Does Weight Loss Hypnosis Really Work?
We hear a lot about the effectiveness of weight loss hypnosis. There are claims made that it instantly changes the way you think about food and exercise, so you automatically begin to make changes in the way you live that lead to taking off the unwanted pounds. But is there anything to those claims? Here are some scenarios in which you may find this type of treatment to be helpful in your quest for a smaller waistline and a healthier lifestyle.
Hypnosis has been used to help quite a number of people with a wide range of habits. No doubt you have heard of hypnotic trances and suggestions being used to help people get away from nervous habits like chewing their fingernails. Persons who deal with social anxiety disorder are reputed to be helped by the planting of a hypnotic suggestion that there is nothing to fear by being in a group of people. Smokers have also found some help in kicking their nicotine habits with the aid of a hypnotist. There are even people who have lost weight after seeing a hypnotist. Finding cases where people were helped with each of these situations is easy to find. So, the short answer is yes, people who undergo weight loss hypnosis can and do experience successful weight loss.
There is one common thread that runs through all cases of help through hypnosis, regardless of what type of habit the individual was trying to break. All the patients had a strong motivation to make a change in their lives. The act of hypnosis served as one more tool to help them make that change by using hypnotic suggestions that would prompt the person away from the habit.
It is important to note that hypnosis itself will not bring about some magic cure. We have seen hypnosis portrayed in movies and other types of media as being some sort of force that will easily over-ride the strongest will. That is simply not the case. Hypnosis has the ability to help strengthen a resolve that is already present in the psyche, but it cannot create a situation where you automatically turn away from your habit. As an example, hypnosis will not cause you to become physically ill when confronted with a food that you are not supposed to eat. Rather, when tempted by such food, the hypnotic suggestion will give you an extra push to not go after the food. The temptation is still there, but you will find the desire for the wrong foods is considerably lessened. A similar suggestion might also be implanted to prompt you toward foods you do need to include in your diet.
In the end, you are still in control of your destiny. Will power, common sense, and a sound diet plan will work hand in hand with weight loss hypnosis, but it will never replace all of the tools you need to be successful in your desire to lose weight.
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Showing posts with label lose weight and exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lose weight and exercise. Show all posts
Monday, 4 April 2011
Monday, 17 May 2010
YUMMY RECIPES - 1
You CAN lose weight without starving yourself. We’ve given you all kinds of tips and tricks toward achieving this on your own. Now we’re going to offer up some great recipes for you to create on your own that will be diet-friendly and delicious too!
Breakfast
When you eat breakfast, you can always let yourself pig out on all the fresh fruit you desire, but sometimes you find yourself craving something more substantial. You CAN eat a hearty breakfast while trying to lose weight. Consider some of these great recipes!
Egg-White Omelet With Vegetable-Cheddar Filling
3 large egg whites
1 teaspoon water
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill (optional)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup loosely packed thinly sliced fresh spinach
1 plum tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons shredded nonfat cheddar cheese
Vegetable cooking spray
1. Whisk egg whites, water, dill (if using), salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Toss spinach, tomato, and cheddar together in a small bowl.
2. Lightly coat an omelet pan or small skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat 1 minute. Pour egg mixture into pan and cook until eggs begin to set on bottom.
3. Spread filling over half of omelet, leaving a 1/2-inch border and reserving 1 tablespoon mixture for garnish. Lift up omelet at edge nearest handle and fold in half, slightly off-center, so filling peeks out. Cook 2 minutes. Slide omelet onto a serving plate and garnish with reserved filling.
Serves: 1
Zesty Cheddar-Asparagus Quiche
1 tablespoon plain dry breadcrumbs
8 ounces small all-purpose potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
3 scallions, sliced
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated fat-free milk
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1. Heat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with vegetable cooking spray and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Beginning in center, arrange potato slices in slightly overlapping circles up to rim. Lightly brush with olive oil and press down gently. Bake 10 minutes.
2. Set 8 to 12 asparagus spears aside. Cut remaining spears into 1-inch pieces.
3. Sprinkle crust with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup cheddar. Cover with asparagus pieces, then sprinkle with scallions and another 1/4 cup cheese. Arrange whole asparagus spears on top.
4. Beat evaporated milk, eggs, egg whites, butter, mustard, pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Pour into pie plate and sprinkle with remaining cheddar. Bake until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
5. Divide into 6 slices. One serving equals 1 slice.
Quick French Toast
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 packet artificial sweetener
1 tablespoon skim milk
1 slice bread
1. Place all ingredients except bread in a blender; blend until combined.
2. Pour egg mixture into a shallow bowl. Place bread in egg mixture and soak, turning once.
3. Coat a nonstick skillet with vegetable cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Place bread in skillet and pour any remaining egg mixture over bread. Cook until browned on bottom; then turn over to brown other side.
Golden Pancakes
1 c uncooked whole-grain oats
6 egg whites
1 c fat-free cottage cheese
¼ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
2 packets sugar substitute
½ c sugar-free maple syrup
¼ c mixed berries
1. Lightly coat a nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and place over medium heat
2. In a blender, combine oats, egg whites, cottage cheese, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar substitute. Blend on medium speed about 1 minute until smooth.
3. Pour batter about ¼ c at a time onto hot skillet. Cook pancake until bubbly on top and dry around the edges – about 3 minutes. Turn and cook the other side until golden brown – about 2 more minutes
4. While pancakes are cooking, microwave maple syrup until warm – about 20 seconds
5. Place a portion of pancakes on 2 separate plates, top with warm maple syrup and mixed berries.
Turkey Bacon Quiche
6 strips lean turkey bacon
3 eight-inch whole wheat tortillas
3 whole eggs
8 egg whites (or 1 c egg substitute)
½ c skim milk
½ c low-fat sour cream
¾ reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 c broccoli florets
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook turkey bacon according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
3. Lightly coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Overlap 2 tortillas and cut the third one in half to form a crust
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat whole eggs and egg whites with a fork or whisk until well blended. Mix skim milk and sour cream into the eggs.
5. Chop cooked turkey bacon into bite size pieces
6. Add turkey, bacon, cheese, and broccoli to blended egg mixture, combine thoroughly
7. Pour egg mixture into tortilla-lined pie plate and bake for about 50 minutes. Tap the edge of the pie plate. When the filling is set and moist but not liquidy, it is done.
8. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing into portions.
Whole wheat toast or English muffins are also good choices as are low-fat or no-fat yogurt. Just keep portion sizes to what we’ve talked about before.
Phillips, Bill; Eating For Life;
Breakfast
When you eat breakfast, you can always let yourself pig out on all the fresh fruit you desire, but sometimes you find yourself craving something more substantial. You CAN eat a hearty breakfast while trying to lose weight. Consider some of these great recipes!
Egg-White Omelet With Vegetable-Cheddar Filling
3 large egg whites
1 teaspoon water
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill (optional)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup loosely packed thinly sliced fresh spinach
1 plum tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons shredded nonfat cheddar cheese
Vegetable cooking spray
1. Whisk egg whites, water, dill (if using), salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Toss spinach, tomato, and cheddar together in a small bowl.
2. Lightly coat an omelet pan or small skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat 1 minute. Pour egg mixture into pan and cook until eggs begin to set on bottom.
3. Spread filling over half of omelet, leaving a 1/2-inch border and reserving 1 tablespoon mixture for garnish. Lift up omelet at edge nearest handle and fold in half, slightly off-center, so filling peeks out. Cook 2 minutes. Slide omelet onto a serving plate and garnish with reserved filling.
Serves: 1
Zesty Cheddar-Asparagus Quiche
1 tablespoon plain dry breadcrumbs
8 ounces small all-purpose potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
3 scallions, sliced
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated fat-free milk
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1. Heat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with vegetable cooking spray and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Beginning in center, arrange potato slices in slightly overlapping circles up to rim. Lightly brush with olive oil and press down gently. Bake 10 minutes.
2. Set 8 to 12 asparagus spears aside. Cut remaining spears into 1-inch pieces.
3. Sprinkle crust with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup cheddar. Cover with asparagus pieces, then sprinkle with scallions and another 1/4 cup cheese. Arrange whole asparagus spears on top.
4. Beat evaporated milk, eggs, egg whites, butter, mustard, pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Pour into pie plate and sprinkle with remaining cheddar. Bake until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
5. Divide into 6 slices. One serving equals 1 slice.
Quick French Toast
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 packet artificial sweetener
1 tablespoon skim milk
1 slice bread
1. Place all ingredients except bread in a blender; blend until combined.
2. Pour egg mixture into a shallow bowl. Place bread in egg mixture and soak, turning once.
3. Coat a nonstick skillet with vegetable cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Place bread in skillet and pour any remaining egg mixture over bread. Cook until browned on bottom; then turn over to brown other side.
Golden Pancakes
1 c uncooked whole-grain oats
6 egg whites
1 c fat-free cottage cheese
¼ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
2 packets sugar substitute
½ c sugar-free maple syrup
¼ c mixed berries
1. Lightly coat a nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and place over medium heat
2. In a blender, combine oats, egg whites, cottage cheese, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar substitute. Blend on medium speed about 1 minute until smooth.
3. Pour batter about ¼ c at a time onto hot skillet. Cook pancake until bubbly on top and dry around the edges – about 3 minutes. Turn and cook the other side until golden brown – about 2 more minutes
4. While pancakes are cooking, microwave maple syrup until warm – about 20 seconds
5. Place a portion of pancakes on 2 separate plates, top with warm maple syrup and mixed berries.
Turkey Bacon Quiche
6 strips lean turkey bacon
3 eight-inch whole wheat tortillas
3 whole eggs
8 egg whites (or 1 c egg substitute)
½ c skim milk
½ c low-fat sour cream
¾ reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 c broccoli florets
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook turkey bacon according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
3. Lightly coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Overlap 2 tortillas and cut the third one in half to form a crust
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat whole eggs and egg whites with a fork or whisk until well blended. Mix skim milk and sour cream into the eggs.
5. Chop cooked turkey bacon into bite size pieces
6. Add turkey, bacon, cheese, and broccoli to blended egg mixture, combine thoroughly
7. Pour egg mixture into tortilla-lined pie plate and bake for about 50 minutes. Tap the edge of the pie plate. When the filling is set and moist but not liquidy, it is done.
8. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing into portions.
Whole wheat toast or English muffins are also good choices as are low-fat or no-fat yogurt. Just keep portion sizes to what we’ve talked about before.
Phillips, Bill; Eating For Life;
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
WALKING FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Exercises are good for your workout program because they help tone flabby muscles while also burning calories. But aerobic exercise is best to burn fat. A great way to get an aerobic workout is to walk.
Walking is the easiest and most effective exercise we can use in our workout routine. But you need to know more than one foot in front of the other to get the most from walking as aerobic exercise.
Because of how the body draws on fat stores versus other stored energy sources, the first thing you need to do is increase the time you spend walking. While we’ve said that 30 minutes of exercise is good for fat burning, when you walk, you really need to bump this up to at least 45 minutes, but ideally an hour.
Obviously, it might not be possible for you to fit an hour of walking into your busy schedule, but try walking every day allowing a few days for an hour and a few days at 30 minutes. Alternate them, however. If you walk an hour on Monday, walk half an hour on Tuesday, etc.
If you’re only going to be walking for 30 minutes, increase your speed. A leisurely stroll isn’t going to give you that aerobic workout that your body needs, so step it up a bit. But don’t overdo it. If you can’t talk and walk, you’re over-exerting yourself and you should back off a bit.
You can also introduce some type of weight for you to carry when you walk. This could be something simple like a small weight, or you can go to the pantry and pull out a couple of cans of corn! Keep them in your hands as you walk and move your arms back and forth in your strides. Adding weight will also help tone your arms – an added perk!
If you’re walking outdoors, perhaps in your neighborhood, take along a walk-man and play some upbeat music to keep you walking. Not only is it entertaining, it keeps you going as well!
And remember, that all walking counts – even if it’s during a shopping trip to the mall!
Phillips, Bill; Eating For Life;
Walking is the easiest and most effective exercise we can use in our workout routine. But you need to know more than one foot in front of the other to get the most from walking as aerobic exercise.
Because of how the body draws on fat stores versus other stored energy sources, the first thing you need to do is increase the time you spend walking. While we’ve said that 30 minutes of exercise is good for fat burning, when you walk, you really need to bump this up to at least 45 minutes, but ideally an hour.
Obviously, it might not be possible for you to fit an hour of walking into your busy schedule, but try walking every day allowing a few days for an hour and a few days at 30 minutes. Alternate them, however. If you walk an hour on Monday, walk half an hour on Tuesday, etc.
If you’re only going to be walking for 30 minutes, increase your speed. A leisurely stroll isn’t going to give you that aerobic workout that your body needs, so step it up a bit. But don’t overdo it. If you can’t talk and walk, you’re over-exerting yourself and you should back off a bit.
You can also introduce some type of weight for you to carry when you walk. This could be something simple like a small weight, or you can go to the pantry and pull out a couple of cans of corn! Keep them in your hands as you walk and move your arms back and forth in your strides. Adding weight will also help tone your arms – an added perk!
If you’re walking outdoors, perhaps in your neighborhood, take along a walk-man and play some upbeat music to keep you walking. Not only is it entertaining, it keeps you going as well!
And remember, that all walking counts – even if it’s during a shopping trip to the mall!
Phillips, Bill; Eating For Life;
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
TONING EXERCISES
Need some more exercises? No problem! Here are three exercises that can be used to tighten thighs, buttocks, and stomach areas.
• Outer Thigh Lift – Lying on your right side with your hips and ankles in line with your shoulders, slowly lift your leg as high as possible, hold, then return to starting position. Do 10 repetitions and then switch sides.
• Inner Thigh Lift – Lie on your left side with your hips and ankles in line with your shoulders, and your right knee bent at a 90 degree angle. Slowly lift your left leg as high as possible, hold, then return to starting position. Do 10 repetitions and then switch sides
• Abdominal Crunches – Lying on your back with your knees bent and your hands behind your head, slowly curl your shoulders up putting your chin to your chest. Pause then slowly return to starting position. Do 10 repetitions of these.
Of course, these are toning exercises that will help target problem areas. One problem area many women have is cellulite in the thigh area and other places. Here are some exercises to perform that will help those cellulite areas.
Phillips, Bill; Eating For Life;
• Outer Thigh Lift – Lying on your right side with your hips and ankles in line with your shoulders, slowly lift your leg as high as possible, hold, then return to starting position. Do 10 repetitions and then switch sides.
• Inner Thigh Lift – Lie on your left side with your hips and ankles in line with your shoulders, and your right knee bent at a 90 degree angle. Slowly lift your left leg as high as possible, hold, then return to starting position. Do 10 repetitions and then switch sides
• Abdominal Crunches – Lying on your back with your knees bent and your hands behind your head, slowly curl your shoulders up putting your chin to your chest. Pause then slowly return to starting position. Do 10 repetitions of these.
Of course, these are toning exercises that will help target problem areas. One problem area many women have is cellulite in the thigh area and other places. Here are some exercises to perform that will help those cellulite areas.
Phillips, Bill; Eating For Life;
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
WHAT TO EAT WHEN YOU 'RE ON LOSING WEIGHT PROGRAM
If you are trying to lose weight, choose food based on their weight-to-calorie ratio. You want to eat food that weighs a lot but has few calories and avoid food that is light in weight but hefty in calories.
Fruits and vegetables are the big winners in the heavy weight-low calorie department, according to Tufts University. They weigh a lot because of their fiber and water content and yet do not have many calories. For example, one cup of cantaloupe or 'melon' weighs 5.5 ounces but only has 56 calories. A cup of cooked spinach weighs six ounces but only has 42 calories.
Now, compare that to six cups of buttered popcorn that only weighs three ounces and contains 420 calories or, even worse, one ounce of potato chips that has 152 calories (if you ate four ounces, you would be inviting 608 calories to feel at home in your fat cells). That's what I call "small but terrible".
Most snack food doesn't weigh much but sure have a lot of calories. This means you can eat a lot of them without feeling full and without realizing it take in many excess calories that you don't need.
Most cookies weigh ½ ounce and contain 50 calories. Eat six cookies and you only have three ounces of weight but you've racked up 300 calories. 1.5 ounces of a chocolate bar contain 220 calories. A small croissant only weighs two ounces but has 230 calories.
According to the New Zealand University study, food that is light in weight but high in calories is probably the worse kind of food to eat if you are trying to lose weight. It's sort of like 'double jeopardy' - you are still hungry but you have already eaten many calories.
Choose lower-fat choices of the same weight food. There can be a world of difference between the caloric consumption of two people eating the same weight and type of food. How is this possible? Easy, if you consider the way the food is cooked or prepared.
Here are some examples (all of them weigh 3.5 ounces). Boiled potatoes have 62 calories compared to french fried potatoes with 328 calories. Sardines in tomato sauce contain 127 calories while sardines in oil have 372. Tuna flakes in water have 95 calories while tuna flakes in oil have 309. You get the picture.
Avoid the "light weight-high calorie" way of dieting. I know many people who don't want to eat regular sized meals because they think that if their stomach feels heavy, they are eating a lot of calories. Therefore, they think that by eating something light like crackers, they will lose weight.
What they don't realize is that just because a food is light doesn't automatically mean it contains few calories. One could easily eat nine crackers (420 calories) and still not feel full because nine crackers only weigh three ounces. Believe it or not but you could have a satisfying meal of ½ cup steamed rice, a cup of cooked spinach, a small piece of fish, and a cup of cantaloupe for less calories.
This complete meal would weigh a satisfying 18.5 ounces and only "cost" you 378 calories. By making the right food choices, you can cut down on unnecessary calories without starving yourself and feeling deprived.
You should also cut down somewhat on your carbs, but don’t cut them out completely! Because effective weight loss depends on exercise and activity, without some carbs in your diet, you won’t have the energy you’ll need to effectively burn off calories.
What you do need to do is begin with a “baseline diet” that dictates at least half of your calories come from vegetables, fruits, natural starches, and whole grains. The rest of your diet should consist of low-fat proteins like fish, chicken, and lean beef.
You need to balance out your carbs with your protein stay away from those carbs at night. Periodically, you want to take “carb-up” days to get your energy levels up.
When we talk about protein, many people wonder just how much is enough or how much is too much. In general, experts say you should eat 1 gram of protein for every pound of body weight per meal.
That might seem like a ridiculously large amount of protein, but remember, we’re talking about LEAN proteins. Plus, eating protein speeds up your metabolism and accelerates weight loss.
This might be a good time to talk about portion sizes. As a general rule of thumb, you should never eat a serving that is larger than your clenched fist. The good news about this is that you’ll be able to eat enough to get full without overdoing it.
Cravings might be the worst part about weight loss. Let’s say you love chocolate chip cookies like I do. If you’re craving a chocolate chip cookie, denying that craving will only make it stronger.
Instead of not having the cookie, go ahead, just don’t overdo it. Simply have one instead of three. You can indulge in your favorite foods as long as you keep it within reason.
Most experts agree that the traditional three square meals a day shouldn’t be part of a healthy diet. In fact, you should eat more meals every day. Doesn’t that sound like great news?!
The idea here is that you overeat when you are overly hungry. To combat that hunger, you should eat more meals with smaller portions rather than fewer meals with larger portions.
For women, it is recommended you eat five meals a day and for men, you should eat six. Try to make these meals a minimum of 2 hours apart to insure you don’t get too hungry.
The benefits will reveal themselves. By doing this, you are accomplishing the following benefits:
• Faster metabolic rate
• Higher energy
• Less storage of body fat due to the smaller portions
• Reduced hunger and cravings
• Steadier blood sugar and insulin levels
• More calories available for muscle growth
• Better absorption and utilization of the nutrients in your food
But you need to make sure you eat the right kinds of foods.
Phillips, Bill; Eating For Life;
Fruits and vegetables are the big winners in the heavy weight-low calorie department, according to Tufts University. They weigh a lot because of their fiber and water content and yet do not have many calories. For example, one cup of cantaloupe or 'melon' weighs 5.5 ounces but only has 56 calories. A cup of cooked spinach weighs six ounces but only has 42 calories.
Now, compare that to six cups of buttered popcorn that only weighs three ounces and contains 420 calories or, even worse, one ounce of potato chips that has 152 calories (if you ate four ounces, you would be inviting 608 calories to feel at home in your fat cells). That's what I call "small but terrible".
Most snack food doesn't weigh much but sure have a lot of calories. This means you can eat a lot of them without feeling full and without realizing it take in many excess calories that you don't need.
Most cookies weigh ½ ounce and contain 50 calories. Eat six cookies and you only have three ounces of weight but you've racked up 300 calories. 1.5 ounces of a chocolate bar contain 220 calories. A small croissant only weighs two ounces but has 230 calories.
According to the New Zealand University study, food that is light in weight but high in calories is probably the worse kind of food to eat if you are trying to lose weight. It's sort of like 'double jeopardy' - you are still hungry but you have already eaten many calories.
Choose lower-fat choices of the same weight food. There can be a world of difference between the caloric consumption of two people eating the same weight and type of food. How is this possible? Easy, if you consider the way the food is cooked or prepared.
Here are some examples (all of them weigh 3.5 ounces). Boiled potatoes have 62 calories compared to french fried potatoes with 328 calories. Sardines in tomato sauce contain 127 calories while sardines in oil have 372. Tuna flakes in water have 95 calories while tuna flakes in oil have 309. You get the picture.
Avoid the "light weight-high calorie" way of dieting. I know many people who don't want to eat regular sized meals because they think that if their stomach feels heavy, they are eating a lot of calories. Therefore, they think that by eating something light like crackers, they will lose weight.
What they don't realize is that just because a food is light doesn't automatically mean it contains few calories. One could easily eat nine crackers (420 calories) and still not feel full because nine crackers only weigh three ounces. Believe it or not but you could have a satisfying meal of ½ cup steamed rice, a cup of cooked spinach, a small piece of fish, and a cup of cantaloupe for less calories.
This complete meal would weigh a satisfying 18.5 ounces and only "cost" you 378 calories. By making the right food choices, you can cut down on unnecessary calories without starving yourself and feeling deprived.
You should also cut down somewhat on your carbs, but don’t cut them out completely! Because effective weight loss depends on exercise and activity, without some carbs in your diet, you won’t have the energy you’ll need to effectively burn off calories.
What you do need to do is begin with a “baseline diet” that dictates at least half of your calories come from vegetables, fruits, natural starches, and whole grains. The rest of your diet should consist of low-fat proteins like fish, chicken, and lean beef.
You need to balance out your carbs with your protein stay away from those carbs at night. Periodically, you want to take “carb-up” days to get your energy levels up.
When we talk about protein, many people wonder just how much is enough or how much is too much. In general, experts say you should eat 1 gram of protein for every pound of body weight per meal.
That might seem like a ridiculously large amount of protein, but remember, we’re talking about LEAN proteins. Plus, eating protein speeds up your metabolism and accelerates weight loss.
This might be a good time to talk about portion sizes. As a general rule of thumb, you should never eat a serving that is larger than your clenched fist. The good news about this is that you’ll be able to eat enough to get full without overdoing it.
Cravings might be the worst part about weight loss. Let’s say you love chocolate chip cookies like I do. If you’re craving a chocolate chip cookie, denying that craving will only make it stronger.
Instead of not having the cookie, go ahead, just don’t overdo it. Simply have one instead of three. You can indulge in your favorite foods as long as you keep it within reason.
Most experts agree that the traditional three square meals a day shouldn’t be part of a healthy diet. In fact, you should eat more meals every day. Doesn’t that sound like great news?!
The idea here is that you overeat when you are overly hungry. To combat that hunger, you should eat more meals with smaller portions rather than fewer meals with larger portions.
For women, it is recommended you eat five meals a day and for men, you should eat six. Try to make these meals a minimum of 2 hours apart to insure you don’t get too hungry.
The benefits will reveal themselves. By doing this, you are accomplishing the following benefits:
• Faster metabolic rate
• Higher energy
• Less storage of body fat due to the smaller portions
• Reduced hunger and cravings
• Steadier blood sugar and insulin levels
• More calories available for muscle growth
• Better absorption and utilization of the nutrients in your food
But you need to make sure you eat the right kinds of foods.
Phillips, Bill; Eating For Life;
Thursday, 25 March 2010
GETTING STARTED TO LOSE WEIGHT
You can lose weight in many ways. Sure you could go the supermodel route and starve yourself, but who wants to do that. There are a few things about dieting and weight loss that most experts agree upon in general.
First, you need to drink a lot of water. Most individuals don’t drink nearly enough water. Colas and coffee don’t count! Yes, you really should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day - maybe more, depending on your weight.
Water is a natural appetite suppressant. If you drink a full glass of water before beginning your meal, your stomach simply doesn’t hold as much food.
No, you will not gain weight from drinking a lot of water. It’s when you don’t drink enough water throughout the day, your body gets dehydrated. When it does finally get water, it holds onto it and stores it for a future need. That’s when we feel swollen, and bloated with water weight.
However, if you give your body enough water on a regular basis, it releases it naturally. Drinking enough water gives you the benefit of hydration and fullness.
You should always eat a balanced meal. This might be the one thing we learned in elementary school that we really can use in our adult life – the basic food groups.
Proteins and carbohydrates are essential to a healthy meal. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy in our diet, and proteins burn fat. At a bare minimum, each meal should consist of a protein and a carbohydrate.
DO NOT skip meals. One of the worst things we can do, in our attempt to lose weight, is to skip a meal. I’ve seen it countless times: Motivated to lose weight, an individual decides to eat just twice a day. But your metabolism needs the consistency of regular meals. With erratic eating schedules, the body thinks it’s starving. So, everything it takes in – it stores as fat to be used for energy.
Finally, exercise. You just can’t lose weight when you maintain a sedentary lifestyle. People who exercise live longer and feel better. And, they lose weight quicker. But, keep it simple.
Thomas Jefferson said, “The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise, and of all the exercises walking is the best.”
It’s never too late to get in shape. We’ll give you a whole separate section on exercise, but you don’t have to join a gym and become the next famous body builder. There’s plenty of ways you can get enough exercise to aid in your weight loss efforts.
Of course, there is a simple formula to help calculate weight loss: consume fewer calories than what you burn every day. For example, if you consume 2000 calories per day and you burn 2500 calories per day, you will lose weight.
You might just say "Why don't I just cut down on my calories intake considerably, hence I don't really have to burn many calories to lose weight?" Well that would be starving yourself and is not a good idea at all. This will make you weaker, hungrier and you will eat quite a lot after.
Your body needs food and calories to get energy. You need to eat enough so as not to starve yourself and be able to burn these calories and more after. On the other hand, if you burn out the exact same amount of calories that you take, you will stay the same.
The secret to losing weight without going hungry is to make the right food choices. You need to choose foods that are low in calories but can satisfy your stomach so you don't become hungry.
We found a very interesting study that illustrates how the way we eat affects our weight. It was performed by New Zealand’s University of Auckland in 1999.
The researchers divided male participants into three groups. Each group was put on a diet with different fat percentages (their total daily calories were composed of 60, 40 or 20-percent fat) but no calorie limits. The men were told to eat as much they wanted from the food choices they were allowed.
As expected, the men eating the 20-percent fat diets lost weight because they were consuming fewer calories. Fat contains nine calories per gram compared to four calories per gram for carbohydrates or protein. Therefore, the more fat a food contains the more calories it will have. However, in spite of the lower calorie diet, the men in this group were not at all hungry.
What the researchers discovered was that the men in the low-fat group unconsciously compensated by choosing foods that weighed the same as the men in the higher-fat groups and, therefore, were not hungry.
What this suggests is that the weight of the food you eat may play a more important role than fat or calories in satisfying your hunger. In other words, you may not need to eat high-calorie or high-fat foods to feel full but your stomach has to feel the weight of a certain amount of food.
There are several other studies suggesting that people tend to eat the same weight of food daily, regardless of the fat or calories that the meals contain. It's almost as if your stomach has an internal scale with a pre-determined weight that has to be reached for you to be satisfied and not hungry.
This may explain the rationale behind drinking a glass of water or having a bowl of soup before eating to cut down on your appetite. It may also explain why people can go on a low fat diet and yet gain weight if the majority of their food choices come from starchy food that is highly processed and low in fiber.
You can eat many slices of fluffy white bread before you feel full while eating two slices of whole wheat multi-grain bread already makes you feel like you swallowed the whole loaf. Eating high fiber foods like oatmeal helps you eat fewer calories (seven ounces of oatmeal only has 120 calories) without going hungry.
So how do you choose the right foods?
Phillips, Bill; Eating For Life;
First, you need to drink a lot of water. Most individuals don’t drink nearly enough water. Colas and coffee don’t count! Yes, you really should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day - maybe more, depending on your weight.
Water is a natural appetite suppressant. If you drink a full glass of water before beginning your meal, your stomach simply doesn’t hold as much food.
No, you will not gain weight from drinking a lot of water. It’s when you don’t drink enough water throughout the day, your body gets dehydrated. When it does finally get water, it holds onto it and stores it for a future need. That’s when we feel swollen, and bloated with water weight.
However, if you give your body enough water on a regular basis, it releases it naturally. Drinking enough water gives you the benefit of hydration and fullness.
You should always eat a balanced meal. This might be the one thing we learned in elementary school that we really can use in our adult life – the basic food groups.
Proteins and carbohydrates are essential to a healthy meal. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy in our diet, and proteins burn fat. At a bare minimum, each meal should consist of a protein and a carbohydrate.
DO NOT skip meals. One of the worst things we can do, in our attempt to lose weight, is to skip a meal. I’ve seen it countless times: Motivated to lose weight, an individual decides to eat just twice a day. But your metabolism needs the consistency of regular meals. With erratic eating schedules, the body thinks it’s starving. So, everything it takes in – it stores as fat to be used for energy.
Finally, exercise. You just can’t lose weight when you maintain a sedentary lifestyle. People who exercise live longer and feel better. And, they lose weight quicker. But, keep it simple.
Thomas Jefferson said, “The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise, and of all the exercises walking is the best.”
It’s never too late to get in shape. We’ll give you a whole separate section on exercise, but you don’t have to join a gym and become the next famous body builder. There’s plenty of ways you can get enough exercise to aid in your weight loss efforts.
Of course, there is a simple formula to help calculate weight loss: consume fewer calories than what you burn every day. For example, if you consume 2000 calories per day and you burn 2500 calories per day, you will lose weight.
You might just say "Why don't I just cut down on my calories intake considerably, hence I don't really have to burn many calories to lose weight?" Well that would be starving yourself and is not a good idea at all. This will make you weaker, hungrier and you will eat quite a lot after.
Your body needs food and calories to get energy. You need to eat enough so as not to starve yourself and be able to burn these calories and more after. On the other hand, if you burn out the exact same amount of calories that you take, you will stay the same.
The secret to losing weight without going hungry is to make the right food choices. You need to choose foods that are low in calories but can satisfy your stomach so you don't become hungry.
We found a very interesting study that illustrates how the way we eat affects our weight. It was performed by New Zealand’s University of Auckland in 1999.
The researchers divided male participants into three groups. Each group was put on a diet with different fat percentages (their total daily calories were composed of 60, 40 or 20-percent fat) but no calorie limits. The men were told to eat as much they wanted from the food choices they were allowed.
As expected, the men eating the 20-percent fat diets lost weight because they were consuming fewer calories. Fat contains nine calories per gram compared to four calories per gram for carbohydrates or protein. Therefore, the more fat a food contains the more calories it will have. However, in spite of the lower calorie diet, the men in this group were not at all hungry.
What the researchers discovered was that the men in the low-fat group unconsciously compensated by choosing foods that weighed the same as the men in the higher-fat groups and, therefore, were not hungry.
What this suggests is that the weight of the food you eat may play a more important role than fat or calories in satisfying your hunger. In other words, you may not need to eat high-calorie or high-fat foods to feel full but your stomach has to feel the weight of a certain amount of food.
There are several other studies suggesting that people tend to eat the same weight of food daily, regardless of the fat or calories that the meals contain. It's almost as if your stomach has an internal scale with a pre-determined weight that has to be reached for you to be satisfied and not hungry.
This may explain the rationale behind drinking a glass of water or having a bowl of soup before eating to cut down on your appetite. It may also explain why people can go on a low fat diet and yet gain weight if the majority of their food choices come from starchy food that is highly processed and low in fiber.
You can eat many slices of fluffy white bread before you feel full while eating two slices of whole wheat multi-grain bread already makes you feel like you swallowed the whole loaf. Eating high fiber foods like oatmeal helps you eat fewer calories (seven ounces of oatmeal only has 120 calories) without going hungry.
So how do you choose the right foods?
Phillips, Bill; Eating For Life;
Thursday, 11 March 2010
What Is The Weight Problem And How To Rid Of It?
Are you carrying a little extra weight around the middle? Maybe you’ve got more than just a little weight problem – maybe it’s a rather large one and you need to get rid of the fat for health reasons. Rest assured that you’re not alone!
Obesity in America is at an all-time high. One of out of every three Americans is obese – a number that has doubled in just ten years. This epidemic is growing out of control in other countries as well as fast food franchises open in China, Japan, Germany, and other industrialized nations.
When you are overweight, it’s a serious issue. Carrying extra weight can make you more susceptible to heart problems, diabetes, stroke, and various types of cancer. It can also affect your body image as well thus causing problems with your self-esteem.
You deserve to be healthier and take off some of that weight that is making you unhealthy. But what if you’re like me and love food so you hate the idea of having to eat rice cakes and alfalfa sprouts or starving yourself just to help the weight come off.
We have good news for you! You don’t have to starve yourself to lose weight!
Many people associate weight loss with being hungry all the time. They're afraid to start a weight loss plan because they want to avoid the frustrations of hunger.
And yes, a lot of times for many people they think it's better to be overweight than to starve. I'm no exception. I really like to eat, so there's no way I would be constantly hungry for the sake being thin. What kind of life is it if you're always feeling hungry?
Our natural instinct tells us to eat when we are hungry. Hunger is a signal telling the body that it needs to eat. It is also a signal to the body that it is in danger, that it needs food now. Our self-preservation instinct makes us scarf down everything in sight in response to feelings of starvation.
Our body doesn't care that we live in the modern world where food is plentiful. It acts the same as it would if we were living in a wild, having to hunt for our food. And it is not wise to go against the instinct that is designed to protect us from starvation death.
So, get ready for a surprise: you do not have to be hungry in order to lose weight. On the contrary, eating regular meals and keeping yourself full is what will actually help you stick to your healthy eating plan and reach your goals. Keeping your hunger in check will help you avoid overeating. It will also prevent you from feeling miserable, frustrated and out of control.
Diet and weight loss is big business these days. It seems you’re always seeing and hearing ads for weight loss products that promise amazing results. Some of them have their own meal plans, some are just small little pills that purport to burn fat, and others ask you to cut certain foods out of your diet in order to adjust the body’s metabolism.
There are many, many people out there who have amazing success using these programs. Kirstie Alley’s looking great these days with Jenny Craig, and there’s no denying that Anna Nicole Smith has regained her image as a sex symbol with Trim Spa.
The downside to these companies and diet plans is that they can often be expensive. The pills you take for weight loss can contain dangerous chemicals or have a large amount of caffeine that make you jittery and feel out of control. The positives are that they are easy to follow and provide you with support when you have questions or just need a positive uplift on the way to your goal weight.
If you want to join these programs, that’s wonderful! But know that everything they offer you can be done all on your own. You can prepare the meals that Jenny Craig offers, you can gain the same effect that those fat burning pills give, you can be in control of your own weight loss program – and you don’t have to starve to do it!
Inside the pages of this book, we’ll give you all kinds of tips and tricks toward successful weight loss. We’ll examine some common weight loss myths and even give you some great recipes to try while you are on this journey.
It won’t be easy and you’ll have to maintain your willpower to be successful, but losing weight without starving yourself is a goal YOU CAN achieve!
Phillips, Bill; Eating For Life;
Obesity in America is at an all-time high. One of out of every three Americans is obese – a number that has doubled in just ten years. This epidemic is growing out of control in other countries as well as fast food franchises open in China, Japan, Germany, and other industrialized nations.
When you are overweight, it’s a serious issue. Carrying extra weight can make you more susceptible to heart problems, diabetes, stroke, and various types of cancer. It can also affect your body image as well thus causing problems with your self-esteem.
You deserve to be healthier and take off some of that weight that is making you unhealthy. But what if you’re like me and love food so you hate the idea of having to eat rice cakes and alfalfa sprouts or starving yourself just to help the weight come off.
We have good news for you! You don’t have to starve yourself to lose weight!
Many people associate weight loss with being hungry all the time. They're afraid to start a weight loss plan because they want to avoid the frustrations of hunger.
And yes, a lot of times for many people they think it's better to be overweight than to starve. I'm no exception. I really like to eat, so there's no way I would be constantly hungry for the sake being thin. What kind of life is it if you're always feeling hungry?
Our natural instinct tells us to eat when we are hungry. Hunger is a signal telling the body that it needs to eat. It is also a signal to the body that it is in danger, that it needs food now. Our self-preservation instinct makes us scarf down everything in sight in response to feelings of starvation.
Our body doesn't care that we live in the modern world where food is plentiful. It acts the same as it would if we were living in a wild, having to hunt for our food. And it is not wise to go against the instinct that is designed to protect us from starvation death.
So, get ready for a surprise: you do not have to be hungry in order to lose weight. On the contrary, eating regular meals and keeping yourself full is what will actually help you stick to your healthy eating plan and reach your goals. Keeping your hunger in check will help you avoid overeating. It will also prevent you from feeling miserable, frustrated and out of control.
Diet and weight loss is big business these days. It seems you’re always seeing and hearing ads for weight loss products that promise amazing results. Some of them have their own meal plans, some are just small little pills that purport to burn fat, and others ask you to cut certain foods out of your diet in order to adjust the body’s metabolism.
There are many, many people out there who have amazing success using these programs. Kirstie Alley’s looking great these days with Jenny Craig, and there’s no denying that Anna Nicole Smith has regained her image as a sex symbol with Trim Spa.
The downside to these companies and diet plans is that they can often be expensive. The pills you take for weight loss can contain dangerous chemicals or have a large amount of caffeine that make you jittery and feel out of control. The positives are that they are easy to follow and provide you with support when you have questions or just need a positive uplift on the way to your goal weight.
If you want to join these programs, that’s wonderful! But know that everything they offer you can be done all on your own. You can prepare the meals that Jenny Craig offers, you can gain the same effect that those fat burning pills give, you can be in control of your own weight loss program – and you don’t have to starve to do it!
Inside the pages of this book, we’ll give you all kinds of tips and tricks toward successful weight loss. We’ll examine some common weight loss myths and even give you some great recipes to try while you are on this journey.
It won’t be easy and you’ll have to maintain your willpower to be successful, but losing weight without starving yourself is a goal YOU CAN achieve!
Phillips, Bill; Eating For Life;
Monday, 22 February 2010
Healthy Cholesterol Levels
Before you start eating your favorite, you might want to know whether you’re having too much cholesterol. Few years ago, many were not aware what cholesterol level is but with all the information everywhere people are becoming aware how their cholesterol levels affect their lives. You have to remember that you are what you eat and what you eat has something to do with your cholesterol. What is cholesterol? How will you know if you have a healthy cholesterol level?
Cholesterol Is…
Cholesterol is a type of lipid needed in all the vital functions of the body. Every single one of our cells is surrounded by cholesterol and its job is to insulate our nerve fibers. By insulating the nerve fibers, the cholesterol ensures that the nerve signals are traveling properly which is extremely important. Cholesterol also produces hormones which are used to carry specific signals around the body.
Too much cholesterol in the body would increase your chances of heart disease. If you
have a high cholesterol level, you should bring it down. Even though cholesterol is
essential for our bodies to function properly, still it should be controlled properly.
What Is Your Cholesterol Level?
How do you know if your cholesterol levels are high? You have to consult your doctor let you know exactly what your cholesterol level is. Knowing your levels is not really enough to tell whether or not you have a risk of heart disease, you need to find out what your Lipoprotein levels is. Lipoproteins are molecules which are especially designed to carry cholesterol around the body. They are important because they control exactly how much cholesterol is in your body. Now, there are two main types of Lipoproteins:
- High Density Lipoproteins
- Low Density Lipoproteins
The one which you really need to be aware of is Low Density Lipoproteins. A high level of Low Density Lipoproteins means that you have a bad cholesterol that here is too much of it to build up. High Density Lipoproteins means good cholesterol that they are used to carry cholesterol away from cells and to the liver.
The complicated thing about cholesterol is the right level you should belong. The doctor has the ability to tell you how low your cholesterol levels should be. The average person usually should have around 4.0mmol/l but if you have a low density lipoprotein count, then you should have around 2.0mmol/l. As mentioned, however, each person is different so you need to get your levels checked to see exactly what you should be aiming for. Cholesterol is important and you should know what levels you have for you to know what you can do about it. More and more people are developing heart disease due to high levels of cholesterol so it is advisable to go to your doctors to know your cholesterol level.
There are many ways to improve your cholesterol level. Eat healthy food that can help
lower your LDL cholesterol level. With a healthy diet, your body is protected from the damaging effect of cholesterol. You should quit smoking, lose weight and exercise to raise your HDL cholesterol level.
Following a healthy low fat diet can lower cholesterol levels. If healthy eating and exercising don't work after about six months, consult your family doctor of the medicine to lower your cholesterol level.
Cholesterol Is…
Cholesterol is a type of lipid needed in all the vital functions of the body. Every single one of our cells is surrounded by cholesterol and its job is to insulate our nerve fibers. By insulating the nerve fibers, the cholesterol ensures that the nerve signals are traveling properly which is extremely important. Cholesterol also produces hormones which are used to carry specific signals around the body.
Too much cholesterol in the body would increase your chances of heart disease. If you
have a high cholesterol level, you should bring it down. Even though cholesterol is
essential for our bodies to function properly, still it should be controlled properly.
What Is Your Cholesterol Level?
How do you know if your cholesterol levels are high? You have to consult your doctor let you know exactly what your cholesterol level is. Knowing your levels is not really enough to tell whether or not you have a risk of heart disease, you need to find out what your Lipoprotein levels is. Lipoproteins are molecules which are especially designed to carry cholesterol around the body. They are important because they control exactly how much cholesterol is in your body. Now, there are two main types of Lipoproteins:
- High Density Lipoproteins
- Low Density Lipoproteins
The one which you really need to be aware of is Low Density Lipoproteins. A high level of Low Density Lipoproteins means that you have a bad cholesterol that here is too much of it to build up. High Density Lipoproteins means good cholesterol that they are used to carry cholesterol away from cells and to the liver.
The complicated thing about cholesterol is the right level you should belong. The doctor has the ability to tell you how low your cholesterol levels should be. The average person usually should have around 4.0mmol/l but if you have a low density lipoprotein count, then you should have around 2.0mmol/l. As mentioned, however, each person is different so you need to get your levels checked to see exactly what you should be aiming for. Cholesterol is important and you should know what levels you have for you to know what you can do about it. More and more people are developing heart disease due to high levels of cholesterol so it is advisable to go to your doctors to know your cholesterol level.
There are many ways to improve your cholesterol level. Eat healthy food that can help
lower your LDL cholesterol level. With a healthy diet, your body is protected from the damaging effect of cholesterol. You should quit smoking, lose weight and exercise to raise your HDL cholesterol level.
Following a healthy low fat diet can lower cholesterol levels. If healthy eating and exercising don't work after about six months, consult your family doctor of the medicine to lower your cholesterol level.
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