Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Five Step Plan for Losing Weight

If you happen to be among the millions of people who are weight impaired, you may have already considered, or even tried many alternatives for losing weight...and you may still be seeking that one magic "remedy"...

Sadly, there are no magic remedies, diet pills, or supplements for losing weight. It takes desire, persistence and lots of accurate information seasoned with ample amounts of supportive and caring guidance, to succeed.

Through the trials and tribulations of many failed weight loss plans we now know that if you try to manage your weight by making radical changes in your diet and lifestyle, you will eventually fail...around 95% of the time!

For a diet plan to be successful it must fit within the boundaries of normal day-to-day habits and activities. It must allow for the consumption of familiar foods in familiar and traditional social settings. The exclusion of "taboo" foods or your favorite fast food restaurant is generally a set-up for eventual dieting failure.

When you stop to think about, isn't it usually the things you are told that you can't do or have, that you desire the most? It's a part of human nature. We want what we can't have! Take it away from us, and surely this is exactly what we will want and crave the most...and this includes the foods we eat. Even the most highly regarded sources of information agree that we tend to focus on what we can't have (see what the Bible has to say about it; Romans 7:14-15).

So, a good plan for losing weight should not try to radically change your eating behavior. The plan should adapt to your daily activities and eating behavior. And of course any good plan should incorporate the benefits of good nutrition, convenience and practicality.

The bottom line is that we are all very busy people without a lot of time to spare. We're not about to turn our busy lifestyle upside down to follow some restrictive plan for losing weight. Oh...maybe something like this will work for a short period of time, but the facts don't lie. Short term loss is long term gain (in weight that is!). Although the "crash" weight loss diets may work for a short while, most of us will find that before long the pounds begin to creep back on...and there is good reason for this.

- We’re not going give-up eating at fast food and sit-down restaurants when we need a quick meal.

- We're not going to give-up eating with business associates, good friends and family or any other special meal occasions where dieting guidelines are difficult (or impossible) to follow.

- We're not going to completely eliminate the foods we love and crave.

- And we're most definitely not going to waste precious time preparing special dietary meals from "scratch" every day!

It's important to know that you don't have to stop doing any of the above to lose weight.

You can look and feel like a million bucks, take years off your appearance and have the energy and vitality to accomplish your dreams, by following a few simple guidelines. Here they are...

1) Take it one step at a time.

Some of the greatest accomplishments in life begin by taking one small step at a time. When we are challenged to think deeply, encouraged by others to succeed, and ultimately inspired to take action, great things start to happen!

If you have important weight loss goals you are not achieving, try to spend less time worrying about all the possible
"causes" and start concentrating on how you can make progress.

This is one of the keys to moving forward and a simple, but powerful tool for success.

Step #2 – Assess your dietary needs and lifestyle.

Awareness is the key!

Learn about your specific dietary needs (caloric intake) and daily energy requirements. We're talking a basic understanding here, and not having to go into any great detail. Here is a great tool that can help:

http://www.weightlosswarriors.com/

nutribase/AssessQuestionnaire2005.php

Step #3 - Seek advice from friends and trusted authorities.

Don't believe everything you hear! There are thousands of diet "scams" on the market. When you find a trusted source, ask as many questions as you can about diet and exercise. Find out what has worked for others. But always be on-guard for "quick fix" approach...it won't work!

Step #4 – Start creating a SYSTEM of support.

About 85% of our "happiness" and well-being is determined by the quality of our relationships with other people. Loving, caring relationships and a network of friends, family, and colleagues lowers stress, increases longevity and helps us to accomplish our goals in life (including losing weight).

We are social creatures and we do our best when we have friends to cheer us on, offer support, give advice and hold us accountable when necessary. This makes it easy for us to succeed. So, surround yourself with people, tools and activities that make it easier to succeed than to fail! Arrange your living environment and social situations so that every thing around you pulls your forward!

Step #5 – Use your resources.

Read motivational tips, general health information and any other literature you can get your hands-on. Information is power!

Step #6 – TAKE THE FIRST STEP!

There you have it. So, get started today on "your" Road to Success!

Monday, November 14, 2005

How to Lose the Most Stubborn Pounds

Here are several tips that will help you shed that unwanted weight and create a more healthy and attractive figure.

Increase Protein

When you diet, keep your protein at 55% of your calories. This will help you maintain your muscle mass and keep your metabolism elevated. Eat low-fat protein sources like chicken breasts, egg whites, and fish.

Eat 75%

When you sit down to eat, look at your plate and leave 25%, eating only 75% and thereby cutting as many as 300 calories from every meal.

Lift Some Weights

Do a small 20 minute program of lifting weights twice a week along with cardiovascular exercise to build up muscle strength, replacing fat with muscle.

Move Around More

An obese person spends an average of 2.5 hours more daily in a chair than a thin person. Try walking back and forth while talking on a cell or cordless phone, use the steps rather than the elevator, and park farther away and walk to your destination.

Weigh Yourself Monthly

Don't weigh yourself too often and become discouraged by the up and down variations from day to day. Weigh yourself at the same time every month to better see long term trends in your weight.

Buy A Pedometer

This is a very accurate way to make sure you take at least 10,000 steps a day to help you reach and maintain your weight loss goals as you walk to do your various errands and activities.

Have Your Thyroid Tested

If you are adding weight, have joint and muscle aches, have unusual facial puffiness, or are unusually tired, this could be the sign of a sluggish thyroid slowing down your metabolism, causing weight gain. This can be remedied by taking the right medications.

Reduce Stress

When you are stressed, your adrenal gland generates the cortisol stress hormone, which increases your appetite and triggers release of the insulin fat-storing hormone, causing your body to hold onto fat, even if you are eating less.

But often, stress makes you overeat comfort foods like chocolate, ice cream, potato chips, cookies and donuts. Those high carbohydrate goodies raise your serotonin levels, boosting your mood in a form of self-medication. Salty snacks raise blood pressure, which also raises cortisol levels, contributing to a vicious cycle of overeating.

To break this cycle, you should set a fixed eating schedule and stick to it. Schedule your three meals and three snacks throughout the day so you always have something to eat every three or four hours. Savor every bite instead of gulping down too much before your brain tells you that you are full. Regular exercise and relaxing meditation can also relieve your stress.

Monday, November 07, 2005

The Swiss Ball Makes Exercise Fun and Effective!

If you haven't experienced a workout using a Swiss ball, another name for a fitness ball, you don't know what you're missing.

There's a reason it has become so popular and it's not just a fad. The Swiss ball has been used for many years in physical therapy. It's actually recommended by many physical therapists as a way to help you relieve back pain.

The effectiveness of the Swiss ball is due to the fact it's round. That creates in-stability which in turns causes your body's core muscles to come into play.

Listen, when you do a crunch on the floor, basically your upper abs muscles are working. When you do it on the Swiss ball, your core muscles; which consist of all the muscles in your abs area, muscles in your back, your pelvic area and hips are working to help keep you on the ball.

You just did your crunch but since more muscles were brought into play, you actually increased the value of your exercise. The result is you can actually do fewer repetitions and get more benefit.

That's just the beginning. There are so many exercises you can do on the Swiss ball that you'll never get bored.

Try some pushups, not only with your feet on the ball and your arms on the floor, but with your feet on the floor and your hands on the ball. Spreading your feet apart gives you more stability and bringing them closer together makes the exercise tougher.

Do a few pushups with your feet close together and your hands on the ball and you won't believe the effect! Your arms will scream for mercy!

You can also do some dumbbell training on the Swiss ball and, once again, since you are bringing those core muscles into play, you get a good body core workout as well.

It takes a little while to get used to the ball. You should begin by sitting on it and just getting a feel for it. Roll it back and forth. Side to side.

It's not a bad idea to have someone with you when you first start working out on the ball to help you stay on. And definitely don't begin using weights of any size until you are comfortable and have been exercising on the ball for some time.

I urge you to try including the Swiss ball into your exercise routine. You will see and feel a difference!

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