Smoothie for maximum sports performance
2 cups apple sauce
1 cup apple cider
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons Vermont maple syrup
1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.
APPLE CARROT QUENCHER
2 cups carrot juice
1/2 cups apple juice
6 ounces non-fat vanilla or plain yogurt, frozen
1 banana
Put all ingredients into blender. Blend until smoothie consistency is reached!
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Healthy Recipes for Your Diet
Cranberry Bread
½ cup of vegetable oil
½ cup of sour cream
¼ cup of non fat milk
3 eggs
2 1/3 cup of Bisquick Mix*
¾ cup of sugar
½ cup of peanut, grinded
¾ cup of canned Cranberries
Apply adequate quantity of butter to the inner-bottom of the Pyrex. Mix and stir all of the ingredients except Cranberries in the Pyrex with fork until they perfectly mixed. Apply Cranberries Jelly and pour peanut over it. Burn under 3750F for 50 – 55 minutes. Ready to serve.
bread
½ cup of vegetable oil
½ cup of sour cream
¼ cup of non fat milk
3 eggs
2 1/3 cup of Bisquick Mix*
¾ cup of sugar
½ cup of peanut, grinded
¾ cup of canned Cranberries
Apply adequate quantity of butter to the inner-bottom of the Pyrex. Mix and stir all of the ingredients except Cranberries in the Pyrex with fork until they perfectly mixed. Apply Cranberries Jelly and pour peanut over it. Burn under 3750F for 50 – 55 minutes. Ready to serve.
bread
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
recipe
* Bisquick Mix
1 cup of Crisco
2 teacups of salts
4 ½ cups of maizena wheat flour
2 teaspoons of double- acting baking powder
Mix all dry ingredients and pour shortening. Mix them until the mixture looked like cornmeal, then pour it into topless bottle. It should not be stored in refrigerator unless we use butter or margarine. The proper shortening is from Spry or Crisco mark. The mixture prepared is the same as commercial Bisquick.
Parmesan Bread
1 ½ cup of Bisquick mix*(see the above recipe)
1 teaspoon Large Onion
¼ cup non-fat milk
½ cup of the Oregano (dried)
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 stirred egg
¼ cup white wine or apple juice
¼ cup of Parmesan
Mix and stir all of the ingredients except Parmesan Cheese. Stir, polish and mix them into pre-buttered, circular cake pan (8 inches). Pour butter over. Burn them under 4000F heat for 20 minutes. Test them by injecting wooden stick into them,: if the stick was clean and no sticking mixture traces around it after pulling it back, then the mixture was well done. Slash it before serving. For six persons.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
WEIGHT LOSS AND APPETITE SUPPRESSANTS
For decades, the Holy Grail of the diet industry has been an all natural appetite suppressant with no side effects other than the intended weight loss. Like the Holy Grail, it has been elusive. The diet pharmaceutical companies thought they found it in starch-blockers, in ephedra, in fat binders. the list goes on. While many of these worked, they often came with a heavy list of side effects, many of them dangerous. After an initial flurry of excitement and sales, most were knocked off track by reports of dangers associated with their use, and some were even banned from U.S. sale.
The latest arrival on the Holy Weight Loss Grail circuit is an unprepossessing African succulent known as hoodia gordoni. Cleared for sale in the U.S. in early 2004, it has been steadily making a name for itself as a powerful appetite suppressant that can help you lose weight. Its popularity was significantly boosted by reports on 60 Minutes, ABC News and BBC News.
As part of the BBC report, BBC Two's correspondent Tom Mangold, actually traveled to Africa to sample the hoodia in situ. He and his cameraman, who also tested the plant, both reported feeling pleasantly full for nearly 48 hours after eating a piece of hoodia gordoni.
The hoodia plant has been used by the San tribesmen of the Kalahari desert for centuries to suppress the pangs of hunger on long hunts and trips. Modern research has isolated an 'active ingredient' known as P57. Though the research is still scanty, it appears to work by fooling the hypothalamus into thinking that there is more sugar in the blood than there actually is.
Does it actually work? It's really still too early to tell, but in one clinical trial conducted by Phytopharm, the company that holds the patent on the process to extract P57 from hoodia, human subjects taking hoodia reduced their caloric intake by as much as 1000 calories a day. The figures are impressive.
But is it safe? There again, the research is far to scant to make a reasonable decision on it. There are no known side effects - but it also hasn't been used outside one small tribe in Africa until the past two years. It's possible that there are side effects to long-term use that aren't yet evident.
Until then, use caution in purchasing products made with hoodia. Many of the commercially available products contain virtually no hoodia gordoni at all. Consult your doctor before undertaking any weight loss program that involves appetite suppressants. This is particularly important for those who've been diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes, as the action of the hoodia plant can trick the body into thinking that the blood sugar is fine even as they approach hypoglycemic shock.
The latest arrival on the Holy Weight Loss Grail circuit is an unprepossessing African succulent known as hoodia gordoni. Cleared for sale in the U.S. in early 2004, it has been steadily making a name for itself as a powerful appetite suppressant that can help you lose weight. Its popularity was significantly boosted by reports on 60 Minutes, ABC News and BBC News.
As part of the BBC report, BBC Two's correspondent Tom Mangold, actually traveled to Africa to sample the hoodia in situ. He and his cameraman, who also tested the plant, both reported feeling pleasantly full for nearly 48 hours after eating a piece of hoodia gordoni.
The hoodia plant has been used by the San tribesmen of the Kalahari desert for centuries to suppress the pangs of hunger on long hunts and trips. Modern research has isolated an 'active ingredient' known as P57. Though the research is still scanty, it appears to work by fooling the hypothalamus into thinking that there is more sugar in the blood than there actually is.
Does it actually work? It's really still too early to tell, but in one clinical trial conducted by Phytopharm, the company that holds the patent on the process to extract P57 from hoodia, human subjects taking hoodia reduced their caloric intake by as much as 1000 calories a day. The figures are impressive.
But is it safe? There again, the research is far to scant to make a reasonable decision on it. There are no known side effects - but it also hasn't been used outside one small tribe in Africa until the past two years. It's possible that there are side effects to long-term use that aren't yet evident.
Until then, use caution in purchasing products made with hoodia. Many of the commercially available products contain virtually no hoodia gordoni at all. Consult your doctor before undertaking any weight loss program that involves appetite suppressants. This is particularly important for those who've been diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes, as the action of the hoodia plant can trick the body into thinking that the blood sugar is fine even as they approach hypoglycemic shock.
Friday, February 23, 2007
THE MOST PRACTICAL DIET YOU EVER TRY
Americans lose millions of pounds a year - only to gain most of it back within a year. You've probably heard over and over again that the real secret to losing weight permanently is to make permanent changes in your eating habits and lifestyle. Throughout decades of high protein, low protein, Air Force diets, Atkins, Scarsdale diets, cabbage diets, eat-all-you-want-and-still-lose-weight diets that is the one piece of advice that has remained strong. No matter what the latest diet craze, over and over throughout the years, the one "diet" that effected a long-term, permanent weight loss was the 'eat a well-balanced, portion-controlled diet and exercise regularly'.
Why are fad diets so popular? Diets feed our need to be actively doing something. Weighing, measuring, counting - whether its calories, exchanges or carbs - all give us the feeling of gaining control over our bodies and our weight. In the long run, though, all the measuring and obsession with what, how much and when we eat becomes overwhelming. When we stop living by strictly controlled guidelines set out by other people -the latest diet guru - the weight comes back.
There is a practical way to lose weight that doesn't involve arcane combinations of foods to set up an ideal balance of foods that burn more than they give, or that promise to 'turn your body into a fat-burning machine'. It is to simply eat a healthy balance of all types of foods in portions that are reasonable for your body, while at the same time raising your activity level to burn more calories than you take in. Below are some practical guidelines to help you adjust your diet and lifestyle to help you lose that weight - and keep it off permanently.
1. Adjust your attitude. You're not going on a diet - you're eating what your body needs. To maintain your weight loss, you'll need to maintain your new eating habits for the rest of your life - and that's a far easier prospect if your diet plan is one that makes sense and is easy to maintain.
2. Think square when you plan your meals. Like a square has four corners, so should your meals. At every meal, include a protein, a healthy fat, a grain/legume and a fruit/vegetable.
3. Eat three squares and at least two snacks every day. Your snacks should be in the grain/legume or fruit/vegetable corner.
4. If you're under stress, eat something every two hours. Your body sends out distress signals when you're putting it under stress. Give it healthy fuel to keep it working right.
5. Aim for no more than 60 grams of carbohydrate per day at first. Spread the carbohydrates over the course of the day - 15 at each meal and 7 at each snack.
6. Limit dairy products to 3 or less daily.
7. Completely avoid soft drinks - even the diet ones.
8. Drink 6-10 glasses of water each day.
9. Eliminate 'white foods' from your diet. Do away with white sugar,
white flour and white cereal products.
10. Take a nutritional supplement - at least a good multivitamin daily.
diet
Why are fad diets so popular? Diets feed our need to be actively doing something. Weighing, measuring, counting - whether its calories, exchanges or carbs - all give us the feeling of gaining control over our bodies and our weight. In the long run, though, all the measuring and obsession with what, how much and when we eat becomes overwhelming. When we stop living by strictly controlled guidelines set out by other people -the latest diet guru - the weight comes back.
There is a practical way to lose weight that doesn't involve arcane combinations of foods to set up an ideal balance of foods that burn more than they give, or that promise to 'turn your body into a fat-burning machine'. It is to simply eat a healthy balance of all types of foods in portions that are reasonable for your body, while at the same time raising your activity level to burn more calories than you take in. Below are some practical guidelines to help you adjust your diet and lifestyle to help you lose that weight - and keep it off permanently.
1. Adjust your attitude. You're not going on a diet - you're eating what your body needs. To maintain your weight loss, you'll need to maintain your new eating habits for the rest of your life - and that's a far easier prospect if your diet plan is one that makes sense and is easy to maintain.
2. Think square when you plan your meals. Like a square has four corners, so should your meals. At every meal, include a protein, a healthy fat, a grain/legume and a fruit/vegetable.
3. Eat three squares and at least two snacks every day. Your snacks should be in the grain/legume or fruit/vegetable corner.
4. If you're under stress, eat something every two hours. Your body sends out distress signals when you're putting it under stress. Give it healthy fuel to keep it working right.
5. Aim for no more than 60 grams of carbohydrate per day at first. Spread the carbohydrates over the course of the day - 15 at each meal and 7 at each snack.
6. Limit dairy products to 3 or less daily.
7. Completely avoid soft drinks - even the diet ones.
8. Drink 6-10 glasses of water each day.
9. Eliminate 'white foods' from your diet. Do away with white sugar,
white flour and white cereal products.
10. Take a nutritional supplement - at least a good multivitamin daily.
diet
DIET PILLS A LOT OF RISK FOR A LITTLE LOSS
There are a number of products on the market - both prescription and non-prescription - which claim to be effective weight loss aids. Many of these have been associated with serious medical risks, including heart attack, heart abnormalities, tachycardia, stroke, seizures and death. The side effects can be daunting, but how realistic are they?
Diet pills fall into several different classes. Most are appetite suppressants of one kind or another, generally stimulants with effects similar to those of amphetamine. They are approved for treatment of obesity, where it's considered that the health risks associated with gross overweight outweigh the risks associated with the medication.
For someone who has less than 30 pounds to lose, the risks are far less cut-and-dried. While the FDA and manufacturers closely monitor the effects of prescription weight loss medications, over the counter medications and their risks are far less well-documented. They're even less well-documented for herbal preparations, especially those whose makers don't officially make weight loss claims for them.
While makers of pharmaceuticals must meet stringent labeling requirements and tests for safety and effectiveness, those who make weight loss 'supplements' are not regulated in the same way. As long as they don't contain a 'new' ingredient, or one that has never been marketed for weight loss purposes, they are not subject to FDA review. Instead, the manufacturer is held responsible for the safety and effectiveness of their products. Often, that means unregulated dosages, unhealthy additives and ineffective ingredients.
In an effort to encourage improvement in the reporting standards and the pharmaceutical standards for weight loss medications, the United States Pharmacopoeia has introduced the Comprehensive Dietary Supplement Verification Program.
Currently voluntary, it involves certification by the USP of certain labeling and practice standards, including that the product contains the ingredients stated on the label in the strength declared, that they are within limits for impurities like metals, pesticides and bacteria, that the medication will be absorbed by the body according to USP criteria, and that it has been created with all safe precautions.
Until the day that all over the counter medications and herbal preparations marketed as weight loss supplements and aids are labeled and tested by impartial researchers, there are some things that you can do to lessen the risks associated with using diet pills.
Research is your best friend. There's a lot of information out there about drugs and herbs like ephedra, ephinedrine, phentermine and sibutramine. Know what you're taking and what the risks are so that you can watch for side effects.
Always talk to your doctor before you start taking any drug or herbal supplement. Many of them interact poorly with other medications, or have an adverse effect on chronic conditions.
Follow dosage instructions. Overdoses of stimulant medications, which are a component of most weight loss preparations, can be serious and severe.
Don't take any weight loss pill or supplement for more than a few weeks without it being prescribed by a doctor.
Check with your pharmacist when purchasing over the counter weight loss preparations to be sure that the ingredients don't interact with other medications you may be taking. Include both prescription and nonprescription medications in your questions.
Ideally, don't take weight loss pills. The effectiveness of most have not been proven at all. It's an awful lot of risk for such a little loss.
Top of Form
diet
Diet pills fall into several different classes. Most are appetite suppressants of one kind or another, generally stimulants with effects similar to those of amphetamine. They are approved for treatment of obesity, where it's considered that the health risks associated with gross overweight outweigh the risks associated with the medication.
For someone who has less than 30 pounds to lose, the risks are far less cut-and-dried. While the FDA and manufacturers closely monitor the effects of prescription weight loss medications, over the counter medications and their risks are far less well-documented. They're even less well-documented for herbal preparations, especially those whose makers don't officially make weight loss claims for them.
While makers of pharmaceuticals must meet stringent labeling requirements and tests for safety and effectiveness, those who make weight loss 'supplements' are not regulated in the same way. As long as they don't contain a 'new' ingredient, or one that has never been marketed for weight loss purposes, they are not subject to FDA review. Instead, the manufacturer is held responsible for the safety and effectiveness of their products. Often, that means unregulated dosages, unhealthy additives and ineffective ingredients.
In an effort to encourage improvement in the reporting standards and the pharmaceutical standards for weight loss medications, the United States Pharmacopoeia has introduced the Comprehensive Dietary Supplement Verification Program.
Currently voluntary, it involves certification by the USP of certain labeling and practice standards, including that the product contains the ingredients stated on the label in the strength declared, that they are within limits for impurities like metals, pesticides and bacteria, that the medication will be absorbed by the body according to USP criteria, and that it has been created with all safe precautions.
Until the day that all over the counter medications and herbal preparations marketed as weight loss supplements and aids are labeled and tested by impartial researchers, there are some things that you can do to lessen the risks associated with using diet pills.
Research is your best friend. There's a lot of information out there about drugs and herbs like ephedra, ephinedrine, phentermine and sibutramine. Know what you're taking and what the risks are so that you can watch for side effects.
Always talk to your doctor before you start taking any drug or herbal supplement. Many of them interact poorly with other medications, or have an adverse effect on chronic conditions.
Follow dosage instructions. Overdoses of stimulant medications, which are a component of most weight loss preparations, can be serious and severe.
Don't take any weight loss pill or supplement for more than a few weeks without it being prescribed by a doctor.
Check with your pharmacist when purchasing over the counter weight loss preparations to be sure that the ingredients don't interact with other medications you may be taking. Include both prescription and nonprescription medications in your questions.
Ideally, don't take weight loss pills. The effectiveness of most have not been proven at all. It's an awful lot of risk for such a little loss.
Top of Form
diet
DO NOT FALL FOR THESE WEIGHT LOSS GIMMICKS
Have you heard about the new weight loss patch? You wear it behind your ear, and it speeds up your metabolism and helps you control your appetite. It sounds pretty reasonable, doesn't it? After all, if someone had told you five years ago that you could quit smoking by sticking a circle of fabric on your skin would you have believed them?
Unfortunately, this one isn't true. According to Dr. Michael Myers, who maintains the popular web site weight.com, it's just another of the hoaxes that clever promoters are using to bilk you out of your money. Weight loss is a gold mine, and unscrupulous operators will use any gimmick to convince you that their product is the magic cure that will melt away your pounds without any effort on your part.
Here are a few of the current weight loss gimmicks and the truth about them.
The Diet Patch
Transdermal delivery of medication is a reality, and there are certain medications that are absorbed readily through the skin. However, the most common active ingredient used in diet patches on the market is 'fucus vesiculosus', a seaweed that is a major source of iodine. Iodine was once a recommended treatment for obesity, because it helps promote healthy thyroid function. It was abandoned because of side effects and the untoward effects when treatment with iodine ceases. In other words, it's an outdated medication being revived for delivery in a new way.
Wash your fat away with slimming soap!
The claim is that this is an ancient Chinese soap that contains a unique blend of ingredients derived from seaweed which will 'emulsify' the fat. Further, it comes in several different versions, including one that is specifically meant to give you 'beautiful thighs'. In all truth, the ingredients sound like they'd do a lovely job of softening and toning your skin, but there's not an ounce of research quoted anywhere that can be checked for the results. Until I see the proof, I'll just figure that any weight loss resulted from vigorous scrubbing - not the ingredients!
Magnetic Weight Loss... earrings
Yes, earrings. According to the press, it's another ancient Chinese Secret that has to do with balancing the magnetism in the body. By wearing a magnet near the ear, you can suppress hunger, increase metabolism, speed up the healing process and reduce pain. Again, though there's mention of 'studies', none are cited, and I couldn't find any in any medical journals. It won't kill you, at least, and the earrings are pretty, but I wouldn't put much stock in their weight loss properties.
All of these new weight loss discoveries should be filed in the “Yeah right” file, right next to sauna wraps, copper bracelets, and electro-slimming belts. If it sounds too good to be true, remember, it probably is. The only gimmick to weight loss is to eat less and move more!
Unfortunately, this one isn't true. According to Dr. Michael Myers, who maintains the popular web site weight.com, it's just another of the hoaxes that clever promoters are using to bilk you out of your money. Weight loss is a gold mine, and unscrupulous operators will use any gimmick to convince you that their product is the magic cure that will melt away your pounds without any effort on your part.
Here are a few of the current weight loss gimmicks and the truth about them.
The Diet Patch
Transdermal delivery of medication is a reality, and there are certain medications that are absorbed readily through the skin. However, the most common active ingredient used in diet patches on the market is 'fucus vesiculosus', a seaweed that is a major source of iodine. Iodine was once a recommended treatment for obesity, because it helps promote healthy thyroid function. It was abandoned because of side effects and the untoward effects when treatment with iodine ceases. In other words, it's an outdated medication being revived for delivery in a new way.
Wash your fat away with slimming soap!
The claim is that this is an ancient Chinese soap that contains a unique blend of ingredients derived from seaweed which will 'emulsify' the fat. Further, it comes in several different versions, including one that is specifically meant to give you 'beautiful thighs'. In all truth, the ingredients sound like they'd do a lovely job of softening and toning your skin, but there's not an ounce of research quoted anywhere that can be checked for the results. Until I see the proof, I'll just figure that any weight loss resulted from vigorous scrubbing - not the ingredients!
Magnetic Weight Loss... earrings
Yes, earrings. According to the press, it's another ancient Chinese Secret that has to do with balancing the magnetism in the body. By wearing a magnet near the ear, you can suppress hunger, increase metabolism, speed up the healing process and reduce pain. Again, though there's mention of 'studies', none are cited, and I couldn't find any in any medical journals. It won't kill you, at least, and the earrings are pretty, but I wouldn't put much stock in their weight loss properties.
All of these new weight loss discoveries should be filed in the “Yeah right” file, right next to sauna wraps, copper bracelets, and electro-slimming belts. If it sounds too good to be true, remember, it probably is. The only gimmick to weight loss is to eat less and move more!
Strategic Weight Loss
Strategic Weight Loss
Weight loss can seem difficult but there is very simple. One of the first things that you'll do when you decide to lose weight is to set a goal weight. For most, that goal will be their 'ideal weight', but for many, that 'ideal weight' may be exactly the wrong weight for them to be aiming for.
Years of dieting or being overweight have the physiological effect of moving the body's concept of the 'ideal weight' from what is truly considered ideal. The 'set point' is the weight at which your body naturally feels most comfortable.
If you've been overweight for a very long time, or if you've consistently 'yo-yoed', your body may respond to your initial weight loss by lowering its metabolism because it believes that you are starving to death. This slowing leads to discouraging plateaus that often knock people off their diets entirely, and lead to regaining all or part of the lost weight.
Instead of aiming for an 'ideal weight' that calls for you to lose weight steadily for months or even years, many experts recommend aiming for shorter-term attainable goals. Since the bulk of diet research shows that most dieters lose weight steadily for about 12 weeks, then hit a plateau, that's the number that they suggest you aim for. The strategy that many have found works best for them is one of alternating periods of weight loss and maintenance, each lasting 8-12 weeks.
Choose a realistic amount of weight that you can lose in 8-12 weeks. Figuring that the most reasonable and healthiest weight loss rate is 1-2 pounds per week, 30 pounds in three months is not unreasonable. Diet until you reach that goal, or for 12 weeks, whichever comes first, and then switch to a maintenance diet.
Why switch to a maintenance diet at that point? In part, you're giving yourself a 'breather', a break from more restrictive eating. The other part, though, is that you're re-educating your body and letting it establish a new 'set point'. Once you've maintained your new weight for 8-12 weeks, set another weight loss goal, and move back into weight loss mode. By giving your body a break from 'starvation', you'll have overcome its resistance to losing more weight, and be back to dieting for 'the first two weeks' - the weeks that most people lose weight more rapidly.
You'll also be giving yourself a chance to 'practice' maintaining your new, healthier weight. Researchers have found that more than half of the dieters who take off significant amounts of weight do not maintain that weight loss once they go 'off' their diet. By practicing weight maintenance in stages, you'll be proving to yourself that you CAN do it, and removing a powerful negative psychological block.
This will work with any long-term weight loss diet, no matter the focus. You'll find it much easier to do if you choose a diet that has concrete 'phases', like the South Beach or the Atkins, since the weight loss and maintenance phases are clearly laid out for you to follow. Regardless of the diet you choose, though, by alternating between weight loss phases and maintenance phases, you'll teach yourself and your body how to maintain a healthy weight.
Weight loss can seem difficult but there is very simple. One of the first things that you'll do when you decide to lose weight is to set a goal weight. For most, that goal will be their 'ideal weight', but for many, that 'ideal weight' may be exactly the wrong weight for them to be aiming for.
Years of dieting or being overweight have the physiological effect of moving the body's concept of the 'ideal weight' from what is truly considered ideal. The 'set point' is the weight at which your body naturally feels most comfortable.
If you've been overweight for a very long time, or if you've consistently 'yo-yoed', your body may respond to your initial weight loss by lowering its metabolism because it believes that you are starving to death. This slowing leads to discouraging plateaus that often knock people off their diets entirely, and lead to regaining all or part of the lost weight.
Instead of aiming for an 'ideal weight' that calls for you to lose weight steadily for months or even years, many experts recommend aiming for shorter-term attainable goals. Since the bulk of diet research shows that most dieters lose weight steadily for about 12 weeks, then hit a plateau, that's the number that they suggest you aim for. The strategy that many have found works best for them is one of alternating periods of weight loss and maintenance, each lasting 8-12 weeks.
Choose a realistic amount of weight that you can lose in 8-12 weeks. Figuring that the most reasonable and healthiest weight loss rate is 1-2 pounds per week, 30 pounds in three months is not unreasonable. Diet until you reach that goal, or for 12 weeks, whichever comes first, and then switch to a maintenance diet.
Why switch to a maintenance diet at that point? In part, you're giving yourself a 'breather', a break from more restrictive eating. The other part, though, is that you're re-educating your body and letting it establish a new 'set point'. Once you've maintained your new weight for 8-12 weeks, set another weight loss goal, and move back into weight loss mode. By giving your body a break from 'starvation', you'll have overcome its resistance to losing more weight, and be back to dieting for 'the first two weeks' - the weeks that most people lose weight more rapidly.
You'll also be giving yourself a chance to 'practice' maintaining your new, healthier weight. Researchers have found that more than half of the dieters who take off significant amounts of weight do not maintain that weight loss once they go 'off' their diet. By practicing weight maintenance in stages, you'll be proving to yourself that you CAN do it, and removing a powerful negative psychological block.
This will work with any long-term weight loss diet, no matter the focus. You'll find it much easier to do if you choose a diet that has concrete 'phases', like the South Beach or the Atkins, since the weight loss and maintenance phases are clearly laid out for you to follow. Regardless of the diet you choose, though, by alternating between weight loss phases and maintenance phases, you'll teach yourself and your body how to maintain a healthy weight.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
A Simple, Home Made Childhood Obesity Prevention Machine That Really Works
Operation Pull Your Own Weight is a childhood obesity prevention strategy that’s built on three simple observations, including:
1. Kids who can do pull ups ARE NEVER OBESE
2. If you start them young, and use leg assisted pull ups in conjunction with a height adjustable pull up bar, ALMOST ALL KIDS can learn to do pull ups.
3. As long as they maintain the ability to do pull ups, almost all kids can NATURALLY IMMUNIZE THEMSELVES against obesity for a lifetime without ever having to resort to pills, shots, or special diets to do the trick.
After hearing these observations, people often ask, “OK, so what are leg assisted pull ups? And what’s a height adjustable pull up bar? And where can I buy one and help my kids to immunize themselves against obesity for a lifetime?”
Of LAPU’s and HAPUB’s…
First of all leg assisted pull ups are the ones that are done with the help of a participant’s legs. In other words the participant is jumping and pulling at the same time in order to get their chin up to the bar. A height adjustable bar accommodates leg assisted pull ups because it can be raised or lowered in one inch increments in order to increase or decrease the amount of leg assistance along with the level of difficulty individually for each performer. By raising the bar, the participant lowers the amount of leg assistance, and increases the level of difficulty.
The idea is to start at a height where the participant can do at least eight LAPU’s, and gradually increase the repetitions to twelve. When the participant can do twelve LAPU’s, the bar is raised one inch, and the entire eight to twelve scenario is repeated.
As the bar is gradually raised in one inch increments over time, the participant eventually runs out of leg assistance, and discovers that they’re suddenly able to do conventional pull ups. That is to say, they can officially pull their own weight, and have now naturally immunized themselves against obesity for a lifetime, so long as they maintain their hard won ability.
So Where Can You Buy One?
So where can you buy a height adjustable pull up bar? Honestly, to my knowledge nobody is currently manufacturing a height adjustable pull up bar that raises and lowers in one inch increments. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make one yourself. The remainder of this article then is dedicated to explaining how simple it is to make a home made height adjustable pull up bar. Check it out.
Here Are The Ten Things You’ll Need…
1. One doorway pull up bar to install permanently (preferably screwed in)
2. One roll of galvanized hanger strap, sometimes called plumber’s tape
3. Two, three foot sections of chain with one inch links
4. Two Quick Links (Home Depot’s terms…an oval shaped link with a screw based opening and closing connecting mechanism)
5. Two eye bolts
6. Two Spring Links (Home Depot terms…a tear drop shaped, spring loaded connecting mechanism)
7. One pipe, one inch in diameter that’s six inches wider than your doorway
8. Two rubber floor protectors. These are normally used on the bottoms of chairs to protect the floor, but in this case you place on each end of the pipe.
9. One wooden ruler, three feet long
10. One drill, one screwdriver, and one crescent wrench*
Sixteen Simple Steps
With these components in hand, follow 16 simple steps and you’ll have your very own, cost effective, home made, childhood obesity prevention machine (a.k.a. a height adjustable pull up bar) with which your kids can teach themselves how to do pull ups, and in the process they can immunize themselves against obesity for the rest of their lives as long as they maintain their ability to perform pull ups.
1. Permanently install the doorway pull up bar, preferably using screws
2. Mount the wooden ruler vertically along the side of the doorway
3. Cut two lengths of plumber’s tape long enough overlap by two inches when wrapped completely around the pipe
4. Saddle these over the pull up bar attach the Quick Links to each one
5. Attach one section of chain to each Quick Link so that they hang from the bar
6. Close both Quick Links tightly
7. Drill a hole (two holes) about two inches from each end of the pipe
8. Insert the eye bolts into the holes and secure tightly with accompanying nut
9. Attach one teardrop shaped Spring Link into each eye bolt
10. With the Spring Links, attach your pull up bar horizontally to any pair of chain links and record the height by referring to the ruler mounted in the doorway
11. Now using your legs to jump and your arms to pull simultaneously do at least eight leg assisted pull ups.
12. If you can’t do eight repetitions, lower the bar until you can do eight reps
13. Your next workout you’ll do nine, then ten, then eleven, then twelve reps
14. When you can do twelve repetitions, raise the bar one inch and begin the entire eight to twelve rep scenario all over again
15. As you make regular progress workout after workout, week after week, the bar will get so high that you’ll eventually run out of legs and be real doing pull ups.
16. Maintain that ability for the rest of your life and you’ll always be relatively strong and relatively trim…and NEVER OBESE.
The Recipe for Success…
Now that you have access to the equipment, the recipe for success includes…
1. Regular workouts, twice a week, on non-consecutive days
2. Eat a well balanced diet including plenty of fruits and veggies
3. Get sufficient rest at night
4. Avoid tobacco, it makes you weak
5. Avoid alcohol, it makes you weak
6. Avoid drugs, they make you weak
7. And get stronger almost every time you work out
Questions?
If you have further questions check out the official Operation Pull Your Own Weight web site at www.pullyourownweight.net or the blog entitled www.childhood-obesity-prevention.com. They’re both loaded with good, practical information designed for good, practical parents who want to do something to prevent their kids from childhood obesity and all the problems that go along with it.
*Make sure that all these components are strong enough to hold MORE than the weight of the children (or the adults) who will be using it.
Rick Osbourne is a Chicago based, freelance writer who currently serves as Executive Director of Operation Pull Your Own Weight, an informational web site that's dedicated to naturally immunizing kids against obesity for a lifetime without pills, shots, or special diets. If you're interested in childhood and obesity or obesity in America, then check out http://www.pullyourownweight.net any time you'd like.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Osbourne
1. Kids who can do pull ups ARE NEVER OBESE
2. If you start them young, and use leg assisted pull ups in conjunction with a height adjustable pull up bar, ALMOST ALL KIDS can learn to do pull ups.
3. As long as they maintain the ability to do pull ups, almost all kids can NATURALLY IMMUNIZE THEMSELVES against obesity for a lifetime without ever having to resort to pills, shots, or special diets to do the trick.
After hearing these observations, people often ask, “OK, so what are leg assisted pull ups? And what’s a height adjustable pull up bar? And where can I buy one and help my kids to immunize themselves against obesity for a lifetime?”
Of LAPU’s and HAPUB’s…
First of all leg assisted pull ups are the ones that are done with the help of a participant’s legs. In other words the participant is jumping and pulling at the same time in order to get their chin up to the bar. A height adjustable bar accommodates leg assisted pull ups because it can be raised or lowered in one inch increments in order to increase or decrease the amount of leg assistance along with the level of difficulty individually for each performer. By raising the bar, the participant lowers the amount of leg assistance, and increases the level of difficulty.
The idea is to start at a height where the participant can do at least eight LAPU’s, and gradually increase the repetitions to twelve. When the participant can do twelve LAPU’s, the bar is raised one inch, and the entire eight to twelve scenario is repeated.
As the bar is gradually raised in one inch increments over time, the participant eventually runs out of leg assistance, and discovers that they’re suddenly able to do conventional pull ups. That is to say, they can officially pull their own weight, and have now naturally immunized themselves against obesity for a lifetime, so long as they maintain their hard won ability.
So Where Can You Buy One?
So where can you buy a height adjustable pull up bar? Honestly, to my knowledge nobody is currently manufacturing a height adjustable pull up bar that raises and lowers in one inch increments. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make one yourself. The remainder of this article then is dedicated to explaining how simple it is to make a home made height adjustable pull up bar. Check it out.
Here Are The Ten Things You’ll Need…
1. One doorway pull up bar to install permanently (preferably screwed in)
2. One roll of galvanized hanger strap, sometimes called plumber’s tape
3. Two, three foot sections of chain with one inch links
4. Two Quick Links (Home Depot’s terms…an oval shaped link with a screw based opening and closing connecting mechanism)
5. Two eye bolts
6. Two Spring Links (Home Depot terms…a tear drop shaped, spring loaded connecting mechanism)
7. One pipe, one inch in diameter that’s six inches wider than your doorway
8. Two rubber floor protectors. These are normally used on the bottoms of chairs to protect the floor, but in this case you place on each end of the pipe.
9. One wooden ruler, three feet long
10. One drill, one screwdriver, and one crescent wrench*
Sixteen Simple Steps
With these components in hand, follow 16 simple steps and you’ll have your very own, cost effective, home made, childhood obesity prevention machine (a.k.a. a height adjustable pull up bar) with which your kids can teach themselves how to do pull ups, and in the process they can immunize themselves against obesity for the rest of their lives as long as they maintain their ability to perform pull ups.
1. Permanently install the doorway pull up bar, preferably using screws
2. Mount the wooden ruler vertically along the side of the doorway
3. Cut two lengths of plumber’s tape long enough overlap by two inches when wrapped completely around the pipe
4. Saddle these over the pull up bar attach the Quick Links to each one
5. Attach one section of chain to each Quick Link so that they hang from the bar
6. Close both Quick Links tightly
7. Drill a hole (two holes) about two inches from each end of the pipe
8. Insert the eye bolts into the holes and secure tightly with accompanying nut
9. Attach one teardrop shaped Spring Link into each eye bolt
10. With the Spring Links, attach your pull up bar horizontally to any pair of chain links and record the height by referring to the ruler mounted in the doorway
11. Now using your legs to jump and your arms to pull simultaneously do at least eight leg assisted pull ups.
12. If you can’t do eight repetitions, lower the bar until you can do eight reps
13. Your next workout you’ll do nine, then ten, then eleven, then twelve reps
14. When you can do twelve repetitions, raise the bar one inch and begin the entire eight to twelve rep scenario all over again
15. As you make regular progress workout after workout, week after week, the bar will get so high that you’ll eventually run out of legs and be real doing pull ups.
16. Maintain that ability for the rest of your life and you’ll always be relatively strong and relatively trim…and NEVER OBESE.
The Recipe for Success…
Now that you have access to the equipment, the recipe for success includes…
1. Regular workouts, twice a week, on non-consecutive days
2. Eat a well balanced diet including plenty of fruits and veggies
3. Get sufficient rest at night
4. Avoid tobacco, it makes you weak
5. Avoid alcohol, it makes you weak
6. Avoid drugs, they make you weak
7. And get stronger almost every time you work out
Questions?
If you have further questions check out the official Operation Pull Your Own Weight web site at www.pullyourownweight.net or the blog entitled www.childhood-obesity-prevention.com. They’re both loaded with good, practical information designed for good, practical parents who want to do something to prevent their kids from childhood obesity and all the problems that go along with it.
*Make sure that all these components are strong enough to hold MORE than the weight of the children (or the adults) who will be using it.
Rick Osbourne is a Chicago based, freelance writer who currently serves as Executive Director of Operation Pull Your Own Weight, an informational web site that's dedicated to naturally immunizing kids against obesity for a lifetime without pills, shots, or special diets. If you're interested in childhood and obesity or obesity in America, then check out http://www.pullyourownweight.net any time you'd like.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Osbourne
20 WAYS TO LOSE WEIGHT
1. Take it one step at a time
Start by paying attention to what you eat. Cut back on fat and sweets and add more fruit and vegetables. After you have that under control, add exercise. If you hate to exercise try it for only 15 minutes a day at first, then a 1/2-hour. Keep in mind that while you are exercising you are burning calories and not eating. Also, it will be easier if you chose an activity that you enjoy.
2. Find a friend
It is always good to have support when you are trying to lose weight. Find a friend who wants to lose weight and compare notes, weigh-in together and maybe even have a contest.
3. Use weights
Working out weights will build muscle and raise your metabolism so you will burn more calories. Also, muscle takes up less space than fat so you will be smaller ( but probably weigh more).
4. Eat fewer carbs
Don't eat as much bread and pasta and you will see a difference.
5. Set a goal
Set a deadline to lose the weight and write it down. For example, ' By Dec 14/04 I will weigh 150 lbs or less'. Put it somewhere you will see it daily.
6. Give up soda
If you drink a soda or 2 a day you are adding empty calories. If you find it hard to stop completely, cut back at first and drink water instead.
7. Grill or boil
Avoid fried meat, grill and use lots of spices. You will get used to it and probably enjoy it more.
8. Don't buy junk food
When you go shopping, don't go on an empty stomach and you will be less likely to buy junk food. Keep your home 'junk food free' so you won't be tempted to indulge.
9. Eat breakfast
Consume most of your calories early in the day and always eat breakfast. Don't eat after 8pm and not only will you avoid those added calories but you will sleep better.
10. Give yourself a treat
When you tell yourself that you can't have something you want it more. Give yourself a treat once a day ( ie. half a cookie) and you won't feel you are missing out.
11. Use smaller plates
Trick yourself into believing that you are eating more by using a smaller plate.
12. Drink lots of water
Drink water when you are feeling hungry and you will get that 'full' feeling.
13. Don't eat everything on your plate
Many times we eat just because it's there. Pay attention to when you have had enough.
14. Eat five or six meals a day
Eating more frequently will keep you from getting too hungry.
15. Plan your workout sessions
Write your workout sessions in your journal or planner.
16. Stay away from fad diets
Fad diets don't work. If you lose weight fast chances are that you will gain it back ( and more) just as fast. It takes time to put it on and time to take it off.
17. Do several workouts a day
While you are watching TV do crunches and leg lifts.
18. Measure your food
If you decide to have junk food for a snack - be sure to measure and control what you eat.
19. Keep pre-cut vegetables
...and ward off those cravings.
20. Create Good Habits
It is a known fact that when we do something twenty-one times it becomes a habit. Create good eating habits.
Sheila Dicks is a wardrobe and image consultant who teaches women how to look slimmer by dressing to suit their body type. Visit her at http://www.sheilasfashionsense.com to download a copy of her e-book Image Makeovers and get How to Build a Wardrobe free.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sheila_Dicks
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Dangerous Weight Loss Methods
We're all looking for the magic bullet. You know - the one that we can take and lose weight without really trying! What would you give up to be skinny? How about your health? Some of these methods of weight loss just may cost you exactly that. Before you decide that the way to lose weight is to follow one of the below regimens, take a second look. Do your research and be sure that you understand the risks.
Prescription diet pills
Amphetamines are available only by prescription, and most doctors are leery of handing them out these days. While they do suppress appetite, you learn nothing about healthy eating, don't change your eating habits and are likely to gain the weight back the moment you stop taking them. In addition, they can be habit forming. The side effects include high blood pressure, heart arrhythmia, sleeplessness, hallucinations and delusions
Ephedra
This all natural Asian herb is found in many herbal remedies and weight loss powders. It has a powerful appetite suppressant effect, but has been implicated in over 70 deaths.
Phentermine Fenfluramine-phentermine (fen-phen)
Fen-phen was a popular weight loss supplement in the 90s until it was implicated in deaths due to heart-valve damage. Phentermine alone is still sold in many weight loss aids. The side effects include headaches, dizziness, heart arrhythmia, high blood pressure and insomnia
Laxatives
One of those popular home remedies, used for purging. Regular use and abuse of laxatives can result in low potassium’s, arrhythmia and pancreatic damage
Artificial Sweeteners
Aspartame, the most commonly used artificial sweetener, has been implicated in multiple lawsuits alleging damages that include blindness, seizures and brain damage
Smoking
Afraid you'll gain weight if you quit smoking? The National Institute of Diabetes says that you'd have to gain 100-150 pounds to match the health risks you invoke by smoking. Instead, set up healthy strategies to help you deal with food cravings and put down the cigarettes.
Purging
Like laxatives, purging by forcing oneself to vomit or taking emetics can have very damaging effects on health. Depletion of nutrients like potassium and vitamins, damage to the esophagus from stomach acids, and esophageal rupture are all possible side effects
Diuretics
Taking diuretics encourages your body to rid itself of fluids - including vital electrolytes. The depletion can lead to dehydration, and cause your body to start retaining water, starting a vicious cycle. Repeated or prolonged use of diuretics can lead to kidney damage and serious electrolyte imbalances, which may result in kidney or heart failure.
Herbal Remedies
We have a tendency to equate 'herbal' with 'harmless', but say nutritionists, this isn't always the case. Remember that many medications are derived from herbs, and because of the lack of regulation, dosages of active ingredients can vary widely from one manufacturer to another. Below is a list of some of the most common ingredients found in herbal weight loss powders, along with cautions about their effects in certain conditions.
Ephedra (ma huang, ephedrine, ephedra extract, epitonin, ephdra sinica and sida cordifolia) should not be taken by people with heart, thyroid or kidney disease, or with hypertension
Cascara and Senna should not be taken by people taking diuretics (both are often found in herbal weight loss teas)
Selenium and Capsaicin should not be taken by people with bowel or digestive disorders
Kava should be avoided by people with mood disorders who are taking mood altering medication, and people with Parkinson's disease.
Gingko biloba, licorice root, and dong quay should not be taken by people who are taking blood thinners or anti-coagulants.
While weight loss is a worthwhile goal, guarding your health is an even more important one. Be sure that whatever weight loss method you choose won’t lead to other serious medical conditions.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
A Simple Plan for Weight Loss
A Simple Plan for Weight Loss
The math is pretty simple. One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. Want to lose a pound a week? Then you need to consume 3500 calories less per week than you use. That's about 500 calories a day. By cutting out 500 calories a day from your normal daily diet, while keeping your activity level the same, you can lose approximately one pound a week.
All right - that doesn't sound like much, especially if you're more than 25 pounds overweight. Study after study has shown, though, that those people who lose weight gradually - at a rate of 1-2 pounds per week -are far more likely to keep the weight off and maintain a normal weight for a lifetime.
So how much exactly IS 500 calories? If you're going to reduce your daily intake by 500 calories, it helps to know what you need to cut out, right? Here's how easy it is to lose 500 calories a day:
* Use milk instead of cream in your coffee. Savings? 50 calories per cup.
* Skip the butter on your baked potato. Savings? 100 calories
* Drink fruit-flavored water instead of a 16 ounce soda. Savings? 200 calories
* Skip the Big Mac and have a salad instead. A Big Mac weighs in at a whopping 460 calories. A fresh salad with a light dressing? Less than 100! Savings? 360 calories
* Pass by the bag of potato chips. An average snack size bag of chips has over 300 calories. Savings? 300 calories
* Eat your corn on the ear. A 1 cup serving of canned corn has 165 calories. An ear of corn has 85. Savings? 80 calories.
* Switch to low-fat cream cheese on your bagel. Savings? 90 calories per ounce.
* Love those fries and can't give them up? Swap the skinny fries out for thick steak-cut ones. Thin French fries absorb more oil than the thicker, meatier ones. Savings? 50 calories per 4 ounce serving
If you'd rather look at losing weight from an exercise perspective, you can also lose one pound a week by upping your activity level by 500 calories a day. How easy is that to do? Take a look:
* Take a half-hour walk around the park. Aim for a pace that's a little faster than a stroll, but not fast enough to be breathless. Burn: 160 calories.
* Get out your bike and take a ride. Tackle a few moderate hills and aim for about five miles total. Burn: 250 calories
* Go dancing - and really DANCE. The longer you're out on the floor instead of at the table drinking up high-calorie drinks, the more you'll get out of it. Dancing that makes you breathless and warms up your body will net you a nice calorie savings. Burn: 400 calories for one hour
* Swimming is great for you, and a lot of fun, too. The water resistance means you burn more calories, and you avoid the stress impact on joints from aerobics, dancing or walking. Do a few laps at a slow crawl - if you can get up to an hour you'll be doing great! Burn: 510 calories
* Get out into your garden. An hour of gardening tasks that includes bending and stretching can burn up to as many calories as a brisk walk. Burn: 250 calories.
* Play a game of tennis. Hook up with a friend for a weekly tennis game and you'll be amazed at the difference. One hour of vigorous tennis is one of the best calorie burners around. Burn: 800 calories
It’s important to keep in mind that all exercise/calorie numbers are based on a woman weighing 130 pounds. If you weigh more, you'll burn more. Want an added bonus to burning calories through exercise? When you exercise, you build muscle by converting it from fat. Three guesses which kind of body tissue burns more calories - even when you're not exercising. You got it - your body uses more energy to maintain and feed muscle than it does fat.
For best results, mix and match food savings with exercises that burn calories. Do keep in mind that eating less than 1000 calories a day for more than a few days will convince your body that it's starving and slow your metabolism. Keep calorie ranges reasonable, and consult a doctor if you want a quicker, more drastic weight loss.
The math is pretty simple. One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. Want to lose a pound a week? Then you need to consume 3500 calories less per week than you use. That's about 500 calories a day. By cutting out 500 calories a day from your normal daily diet, while keeping your activity level the same, you can lose approximately one pound a week.
All right - that doesn't sound like much, especially if you're more than 25 pounds overweight. Study after study has shown, though, that those people who lose weight gradually - at a rate of 1-2 pounds per week -are far more likely to keep the weight off and maintain a normal weight for a lifetime.
So how much exactly IS 500 calories? If you're going to reduce your daily intake by 500 calories, it helps to know what you need to cut out, right? Here's how easy it is to lose 500 calories a day:
* Use milk instead of cream in your coffee. Savings? 50 calories per cup.
* Skip the butter on your baked potato. Savings? 100 calories
* Drink fruit-flavored water instead of a 16 ounce soda. Savings? 200 calories
* Skip the Big Mac and have a salad instead. A Big Mac weighs in at a whopping 460 calories. A fresh salad with a light dressing? Less than 100! Savings? 360 calories
* Pass by the bag of potato chips. An average snack size bag of chips has over 300 calories. Savings? 300 calories
* Eat your corn on the ear. A 1 cup serving of canned corn has 165 calories. An ear of corn has 85. Savings? 80 calories.
* Switch to low-fat cream cheese on your bagel. Savings? 90 calories per ounce.
* Love those fries and can't give them up? Swap the skinny fries out for thick steak-cut ones. Thin French fries absorb more oil than the thicker, meatier ones. Savings? 50 calories per 4 ounce serving
If you'd rather look at losing weight from an exercise perspective, you can also lose one pound a week by upping your activity level by 500 calories a day. How easy is that to do? Take a look:
* Take a half-hour walk around the park. Aim for a pace that's a little faster than a stroll, but not fast enough to be breathless. Burn: 160 calories.
* Get out your bike and take a ride. Tackle a few moderate hills and aim for about five miles total. Burn: 250 calories
* Go dancing - and really DANCE. The longer you're out on the floor instead of at the table drinking up high-calorie drinks, the more you'll get out of it. Dancing that makes you breathless and warms up your body will net you a nice calorie savings. Burn: 400 calories for one hour
* Swimming is great for you, and a lot of fun, too. The water resistance means you burn more calories, and you avoid the stress impact on joints from aerobics, dancing or walking. Do a few laps at a slow crawl - if you can get up to an hour you'll be doing great! Burn: 510 calories
* Get out into your garden. An hour of gardening tasks that includes bending and stretching can burn up to as many calories as a brisk walk. Burn: 250 calories.
* Play a game of tennis. Hook up with a friend for a weekly tennis game and you'll be amazed at the difference. One hour of vigorous tennis is one of the best calorie burners around. Burn: 800 calories
It’s important to keep in mind that all exercise/calorie numbers are based on a woman weighing 130 pounds. If you weigh more, you'll burn more. Want an added bonus to burning calories through exercise? When you exercise, you build muscle by converting it from fat. Three guesses which kind of body tissue burns more calories - even when you're not exercising. You got it - your body uses more energy to maintain and feed muscle than it does fat.
For best results, mix and match food savings with exercises that burn calories. Do keep in mind that eating less than 1000 calories a day for more than a few days will convince your body that it's starving and slow your metabolism. Keep calorie ranges reasonable, and consult a doctor if you want a quicker, more drastic weight loss.
Don't Go It Alone
There's an old story about a child trying to move a heavy stone while his father looks on. The child works and works, but is just not strong enough. Finally, he tells his father, "I can't do it. It's impossible."
His father responds, "Of course you can. You haven't used all the strength you have available to you yet." The little boy answers that he has tried his hardest, and still can't do it, to which the father responds, "You haven't asked me to help you yet."
Sometimes dieting can seem like moving that heavy rock. You struggle and fight, exercise and sweat, but it's so hard to stick to a diet and exercise schedule that you give up. There comes a time to recognize that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Enlisting the aid of friends, family and a good weight loss support group can bolster
your efforts and help you overcome setbacks that threaten to derail your weight loss efforts. Instead of trying to go it alone, try a few of these suggestions to help you stay on track with the help of friends and family.
1. Hook up with an exercise buddy. Making a date and a commitment to help support someone else's efforts will help you stick to yours as well. Think you don't know anyone you can exercise with? You might be surprised. Several years ago, I was commiserating with an online friend about another failed effort to lose weight when she proposed a novel idea. We each got a cell phone with the same calling plan, and every afternoon at 2, we 'met' for a walk. She did her walking in Seattle, and I did mine in Boston - but by keeping each other company, we helped each other lose 25 pounds each, and cemented a friendship that will last a lifetime.
2. Get your family on the right page. Husbands, wives, children and siblings can offer support in unexpected ways. Something as simple as a sincere compliment at the right time can be all you need to nudge you onward. By the same token, refuse to let them sabotage your diet efforts. When you recognize it, point it out but keep in mind that they probably don't think of it as 'sabotage'. If your husband habitually brings you a bowl of ice cream when he gets one for himself, for instance, he probably thinks he's expressing his love. Let him know that you appreciate it, but you'd rather have a kiss than ice cream anytime.
3. Join a weight loss group like Weight Watchers. There's a lot to be said for seeking out the support of others who are fighting the same battle you are. Whatever it is that motivates you, you can find it in a weight loss support group. Healthy competition, companionship, encouragement, applause and practical, common sense advice from others who are also fighting to take off pounds can all make reforming your eating habits considerably easier.
His father responds, "Of course you can. You haven't used all the strength you have available to you yet." The little boy answers that he has tried his hardest, and still can't do it, to which the father responds, "You haven't asked me to help you yet."
Sometimes dieting can seem like moving that heavy rock. You struggle and fight, exercise and sweat, but it's so hard to stick to a diet and exercise schedule that you give up. There comes a time to recognize that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Enlisting the aid of friends, family and a good weight loss support group can bolster
your efforts and help you overcome setbacks that threaten to derail your weight loss efforts. Instead of trying to go it alone, try a few of these suggestions to help you stay on track with the help of friends and family.
1. Hook up with an exercise buddy. Making a date and a commitment to help support someone else's efforts will help you stick to yours as well. Think you don't know anyone you can exercise with? You might be surprised. Several years ago, I was commiserating with an online friend about another failed effort to lose weight when she proposed a novel idea. We each got a cell phone with the same calling plan, and every afternoon at 2, we 'met' for a walk. She did her walking in Seattle, and I did mine in Boston - but by keeping each other company, we helped each other lose 25 pounds each, and cemented a friendship that will last a lifetime.
2. Get your family on the right page. Husbands, wives, children and siblings can offer support in unexpected ways. Something as simple as a sincere compliment at the right time can be all you need to nudge you onward. By the same token, refuse to let them sabotage your diet efforts. When you recognize it, point it out but keep in mind that they probably don't think of it as 'sabotage'. If your husband habitually brings you a bowl of ice cream when he gets one for himself, for instance, he probably thinks he's expressing his love. Let him know that you appreciate it, but you'd rather have a kiss than ice cream anytime.
3. Join a weight loss group like Weight Watchers. There's a lot to be said for seeking out the support of others who are fighting the same battle you are. Whatever it is that motivates you, you can find it in a weight loss support group. Healthy competition, companionship, encouragement, applause and practical, common sense advice from others who are also fighting to take off pounds can all make reforming your eating habits considerably easier.
Friday, February 9, 2007
The Diet Experts Agree More Than They Admit!
Lately, I've been hearing a lot about how wrong for our bodies the current recommendations from our most respected medical institutions are. Well-known diet gurus and nutritional researchers have stepped up to the plate to declare that the high carbohydrate, low fat diet regimens recommended by such institutions as the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association and the United States Department of Agriculture are misinformed, and frankly unhealthy.
Instead, they charge, our diets should include lots of high quality protein, fat should not concern us, and carbohydrates are the enemy. This has set the stage for battles between the weight loss industry and the health industry - with the only agreement between them seeming to be the need to lose weight.
The problem is - they're both wrong. And they're both right. The most regularly leveled criticisms of each seem legitimate - until you examine the recommended diets in depth. Sit down and look at the recommended menus. Take them to the calorie calculators and compare ingredients and nutrients. I did, and what I found was a revelation.
In the most practical sense, they're all talking about the same diet.
Oh, there are minor variations that have been grossly blown out of proportion by the advertising hype. There are misinterpretations that have been stated as fact. The bottom line of each and every one of the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Zone Diet, the American Diabetes Association diet, and the American Heart Association's Heart Healthy Diet -- all of them - is to derive the greatest portion of your caloric intake for the day from low carbohydrate vegetables. Spinach, broccoli, cabbage - leafy green. Carrots, summer squash, deep rich orange vegetables. Fruits with high calorie and antioxidant counts. Whole grains - and this is where the controversy seems to arise.
Almost without exception, proponents of the low carb diets for weight loss and maintenance have condemned the recommended diets for suggesting that adults should derive the greater portion of their diets from carbohydrates. What they fail to note is that also without exception, each of those 'healthy' diets strongly suggest avoiding white breads, starchy, processed foods, sweet snacks high in sugar and preservatives, and white rice.
On the other hand, the medical community has roundly condemned the low carb diets for encouraging the consumption of a diet high in saturated fats and cholesterol. But there is also a strong suggestion in each of those diets along the lines of "eat only until you are no longer hungry". .. and a minimum consumption of vegetables. Dinner's minimum suggested amount of vegetables is 2 1/2 cups. How hungry will you be after consuming two and a half cups of vegetable?
In the end, the bottom line of every weight loss program advertised is the same:
* Eat a well-balanced diet where most of the calories are derived from whole grains, vegetables and fruits.
* Eat fewer calories than you expend.
* Exercise moderately every day.
* Learn to eat that way as a lifestyle and you will lose weight—and keep it off!
Lately, I've been hearing a lot about how wrong for our bodies the current recommendations from our most respected medical institutions are. Well-known diet gurus and nutritional researchers have stepped up to the plate to declare that the high carbohydrate, low fat diet regimens recommended by such institutions as the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association and the United States Department of Agriculture are misinformed, and frankly unhealthy.
Instead, they charge, our diets should include lots of high quality protein, fat should not concern us, and carbohydrates are the enemy. This has set the stage for battles between the weight loss industry and the health industry - with the only agreement between them seeming to be the need to lose weight.
The problem is - they're both wrong. And they're both right. The most regularly leveled criticisms of each seem legitimate - until you examine the recommended diets in depth. Sit down and look at the recommended menus. Take them to the calorie calculators and compare ingredients and nutrients. I did, and what I found was a revelation.
In the most practical sense, they're all talking about the same diet.
Oh, there are minor variations that have been grossly blown out of proportion by the advertising hype. There are misinterpretations that have been stated as fact. The bottom line of each and every one of the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Zone Diet, the American Diabetes Association diet, and the American Heart Association's Heart Healthy Diet -- all of them - is to derive the greatest portion of your caloric intake for the day from low carbohydrate vegetables. Spinach, broccoli, cabbage - leafy green. Carrots, summer squash, deep rich orange vegetables. Fruits with high calorie and antioxidant counts. Whole grains - and this is where the controversy seems to arise.
Almost without exception, proponents of the low carb diets for weight loss and maintenance have condemned the recommended diets for suggesting that adults should derive the greater portion of their diets from carbohydrates. What they fail to note is that also without exception, each of those 'healthy' diets strongly suggest avoiding white breads, starchy, processed foods, sweet snacks high in sugar and preservatives, and white rice.
On the other hand, the medical community has roundly condemned the low carb diets for encouraging the consumption of a diet high in saturated fats and cholesterol. But there is also a strong suggestion in each of those diets along the lines of "eat only until you are no longer hungry". .. and a minimum consumption of vegetables. Dinner's minimum suggested amount of vegetables is 2 1/2 cups. How hungry will you be after consuming two and a half cups of vegetable?
In the end, the bottom line of every weight loss program advertised is the same:
* Eat a well-balanced diet where most of the calories are derived from whole grains, vegetables and fruits.
* Eat fewer calories than you expend.
* Exercise moderately every day.
* Learn to eat that way as a lifestyle and you will lose weight—and keep it off!
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
10 Ways to Exercise When You Don't Feel Like Exercising
10 Ways to Exercise When You Don't Feel Like Exercising
Exercise. It's been endorsed by every major health organization in the country as one of the most beneficial things you can do for your body. One half hour of moderate physical activity a day is the key to better health, they say. The best diet in the world can only go so far in helping you lose weight. To really see the effects of changing your eating habits (in lost pounds and inches, that is), you need to rev up your body with physical exercise.
So why does the word bring a collective groan to dieters around the world? Maybe it's our mistaken impression that exercise is a chore, and a boring, painful one at that. Here are ten ways to exercise that should get rid of that impression for good, and make xercise something you can look forward to:
1. Take a walk through a favorite place. One half hour of moderately paced walking will burn 450 calories - and make you feel great. Make sure that you're wearing comfortable shoes, and pick a venue you enjoy. Try a walk around the lake, up and down the block or around the mall - your body doesn't know the difference.
2. Go out and play a game of tag with your kids. Making exercise a family activity turns it into fun that you share with them. Besides being good for your body, you're instilling good habits in them, and creating happy memories that will stay with them for life.
3. Go swimming. An annual membership to the local YMCA or YWCA is fairly inexpensive, and many have 'scholarships' and financial aid available. Swimming is great exercise - it's aerobic, low stress on your joints, and a lot of fun!
4. Join an exercise class. You can turn exercise into a social activity by becoming part of a class. Besides making friends, you're more likely to exercise if you're paying for it.
5. Get an exercise buddy. It's partly the same principle as joining a class - turn exercise into a social activity. In addition to that, making a commitment to a friend for a daily exercise date will make it far more likely that you'll stick to it.
6. Play ball! Seriously. If your company has a sports team (softball, anyone?), join up. Or join a bowling league, volleyball team or other sports group that practices and plays regularly.
7. Get a trampoline. Mini-trampolines are easy to set up, store in small spaces and provide a stress-free surface on which to bounce, dance and have a lot of fun.
8. Go for a bike ride. Even leisurely bike-riding burns calories and exercises muscles that don't get used in regular walking. No need for an exercise 'routine' - just ride your bike to the store, or back and forth to work each day.
9. Take up a new active hobby. Would you believe that gardening is exercise? Bending and stretching and digging and weeding - half an hour of energetic work in your garden burns more calories than a brisk walk.
10. Challenge yourself. If you're the kind of person who thrives on competition, challenge yourself to meet a new goal each week. Walk one more block. Do six more sit-ups. Take the stairs each day instead of the elevator. Goal-setting to meet challenges is a great way to commit to exercise.
Exercise. It's been endorsed by every major health organization in the country as one of the most beneficial things you can do for your body. One half hour of moderate physical activity a day is the key to better health, they say. The best diet in the world can only go so far in helping you lose weight. To really see the effects of changing your eating habits (in lost pounds and inches, that is), you need to rev up your body with physical exercise.
So why does the word bring a collective groan to dieters around the world? Maybe it's our mistaken impression that exercise is a chore, and a boring, painful one at that. Here are ten ways to exercise that should get rid of that impression for good, and make xercise something you can look forward to:
1. Take a walk through a favorite place. One half hour of moderately paced walking will burn 450 calories - and make you feel great. Make sure that you're wearing comfortable shoes, and pick a venue you enjoy. Try a walk around the lake, up and down the block or around the mall - your body doesn't know the difference.
2. Go out and play a game of tag with your kids. Making exercise a family activity turns it into fun that you share with them. Besides being good for your body, you're instilling good habits in them, and creating happy memories that will stay with them for life.
3. Go swimming. An annual membership to the local YMCA or YWCA is fairly inexpensive, and many have 'scholarships' and financial aid available. Swimming is great exercise - it's aerobic, low stress on your joints, and a lot of fun!
4. Join an exercise class. You can turn exercise into a social activity by becoming part of a class. Besides making friends, you're more likely to exercise if you're paying for it.
5. Get an exercise buddy. It's partly the same principle as joining a class - turn exercise into a social activity. In addition to that, making a commitment to a friend for a daily exercise date will make it far more likely that you'll stick to it.
6. Play ball! Seriously. If your company has a sports team (softball, anyone?), join up. Or join a bowling league, volleyball team or other sports group that practices and plays regularly.
7. Get a trampoline. Mini-trampolines are easy to set up, store in small spaces and provide a stress-free surface on which to bounce, dance and have a lot of fun.
8. Go for a bike ride. Even leisurely bike-riding burns calories and exercises muscles that don't get used in regular walking. No need for an exercise 'routine' - just ride your bike to the store, or back and forth to work each day.
9. Take up a new active hobby. Would you believe that gardening is exercise? Bending and stretching and digging and weeding - half an hour of energetic work in your garden burns more calories than a brisk walk.
10. Challenge yourself. If you're the kind of person who thrives on competition, challenge yourself to meet a new goal each week. Walk one more block. Do six more sit-ups. Take the stairs each day instead of the elevator. Goal-setting to meet challenges is a great way to commit to exercise.
Monday, February 5, 2007
Healthy Recipe for my Diet
Banana Smoothie and Pineapple
2 Bananas (chopped)
6 tablespoons plain Yogurt
125 ml ice water
1/2 Pineapple (chopped)
2 tablespoons Maple syrup or Honey
1/2 cup ice chopped
Step 1: Combine first Bananas, Pineapple and Maple syrup or Honey in a bowl. Refrigerate for 20 minutes until frozen.
Step 2: Blend ice chopped, ice water, Yogurt all together then add the mixture (Frozen Bananas, Pineapple and Maple syrup or Honey). Blend it at high speed until the mixture is frothy.
Sunday, February 4, 2007
10 Real Life Diet Tips
Are you tired of diet tips handed out by someone with apparently unlimited income and time? For some of us, it may just not be practical to spend half of our Sunday preparing carefully portioned meals for the rest of the week, or financially feasible to buy all our meals prepackaged in just the right portions. Ang there are those of us who cringe at the thought of weighing food to achieve 'optimal portion size'. Here are ten real life diet tips for the rest of us.
1. Eating out? Restaurant portions tend to be enormous, and if it's on the plate, we tend to eat it. If it's possible, order from the kid's menu, where portions are more reasonably sized.
2. Keep healthy snacks around and easily accessible. A bowl of fruit on the kitchen table, a container of celery or carrot sticks in the refrigerator, or a couple of pop-open cans of fruit salad in your desk at work will help you grab for something healthy when those first hunger pain begin. In other words, you'll be more likely to grab something more low-calorie and good for you if it's easy to eat.
3. Substitute frozen vegetables for canned. Canned veggies tend to be high in sodium, which you don't need and low in real nutrition, which you do. Buy economy size bags with zip closures to make it easy to pour out a single serving for a meal.
4. Buy a vegetables steamer. Steaming is one of the healthiest ways to cook vegetables. The food retains nearly all of it's natural nutrients instead of leaching it out into the cooking water. Even better, it makes your veggies taste great - which means you'll be more likely to eat them instead of filling up on fatty foods that pack on weight.
5. Never eat standing up. One of the easiest way to sabotage your diet is to 'eat without thinking'. Treat eating with the respect that it deserves. Fix yourself a plate. Sit down and eat properly. You'll be less likely to just pop food into your mouth without paying attention.
6. Spread your meals out. When you eat three meals a day, your body tends to store whatever it doesn't need right that moment. By adopting a 'grazing' habit, you'll keep your metabolism working throughout the day. Have a small breakfast, a piece of fruit with crackers or toast at mid-morning, a light lunch and an 'after school snack' mid afternoon. Just remember that you're breaking up the same amount of food into smaller meals, not ADDING more food into your daily diet.
7. Grab a fruit juice or flavored water instead of soda. Soda is nothing but empty calories. No nutrients, lots of sugar. Instead, grab a bottle of 100% fruit juice, or water flavored with a spritz of fruit.
8. Drink water. Even the FDA recommends at least 8 full ounce glasses of water a day to keep your body working right. When you're dieting, you should drink even more. It's not just that full feeling - water helps your body digest foods properly and cleans out your system.
9. Can't afford a gym membership? Make a pact with friends to exercise together. Make a date at least three times a week to play volleyball, take a walk or spend half an hour doing something active.
10. Skip the potato chips. Fatty snacks fried in hydrogenated oil like potato chips contribute fat and calories and not much else. Instead, grab a handful of dried food or a cup of yogurt for the same amount of calories and a lot more nutritional benefit.
1. Eating out? Restaurant portions tend to be enormous, and if it's on the plate, we tend to eat it. If it's possible, order from the kid's menu, where portions are more reasonably sized.
2. Keep healthy snacks around and easily accessible. A bowl of fruit on the kitchen table, a container of celery or carrot sticks in the refrigerator, or a couple of pop-open cans of fruit salad in your desk at work will help you grab for something healthy when those first hunger pain begin. In other words, you'll be more likely to grab something more low-calorie and good for you if it's easy to eat.
3. Substitute frozen vegetables for canned. Canned veggies tend to be high in sodium, which you don't need and low in real nutrition, which you do. Buy economy size bags with zip closures to make it easy to pour out a single serving for a meal.
4. Buy a vegetables steamer. Steaming is one of the healthiest ways to cook vegetables. The food retains nearly all of it's natural nutrients instead of leaching it out into the cooking water. Even better, it makes your veggies taste great - which means you'll be more likely to eat them instead of filling up on fatty foods that pack on weight.
5. Never eat standing up. One of the easiest way to sabotage your diet is to 'eat without thinking'. Treat eating with the respect that it deserves. Fix yourself a plate. Sit down and eat properly. You'll be less likely to just pop food into your mouth without paying attention.
6. Spread your meals out. When you eat three meals a day, your body tends to store whatever it doesn't need right that moment. By adopting a 'grazing' habit, you'll keep your metabolism working throughout the day. Have a small breakfast, a piece of fruit with crackers or toast at mid-morning, a light lunch and an 'after school snack' mid afternoon. Just remember that you're breaking up the same amount of food into smaller meals, not ADDING more food into your daily diet.
7. Grab a fruit juice or flavored water instead of soda. Soda is nothing but empty calories. No nutrients, lots of sugar. Instead, grab a bottle of 100% fruit juice, or water flavored with a spritz of fruit.
8. Drink water. Even the FDA recommends at least 8 full ounce glasses of water a day to keep your body working right. When you're dieting, you should drink even more. It's not just that full feeling - water helps your body digest foods properly and cleans out your system.
9. Can't afford a gym membership? Make a pact with friends to exercise together. Make a date at least three times a week to play volleyball, take a walk or spend half an hour doing something active.
10. Skip the potato chips. Fatty snacks fried in hydrogenated oil like potato chips contribute fat and calories and not much else. Instead, grab a handful of dried food or a cup of yogurt for the same amount of calories and a lot more nutritional benefit.
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