that one delicious piece, go brush your teeth. You’ll be less tempted to eat more right after brushing because your mouth will feel clean and minty fresh; plus chocolate does not taste good right after you brush (yes, I know that mint and chocolate go together but mint toothpaste and chocolate do not. Have you ever seen chocolate covered toothpaste truffles?). Just remember that this strategy is to help keep you from overeating; not from eating when you are hungry and need fuel for your body (toothpaste is not a food group).

3) Practice Self Love. Don’t think you can find time to exercise? Don’t think you have time to shop for and eat healthy food? Don’t think you have enough time to get 7-8 hours a sleep at night (too little sleep negatively affects weight loss). If you don’t have time now, then when? When will taking care of yourself be important? After you gain 100 pounds? After you have a heart attack? After you get type II diabetes? After you experience a health issue related to your excess weight that’s so severe that you can no longer take care of yourself, much less anyone else? It’s not selfish to put your well-being and health first in your life. Do it for you because you’re worth it.

4) Learn What A Normal Portion Is. Portion sizes have gotten steadily bigger over the last 30 years and it shows in the form of extra weight on a lot of us. It’s everywhere and not just the increased size of the regular drink cups at McDonalds, the monster size restaurant portions that could easily feed 2-3 people, and the “dinner” sized plates that are closer to the size of the platters my Mom used to serve her whole chicken on at family Sunday dinners. . The “super-size” culture has even gotten into our classic cookbooks. Yesterday I read that the calories in recipes in the Joy of Cooking cookbooks have increased over 30% since it was first published.

A normal size serving of protein is about the size of a deck or cards or your palm. Yet, how many of us would be upset if our favorite restaurant served us a steak that was as big as our fist? Ditto for a normal size portion of pasta which is 1 cup. What would you say if Olive Garden served you a 1 cup portion of chicken alfredo? Would you be thankful that they aren’t trying to make you buy bigger pants or scream that they aren’t giving you your “money’s worth?”

Do you think this means you need to be hungry all the time? It doesn’t. Eat normal size portions of protein and whole grains; and then fill the rest of your plate with lots of veggies and fruits.

Portion out nuts and snacks into individual bags or containers so you don’t mindlessly eat an entire family size bag of potato chips while watching television.

5) Ask yourself, “Am I Hungry?” Before you put any food in your mouth, ask yourself if you’re hungry (especially if it’s less than an hour after you had your last meal). Or, are you bored? Are you angry? Are you happy and want to celebrate something? Are you sad? Obviously, if you’re not hungry you shouldn’t eat. But, that’s a whole lot easier said then done.

Boredom, the number one reason why people eat when they’re not hungry, was a huge issue that I had to deal with. And it wasn’t because I didn’t have things to do. Like most people these days I always have more things to do in a day than I have hours to do them. The problem is that they’re not always things I want to be doing. I mean how easy is it to stuff food in your mouth while on a boring commute or while reading a report at work that’s a huge snore-fest?

Just the act of asking yourself whether or not you’re hungry can help a person resist the food and put it back down, but not always. For me, it helps to find a way to get away from the food. If I’m driving I only keep a limited amount of food in my vehicle. If I’m a passenger I listen to music on my i-pod, podcasts on topics I enjoy, or books on tape to keep me entertained. If I’m reading boring, but necessary, info (happens all too often), I make sure I do it where food isn’t available. If possible, I’ll also take a break and go for a walk – even if it’s only to the bathroom.

6) Get a fitness/walking/exercise buddy. There’s nothing like accountability to get your butt moving or having someone else count on you. My best fitness buddy is my dog. If she doesn’t get out for her daily walk she’s not a happy camper, so unless I want a restless dog in the evenings she and I head out to walk (rain or shine – it’s just shorter walk on rainy days).

My husband is also a fitness buddy although we only occasionally exercise together; mostly because he’s more fit than I am and I feel like I’m holding him back from getting his best workout when we walk or ride our bikes together. But we ask each other if we got our activity in for the day and will stand in front of each other and talk each other through those last couple really hard minutes of our stationary bike ride.

A friend of mine has a work walking buddy. They count in each other for their daily “after lunch” walk and motivate each other when one of them doesn’t feel like doing it.

7) Get enough sleep. I don’t know who coined the phrase “I’ll sleep when I die” but I’m betting it was said in a joking manner and not meant to be taken as a mantra that many of us have adopted (at least I hope they were kidding). We’re so busy these days and always trying to fit in “just a little more work” before going to bed or dragging ourselves out of bed an extra half hour early in the morning because that’s the only time we think we can fit in exercise. Getting regular exercise is vital but so is getting 7-8 hours of sleep every day.

There is now quite a bit of scientific research saying that not getting enough sleep is bad for our waists. I personally also think it has something to do with the simple act of being awake more hours a day because, if we are depriving ourselves of one to two hours of needed sleep a day, then we have one to two more hours a day where we have the potential to be shoving food into our mouths.

Plus, how many of us have downed high calorie drinks with caffeine in them in an effort to stay awake for a “little while longer” or to help us wake up in the morning because we didn’t get enough sleep night before.

If you’re not going to get enough sleep every night (or at least most nights) it’s going to make losing weight harder. Seriously, getting enough sleep should be the easiest (and most enjoyable) weight loss strategy to adopt.

8) Make fiber your friend. Fiber fills us up and gets released slowly into our bodies, helping us to stay feeling satisfied longer and less likely to dive headfirst into a plate of pastries. It’s recommended that healthy adults should be eating 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day. Most of us don’t get close to that amount, probably in large part because of the processed and “stripped” foods many of us consume as part of our daily diet.

Switching to whole grain bread is a good start.

That tasty snack of popcorn is a good source of fiber as well (instead of drenching it in butter try drizzling it with heart healthy good quality olive oil, a little freshly grated parmesan cheese and a little sea salt).

Some nuts are a tasty source of fiber too (an ounce of almonds has about 4 grams of fiber).

Fruits and vegetables are also good sources of fiber; with the exception of almost all juices (a medium apple has 5 grams of fiber).

Beans are a great source of fiber as well (1/2 cup cooked black beans has 7 grams of fiber), but because they can be difficult for people to digest they also tend to be a source of gas which makes some people avoid them because it’s just not nice to fart during an important meeting or in a roomful of people at a party (unless you’re good at pretending you didn’t do it and can pass the blame to someone else).

9) Write down what you eat. A financial budget helps keep your spending in check so why not use the same strategy to keep your eating under control? Writing down what you eat helps you easily see if you’re eating enough fruits and vegetables, if you’re eating enough fiber, eating enough protein, and drinking enough liquid. It can also help a person see where and when they are getting off track with healthy eating and why the scale might be inching upwards.

A food journal doesn’t have to be anything fancy. It can be as simple as writing it on a piece of scrap paper but I recommend a small notebook so you can keep several weeks worth of eating in one easy place for reference.

You might be thinking, “I can remember it all in my head.” If you can, good for you! Most people can’t easily recall exactly what they’re eaten that day though (there’s too much other stuff to remember). It’s so easy to forget about that bite of cake given out as a sample at the grocery store or that handful of chips (or 2 or 3 or 4) you grabbed while watching television and munched down without thinking about it.

10) Color your world blue. Did you know the color blue works as an appetite suppressant? It’s because there are very few foods in nature that are blue (even blueberries look more purple than blue to me) so our minds tend to not associate the color blue with food.

You could paint your dining room blue or even color your food blue if you wanted; but that sounds like too much work to me (although painting a room would be good exercise!). Instead buy yourself some blue dinnerware. You could also put a blue light in your refrigerator.

Green and pink and gray are also considered appetite suppressant colors but personally I would avoid gray because it’s also a color that can depress people.

11) Use smaller plates and bowls. Most of us like to see a plate full of food when we sit down to eat. Who wants to be reminded that they’re dieting at dinnertime by seeing huge empty spots on their plate where food used to reside?

For me a full plate makes me think “yum, I’m getting lots of food to fill my tummy.” But since I don’t want my tummy to prevent me from ever being able to see my toes again I have to keep things in check and not eat as much as I used to.

So instead of using full-size dinner plates and bowls, I use salad plates and smaller bowls. I end up eating less and still feel satisfied.

Yeah, it’s a mental trick but studies have shown that a person will eat more if a huge plate of food is placed in front of them but will eat less if there’s less food placed in front of them irregardless of how hungry they are. And, it’s an easy thing to try – no special cooking methods needed!

Filed Under: Featured, Lose Weight Naturally, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Tips Tagged With: , , , , ,

Drinking Water to Lose Weight – Bottoms Up!

October 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

How many times have you heard that it’s important to drink water?  If you’re like me, it’s about a gazillion and two and you’re really sick of hearing about it!  But, the reason you probably hear so much about it is because drinking water is vital not only for weight loss, but for overall health.

So, for the gazillion and third time, “it’s important to drink water.”

Why is drinking water such a big deal?  The main reason is because our bodies are made up of a lot of water (somewhere between 55-65 percent in adults depending on the person according to madsci.org), and that water needs to be replenished so our bodies don’t become so dry and parched they’re like the Sahara desert!

Water is so important that a person can die in as little as 3 days without water according to livescience.com (but they obviously don’t recommend testing that theory out).  They also explain that water, “flows through the blood, carrying oxygen and nutrients to cells and flushing wastes out of our bodies.  It cushions our joints and soft tissues.  Without water as a routine part of our intake, we cannot digest or absorb food.”

You want water to carry oxygen to your cells and cushion your joints so that you can breathe decently and have less stress on your joints while exercising, and even just for going about your normal day-to-day activities, right?

You want waste flushed out of your body because who wants extra waste in their body when they step on scale, right?  Actually, now that I think about it, who wants extra waste lurking in their body at any time? (yuck!)

You want the nutrients from all those fruits, vegetables, lean portions of protein, and whole grains you’re eating to be absorbed into your body, right? (yes, I know that some of these foods, especially fruits and vegetables, contain water but not enough to keep our bodies hydrated).

With regards to weight loss, water is important for one big, huge reason (it’s a huge reason to me anyway).  It helps us to feel fuller which may make us less likely to reach for that “hundreds of calories” worth of brownies or chips a half hour after eating dinner (unless you ate like a rabbit and only ate lettuce leaves and raw carrots for dinner).

Plus, did you know that people often mistake thirst for hunger?  I don’t have a percentage to throw at you but I can give you my own person testimonial to this because I used to be a water hater.  Don’t get me wrong – I drank enough liquid but it was high calorie liquid in the form of soda pop (plain water was something I avoided like it was poison).

Then when I got serious about losing weight and finally started listening to the experts who are continually “blah-blah-blahing” about the importance of drinking water, I started to realize how I had been eating something to quench my thirst instead of drinking water a lot of the time.

How did I realize this?  Almost every time I thought I was hungry (with the exception of times I had gone 6 hours or more without eating and my stomach was growling because then it was obvious I was starving!) I would take a drink of water before eating something and wait just a couple of minutes to see if I still wanted something to eat.  More often than not, I realized I wanted more to drink.  Nobody was more surprised than me!

And the crazy thing is now that I’m drinking a lot more water (at least eight, 8 ounce glasses a day), I actually am thirsty for more water.  It’s like I had the connection between thirst and drinking water turned off in my brain – probably because I ignored it for so long.

The bottom line with drinking water for has been this: I feel better, have less headaches (did you know that dehydration can cause headaches), and am losing weight without feeling like I am being starved and am two seconds away from inhaling an entire pint of Ben and Jerry’s.

So, bottoms up with that water glass and drink it up!  Your body will love you for its.

Filed Under: Featured, Lose Weight Naturally, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Articles, Weight Loss Tips Tagged With: , , ,

Lose Weight Naturally For Long Term Weight Loss Success

October 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment

In our society of instant gratification nobody wants to hear that the healthiest way to lose weight is to lose it naturally, without popping a bunch of pills or drinking strange concoctions of herbs and who knows what else (“eye of newt”?)

What do I mean when I say it’s best to lose weight naturally?  I’m talking about losing it with diet and exercise, and to do it slowly.

Yeah, I know nobody wants to hear that.

But to have the best chance of keeping the weight off, diet and exercise are the way to go.

Why?

Let me give you an example.  You watch an infomercial that says you’ll lose weight quickly and easily just by taking their product.  They go on to say there is no need to change your diet or to exercise because their product will cause the weight to fall off without any pain, effort, or discipline on your part.

Wow!  It sounds too good to be true, but the part of you that is desperate to lose weight doesn’t listen so you order it.

Does it work?  It might.

Does it cause side effects?  It might but who cares if it helps you lose weight, right?

What happens when you quit taking it (or do you plan on taking it for the rest of your life)?

I can tell you what happens when you quit taking it.  The weight almost always piles right back on.

Why?

It’s because you never learned how to change the eating and exercise (or shall I say lack of exercise) habits that caused you to gain weight in the first place.

My “expertise” on this topic comes from the good old “school of hard knocks” called experience.  I’m not a doctor or scientific expert – just a normal person who has struggled with weight loss.

After getting married and having kids I looked in the mirror one day and realized I wasn’t exactly skinny anymore.  But instead of eating more fruits and vegetables, eating whole grains and lean protein, and exercising regularly (and to only eat when I was hungry instead of when I was bored, sad, angry, etc.), I fell prey to the multi-billion dollar weight loss industry and those slick and enticing marketing campaigns that made me believe I didn’t have to stop stuffing my face with pizza, chips and candy every day but instead could just take their pills or “natural” herbs and supplements to get back to a normal weight.

What did I get?  I got a lot poorer because none of that stuff is cheap, got fatter, and got more and more depressed with each failed attempt.

When I went to see a new doctor and she tried to convince me to give diet and exercise a try, I resisted.  Well, I didn’t really resist.  I just ignored her.  When she insisted on continuing to talk about it, I started to think about other things and waited for her to get done yapping.  Then I went home and continued with my same old bad habits.

Flash forward a couple of years.  I was getting fatter all the time but ignoring it.  But, all of a sudden my test results at my annual checkup weren’t so stellar.  My blood pressure was getting high and my blood sugar was in the pre-diabetic range.  Those things were pretty hard to ignore.  I was in real danger of losing my health.

My doctor insisted it didn’t mean I was going to get diabetes, but that I almost certainly would if I didn’t make changes in my life.  What kind of changes?  Changes to my diet and incorporating regular exercise into my life (ugh!  not that “song and dance” again!).

Until that point in time I had never really thought about the saying “you are what you eat.”  But when I finally did think about it I realized I was a walking talking junk food machine.  No wonder my body was rebelling.

So I decided to give that darn “lose weight with diet and exercise” thing a go and started eating fewer calories than I was burning.

Guess what?

It works.  It’s not “quick and easy” but I’m happy to say I’ve lost 50 pounds and am keeping it off because I’ve changed the way I eat and now exercise regularly.  Now when I think about “you are what you eat,” I know I’m a fruit, veggie, whole grain, and protein machine (with a little junk food tossed in here and there).  My health has improved too.  I have more energy, normal blood pressure, and normal blood sugar levels (no more pre-diabetic range for me!).

I used to think I wanted a quick and easy weight loss solution in the form of some pill or potion but I now know it’s not what I really wanted.  I really wanted to lose weight and have it stay lost for good instead of always finding me again.

I didn’t choose to go it alone though because I knew I needed help decoding all the information about weight loss out there so I joined Weight Watchers where I choose the food I’m going eat and have been taught how to make healthy choices.

If you know you want to start losing weight naturally for long term success but aren’t sure where to start here are a few tips to help you get going:

-          eat lots of fruits and vegetables

-          use spices and herbs to flavor food instead of massive quantities of butter and oil

-          drink lots of water instead of gallons of soda, high calorie energy drinks and calorie dense juices

-          eat lean protein

-          eat whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat bread, etc.)

-          talk to your health care provider about exercise.  Most recommend 30-60 minutes of physical activity 5-7 days a week.

-          Take care of yourself by taking time to relax and getting enough sleep

-          Don’t forbid any food because it’s not diet friendly because it will only make you want it more (remember when you were little and your Mom told you  not to touch something?  Did you want to touch it more than ever?  Of course you did.  It’s human nature.  It’s the same theory here – if you really want those nacho cheese Doritos have some; just not an entire family size bag in 1 sitting)

-          Try modeling.  No, not the walking down the runway type but the type where you model your habits after someone you know who is normal weight and healthy.  One of my favorite tips from a friend who has always been normal weight.  She says to have a little chocolate every day.  She says her favorite thing is to buy M&M’s from those 25 cent vending machines.  It’s enough to satisfy her and there are no worries about a partial giant sized bag sitting around calling her name.   Another friend says she always stops eating when she is satisfied no matter how tasty the food in front of her is.  She tells herself she can always get more when she’s hungry again and that helps her put down the fork and stop shoveling it in.

-          Eat when you are hungry; not when you are bored or upset and not when you are watching television and not paying attention to what you are stuffing in your mouth.

-          Be kind to yourself.  Nobody is perfect and there will be days when you make less than great food choices.  It happens.  Dust yourself off and keep going.  Perseverance pays off.

A friend told me several months ago that the power to lose weight was inside me.  She’s right.  Yes, it takes discipline but what’s wrong with having a little self-discipline?  It’s worth it.  And while I don’t agree the saying of “being thin is better than having a piece of cake” because some days I really want that cake and have learned I can have cake once in a while and still lose weight, I’m healthier, happier and more confident since I’ve gotten rid of some of those extra pounds.

Filed Under: Featured, Lose Weight Naturally, Weight Loss Articles, Weight Loss Tips Tagged With: , , ,

13 Tips For Losing Weight

September 30, 2009 By Leave a Comment

A few weeks ago I asked one of my thin friends for her best weight loss tip.  She said “don’t eat.”  Ha, ha.  Wasn’t she funny? (not!) I told her that her advice would work all fine and great until I pass out from weakness, which, with my luck would happen right as I’m crossing the street while a bus is heading my way at full speed.

Since I obviously couldn’t count on my friend for helpful weight loss tips, I had to actually think about the tips I use in my everyday life to help me lose weight (wonder how many calories I burn while thinking).

Here are 13 of them (and unlike those superstitious elevator numbering people who will not make a 13th floor button although there is obviously a 13th floor in a 20 story building, I do not think the number 13 is unlucky).

1) Write Down What You Eat
Why?  Have you ever gone to the ATM machine, taken out $100 and then looked in your wallet the next day to find only a few singles left and then wondered what happened to the rest of the money?

Not writing down what you eat is kind of the same.  It’s hard to remember everything you ate.  Our brains only hold so much information plus sometimes our minds hardly register what we’ve eaten (those bites consumed while standing in front of the fridge door, the nuts and chips shoveled in while watching television, etc).

For me, writing down what I eat during the day is especially helpful when it comes to dinnertime because I can easily see if I have enough calories left for a nice plate of pasta or if I’ve already indulged enough during the day and should stick to some lean protein and vegetables.

2) Drink Before You Chew
I’m talking about drinking water.  Why?  Because that’s what a large portion of our bodies consist of (about 60-70 percent although it varies somewhat with each individual person), and that liquid needs to be replenished.

Many people (me for instance) tend to mistake thirst for hunger and eat something instead of drinking water.  I now take a drink of water before I eat something to make sure that I’m actually hungry and not just thirsty.  I often find the water is what my body really wanted and that I don’t need to eat anything right that second.

3) Pop Some Popcorn
Many of us love our crunchy, salty snacks.  If you’re not convinced of this take a stroll through your local grocery store.  Mine has two  entire aisles full of the stuff.

To help with my weight loss efforts, I’ve swapped the greasy potato chips and cheese snacks for popcorn whether it’s microwave or air popped (but not the butter drenched movie theater stuff).

It’s a lot lower in calories, satisfies my craving for crunchy and salty food, and it’s a good source of fiber.

Try it air popped with a drizzle of good quality olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese (yum!).

4) Eat What You Really Want
Have you ever really wanted a chocolate candy bar or piece of cake (or whatever your favorite indulgences are) but didn’t have them because you were (sigh) dieting and didn’t want to ruin your diet?

But instead you drank some sugar free cocoa, then had a high fiber granola bar, then ate some low fat chips, and then a handful of almonds because they are supposed to help fill you up; but still weren’t satisfied and ended up eating more calories than if you would have just let yourself have the food you really wanted but in a reasonable portion instead of a piece large enough to feed a family of six?  Yep, I’ve done this too many times to count.

Now I no longer make any food forbidden or deny myself something I really want.  But, I work it into my weight loss plan and make sure my other food choices that day are a little lighter to make up for it or get in some extra exercise.

5) Make A List of Your Favorite Fast Foods
No matter how diligent we are about planning our meals and snacks to make sure they are healthy and within the weight loss plan we’re on, almost all of us are going to have times where we are really hungry but don’t have any food with us and need to have a quick bite.

Hello, fast food drive-through.  Yes, almost everything you’ve heard about the high-fat and high calorie choices at fast food restaurants is probably true.  But not everything is completely horrible.  There are some decent choices at most places and some are even downright healthy.

I’ve made a list of the foods I enjoy most at my favorite fast food places (some are fairly healthy choices and others “not so much”).    Next to each item I’ve written how many Weight Watchers points that item will cost me because that’s the weight loss plan I’m on (you may be just counting calories so you’d just write down how many calories each of your favorite items are).

That way when I need to stop for a quick bite, I can look at my list and decide how many points (or calories) I’m willing to spend on the fast food meal.  It helps keep me from overeating.

6) Stop Acting Like It’s Your Last Meal
For most of us, we know that we can easily find more food for our next meal so it’s not necessary to eat the current meal like it’s the last one we are going to have, and as a result stuff ourselves to the point of it being painful (yep, I’ve done that too which is why I used to have a bottle of Tums with me at all times).

Slow down, enjoy your food, and eat to the point of satisfaction – not to the point of busting out the seams on your pants!

Then, in a couple of hours, when you’re hungry again, have a little more to eat.

7) Go To The Bathroom In The Middle Of Your Meal
Sounds kind of crazy, but a couple months ago someone told me they always stop halfway through their meal at a restaurant (a place where it’s so easy to overeat) and go to the bathroom.

Besides using that time for the obvious, this person takes an extra minute or two to think about how she feels; as in she purposely thinks about whether or not she is still hungry or if her tummy is happy and satisfied.

She said she usually finds she is satisfied and doesn’t need more to eat so she goes back to her table and asks the server to box up the rest of her food.

This tip works really well for me.  When I’m at a restaurant it’s usually with other people so I’m not always paying attention to what I’m eating.  I’m just shoveling the food in my mouth in between snippets of conversation and not paying attention to how much I’m eating or whether I’m getting full.  Stopping midway to go to the bathroom is now a reminder to myself to gauge how my tummy is feeling because I want to keep losing weight and don’t want to have to go back to carrying antacid pills with me everywhere I go because I’ve overly stuffed myself.

An extra little tip: if you are seated in a booth, position yourself at the end so you don’t disrupt other people’s meals when you take your “break.”

8) Take Up An Activity To Keep Your Hands Busy While Watching Television
Mindless eating and watching television are deadly to weight loss and I used to be a huge offender.  I’m one of those people that needs to keep my hands busy doing something and shoving food in my mouth has always been a handy and easy thing to do while watching television.
I could give up tv, but I don’t want to so I’ve taken up knitting and crocheting.  I stink at it but it keeps my hands busy and helps me keep the food I don’t need and am not hungry for out of my mouth.

9) Think About Food More Often
Seems crazy for me to say to think about food more often when you are trying to lose weight and probably want to think about it as little as possible.
But when I don’t plan what I’m going to eat or when I eat mindlessly, that’s when I have problems staying on my weight loss plan and when I tend to pack the pounds back on.
I usually take a couple minutes every evening to plan what I’m going to eat the next day.  It’s especially helpful if I’m going to be eating at a restaurant.  Then I can hopefully find their menu online and pre-plan what I’m going to have and then plan the rest of my food choices for the day around it.

10)  Act Like A Squirrel and Keep A Stash of Food
This tip seems counterproductive to losing weight just like the tip recommending that you think about food more often.  But keeping a stash of “safe to eat” food handy can help you resist the fast food restaurant signs calling out your name, the dish of candy bars sitting on your co-workers desk, and the donuts in the break room.
I almost always have single serve packs of almonds (Emerald dry roasted almonds are super delicious), and an apple or banana with me.  I also sometimes carry mini candy bars to help satisfy my chocolate cravings and 100 calorie packs of Cheetos or Sun Chips.
A friend of mine keeps Soup at Hand and a couple pieces of Dove chocolate in her desk drawer.
The trick is to not keep too much on hand though because then it can get too tempting to eat it all on the same day.  Two or three things is plenty.

11) Find a Skinny Picture
If you have a picture from when you were thinner, put it where you can look at it every day to help keep you motivated.  If you’re an avid Facebook or Twitter user, make it your profile picture so you can look at it every day; or make it the profile picture in your instant messaging program.
Don’t have a skinny picture?  Find a picture of someone you’d like to look like, but be realistic.  Those gorgeous pictures of supermodels and celebrities on the covers of magazines have been airbrushed and Photo-shopped like crazy!

12) Try New Fruits and Vegetables
I’m a Weight Watchers follower and go to weekly meetings.  At those meetings I hear people say over and over again how they know they should eat more vegetables but just don’t like them.
They then go on to say that they either have carrots and celery every day (boring!) or that they’ve tried the old standbys of broccoli and cauliflower but can’t stand them.  I’m not sure why almost every dieter tries to force themselves to eat broccoli and cauliflower.  They are two very strong tasting vegetables so it’s no wonder that some people turn their nose up at them and then declare that they hate vegetables in general or are so sick of carrot and celery sticks that they would rather not eat at all.
Vegetables can be really tasty but not every person is going to like every one and not everyone likes them raw or likes them cooked and prepared the same way.
If you want to eat more fruits and vegetables, then make a pact with yourself to try one new one a week or to try one prepared a new way every week.
I used to hate broccoli but after I tried it roasted I found I love it (turn your oven to 400 degrees, toss the broccoli in a little olive oil or spray both the pan and the broccoli liberally with cooking spray, sprinkle on salt and pepper and then cook until it starts to brown around the edges).  Roasting vegetables gives them a really different taste – kind of nutty.
Another way to get more vegetables in your meals is to use them to bulk up your main course.  Single serve frozen meals can be really handy but the portion sizes tend to look snack size rather than meal size.  Buy bags of single serve frozen vegetables to heat up with those frozen meals and use them like you would lettuce (place the vegetables on a plate first and top them with the single serve meal if it’s one that has sauce such as a frozen pasta meal).

13) Get Rid of Your “Fat” Clothes
When you move down a size (yeah for you!) don’t keep those too big “fat clothes” in your closet “just in case.”  That’s a mistake I made for many years.  Because I was keeping those fat clothes “just in case,” I always knew that I could just slip on a bigger pair of jeans “temporarily of course” if I overindulged for a week or two.
But when I decided that I had no intention of ever gaining the weight back, and as a result decided to get rid of my fat clothes, the weight has been staying off (for the most part).  When I do start to gain a little and my jeans aren’t so comfortable anymore I know it’s time to pay attention to what I’m eating and to exercise more because I don’t have backup “fat clothes” in my closet.
For me, my fat clothes were a security blanket that I used to give myself permission to go off my weight loss plan.
The day it came time to take them to Goodwill though, I resisted.  I suddenly lost my resolve to get rid of them because I was losing that security blanket.  It took the prodding of my husband (meaning he told me about 100 times that I didn’t need them anymore – to the point of me wanting to tell him to “take a flying leap”) to get me to part with them.  Then I rewarded myself the next day with some new, smaller sized clothes!

These 13 tips for losing weight are working for me.  I hope you’ll give them a try and see if they help you too!

Filed Under: Featured, Lose Weight Naturally, Weight Loss Articles, Weight Loss Tips Tagged With: ,

9 Healthy Ways To Lose Weight

September 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Trying to lose weight can be a challenge under the best of circumstances.  So, is it any surprise that many of us fall under the spell of slick marketing campaigns that lure us into popping pills that may not be safe or banning entire food groups all in the name of losing weight?

Personally I don’t know why I ever thought eating several pounds of bacon and cheese a week (yes, literally) while giving up fruits and grains was healthy.  Yes, I lost weight on that low-carb diet craze that was popular a few years ago, but the second I weakened and took a bite of bread the weight came right back.

I also don’t know why I thought I could lose weight in a healthy and safe way by just popping a couple “weight loss” pills into my mouth every day.  Some of them worked for a while. Some of them didn’t.  And some of them were pulled from the market while I was taking them because they were found to cause serious health problems, and in some cases, death.

It can make a person wonder if there are any healthy and safe ways to lose weight.  Along the way, I finally got smart and learned some.  Here are 9 that work for me:

1) Think green – as in lots of green foods and no, I’m not talking about green jelly beans.  Dark leafy green vegetables are filled with nutrients and fiber.  Lighter green veggies don’t usually have as many nutrients but they have fiber, are low in calories, and offer that “crunch” factor that many of us crave.
My favorite green goodies are: spinach, romaine lettuce, Swiss chard, green peppers, broccoli (love it roasted), cucumbers, kohlrabi, and avocados.
One warning about avocados though (there’s always something to spoil the fun isn’t there): they are healthy and delicious but are high in calories.  Enjoy them in moderation.

2) Eat foods that are as close to nature as possible – and no matter what those slick marketing campaigns say, I don’t think high fructose corn syrup is a food close to nature because it’s so highly processed.  I’ve eaten tons of foods whose ingredient labels read more like a science textbook than a food label and have packed on the pounds.  When I eat highly processed crappy food with lots of hard-to-pronounce ingredients in it my body probably thinks “What the @#$& is this stuff you are feeding me? I don’t recognize it and don’t know what to do with it so I guess I’ll just turn it into fat and store it until later when I figure out what to do with it.” I don’t think my body ever figures out what to do with it because it’s not a fuel source it understands so it permanently attaches to my hips.  Plus I don’t feel that great when I eat foods that are highly processed or that contain ingredients I can’t pronounce.
When I eat fresh fruits and vegetables (or frozen), lean protein, whole grains, and lean dairy I feel great and have lots of energy.  I think that’s because my body knows exactly what to do with those foods so it uses them to fuel me instead of storing them as fat.

3) Chew your calories – instead of drinking them.  We all know soda contains tons of calories.  But do you know juice, sports drinks, energy drinks, smoothies, coffee blends and health drinks can contain a ton of calories?
Not to pick on Starbucks because I love their nonfat lattes and have one a couple times a week, but did you know their 16 ounce “Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha” made in a seemingly healthy way with nonfat milk and without whipped cream has 430 calories?  That’s not a beverage – it’s a meal!

4) Make water your best friend – and take it with you wherever you go.  I used to treat water like a beverage that only needed to be consumed when I was out of diet Coke, diet Sunkist, diet root beer, regular Pepsi and regular Coca-Cola.  There were times when I literally only drank a couple ounces of plain water a week.  Is it any wonder I was having a hard time losing weight?  Now I drink lots of water and take it with me wherever I go so that I can sip it all day long.
Not only do I feel better when I’m hydrated but it helps me avoid overeating.  I’ve realized that I used to eat food when I was thirsty, mistaking thirst for hunger.  Now, before I eat something I try to drink some water first to be sure that I’m really hungry and not just thirsty.

5) Have breakfast, lunch, and dinner – and quit skipping meals.  I used to hardly ever eat breakfast and would also often skip lunch as well in an effort to lose weight. By the middle of the afternoon I was not only starving and ready to chew my arm off, I was also feeling pretty smug and happy about how I had “stayed on my diet.”  By dinnertime I was so hungry I practically inhaled my food and didn’t bother counting calories or making a healthy meal because I thought I absolutely would lose weight by only eating one meal a day.  Plus, because I had been so good earlier in the day I always allowed myself one or two treats at night.  What a disaster!  I probably ate more calories in the last 5 hours of the day than most other people were eating in 2 days (people who hadn’t skipped meals)!
Now I almost always (sometimes slip up and fall back into my old bad habits) eat a healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 snacks.  It helps prevent me from getting so overly hungry that I lose control, and eating every couple of hours helps keep my metabolism up.

6) Lose weight slowly – I know this is probably not what you want to hear.  I didn’t want to hear it either and refused to try and do it the “slow and steady” way for many years.  As a result I spent those “many years” losing a few pounds quickly, putting them back on quickly, and gaining a couple extra pounds after every diet gimmick I tried because I had messed up my metabolism.  Most experts say it’s not healthy to lose more than 1 to 2 pounds a week (insert big sigh) so that’s what I aim for.  Since I’ve taken “slow and steady” approach to weight loss I’ve lost 50 pounds and kept them off, which is 50 pounds more than I kept off after every “quick and easy” weight plan I tried.

7) Move your butt – and not just from the sofa to the recliner so you have a better view of the television.  Yes, I’m talking about exercise (such an icky word).  Our bodies were made to move but I’ve always hated exercise, mostly because I thought the only way to do it effectively was in a gym.  I don’t like gyms (way too many mirrors that I don’t want to see myself in) and I absolutely hate walking on a treadmill.  But now I’ve found activities (a word I like much better than “exercise”) that I like, namely bike riding, walking outdoors, swimming, and doing short sessions (30 minutes) of strength training.  Exercise has become much easier for me since I’ve found types I enjoy.  Plus it’s been a boost my weight loss and is good for my heart.

8) Be a pig – when it comes to fruits and vegetables.  Do you know of anyone who got fat eating fruits and vegetables?  I don’t.  Every vegan person I’ve seen is skinny and vegans make fruits and vegetables the staples of their every day diet.  It’s recommended that we get 5 servings a day of them.  I treat the “5 a day” as the minimum and instead do my best to eat at least 8 servings of fruits and veggies every day with an emphasis on crunchy raw veggies.

9) Go to bed – and sleep! There has been quite a bit of research showing how important it is to get enough sleep and that not getting enough of it contributes to weight gain and difficulty losing weight.  Our bodies need that rest time to recover from the day and to recharge.  Most experts recommend 7-8 hours a night.  Isn’t it great to know that going to bed and getting 8 hours of sleep a night is actually better for weight loss than skimping on sleep?

There you have it – 9 ways that I’m losing weight in a healthy way and strategies I’m using to help me get rid of those extra pounds that have been hanging around for far too long.

Filed Under: Featured, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Articles, Weight Loss Tips Tagged With: , ,

The Best Exercise To Lose Weight… Is The One You’ll Do!

September 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I am not trying to be a “smarty pants” by saying that the best exercise to lose weight is the one that you’ll do. The best type of exercise in the world won’t help you at all if you don’t do it. An expensive gym membership is worthless if the only time you ever set foot in the door is the day you signed up. The fanciest treadmill in the sporting goods store is nothing more than a dust collector if you never do more than “think” about getting on it and using it.

I’ve been there. I’ve purchased several gym memberships that have gone to waste because I stopped going after a couple of times. I owned a treadmill that sat unused for 5 years before I finally realized that I wasn’t going to use it and got rid of it because I was sick of dusting it.

Any exercise that gets your heart rate up and gets you sweating will help you lose weight. And strength training has double the positive benefits because you’ll burn calories while doing it and you’ll continue to burn more calories while resting as you build more muscle because muscle burns more calories than fat.

After many years of finding excuses to not exercise (too tired, too hard, too busy, too poor, too fat) I finally realized I was sick of making excuses.

I still hated the thought of exercising. But after reading a story about someone who lost 150 pounds by riding her bicycle I got inspired. The lady in the story talked about how she was only able to ride a couple of blocks the first time she got on a bike but was now riding in 50 mile events. She said that finding an activity she liked to do was key to her weight loss and well-being.

That got me to thinking back to when I was a kid and spent every minute I could outside riding bike, swimming in our pond, building forts in the backyard, batting a tennis ball against the garage, running around with our dog, and exploring along the stream by our house. I literally exercised for hours every summer day when I was a kid but never once did I say to myself “hey, I’m exercising!” Nope, I was just having fun.

So I went out and bought myself a “wide butt” seat for my bicycle and started riding it. My first bike ride was about 1 mile long and I thought it was going to kill me! I was so tired afterward. Now, I can ride 35 miles! Yes, I get tired but I can do it. And the best thing is that I like doing it.

I’m also walking regularly but not on a treadmill. My dog and I walk together but instead of putting her on a leash and walking on the sidewalk we walk on a gravel trail where she can be off the leash to sniff and smell to her heart’s content and do the one doggy thing I hate – roll in dead animals (I will never understand why a dog wants to smell like a dead animal –it’s revolting!). While she’s doing her “doggy thing” I’m enjoying the fresh air and the scenery. My husband and I or my sister-in-law and I also go for hikes on trails in area parks.

Of course the weather isn’t always conducive to outdoor exercise so I have a gym membership again. But it’s now at an all-female gym where I don’t feel self conscious or out of place and where they don’t have any dreaded treadmills but instead have a 30 minute workout routine with music that I don’t mind doing and that is helping me get stronger.

The mall is my friend on inclement weather days. The time and miles go by pretty fast while I’m window shopping and people watching.

I’m not saying that I now love to exercise because I don’t. I do love what regular exercise does for me though. Because of it I’m losing weight faster than with a diet alone, have more energy and sleep better.

Even though I don’t love to exercise and probably never will I no longer hate it either. I don’t mind doing it and only have to remind myself of the good things it’s doing for me or remind myself how I like to get out in the fresh air to get myself up and moving.

So do that for yourself. Find activities you used to enjoy or try some new ones. When cold weather and snow show up where I live I plan to swim at the local YMCA and also plan to take a dance class because I’ve wanted to learn line dancing for a long time.

But don’t think you have to go from doing nothing at all to “super exerciser” in two weeks. Take it slow so you don’t injure yourself. It took me almost a year to build up to 35 mile bike rides.

If you’re not sure what type of exercise to try, here’s some fun exercise ideas:
Bike riding
Tennis
Golf (no golf cart)
Swimming
Tubing
Walking: along the beach, in the woods, with your dog, with your family.
Ice skating
Rollerblading
Skiing
Snowboarding
Dance class (jazz, belly dancing, line dancing, salsa
Wii Fit
Dance Dance Revolution
Jump Rope
Hula Hoop

Also, don’t underestimate the power of music to help you through an exercise routine. Many experts say music helps people exercise better and longer. For me, listening to music while I work out at the gym makes the time go by faster and if I didn’t have a horrible singing voice I’d probably sing along to the songs once in a while too!

Get yourself the proper gear for whatever type of exercising you’re doing as well. I invested in a comfortable seat for my bicycle, bought bike shorts and a pair of biking gloves and they’ve made my bike riding a lot more comfortable. I also have a pair of shoes that are made for walking which my feet appreciate every time I slip them on.

It may take a couple of tries to find the types of exercise you don’t mind doing but don’t give up. It’s worth the effort. It will help you with your weight loss efforts and help you feel better overall.

Filed Under: Featured, Lose Weight Naturally, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Articles, Weight Loss Tips
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