Healthy Lifestyle Choices and the Tools to Succeed – 2
Guest Writer Amber Platt
Continued from …
Healthy Lifestyle Choices and the Tools to Succeed – 1
Being Realistic
Individuals see the success stories of celebrities and infomercials, which promise a fast, streamlined opportunity for weight loss with minimal effort and time. This view is unrealistic, since a majority of us do not have the luxury of having a nutritionist, chef, and trainer available to us at our beck and call, let alone the time it requires to get oneself to those weight goals in such a short duration of time.
The realistic approach to weight loss is moderation, which includes the weight loss also needs to be in moderation. An individual should not lose more than two pounds per week with the exception of water weight in the beginning of one’s lifestyle changes of diet and exercise. It is unhealthy for the body to have a radical change, which can be just as strenuous to the body as being overweight or underweight.
Everyone’s body needs to be able to adapt to the change rather than contend with any medical emergencies, which may arise from too fast weight loss, which proves to be unhealthy and often results in the same weight loss being gained back in record time, creating a yo-yo effect.
Individuals need to create realistic goals and provide opportunities for celebration and praise by creating realistic mini-goals, thus allowing an individual to mark their successes. An example would be an individual desiring to lose 100 pounds. Instead of focusing on this large number, which can be daunting, they break down the main goal into mini-goals of increments of 20 pounds. Every time they reach another 20 pound weight loss, they reward themselves with praise, a massage, a merchandise purchase, or any other productive criticism and continue onto the next segment of their final goal.
Patience
We are participants in a fast paced world and we expect our weight loss to be instantaneous along with everything else we contend with. This is the wrong attitude to have toward weight loss goals, because it sets an individual up for failure. An individual did not gain all the weight overnight, thus they will not lose the desired amount of weight overnight.
Patience is an incredible tool, which allows individuals to see their goals come into fruition. Thus when an individual creates mini-goals, has a support system, remains motivated, and remains realistic about their goals, they become patient in the progress toward their weight loss goals. We should not be in a rush to eradicate the harm done to our bodies, rather we should allow our bodies to adapt and cope to the changes we expect of them through exercise, healthy eating, and healthy lifestyle choices.
Forgiveness
Our greatest enemy of our weight loss success is often ourselves. For many, once they have messed up their healthy eating by overindulging, they begin to belittle, berate, and chastise themselves for allowing their cravings and vulnerabilities to affect the success of their weight loss plan. We forget no one is perfect and instead of realizing everyone is capable of mistakes, we take on the attitude of “well I did it once, I am bound to do it again, what is the use of trying?”
We become our own worst enemies rather than forgiving ourselves for our mistakes, evaluating what went wrong, and realizing we can continue in our efforts for weight loss, not only tomorrow, but also for the rest of the day. Forgiveness is a powerful emotion and tool, one we often fail to provide ourselves which, allows us to falter and fail. We are human, thus we have the right to err, and rather than put ourselves on a pedestal, we need to celebrate our successes and learn from our mistakes, which will result in individuals seeing their goals succeed.
Weight loss is not about fads, rather healthy lifestyle changes that, entails an individual to unlearn their bad habits while learning beneficial habits. The rate of success is contingent upon a healthy support system, becoming and remaining motivated, pursuing healthy lifestyle choices in eating habits and exercise regimens, being realistic about goals, having patience while each goal comes to fruition, and the ability to forgive oneself if they make a mistake rather than allow the error to undermine the ability to forge forward in their weight loss goal. Weight loss does not happen overnight and we need to remain positive in order to overcome our obstacles while we continue working on our goals.
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Healthy Lifestyle Choices and the Tools to Succeed – 1
Guest Writer; Amber Platt
Many individuals are seeking to lose weight and often turn to fads to try to lose the desired amount of weight in an unrealistic timeframe. Dieting is not just about losing weight, rather it is healthy lifestyle choices which need to be learned while bad habits need to be unlearned in order for an individual to become successful in their weight loss. The main keys to success in losing and maintaining weight loss are support, motivation, healthy lifestyle choices, being realistic, patience, and forgiveness.
Support
Regardless if an individual’s support network is comprised of family, friends, or other individuals with a like-minded goal, success will be more forthcoming if an individual creates a support network to praise them, help them in need, provide advice, and redirect them should they waiver in their commitment to their goal. Individuals need to have others who will support their decision for their life change, remain positive, constructive, and assist in areas the individual may be faltering. An individual’s goals may be undermined and sabotaged if individuals in their network are negative, malicious, belittling, and unforgiving. These types of actions and attitudes can break an individual’s stride in the success of their goal if they begin to believe the negativity someone in their network is showcasing.
Motivation
In order for an individual to begin their commitment to a goal such as weight loss, the individual needs to become motivated. Individuals can become motivated by setting goals to attain either individually or with another individual who is seeking to achieve the same outcome. An example of becoming and remaining motivated is for an individual to start a healthy lifestyle change with a partner so they can support each other, provide productive criticism, and celebrate with each other when they reach the little goals leading up to the final goal. It is far easier to keep one’s eye on the goal when you have someone at your side facing the same struggles and obstacles, taking them head on, and working in a cohesive manner to help each other achieve the desired result. Individuals who create a workout or eating plan involving others have more success in their achievements than an individual who attempts to work out alone or create an eating plan that is solely meant to benefit them and no one else.
Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Eating Habits
In today’s fast paced world, it is often difficult for individuals to find healthy lifestyle choices while contending with work, children, household chores, appointments, and spending quality time with family. For many, the convenience of fast food outweighs the desire for a home cooked meal, since time is of the essence. Individuals can make sound decisions when they are eating out at restaurants, fast food eateries, work, and other people’s homes if they take a moment to remember moderation is key to the success of their weight loss plan, they need to minimize rich foods, simple carbohydrates, and other sugars, while increasing their vegetable and fruit intake.
A majority of businesses now provide detailed caloric and nutritional information for any food they serve, which provides an opportunity for individuals to make a sound decision of what they want to eat, the amount they want to eat, and if the food and beverages they are consuming have any nutritional value. The biggest mistake individuals make regarding weight loss is denying oneself a particular type of food; this creates an opportunity for an individual to crave this particular food and when they finally give into their cravings, instead of eating and enjoying the food in moderation, they find they have eaten the food in surplus amounts, thus sabotaging their efforts. The key is moderation and all types of foods can be enjoyed, regardless of an individual’s weight goals.
Exercising
Finding a moment of peace is often a miracle, thus many individuals struggle to find adequate time in their schedule to reap the benefits of exercise. Many individuals have the notion in order for exercise to be beneficial, one must attend a gym for several hours a day; a majority of individuals don’t have this type of time, many don’t have the funds to go to a gym, many individuals are intimidated by others working out in a gym who appear to be slimmer or more fit than they are, and many individuals are put off by the idea of having to work out so hard. The benefits of exercise do not need to occur in one time period, but rather, can become flexible to the needs and availability of the individual who is pursuing an exercise regimen.
In order for individuals to benefit from exercise, they need to find a minimum of 30 minutes throughout the day to work out. This can be broken up into three 10 minute exercise regimens, two 15 minute regimens, six five minute regimens, or however the time needs to be broken up so an individual can implement a type of exercise activity in their hectic schedule. Good exercises to perform are walking, jogging, running, aerobics, yoga, pilates, kick boxing, any type of karate, jump roping, swimming, or any other activity which can exert energy and be beneficial for the body. Individuals can also sign up for a work related or school related sport, through the local YMCA or other organizational clubs, or create a fun exercising atmosphere with friends or family such as volleyball, tennis, basketball, or football.
Individuals can also implement small amounts of exercise into their schedule by rearranging their current activities. For instance, an individual can walk up and down the stairs rather than take the elevator, can park further away from their destination in order to get some walking in, allow a portion of their lunch hour for a walk around the building, getting up and talking to a coworker rather than sending an email with the request; the options are limitless and an individual can find various ways to make their sedentary work style become more active.
Continue reading … Healthy Lifestyle Choices and the Tools to Succeed – 2
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Foods That Help You Sleep
People that suffer from insomnia will try almost anything to get some sleep. It can be agonizing going through the endless tossing and turning. So why not try sleep medication to get some much needed rest?
Well, it might be much easier than that, so before you make an appointment to see the Doc, try opening your refrigerator for relief.
We tend to overlook it, but we all know that food can make us sleepy. Think about it…after eating a big turkey dinner, what does everyone want to do?
Yep, lay down and take a nap. This is because of a chemical you may have heard a lot about in recent years called tryptophan.
So, what exactly is tryptophan?
It is a chemical that allows your body to produce an amino acid called L-Tryptophan. This amino acid is essential in the production of the neurotransmitters serotonin and melatonin. These help slow down the nerve traffic in your brain, relax you, and allow you think less and sleep more.
While you have most likely already felt the relaxing power of turkey, you probably wouldn’t be thrilled about the prospect of eating turkey before bed every single night. The good news is that turkey is not the only source of tryptophan.
The problem with many of the foods that contain tryptophan is that they also contain an amino acid called tyrosine. This amino acid produces chemicals that make you more alert and energized. Eaten alone, the acids in the food will counteract each other and produce no significant effect in either direction.
The key to getting rest is to eat other foods that will allow you to utilize the tryptophan and not the tyrosine. Carbohydrates are excellent foods for accomplishing this. They encourage your body to produce insulin which “ties up” the tyrosine, therefore allowing the tryptophan to reach your brain without competition.
Make sure you avoid consuming large amounts of carbs and simple sugars because you can produce too much insulin which will cause you to wake up shortly after falling asleep.
Another way to get the full benefit of tryptophan is to eat foods that will increase your brain’s absorption of this amino acid. Calcium is the best way to accomplish this, and we have already learned that dairy products are great sources of tryptophan. This is why many mothers give their children a glass of warm milk at night to help them rest; because it works!
If you are having a hard time settling down to get some rest, try a small late night meal containing tryptophan-nature’s sleeping pill. Remember not to eat too much though, or you will probably wake up much sooner than you’d like to.
The best way to accomplish this is to eat a moderately sized dinner, then a small snack an hour or so before bed. If you eat the right foods at bedtime, you’ll find yourself floating away to dreamland in no time.
Eating a SMALL amount of any of the following foods shortly before heading to bed can help you get to sleep quickly and sleep soundly all through the night.
Tryptophan – Sleep Inducing Foods:
- Dairy products: cottage cheese, cheese, milk
- Soy products: soy milk, tofu, soybean nuts
- Fish
- Poultry
- Whole grains
- Beans
- Rice
- Hummus
- Lentils
- Hazelnuts, Peanuts
- Eggs
- Sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
- Most high-protein foods
Note that research has shown people who consistently get a good nights sleep have an easier time losing and maintaining weight.
Technorati Tags: Sleep, Tryptophan, Insomnia
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Lose Weight Naturally
We all want to lose weight naturally. We want the weight to magically slip away. It seems as if we gained all of our weight overnight – so there should be some sort of magic pill, right?
The truth is it took time for us to gain those unwanted pounds and it will take time to lose them.
There is no secret to losing weight. To obtain and maintain our desired weight we must eat less and exercise more. Think about it, every single weight loss program from Atkins to the Zone have one factor in common. Each program reduces caloric intake in one way or another.
One problem we encounter is the word “lose”. We are brought up to be winners not losers. In your journey to obtaining your goal weight, think of all that you will WIN … when you lose those unwanted pounds.
- You’ll win a healthier body
- You’ll win an energetic spirit
- You’ll win self confidence
- You’ll win the body you want
What does the term “Lose Weight Naturally” mean to you?
I’ve found that this term can mean different things to different people.
Do you just want to change a few habits and lose weight?
If you’re struggling because of emotional eating then check out DietWatch 12-Lesson Program
Do you think of it as losing weight by ONLY eating natural foods?
Angela Stokes lost over 160 pounds by going raw. Read her story at RawReform the Natural Way to Weight Loss
Do you think it means losing weight without dieting?
If sugar cravings are destroying your best intenitons to eath healthy and lose weight then you need to read Stop Sugar Cravings and Lose Weight Naturally.
According to the American Heritage Dictionary the word naturally means:
In a natural manner
By nature, inherently
Without a doubt, surely
To lose weight naturally you need to begin by making wiser choices about what goes into your mouth. Our weight is determined by how and what we eat 90% of the time.
Below are some examples of simple changes that will reduce your caloric intake and help you to lose weight naturally.
Eat a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables
- Eat fresh fruit in place of drinking juice
- Cut out the sugar and/or cream in your coffee
- Cut off visible fat from your meat
- Use mustard instead of mayonnaise
- Make delicious omelets out of egg whites
- Eat an open faced sandwich by omitting 1 slice of bread
- Eat smaller portions
Believe in yourself because you can do it!
Technorati Tags: Lose Weight Naturally, Losing Weight
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5 Motivational Tips to Eating Healthy
Need some motivation for Eating Healthy?
You know that healthy eating is vital to your weight and overall health – yet you just can’t seem to get started. Some people try to scare you into action – but fear rarely works for the long term.
The following tips are meant to EMPOWER you.
Allow them to help make the lifestyle changes you desire.
5 Motivational Tips for Eating Healthy:
1. Statistics
The statistics available regarding the health and fitness of our society are shocking and disturbing. I won’t go into them; you know that obesity is rising, diabetes is rising and worse, childhood obesity is getting worse each and every day.
If any of these numbers relate to you, you can use them to motivate yourself to be more than a statistic.
2. Role Models
It helps to have an image of success. Find someone you know and respect who has achieved the same goal you are aiming for. If you’re looking to lose weight, why not find an image of a celebrity role model or find a role model you know personally and let them inspire you.
Inspiration comes from visual images and from personal interaction. Conversations, quotes, and pictures from this person and how they achieved their goals could help you attain yours.
3. Get a Coach
Starting a new weight loss campaign can feel overwhelming. Hire a nutritionist or dietician for assistance on finding the right diet plan for your goals, body type and health.
Not only will a dietician help you figure out what to do to meet your goals, he or she can be invaluable when it comes to motivation. That’s their job, to kick your bottom into gear and help you live the way you really want to live even when it’s difficult to do.
4. Find a Support Group
Support groups offer inspiration. Sometimes it is just helpful to find a group of peers who are going through the same thing you are. Its a good feeling knowing someone understands the tough times you’re going through. They are able to offer you valuable advice.
Many weight loss programs offer support groups in the form of meetings or online chat rooms. Support groups can help you know what to expect as you’re making your way towards your healthy eating goals.
5. Track Your Progress
Tracking your success is a great way to stay motivated. You can track your success in a journal, using an online tool, or by creating a spreadsheet to track your goals and results.
Now that you have 5 Motivational Tips to Eating Healthy – TAKE ACTION and begin eating healthy today!
By Guest Writer, Amy Cravin
Editors Note: Find the right program for you by reading our Honest Diet Reviews.
Technorati Tags: 5 Motivational Tips to Eating Healthy, Eating Healthy, Healthy Eating Tips
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Recognizing Obstacles to Weight Loss
Plan to Lose Weight by Setting Goals.
Goals are rarely without obstacles. If they were easy to attain and without obstacles, you would likely already be doing them, right?
Here are three tips to help recognize and overcome obstacles so you can attain the goals you set for yourself.
Tip #1: Acknowledge that there are obstacles – it won’t be easy. Any goal you have set for yourself will likely have obstacles.
The first step to overcoming them is simply acknowledging that fact. Know that you will have tough times. Know that it won’t be easy. Know also that despite the obstacles, you will reach your goals.
You will get through, around, or over the obstacles. They are there for a reason. Whether it is to teach you a bit about yourself, to make you appreciate your success when you attain it, or to make you stronger – each and every obstacle you encounter has a positive side to it.
Tip #2: Educate yourself on what obstacles you’re likely to have. When you create a goal, you have a few things you can do to help plan how you’re going to attain it. Educating yourself on potential obstacles is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for success.
Research your goal; if you want to lose weight, what are common obstacles you might encounter?
For example, cutting back on sugar may cause some cravings to surface. Cutting back on caffeine may cause temporary irritability, and taking on a detox diet may cause temporary digestion issues.
Find out what obstacles you’re likely to encounter so you can be prepared for them. When you’re prepared for them you can overcome them more easily.
Tip #3: Plan how you’re going to overcome the obstacles. Once you understand what potential obstacles you might face, you can plan how you’re going to tackle them.
For example, if you know that you’re going to be dealing with sugar cravings, you can have a protein bar solution in your purse, desk drawer and glove box of your car.
If you’re dealing with giving up caffeine and you know you’re going to have headaches, you can plan a few days off of work, grab a bottle of pain relievers, or brace yourself to power through the headaches knowing the reward is on the other end.<
When you recognize potential obstacles, it gives you the power to anticipate them and plan how you’re going to handle them so you aren’t tempted to give up on your goal.
Recognizing and planning for obstacles empowers you to succeed.
By staff writer Amy Cravin
Technorati Tags: obstacles, , goals, lose weight
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3 Steps to Prevent Emotional Eating
Emotional eating is a crutch that many overweight and obese individual use to hide their true emotions.
Using food to deal with emotions becomes a habit. Habits are formed from consistently doing the same thing over and over again.
It usually begins when we are small children. Can you think of a time when your were a child that your mother consoled you with food?
I can, I remember feeling sad because the neighbor kids wouldn’t play with me. To console me, my mom made me homemade chocolate pudding. Mmmmm. Anytime I was feeling sad or blue, I could count on Mom to make me my favorite foods. This was the beginning of my bout with emotional eating.
And to tell you the truth, I know I’ve done it with my own children too.
For some reason we are trained to deal with our emotions with food. If you do this every now and then, it probably won’t have any impact on your weight or health.
However, the downside is that many people begin using food as a coping mechanism – and this is when emotional eating becomes a BIG problem.
As a child, you eat because the kids teased you at school, or didn’t pick you to be on their team.
As a teen, you’re devastated because you don’t have a date for the school dance, you didn’t make the team, you broke up with your boy/girl friend. And teenage girls often bicker with their best friends … and well you know that parents really don’t know anything when you’re a teen. With the disappointments and lectures from your clueless parents you eat and eat and eat.
Along comes adult hood and all the responsibilities it includes. You hate your job, stressed out over deadlines, you don’t have enough money to pay your rent, unplanned pregnancies, raising a family, taking care of aging parents and the list goes on … And what do you do? You eat.
STOP and Ask yourself …
Has emotional eating ever solved any one of your problems?
Has it ever truly made you feel better?
Emotional eating only gives us temporary relief. Being full and satisfied gives our body physical comfort. In return this distracts us from our problems for a little while.
It doesn’t solve your problems, and you’ll soon be faced with the choice to deal with your emotions again.
3 Steps to stop emotional eating
1. Recognize True Hunger …
Before you eat take a second and ask yourself …
Is my hunger physical or emotional?
Why am I eating?
Am I really hungry?
How long has it been since I’ve ate? (If you just ate an hour or two ago, you’re more than likely want to feed your emotions.)
How would I rate my hunger on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being ravenous and 5 being stuffed?
2. Identify emotional eating triggers …
For the next several days, write down what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat, how you’re feeling when you eat and how hungry you are. This will help you to identify what feelings cause you to eat.
Some common triggers are boredom, stress, anger, loneliness and boredom.
You may also eat just because it’s there or because everyone else is eating … Remember we are talking about why people eat when they are not physiologically hungry.
Some people eat according to the clock for various reasons – including medical reasons. This is fine as long as you aren’t overdoing it and are choosing healthy foods. To lose weight you may have to count calories.
3. Develop alternative to emotional eating …
Now that you know what triggers are you can develop a plan to change your eating behaviors?
Sit down with pen and paper and brainstorm alternative behaviors to eating. Write down everything you think of. You might be quite surprised by some of your ideas.
Write your solutions on 3X5 cards and place them where you will see them in your moment of need
Taking a walk, deep breathing, meditation, drinking a tall glass of water, calling a friend are just a few of the thousands of alternatives.
Knowing why you eat is the first step towards changing your eating patterns.
Know that there will be times that you will give into emotional eating. Expect it, plan for it, and don’t worry about it when you do give in. Concentrate on the positive, each and every time that you find an alternative to emotional eating – you are one step closer to breaking the vicious cycle of emotional eating.
Don’t feed your feelings-deal with them.
Technorati Tags: Emotional Eating, Mindless Eating
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120 Reasons to Lose Weight
What are your reasons to lose weight?
Before beginning any weight loss program the first thing we should do is write a list of reasons you want to lose weight.
We are each individuals and each of us want to lose weight for our own reasons.
To help you get started …
Here’s 120 reasons to lose weight that we’ve gathered from previous readers.
1. Because I am worth it
2. To be able to really enjoy life
3. To feel better about myself
4. To increase my self-esteem
So I … reasons to lose weight
5. So a regular towel goes all the way around me
6. So I can crawl around on the floor hooking up computer cables without wondering how bad I look
7. So I can fit into movie theater seats comfortably
8. So I can get on with my Life and not worry about weight
9. So I can go bungee jumping
10. So I can shave my legs in the shower
11. So I can sunbathe without being self conscious
12. So I can walk between parked cars comfortably
13. So I can wash my hands in a sink with out getting a wet belly
14. So I don’t break toilet seats
15. So I don’t fear the onset of summer and light clothing
16. So I don’t feel uncomfortable when people around me are talking about weight
17. So I don’t get indents on my thighs from the arms of chairs
18. So I don’t have to wear clothes with elastic waistbands
19. So I don’t have to worry about arthritis or joint replacement when I get older
20. So I don’t have to worry about my bathroom scale breaking
21. So I don’t have to worry about weight restrictions on exercise machines
22. So I don’t look like the fat lady at the circus
23. So I don’t shy away from cameras
24. So I don’t take up the most space on a family picture
25. So I don’t think mean thoughts when I see skinny women
26. So I don’t think people are laughting or taking about me
27. So I don’t worry about spilling food down the front of my shirt
28. So I no longer get rashes in my rolls of fat
29. So I wont have to buy new clothes each season, because last years no longer fits
30. So I’m not embarrassed to have my picture taken
So my … reasons to lose weight
31. So my back doesn’t hurt so much
32. So my collarbone shows when I wear a low cut blouse
33. So my doctor stops telling me “You need to lose weight”
34. So my husband/wife can put their arms all the way around me
35. So my knees don’t hurt anymore
36. So my pants wont wear out between my legs
So no … reasons to lose weight
37. So no one calls me “big girl” or “big guy” again
38. So no one will ask me “When is your baby due” when I’m not pregnant
So people … reasons to lose weight
39. So people in the grocery store don’t look in my cart to see what fattening foods I’m buying
40. So people stop telling me “you have such a pretty face”
41. So those stupid gowns at the doctors office fit or are too big
To be able to … reasons to lose weight
42. To be able to bend over comfortably to tie my shoes
43. To be able to bend over without cutting off circulation
44. To be able to breathe easier
45. To be able to cross my arms around my chest without them resting on my stomach
46. To be able to cross my legs
47. To be able to get up from off the floor
48. To be able to go to “Ross Dress for Less” and find clothes that fit
49. To be able to hug my knees to my chest
50. To be able to look in a full length mirror with pride
51. To be able to order clothes from a catalogue
52. To be able to pick something up off the floor
53. To be able to play with my grandkids without getting exhausted
54. To be able to read the scale just by looking straight down
55. To be able to ride a horse again
56. To be able to ride all the rides at an amusement park
57. To be able to run and jump
58. To be able to run, romp and play with my kids
59. To be able to see my toes when I look down
60. To be able to show off my legs
61. To be able to show off my muscles
62. To be able to sit cross-legged on the floor in comfort
63. To be able to sit in a restaurant booth comfortably
64. To be able to sleep better
65. To be able to tell people my weight with out being ashamed
66. To be able to tuck my blouse under my pants/skirt
67. To be able to use a public washroom comfortably
68. To be able to walk in high-heels
69. To be able to walk up a flight of staris
70. To be able to wear a bra that actually fits
71. To be able to wear a regular sized watch band
72. To be able to wear cute dainty underwear
73. To be able to wear my wedding ring again
74. To be able to wear shorts in the summer
75. To be able to wear the hairstyle I want
To be … reasons to lose weight
76. To be an example of success for others that are loosing weight
77. To be comfortable behind the steering wheel of my car
78. To be healthier
79. To be in control of my weight
80. To buy the clothes I like, not just the ones that fit
To enjoy … reasons to lose weight
81. To enjoy getting dressed in the morning
82. To enjoy going clothes shopping
To feel … reasons to lose weight
83. To feel and look great in lingerie
84. To feel comfortable in my clothes
85. To feel good when stepping on the doctors scale
86. To feel good when wearing white or other light colors
87. To feel sexy
88. To fit inside those tiny bathroom stalls
89. To have a lap
90. To have just “One Chin”
91. To increase my energy
92. To increase my physical strength
93. To keep a sharp mind
94. To like the image I see in the mirror
95. To live long enough to see my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren etc
To look … reasons to lose weight
96. To look good in a tight dress
97. To look good in a t-shirt
98. To look good in ab business suit
99. To look lean and mean
100. To make my loved ones proud of me
To not … reasons to lose weight
101. To never be embarrassed about my size
102. To not be self-consious when I eat in front of others
103. To not feel lower than low when an innocent child makes a remark about my size
104. To not need an “extender” on seat belts
105. To not worry about lawn chairs breaking
106. To not worry about sitting on an airplane
To … reasons to lose weight
107. To reduce my blood pressure
108. To reduce my risk of certain cancers
109. To reduce my risk of heart disease and stroke
110. To reduce my risk of osteoarthritis
111. To reduce my stress level
112. To reduce the swelling in my ankles
113. To stop wearing loose unflattering clothing
114. To successfully flirt with the opposite sex
115. To take a bubble bath in luxury without overflowering the tub
116. To walk with ease
117. To wear a swimming suit with out being self-conscious
118. To wear clothes that don’t say “PLUS”
119. To wear panty hose that fit
120. To wear tight jeans
There you have it … 120 GOOD reasons to lose weight!
Technorati Tags: Lose Weight, Diet, Reasons to Lose Weight
Popularity: 11% [?]
Just One Bite
I woke up this morning energetic and ready to face the day. I knew that I would have no problem staying on my weight loss program. I can handle any obstacle that comes my way!
I cooked the kids bacon and eggs for breakfast. I had an egg white omelette with a slice of toast, no butter. As I was clearing the table I noticed my daughter left ½ slice of bacon on her plate …
I thought “What a waste! It’s just one bite, I might as well eat it. One bite won’t hurt my diet.” It tasted so good …
I didn’t write it down – because it was just one bite.
Later that morning I noticed my son left ½ his cookie on the counter.
I thought “What a waste! It’s just one bite, I might as well eat it. One bite won’t hurt my diet.” I devoured the sweet taste …
I didn’t write it down – after-all it was only 1 bite.
After lunch I noticed my son had left ¼ of his peanut butter and jelly sandwich on his plate.
I thought “What a waste! It’s just one bite, I might as well eat it. One bite won’t hurt my diet.” It’d been so long since I had the rich creamy taste of peanut butter in my mouth …
I didn’t write it down – after-all it was only 1 bite.
A little later in the day I passed my husbands candy dish in the den. I thought a handful of M&Ms wouldn’t hurt my diet … “It’s just one bite.”
I didn’t write it down – after-all it was only 1 bite.
I was cooking a good evening meal, baked chicken that we all could enjoy, lots of vegetables and fried potatoes for my husband and kids. I tasted the potatoes 3 or 4 times …
I didn’t write it down – after-all it was only 1 bite and I only tasted – it’s not like I ate a whole serving.
Later that evening when the kids were asleep, I sat down by my husband while he was watching TV and eating a bag of chips. He offered me one, and I took it – what would it hurt, it was only 1 bite …
As I lay down to go to sleep. I was so proud of myself. I had stayed on my diet plan all day. I drank my water, I wrote down all my meals. I knew that I was sure to lose a pound a two by the end of the week.
Every day was about the same … I’d have one bite of this and one bite of that … And oh to my shock I gained a pound that week!!!
How’d this happen? I stayed on plan, I logged all my meals and snacks, I drank all my water …. I just don’t understand it must be in my genetics I’m just doomed to be fat!
In the above scenario “Just one little bite” added up to 360 calories … (Bacon, 20 calories; cookie, 25 calories; PB sandwich, 100 calories; M and Ms, 100 calories; Potatoes, 100 calories; 1 chip, 15 calories.)
As you can see a nibble here and a nibble there can really add up. Remember calories do count on every single weight loss plan there is. So think before you take “Just One Bite”.
You might not think 360 calories is a lot – but it equals ONE POUND every TEN Days.
When losing weight it’s essential that you write dow every bite of food you put into your mounth. You are only cheating yourself if you don’t.
The Online Diet Tracker at Dietwatch is the Winner of Forbes Best of Web Award. It counts calories, carbs, and exercise! They make it sooo easy to track your food intake!
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Are You Ready To Lose Weight? (1)
10 Questions You Must Ask Yourself!
(Questions 1 – 5)
It’s important that you are mentally ready to lose weight.
It is a proven fact that when you are ready to make permanent lifestyle changes, losing weight and keeping it off becomes possible.
1. Do you know why you want to lose weight?
This may sound like a strange question at first. In order to succeed, it’s important that you have a deep rooted reason for wanting to reduce your weight. Just saying I need to diet, or I wish I was thinner does not give you the inner strength needed for weight loss.
You will need to look back on your reason(s) when the going gets tough. Get out a pen and paper and complete the following … (Dig deep into your heart and find the real reasons why you want to lose weight.) I know I will succeed because … Some common reasons for wanting to lose weight are:
- To look better
- To have more energy
- To set a good example for your children
- To be attractive to the opposite sex
- To be able to buy sexier clothes
- To be healthier
Are you currently experiencing health problems that would be improved by losing weight? Such as, high blood pressure, joint problems, high cholesterol etc.
2. Do you want to lose weight for yourself?
Your reasons for wanting to lose weight need to be personal reasons.
You can’t lose weight because your spouse, mom, kids or doctor wants you to.
If you can’t sincerely answer this question “yes” you are setting yourself up for failure.
Get some 3×5 cards and write down every personal reason you can think of to lose weight. Read these cards aloud to yourself, several times a day. This will help keep you motivated.
3. Are you being honest with yourself?
You need to review your previous failures and successes. You will need to identify obstacles that have hampered previous weight loss efforts. Forgive yourself for past failures. Learn from them. Repeat behaviors that have helped you before. View losing weight as a positive experience.
If you begin a weight loss program thinking …
“I can never have chocolate” or “I can never eat a fast food burger again.”
You’ll be obsessed with these foods. You’ll feel like you are depriving yourself and will eventually give in to your cravings – and probably wind up overeating.
Lose weight by eating all foods in moderation.
4. Do you have major distractions or stress in your life right now?
- What’s happening in your life right now?
- Are you recovering from surgery?
- Are you grieving over a loved one?
- Having severe marital problems or financial problems?
- A teen-ager that’s testing you to your very core?
- A job that is demanding all of your time and energy?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above – now might night be the time for you to lose weight. You just have too much other stuff on your plate.
If you are focused on demanding issues in your life, you’re less likely to give your diet the attention it needs. To effectively lose weight you need to focus on you. Be attentive to what and when you are eating. Make time for daily exercise. LOVE yourself.
5. Do you have clear goals regarding weight loss?
Before you begin to lose weight, it’s important to set SMART Goals. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Trackable. Set small goals at first. Make them personable.
For an example a person who weights 160 pounds on October 1, 2006, might set a goal such as “I weigh 155 pounds on October 31, 2006.”
Each time you set one of these small goals and attain it .. Your motivation increases and you’ll continue to lose weight.
Reward yourself with non-food each time you achieve your goal. You will conquer your final goal only after achieving several small goals.
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