The tips listed below will help you to get back to you ideal weight after the birth of your child.
1) Remember that the best approach to weight loss combines healthy eating and regular exercise. It is important you stay focussed on both these areas.
2) Eat slowly and chew your food well. Put your cutlery down between bites and don't pick them up until you have finished chewing.
3) Instead of putting the food on the table and letting everyone help themselves, serve the food on the plate. Allocate the appropriate amount for each food group.
4) If you feel like snacking, try going for a walk instead. Before you go, have a good drink of water. Hunger is often disguising thirst.
5) If you have a problem with junk food and can't resist the temptation at home, stop the problem at the source. Don't buy any junk food! Or at least limit the amount you buy to one item per week.
6) Eat smaller meals, but more often. A healthy meal will be a lot more satisfying than a packet of chips or a drink.
7) Drink fresh juices instead of soft drinks. This will cut down on your sugar intake, and is a far better alternative than the artificial sweeteners in those diet soft drinks.
8) Set yourself a weight goal and stick to it. Chart your progress and stick it on the fridge. It will be a helpful reminder every time you go in the kitchen.
9) If you do have to go for junk food, try the healthiest option. For example try to get the burger with the most salad on it, or get some salads to accompany the meal.
10) Increase your motivation levels, and stay on track. If your motivation drops, you will find it hard to focus on your goal weight.
Weight Loss Tips and Tricks
You hear so many tips and trick about weight loss that it may leave you wondering which tips are the best and which tricks are really tricks?
You hear so many tips and trick about weight loss that it may leave you wondering which tips are the best and which tricks are really tricks? Let's look at how food and exercise affect metabolism and weight loss to help us understand why some of these tips and tricks work or don't work.
Lately you may have heard a lot about low carbohydrate diets and claims that they are working and that people are getting healthier without paying attention to the amount of fat they are eating. You may have even heard that the USDA is looking at changing the food pyramid.
There is a major flaw in the low fat diet plan and scientist are finally having to admit to it. Very little of your bodies Cholesterol comes from diet. Your body manufactures most of your Cholesterol from Carbohydrates. The culprit of turning these carbohydrates into fat is Insulin.
Insulin is vital to life because it regulates blood sugar, controls the storage of fat, regulates the liver’s production of cholesterol, functions as a growth hormone, is important in appetite control, drives the kidneys to retain fluid and much more. It is absolutely essential to life, but too much of a good thing can sometimes cause problems. Too much insulin can cause fat storage, cholesterol production and is caustic to the blood vessels. Insulin, by activating or inhibiting various metabolic pathways, can make us sleepy, hungry, satisfied, dizzy, lightheaded or bloated.
As you age your insulin receptors become less sensitive to insulin so your body overproduces insulin to meet what it thinks is it’s need. By carefully monitoring the types and amount of carbohydrates we eat we can clean up our insulin receptors. Decreased insulin receptor site sensitivity is frequently the problem that Type II Diabetics (Adult Onset Diabetics) have.
Not mixing certain food types is a dietary concept out there now that actually makes some sense. For example it is a fact that if you eat only a fat and a protein together the fat goes right through you. Dietary fat by itself is not the culprit but when you add a carbohydrate to the mix the body will turn the dietary fat into body fat. If you eat a little protein and carbohydrate (Low Fat Diet) together your body will make fat to either store or use for energy depending on your activity level at the time. But why? You didn't eat any fat?!
As an example: After that fat free ice cream cone, your body produced more insulin than it needed because of your plugged insulin receptors. The insulin does what it is supposed to; it lowers your blood sugar level but then there is extra insulin circulating around so it goes to work and turns some fat into cholesterol and stores some fat somewhere else incase you decide to skip supper tonight.
By decreasing your intake of concentrated sweets, like sugar sweetened food and not overeating starches like breads, pasta and potatoes you may keep your body from the overproduction of insulin. Carbohydrates actually have a metabolic affect that make any fat you eat worse for you. Carbohydrates affect the hormone balance in your body to add to depression, lack of energy and mood swings.
Exercise really is the key for healthy weight loss. By increasing the strength and mass of your muscles you are better able to burn calories. Exercise makes the rest of your everyday activities easier therefore burning up more calories not only from the exercise but from having more energy to complete your daily activities. Having that energy is more likely to keep you busy so you think about eating less often.
Not eating 3 hours before bedtime is something you may have heard that will help you loose weight. There is much truth in this too, for more than one reason. We know that if you go to bed shortly after a big meal you don't sleep as well and you also don't have a chance to “work off” your meal but their is also another big factor.
Human Growth Hormone (hgh) is produced at night to help our body build and repair muscle. If you eat a carbohydrate within 2 to 3 hours of sleep time your body will not produce near as much of this hormone.
Exercise first thing in the morning now makes some sense too. If you have not eaten after your evening meal your body in the morning is fasting. If you exercise before breakfast it forces your body to burn fat. It looks like if you followed that exercise with a protein breakfast it would keep you in the “fat burning” (glycogen dominant) phase a little longer.
Quality protein sources like that found in meat, eggs, fish, and nuts is the best and quickest way to build lean body mass when you are part of an exercise program. Lean body mass (muscle) will help you burn calories. Because carbohydrates are what turns dietary fat into body fat it is healthier to avoid the carbohydrates than to avoid the fat because frequently by avoiding naturally occurring fats you also avoiding good quality protein sources.
Protein requirements are figured based on lean body mass so it is difficult to state the requirements. An average sized adult female (about 140 lbs) requirements are 50 grams protein a day but may need to be as high as 75 grams when very active during an exercise program. For an average adult male (about 175-180lbs) is 65 grams and could be as high as 90 grams a day during an exercise program.
Tip on foods to eat and foods to avoid:
Avoid:
All sugar sweetened foods if you are serious about a weight loss program.
As often as possible foods that are all or almost all starch content like potatoes, white bread, and pasta.
Processed foods often have unhealthy fat sources and chemical additives that drag your system down.
Eat:
All vegetables especially green vegetables raw vegetables and salads.
Meat, eggs, nuts, fish, tofu and beans. Whole grain cereals, pasta and breads.
The carbohydrates you do eat make them from whole foods in their natural state fresh fruit with the skins because the extra fiber will help with the carbohydrate digestion.
Fresh fruits to get your vitamins needed to make you feel good while exercising and taking care of your health.
The looks like it would be a great tool to count the grams of protein and carbohydrates eaten each day.
With this we have come back to the basics again. Eating whole foods in their natural state is always your best bet. Now we can see why our grandparents could eat bacon and eggs for breakfast and still be in great health. By eating certain foods at certain times and with some moderation in what we eat we can eat well and feel great doing it. We can improve our health and emotional well-being while improving our physical body.
You hear so many tips and trick about weight loss that it may leave you wondering which tips are the best and which tricks are really tricks? Let's look at how food and exercise affect metabolism and weight loss to help us understand why some of these tips and tricks work or don't work.
Lately you may have heard a lot about low carbohydrate diets and claims that they are working and that people are getting healthier without paying attention to the amount of fat they are eating. You may have even heard that the USDA is looking at changing the food pyramid.
There is a major flaw in the low fat diet plan and scientist are finally having to admit to it. Very little of your bodies Cholesterol comes from diet. Your body manufactures most of your Cholesterol from Carbohydrates. The culprit of turning these carbohydrates into fat is Insulin.
Insulin is vital to life because it regulates blood sugar, controls the storage of fat, regulates the liver’s production of cholesterol, functions as a growth hormone, is important in appetite control, drives the kidneys to retain fluid and much more. It is absolutely essential to life, but too much of a good thing can sometimes cause problems. Too much insulin can cause fat storage, cholesterol production and is caustic to the blood vessels. Insulin, by activating or inhibiting various metabolic pathways, can make us sleepy, hungry, satisfied, dizzy, lightheaded or bloated.
As you age your insulin receptors become less sensitive to insulin so your body overproduces insulin to meet what it thinks is it’s need. By carefully monitoring the types and amount of carbohydrates we eat we can clean up our insulin receptors. Decreased insulin receptor site sensitivity is frequently the problem that Type II Diabetics (Adult Onset Diabetics) have.
Not mixing certain food types is a dietary concept out there now that actually makes some sense. For example it is a fact that if you eat only a fat and a protein together the fat goes right through you. Dietary fat by itself is not the culprit but when you add a carbohydrate to the mix the body will turn the dietary fat into body fat. If you eat a little protein and carbohydrate (Low Fat Diet) together your body will make fat to either store or use for energy depending on your activity level at the time. But why? You didn't eat any fat?!
As an example: After that fat free ice cream cone, your body produced more insulin than it needed because of your plugged insulin receptors. The insulin does what it is supposed to; it lowers your blood sugar level but then there is extra insulin circulating around so it goes to work and turns some fat into cholesterol and stores some fat somewhere else incase you decide to skip supper tonight.
By decreasing your intake of concentrated sweets, like sugar sweetened food and not overeating starches like breads, pasta and potatoes you may keep your body from the overproduction of insulin. Carbohydrates actually have a metabolic affect that make any fat you eat worse for you. Carbohydrates affect the hormone balance in your body to add to depression, lack of energy and mood swings.
Exercise really is the key for healthy weight loss. By increasing the strength and mass of your muscles you are better able to burn calories. Exercise makes the rest of your everyday activities easier therefore burning up more calories not only from the exercise but from having more energy to complete your daily activities. Having that energy is more likely to keep you busy so you think about eating less often.
Not eating 3 hours before bedtime is something you may have heard that will help you loose weight. There is much truth in this too, for more than one reason. We know that if you go to bed shortly after a big meal you don't sleep as well and you also don't have a chance to “work off” your meal but their is also another big factor.
Human Growth Hormone (hgh) is produced at night to help our body build and repair muscle. If you eat a carbohydrate within 2 to 3 hours of sleep time your body will not produce near as much of this hormone.
Exercise first thing in the morning now makes some sense too. If you have not eaten after your evening meal your body in the morning is fasting. If you exercise before breakfast it forces your body to burn fat. It looks like if you followed that exercise with a protein breakfast it would keep you in the “fat burning” (glycogen dominant) phase a little longer.
Quality protein sources like that found in meat, eggs, fish, and nuts is the best and quickest way to build lean body mass when you are part of an exercise program. Lean body mass (muscle) will help you burn calories. Because carbohydrates are what turns dietary fat into body fat it is healthier to avoid the carbohydrates than to avoid the fat because frequently by avoiding naturally occurring fats you also avoiding good quality protein sources.
Protein requirements are figured based on lean body mass so it is difficult to state the requirements. An average sized adult female (about 140 lbs) requirements are 50 grams protein a day but may need to be as high as 75 grams when very active during an exercise program. For an average adult male (about 175-180lbs) is 65 grams and could be as high as 90 grams a day during an exercise program.
Tip on foods to eat and foods to avoid:
Avoid:
All sugar sweetened foods if you are serious about a weight loss program.
As often as possible foods that are all or almost all starch content like potatoes, white bread, and pasta.
Processed foods often have unhealthy fat sources and chemical additives that drag your system down.
Eat:
All vegetables especially green vegetables raw vegetables and salads.
Meat, eggs, nuts, fish, tofu and beans. Whole grain cereals, pasta and breads.
The carbohydrates you do eat make them from whole foods in their natural state fresh fruit with the skins because the extra fiber will help with the carbohydrate digestion.
Fresh fruits to get your vitamins needed to make you feel good while exercising and taking care of your health.
The looks like it would be a great tool to count the grams of protein and carbohydrates eaten each day.
With this we have come back to the basics again. Eating whole foods in their natural state is always your best bet. Now we can see why our grandparents could eat bacon and eggs for breakfast and still be in great health. By eating certain foods at certain times and with some moderation in what we eat we can eat well and feel great doing it. We can improve our health and emotional well-being while improving our physical body.
Weight Loss Tips
Here are 10 simple tips you can use for weight loss and fitness
1. Two quick and easy ways to cut extra calories from your diet yet still satisfy your sweet tooth: Drink Diet soda or Crytal Light and eat Sugar-Free Jello gelatin. These are two small changes you can make that will reduce calories but will not make you feel deprived.
2. To quote John Beecher, "Strength is a matter of the made-up mind." Is your mind made up that you are going to start and stick with a weight loss plan or is this going to be like other attempts where you give up at the first sign of failure?
3. Make changes in your diet gradually. The body doesn't like quick, shocking changes in anything. It's like going from a freezing room to a very hot room. We need time to gradually acclimate.
The same is true with changing our eating habits. First, if you eat junk food all the time, try to reduce it to a couple days, then to just one day. Gradual reductions are more long lasting.
4. One reason people overeat is because they are overstressed. Getting rid of tension in a positive way will help keep you from eating because of increased tension and stress.
Take a walk, participate in a yoga class, hit the punching bag, lift some weights. Find a way to relieve some tension and you may find you also relieve your appetite.
5. Stay away from products or services that sound too good to be true. The health and fitness industry is a 40 billion dollar a year industry and many companies that are selling bogus products are thriving.
They target people's emotions by luring them into believe that by taking their products, there will be magical results. Just think, if something was truly that good, wouldn't everyone already know about it and be taking it?
6. You must have the desire to change your body from where it is now. Without desire, you are setting yourself up for failure. You must want your goal bad enough that you are willing to endure some short-term pain to receive these goals.
Link pleasure to working out and pain to missing workouts. You must condition your mind. Stop talking yourself out of going to the gym and start talking yourself into it.
7. During the first couple weeks of an exercise program, you will notice that your scale weight either doesn't change or it may go up a bit. Throw the scale out the window, it doesn't distinguish between fat and muscle, so when you initially gain a bit of muscle at the start, the scale weight will go up. That's a good thing. Over time the scale weight WILL go down.
8. Most people do not like to calorie count, me included. But in order to properly lose body fat, you need to determine your daily energy expenditure or caloric maintenance level.
You then need to reduce your energy consumption to be below your energy output. It's difficult to place a number on how much below your consumption you should go, because everyone is different. A good place to start would be 150-200 calories below your maintenance levels.
Then continue to observe the effects in the mirror to determine if this number needs to be changed.
If you continue to see no results, try reducing your energy consumption to 300 calories below your energy output.
9. Alcoholic beverages are high in calories and low in nutrients. Alcohol increases the body's need for Vitamin B, which is used to metabolize it. At the same time, it impairs the body's ability to use these and other nutrients.
One or two standard-size drinks once in a while will cause no harm in normal, healthy, non-pregnant adults. However, those looking for ways to cut out additional calories to help in their weight loss efforts will be better off reducing their alcohol intake even further.
10. Whatever challenges you face, focus on the future rather than on the past. Instead of worrying about what you failed to accomplish last year, focus on where you want to be and what you want to do. Get a clear mental image of your ideal successful future, and then take whatever action you can to begin moving in that direction. Get your mind, your thoughts, and your mental images on the future.
1. Two quick and easy ways to cut extra calories from your diet yet still satisfy your sweet tooth: Drink Diet soda or Crytal Light and eat Sugar-Free Jello gelatin. These are two small changes you can make that will reduce calories but will not make you feel deprived.
2. To quote John Beecher, "Strength is a matter of the made-up mind." Is your mind made up that you are going to start and stick with a weight loss plan or is this going to be like other attempts where you give up at the first sign of failure?
3. Make changes in your diet gradually. The body doesn't like quick, shocking changes in anything. It's like going from a freezing room to a very hot room. We need time to gradually acclimate.
The same is true with changing our eating habits. First, if you eat junk food all the time, try to reduce it to a couple days, then to just one day. Gradual reductions are more long lasting.
4. One reason people overeat is because they are overstressed. Getting rid of tension in a positive way will help keep you from eating because of increased tension and stress.
Take a walk, participate in a yoga class, hit the punching bag, lift some weights. Find a way to relieve some tension and you may find you also relieve your appetite.
5. Stay away from products or services that sound too good to be true. The health and fitness industry is a 40 billion dollar a year industry and many companies that are selling bogus products are thriving.
They target people's emotions by luring them into believe that by taking their products, there will be magical results. Just think, if something was truly that good, wouldn't everyone already know about it and be taking it?
6. You must have the desire to change your body from where it is now. Without desire, you are setting yourself up for failure. You must want your goal bad enough that you are willing to endure some short-term pain to receive these goals.
Link pleasure to working out and pain to missing workouts. You must condition your mind. Stop talking yourself out of going to the gym and start talking yourself into it.
7. During the first couple weeks of an exercise program, you will notice that your scale weight either doesn't change or it may go up a bit. Throw the scale out the window, it doesn't distinguish between fat and muscle, so when you initially gain a bit of muscle at the start, the scale weight will go up. That's a good thing. Over time the scale weight WILL go down.
8. Most people do not like to calorie count, me included. But in order to properly lose body fat, you need to determine your daily energy expenditure or caloric maintenance level.
You then need to reduce your energy consumption to be below your energy output. It's difficult to place a number on how much below your consumption you should go, because everyone is different. A good place to start would be 150-200 calories below your maintenance levels.
Then continue to observe the effects in the mirror to determine if this number needs to be changed.
If you continue to see no results, try reducing your energy consumption to 300 calories below your energy output.
9. Alcoholic beverages are high in calories and low in nutrients. Alcohol increases the body's need for Vitamin B, which is used to metabolize it. At the same time, it impairs the body's ability to use these and other nutrients.
One or two standard-size drinks once in a while will cause no harm in normal, healthy, non-pregnant adults. However, those looking for ways to cut out additional calories to help in their weight loss efforts will be better off reducing their alcohol intake even further.
10. Whatever challenges you face, focus on the future rather than on the past. Instead of worrying about what you failed to accomplish last year, focus on where you want to be and what you want to do. Get a clear mental image of your ideal successful future, and then take whatever action you can to begin moving in that direction. Get your mind, your thoughts, and your mental images on the future.
Will Your Plan Lead To Permanent Weight Loss? How To Tell
This article summarizes what a plan must have to be able to result in long-term weight loss. If a plan fails in any one of these, any weight loss will be short-term and the individual will experience "yo-yo dieting".
Several years ago, a colleague who had tried several weight loss plans, asked me to help her figure out why she wasn’t able to achieve permanent weight loss. After extensive research on how the body regulates weight and studying individuals who had succeeded in attaining long-term weigh loss, I concluded that there are four characteristics that a plan must have to result in long-term weight loss. If a plan fails in any one, it might create short-term weight loss but the pounds will come back and you will find yourself trying something else. At first glance, these factors might look straightforward and simple but I will present the science behind them and why they must be taken into account for you to succeed.
The four characteristics are:
1. The plan must avoid cravings 2. The plan must avoid hunger 3. The plan must call for increasing your activity level 4. It must be a plan you can live with for a long time
What are cravings? A craving is when your body pushes you to want a particular food ingredient. This can occur even when you are not hungry. When you finally give in and get the food, you almost always binge, that is, eat more than you would have if you did not have cravings for it.
What causes cravings? Your body needs 6 essential food ingredients to function properly. They are carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, vitamins and water. If you deprive your body of any of this, it will create the sensation that will drive you to get it. The most easily identified example is when you deprive your body of water. You develop thirst. Thirst is the body craving for water.
Weight loss plans that tell you to cut out particular foods will always lead to cravings. It is this battle in your body to give it what it needs that creates conditions of discomfort and lead to most individuals ending the programs. There is an area of the brain that controls what and how much you eat and is responsible for creating cravings as a way for you to provide the body what it needs.
So, how do you avoid cravings? By eating all the required food ingredients. The key is that in all the food groups, there are “good” types and “not so good” types. You need to know the good types and eat only those. For example, with carbohydrates, the good types are the ones with low glycemic index (GI). GI is a measure of how fast a food increases the production of insulin. Insulin causes fat buildup. Simple sugars, potatoes and white bread are examples of high GI foods, while whole grains and vegetables have low GIs and therefore good for weight loss.
By understanding the concept of eating all the essential foods and dividing them into “good” and “not so good” foods, you will avoid cravings and overeating.
Next time we will discuss hunger and how successful plans avoid hunger.
Several years ago, a colleague who had tried several weight loss plans, asked me to help her figure out why she wasn’t able to achieve permanent weight loss. After extensive research on how the body regulates weight and studying individuals who had succeeded in attaining long-term weigh loss, I concluded that there are four characteristics that a plan must have to result in long-term weight loss. If a plan fails in any one, it might create short-term weight loss but the pounds will come back and you will find yourself trying something else. At first glance, these factors might look straightforward and simple but I will present the science behind them and why they must be taken into account for you to succeed.
The four characteristics are:
1. The plan must avoid cravings 2. The plan must avoid hunger 3. The plan must call for increasing your activity level 4. It must be a plan you can live with for a long time
What are cravings? A craving is when your body pushes you to want a particular food ingredient. This can occur even when you are not hungry. When you finally give in and get the food, you almost always binge, that is, eat more than you would have if you did not have cravings for it.
What causes cravings? Your body needs 6 essential food ingredients to function properly. They are carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, vitamins and water. If you deprive your body of any of this, it will create the sensation that will drive you to get it. The most easily identified example is when you deprive your body of water. You develop thirst. Thirst is the body craving for water.
Weight loss plans that tell you to cut out particular foods will always lead to cravings. It is this battle in your body to give it what it needs that creates conditions of discomfort and lead to most individuals ending the programs. There is an area of the brain that controls what and how much you eat and is responsible for creating cravings as a way for you to provide the body what it needs.
So, how do you avoid cravings? By eating all the required food ingredients. The key is that in all the food groups, there are “good” types and “not so good” types. You need to know the good types and eat only those. For example, with carbohydrates, the good types are the ones with low glycemic index (GI). GI is a measure of how fast a food increases the production of insulin. Insulin causes fat buildup. Simple sugars, potatoes and white bread are examples of high GI foods, while whole grains and vegetables have low GIs and therefore good for weight loss.
By understanding the concept of eating all the essential foods and dividing them into “good” and “not so good” foods, you will avoid cravings and overeating.
Next time we will discuss hunger and how successful plans avoid hunger.
Your Weight Loss Problem: How-To Cure It By Watching Movies
Is it possible that you could actually lose weight while watching your favorite shows or reading your favorite books? YES, it is! Read this article to find out how...
I don’t know anything about you but if you’re anything like me then you struggle with a weight loss problem. Your weight loss problem consists of you struggling to keep your weight down, or struggling to make your weight go down.
Most people who see me wouldn’t believe that I have a weight loss problem, but I do. I’ve battled bulimia and constant gains and losses in weight, of ten pounds each time. Thats what I call a big weight loss problem.
A lot of women and men with the same or a similar weight loss problem would sympathize with me I’m sure. I want to look good (who doesn’t?) so that always motivates me to go on a diet.
But after sticking to a diet for a week and dropping the unwanted weight my love for good tasting food overpowers my need to feel attractive and the weight piles back on pound by pound.
There is always exercise to help with a weight loss problem, I remind myself as I lie lazily on the couch chomping down on one of my non-diet treats. “Sure!” I groan “I don’t feel like wearing my butt out without seeing any results for weeks at a time.”
Whenever I start a workout regimen I only stick to it for a few weeks (usually less) and then I get bored and drop it. So my weight loss problem continues.
How many other women I wondered (or men, for that matter) get bored while exercising? I thought about that for awhile then I set about to find a solution to help all those poor people (and myself too, of course) with this weight loss problem.
First I asked myself: What did I like to do? What did I find Interesting?
“Hmmmm, well” I thought “I like dancing, but long periods of it are exhausting. I like to read, to listen to music, and I really dislike being on my feet for over long periods of time.
What could possibly combine all or most of these to make my exercising interesting and help solve my weight loss problem?
The solution to my weight loss problem was amazingly simple!
I own an old stationary bike, and I do mean OLD, but the important thing is that it operates. You can do this with any form of stationary bike, whether it’s a twenty year old model or an up to date model.
It doesn’t matter whether you own the stationary bike or use a gym’s or your local YMCA’s or YWCA’s facilities.
My weight loss problem solution is this:
Find something engrossing to read. It could be a novel or your favorite magazine. Or listen to music that you enjoy, you could even use audio books or any different CD’s or things you could listen to.
I suppose if your bike was somewhere around a television or computer with a DVD player, you could even watch your favorite movie.
The next step is to mount your stationary bide and start biking while reading or doing any of the above listed activities, and not to get off for at least 45 to 60 minutes, except for an occasional rest every quarter of an hour.
I usually just keep biking away the whole time and sometimes I bike longer because I’m so engrossed in what I’m reading, and I won’t allow myself to read it once I’m off the stationary bike.
After a week of this, without change in my eating habits, or any dieting, I’m maintaining a healthy weight. Best of all I’m not putting on any new pounds, and my legs look visibly slimmer.
So I've kissed my weight loss problem goodbye, and I'm saying hello to slim jeans and size 6 dresses, and you can too.
For the first time in a long while I actually look forward to putting on a bikini.
I don’t know anything about you but if you’re anything like me then you struggle with a weight loss problem. Your weight loss problem consists of you struggling to keep your weight down, or struggling to make your weight go down.
Most people who see me wouldn’t believe that I have a weight loss problem, but I do. I’ve battled bulimia and constant gains and losses in weight, of ten pounds each time. Thats what I call a big weight loss problem.
A lot of women and men with the same or a similar weight loss problem would sympathize with me I’m sure. I want to look good (who doesn’t?) so that always motivates me to go on a diet.
But after sticking to a diet for a week and dropping the unwanted weight my love for good tasting food overpowers my need to feel attractive and the weight piles back on pound by pound.
There is always exercise to help with a weight loss problem, I remind myself as I lie lazily on the couch chomping down on one of my non-diet treats. “Sure!” I groan “I don’t feel like wearing my butt out without seeing any results for weeks at a time.”
Whenever I start a workout regimen I only stick to it for a few weeks (usually less) and then I get bored and drop it. So my weight loss problem continues.
How many other women I wondered (or men, for that matter) get bored while exercising? I thought about that for awhile then I set about to find a solution to help all those poor people (and myself too, of course) with this weight loss problem.
First I asked myself: What did I like to do? What did I find Interesting?
“Hmmmm, well” I thought “I like dancing, but long periods of it are exhausting. I like to read, to listen to music, and I really dislike being on my feet for over long periods of time.
What could possibly combine all or most of these to make my exercising interesting and help solve my weight loss problem?
The solution to my weight loss problem was amazingly simple!
I own an old stationary bike, and I do mean OLD, but the important thing is that it operates. You can do this with any form of stationary bike, whether it’s a twenty year old model or an up to date model.
It doesn’t matter whether you own the stationary bike or use a gym’s or your local YMCA’s or YWCA’s facilities.
My weight loss problem solution is this:
Find something engrossing to read. It could be a novel or your favorite magazine. Or listen to music that you enjoy, you could even use audio books or any different CD’s or things you could listen to.
I suppose if your bike was somewhere around a television or computer with a DVD player, you could even watch your favorite movie.
The next step is to mount your stationary bide and start biking while reading or doing any of the above listed activities, and not to get off for at least 45 to 60 minutes, except for an occasional rest every quarter of an hour.
I usually just keep biking away the whole time and sometimes I bike longer because I’m so engrossed in what I’m reading, and I won’t allow myself to read it once I’m off the stationary bike.
After a week of this, without change in my eating habits, or any dieting, I’m maintaining a healthy weight. Best of all I’m not putting on any new pounds, and my legs look visibly slimmer.
So I've kissed my weight loss problem goodbye, and I'm saying hello to slim jeans and size 6 dresses, and you can too.
For the first time in a long while I actually look forward to putting on a bikini.
Your Simple Plan for Weight Loss
The math is pretty simple. One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. Want to lose a pound a week? Then you need to consume 3500 calories less per week than you use. That's about 500 calories a day. By cutting out 500 calories a day from your normal daily diet, while keeping your activity level the same, you can lose approximately one pound a week.
All right - that doesn't sound like much, especially if you're more than 25 pounds overweight. Study after study has shown, though, that those people who lose weight gradually - at a rate of 1-2 pounds per week -are far more likely to keep the weight off and maintain a normal weight for a lifetime.
So how much exactly IS 500 calories? If you're going to reduce your daily intake by 500 calories, it helps to know what you need to cut out, right? Here's how easy it is to lose 500 calories a day:
Use milk instead of cream in your coffee. Savings? 50 calories per cup.
Skip the butter on your baked potato. Savings? 100 calories
Drink fruit-flavored water instead of a 16 ounce soda. Savings? 200 calories
Skip the Big Mac and have a salad instead. A Big Mac weighs in at a whopping 460 calories. A fresh salad with a light dressing? Less than 100! Savings? 360 calories
Pass by the bag of potato chips. An average snack size bag of chips has over 300 calories. Savings? 300 calories
Eat your corn on the ear. A 1 cup serving of canned corn has 165 calories. An ear of corn has 85. Savings? 80 calories.
Switch to low-fat cream cheese on your bagel. Savings? 90 calories per ounce.
Love those fries and can't give them up? Swap the skinny fries out for thick steak-cut ones. Thin French fries absorb more oil than the thicker, meatier ones. Savings? 50 calories per 4 ounce serving
If you'd rather look at losing weight from an exercise perspective, you can also lose one pound a week by upping your activity level by 500 calories a day. How easy is that to do? Take a look:
Take a half-hour walk around the park. Aim for a pace that's a little faster than a stroll, but not fast enough to be breathless. Burn: 160 calories.
Get out your bike and take a ride. Tackle a few moderate hills and aim for about five miles total. Burn: 250 calories
Go dancing - and really DANCE. The longer you're out on the floor instead of at the table drinking up high-calorie drinks, the more you'll get out of it. Dancing that makes you breathless and warms up your body will net you a nice calorie savings. Burn: 400 calories for one hour
Swimming is great for you, and a lot of fun, too. The water resistance means you burn more calories, and you avoid the stress impact on joints from aerobics, dancing or walking. Do a few laps at a slow crawl - if you can get up to an hour you'll be doing great! Burn: 510 calories
Get out into your garden. An hour of gardening tasks that includes bending and stretching can burn up to as many calories as a brisk walk. Burn: 250 calories.
Play a game of tennis. Hook up with a friend for a weekly tennis game and you'll be amazed at the difference. One hour of vigorous tennis is one of the best calorie burners around. Burn: 800 calories
It’s important to keep in mind that all exercise/calorie numbers are based on a woman weighing 130 pounds. If you weigh more, you'll burn more. Want an added bonus to burning calories through exercise? When you exercise, you build muscle by converting it from fat. Three guesses which kind of body tissue burns more calories - even when you're not exercising. You got it - your body uses more energy to maintain and feed muscle than it does fat.
For best results, mix and match food savings with exercises that burn calories. Do keep in mind that eating less than 1000 calories a day for more than a few days will convince your body that it's starving and slow your metabolism. Keep calorie ranges reasonable, and consult a doctor if you want a quicker, more drastic weight loss.
All right - that doesn't sound like much, especially if you're more than 25 pounds overweight. Study after study has shown, though, that those people who lose weight gradually - at a rate of 1-2 pounds per week -are far more likely to keep the weight off and maintain a normal weight for a lifetime.
So how much exactly IS 500 calories? If you're going to reduce your daily intake by 500 calories, it helps to know what you need to cut out, right? Here's how easy it is to lose 500 calories a day:
Use milk instead of cream in your coffee. Savings? 50 calories per cup.
Skip the butter on your baked potato. Savings? 100 calories
Drink fruit-flavored water instead of a 16 ounce soda. Savings? 200 calories
Skip the Big Mac and have a salad instead. A Big Mac weighs in at a whopping 460 calories. A fresh salad with a light dressing? Less than 100! Savings? 360 calories
Pass by the bag of potato chips. An average snack size bag of chips has over 300 calories. Savings? 300 calories
Eat your corn on the ear. A 1 cup serving of canned corn has 165 calories. An ear of corn has 85. Savings? 80 calories.
Switch to low-fat cream cheese on your bagel. Savings? 90 calories per ounce.
Love those fries and can't give them up? Swap the skinny fries out for thick steak-cut ones. Thin French fries absorb more oil than the thicker, meatier ones. Savings? 50 calories per 4 ounce serving
If you'd rather look at losing weight from an exercise perspective, you can also lose one pound a week by upping your activity level by 500 calories a day. How easy is that to do? Take a look:
Take a half-hour walk around the park. Aim for a pace that's a little faster than a stroll, but not fast enough to be breathless. Burn: 160 calories.
Get out your bike and take a ride. Tackle a few moderate hills and aim for about five miles total. Burn: 250 calories
Go dancing - and really DANCE. The longer you're out on the floor instead of at the table drinking up high-calorie drinks, the more you'll get out of it. Dancing that makes you breathless and warms up your body will net you a nice calorie savings. Burn: 400 calories for one hour
Swimming is great for you, and a lot of fun, too. The water resistance means you burn more calories, and you avoid the stress impact on joints from aerobics, dancing or walking. Do a few laps at a slow crawl - if you can get up to an hour you'll be doing great! Burn: 510 calories
Get out into your garden. An hour of gardening tasks that includes bending and stretching can burn up to as many calories as a brisk walk. Burn: 250 calories.
Play a game of tennis. Hook up with a friend for a weekly tennis game and you'll be amazed at the difference. One hour of vigorous tennis is one of the best calorie burners around. Burn: 800 calories
It’s important to keep in mind that all exercise/calorie numbers are based on a woman weighing 130 pounds. If you weigh more, you'll burn more. Want an added bonus to burning calories through exercise? When you exercise, you build muscle by converting it from fat. Three guesses which kind of body tissue burns more calories - even when you're not exercising. You got it - your body uses more energy to maintain and feed muscle than it does fat.
For best results, mix and match food savings with exercises that burn calories. Do keep in mind that eating less than 1000 calories a day for more than a few days will convince your body that it's starving and slow your metabolism. Keep calorie ranges reasonable, and consult a doctor if you want a quicker, more drastic weight loss.
You're Being Lied to About Weight Loss
Here are some of the blatant weight loss lies being thrown at unsuspecting consumers.
Well, here it is, late night TV and I'm flipping through the channels trying to find something good to watch.
As I'm surfing the tube, I notice a huge amount of weight loss infomercials.
And you know what, most of them literally make me sick to my stomach.
Not because I despise TV, but because I can't stand it when companies blatantly lie to unsuspecting consumers and make MILLIONS in the process doing it.
But as I continue to promote the truth about weight loss with my personal training business and my fitness website, the truth is muddled in the sea of confusion that's created by companies throwing weight loss solutions at consumers 24/7.
The companies pushing these bogus products will continue to make millions as I continue to fight an uphill battle, trying to shed some light for people as to what it really takes to lose weight and get in shape.
Am I bitter that these companies are making millions?
Nope.
Am I bitter that they're doing it at the expense of people who really are unsure of the best way to go about losing weight and getting their health back?
Absolutely.
I know firsthand what it really takes to lose a lot of weight and get in great shape.
And not once was it from an "Ab Stimulator Belt" you wear at work or from a "Fat-Loss Patch" you place on your arm.
Nor was it from a "Magic Juice Drink" you sip for 2 days straight while not eating another morsel of food.
And now that I think about it, it also wasn't from Coral Calcium or Metabo-Super-Fat-Burning-and-Crime-Fighting Pills.
It sure wasn't from an "Ab-Crunch-Whatever-You-Call-It", you know, the torture machine you use for 3 minutes while watching TV and are supposed to lose 20 pounds in a week.
But as I continue to watch these commercials like a deer caught in the headlights, I almost fall for the best marketing money can buy--the "pictures-never-lie" testimonials.
You know, the old "before and after" photos (as hard as I looked, I couldn't see the airbrushing).
Hey, if it's in a picture, its gotta be true!
And right before I catch myself reaching for the phone to order (chuckle, chuckle) I ask myself "Why is it these types of commercials clutter the TV mostly at night or on Saturday morning?"
Is that when the most gullible tend to watch a lot of these blatant lies and scam products being peddled to them?
Who knows, but Letterman is on and I need to change the channel before I get any sicker to my stomach.
Well, here it is, late night TV and I'm flipping through the channels trying to find something good to watch.
As I'm surfing the tube, I notice a huge amount of weight loss infomercials.
And you know what, most of them literally make me sick to my stomach.
Not because I despise TV, but because I can't stand it when companies blatantly lie to unsuspecting consumers and make MILLIONS in the process doing it.
But as I continue to promote the truth about weight loss with my personal training business and my fitness website, the truth is muddled in the sea of confusion that's created by companies throwing weight loss solutions at consumers 24/7.
The companies pushing these bogus products will continue to make millions as I continue to fight an uphill battle, trying to shed some light for people as to what it really takes to lose weight and get in shape.
Am I bitter that these companies are making millions?
Nope.
Am I bitter that they're doing it at the expense of people who really are unsure of the best way to go about losing weight and getting their health back?
Absolutely.
I know firsthand what it really takes to lose a lot of weight and get in great shape.
And not once was it from an "Ab Stimulator Belt" you wear at work or from a "Fat-Loss Patch" you place on your arm.
Nor was it from a "Magic Juice Drink" you sip for 2 days straight while not eating another morsel of food.
And now that I think about it, it also wasn't from Coral Calcium or Metabo-Super-Fat-Burning-and-Crime-Fighting Pills.
It sure wasn't from an "Ab-Crunch-Whatever-You-Call-It", you know, the torture machine you use for 3 minutes while watching TV and are supposed to lose 20 pounds in a week.
But as I continue to watch these commercials like a deer caught in the headlights, I almost fall for the best marketing money can buy--the "pictures-never-lie" testimonials.
You know, the old "before and after" photos (as hard as I looked, I couldn't see the airbrushing).
Hey, if it's in a picture, its gotta be true!
And right before I catch myself reaching for the phone to order (chuckle, chuckle) I ask myself "Why is it these types of commercials clutter the TV mostly at night or on Saturday morning?"
Is that when the most gullible tend to watch a lot of these blatant lies and scam products being peddled to them?
Who knows, but Letterman is on and I need to change the channel before I get any sicker to my stomach.
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