Posted by admin | Posted in Fitness | Posted on 22-04-2011
When it comes to losing weight and living healthier, rather than trying overhaul your unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyle in a single day, why not make your resolution one to get healthy in a way that’s less dramatic and far more successful this year? With small, measured steps.
Truth is, you don’t need to make major, life shaking changes all at once to succeed at weight loss. Nutrition experts point out that you’re far more likely to stick to a change if it’s small and manageable. Here are five easy changes that anyone can make (and stick with)…
1) Take small steps to healthier eating – add a piece of fruit to your lunch, choose a day of the week as “no meat” day, or package up your whole grain cereal as a mid morning, or afternoon snack. Focus on choosing healthy alternatives whenever you get the chance.
2) Drink more water – resolve to drink a single cup more water today than yesterday, or add a splash of your favorite beverage to water and you’ll be painlessly on your way to giving your body the fluid it so desperately needs. You might even try drinking water at specific times of day… first thing in the morning, with snacks or at lunch.
3) Look for color in your produce – all those rich golds, reds and purples signal foods that are packed with good-for-you plant compounds. You might try making one day of the week a particular color… yellow Mondays, for example, and eat grapefruit, bananas or corn. Or you might add good-for-you greens to pizza, or commit to trying a new to you fruit or veggie each week.
4) Fight mindless munching – by popping a piece of gum or a sugar-free mint in your mouth instead, brush and floss your teeth after you eat, and try to pay attention to each piece of food you’re putting in your mouth as you watch TV or chat with friends. You can also keep your hands busy with a glass of water, a cup of tea or just picking up after everyone else.
5) Reach out for help – team up with a friend or family member who also has diet/weight loss resolutions and share ideas, fitness plans and (of course) your successes as often as you can. Leave tempting treats at the store and promise instead that you’ll give in to one serving of a treat, only when you’re out, never at home. Avoid food centered events and look for other activities you and friends/loved ones can enjoy – an outing in the park, a hike in the woods or get together at a club for dancing – all places where you’ll tend to be more active and less likely to munch away at the same time.
Remember, slow but steady always wins the race. The body likes leisurely changes when it comes to food and exercise. Crash diets and gruelling workouts won’t serve you well in the long term. What you’re after is to have your body naturally use up those stores of fat.
Beyond our five slow but steady suggestions, you may also want to try and help by adding some additional new year diet resolutions…Get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Schedule that physical or routine tests you may have been putting off; this helps you keep your body in shape, and gives your doctor the chance to spot (and deal with) any problems before they get too big. And remember, we’ve heard a lot of late about the value of good quality sleep, so be sure that you get enough so that you can recharge and cope more effectively with stress.
Posted by admin | Posted in Weight Loss | Posted on 19-03-2011
A fast weight loss diet is worth its weight in gold once you find it and finally lock on to a winning strategy. Asian women have been practicing the same techniques and methods for generations to get and stay skinny…even after giving birth…and you can benefit from their experience in your battle against the pounds.
Today we’re going to look at a fast weight loss diet you can use to achieve the body you deserve without doing back-breaking workouts at the health club or going hungry for weeks.
Fast Weight Loss Diet – Easy Tips And Tricks
Everyone wants the answer to the question of which fast weight loss diet works the best to lose excess pounds. In reality the question can’t be answered in just a short article or webpage, it takes a full program to define what makes a perfect diet. You CAN learn a few things that will help you in the short-term, and here are a few Asian tips anyone can take advantage of to get their dream body.
1. 5 meals a day puts you on the road to success.
You must learn to eat several smaller meals rather than a few large ones, because your body simply can’t absorb the excess calories that often happen unintentionally when we shrink our meals into just 2 or 3 per day.
By having 3 medium-size meals (breakfast/lunch/dinner) combined with 2 small meals (mid-morning snack/mid-afternoon snack) you lessen the chance that you’ll overeat at one of the bigger meals and thus ruin whatever weight loss you had going that day.
In Asian culture we tend to eat frequently, sometimes as often as 6-7 times per day, and thus our meals are smaller in size and calorie density. Copy this formula for success, try to keep your main meals below 350-400 calories each, and your snacks at 150 calories each. That totals roughly 1300-1500 calories per day, which is perfect for weight loss, and you’ll never be hungry since you’re eating so often!
2. A small plate in a dark color can work wonders.
It’s funny to those of us from Chinese descent that Western countries call white porcelain dishes “China”, when in reality most Chinese dishes and plates aren’t the color white at all.
Asian culture chose to eat on colored plates long ago out of respect for the Earth and nature (who provide our food), but researchers have recently found a link between the darker colored kitchenware and less production of a hormone that makes us eat more than we should.
It’s amazing but highly likely that white dishes actually visually stimulate our brains to create more of the “hunger” hormone that it should, and that makes us increase the chance of overeating.
Switch to dark blue, dark green, or other less stimulating dishes and plates and you’ll be surprised at how you naturally feel more full and eat less.
What If You Just Can’t Lose Weight?
If these two fast weight loss diet tips don’t work for you, you’ll need to learn a more powerful secret free method that Asian women do to force fat off of their belly and thighs in less than a month…without starving or doing crazy workouts.
Posted by admin | Posted in General | Posted on 06-11-2010
Weight loss is a big struggle for millions of us – and it is also a big business. Americans spend over $42 billion on diet products, supplements, and foods. That’s more than the gross domestic products of more than half of the countries in the world, and the worst part, for your pocket book and your self-esteem, is that they do not work for most people. Wouldn’t it be nice to get off the diet rollercoaster and achieve healthy, lasting weight loss? How do you do it? Old fashioned diet and exercise. Nutrition is key – and it can be easy when you choose the best energy bars.
Why are energy bars such a great tool for those who are trying to lose weight?
They are packed with nutrition. When you choose the right bar, you will get excellent vitamins, minerals, and nutrition in exchange for your calories. This is really what you want; instead of feeding your body empty calories, you are fueling it with high quality foods, such as organic almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, hemp, and natural sweeteners like fruit juice instead of sugar and sugar alcohols.
They are portion-controlled. Portion sizes are difficult for many of us, and energy bars an ideal way not only to start eating better but to start eating within your caloric requirements. You know how many calories are in the bar; you know what the serving size is. There is no guesswork, which is crucial whether you are eating at home or on the go.
They can be snacks or meals. When you find the right energy bar for your health needs and lifestyle, you have access to healthy snacks and occasional meal replacements. Carry a bar or two in your purse or bag for work, your afternoon snack, or post-workout nutrition. For those days when you just don’t have time to eat breakfast before starting your commute or when you have to eat standing up between meetings, they can be excellent meal replacements. For a meal, pair the bar with a small salad or fruit.
They help you stay full. Choose nutrition bars that have about 10 grams of protein, which will satisfy your appetite and provide you with quality fuel. Also look for fiber, which can help keep you feeling full longer. This is why eating fruit or veggies with your bar makes it such a great meal; the added fiber is perfect for weight loss goals.
Weight loss is hard; make it a little easier with the right energy bars.
Posted by admin | Posted in Weight Loss | Posted on 22-05-2010
Ok, admit it, you want to lose weight but you are afraid that you will need to change the way you eat will be impossible. You are probably thinking you need to live off carrot sticks and celery as the best weight loss foods.
What if I told you that you could still eat the foods that still make you feel like a human? Foods that make you feel full and not getting hunger pains half an hour after eating. It is true, in fact you may not even stray that far from what you are currently eating. But the following will show you the best weight loss foods.
The way to do this is by eating smarter. Avoid all those empty calories. Learn to eat 6 times during the day. Three meals and three snacks. You are probably asking why are you telling me to eat more in frequency, I am trying to lose weight. Well, for starters, starving does not work. The only thing you accomplish is getting rid of water weight and teaching your body to function on lower caloric intakes. In turn this lowers your metabolism. Your metabolism is the key to burning fat. By eating with this much frequency you are making your body work at digesting food and also burning calories at the same time.
So what are some of these best weight loss foods? Well for breakfast you can have whole grain bread, fruit, eggs, yogurt, oatmeal or whole grain cereals. A mid morning snack can be a smoothie, some nuts piece of fruit or peanut butter on celery. An afternoon snack can consist of some more nuts and some fruit, yogurt and berries. For dinner try any type of lean meat or fish. The lean meat can be red or white. Obviously use common sense, don’t make a meal that includes a rich sauce or anything fried. Add to dinner with some green vegetables and whole grain rice. For an evening snack, have your favorite ice cream, as long as it is low fat.
Those are just a few examples you would be amazed at how much real food you can eat while dieting. I have found a website that you can find much more in depth information regarding ways to eat healthier and lose weight. I suggest you visit it now.
Posted by admin | Posted in Nutrition | Posted on 09-07-2009
Is this You?
This is the true story of One Busy Mom and her quest to gain control over her “diet” and her body. She was initially unable to see a solution, to see where she had lost control – after sharing her story the light bulb flipped on.
Up at 5 AM – no sleeping in with kids (someone always needs something!)
Coffee – I need at least 2-3 cups to get my day going and NEED the cream and sugar so it tastes good.
Breakfast #1: a cereal bar it’s quick and I don’t have to think about it.
Breakfast #2: Kid’s Leftovers
1. A couple spoonfuls of yogurt (but only if there is less than 1/2 in the container, otherwise I wrap it up and save it for tomorrow’s breakfast)
2. Toaster Sticks – every morning my son only takes 2 bites and I feel bad having to throw them away. (I only had a cereal bar for breakfast, I do need more to eat….)
Sometimes I try to get him to eat something else, something a little more healthy because I know I’ll end up eating it – but he just does not cooperate.
Lunch: At Home: Frozen meal – usually a burrito and I just add sour cream – yeah, the real stuff – and whatever the kids don’t finish for their lunch.
On the Go: McDonald’s – but it’s only one Snack Wrap. They are little and do not produce as much guilt if I were to eat a hamburger.
But I do finish my son’s French Fries and nuggets because I only had a snack wrap – plus it would be a waste to throw them away.
Afternoon Snack: After kids go down for a nap and while I am busy doing housework, I snack on Pretzels and lately Halloween candy. I do hide the candy in my son’s room so when he goes down for a nap I will not be as tempted to go in his room to get it for risk waking him up. That works….sometimes.
Wow! I feel like a closet eater saying that!
Pre-Dinner ritual: Once kids wake up from nap, I look through the cupboards to find something for dinner. But, as always – there is NOTHING. I sometimes wonder what I expect to find.
I am too tired to think about it, too tired to figure it out!
So I play with my kids until my husband gets home and see what he wants to do for dinner, he has to have a solution to my dinner dilemma (but he is on his way home depending on me to have dinner ready). Since we both end up with no idea what to do……..
Dinner: We go out to eat.
Perfect! I love getting out of the house — it is a reward for me — I am SO busy all day so this is something fun for me to do. Unfortunately, fun is not sensible. My husband seems to have this sensible skill all figured out. Not me! Whether it is Fazoli’s, McDonald’s or even Chick-fil-A – I am getting what sounds good!
Then I finish whatever my kids do not eat.
I am tired of feeling out of control, I am tired of having no energy, I am tired beating myself up for not making better choices, I am tired of not feeling good about me. HELP!
The Busy Mom’s Diet is not uncommon, sure this personal account may be slightly better for some moms and slightly worse for others. There is a solution – and that is exactly what this busy mom set out to find.
The first step she had to take, however – was to write it all down. It is impossible to refine habits you do not know about. So take that first step and write down what you are eating – it takes less than 5 minutes!
