Thank You For Visiting Our Blog, FEEL BETTER AND LIVE LONGER!

The purpose of our blog is to share what we have learned about nutrition, weight loss, fitness, and health, in order to help you find ways to feel better and live longer. It is amazing how much our diet and lifestyle affect our health and well-being.

Did you know that you can reduce your risk and even prevent many diseases and health conditions simply by making some changes to your diet? Check back often for valuable tips and information.


HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT & KEEP IT OFF:

For the first time in my life I have found weight loss success. During my adult life I have tried dozens and dozens of so-called "diets" and none of them worked over the long-haul. Oh, I was able to lose weight with some of them, but once I went off of the "diet" I quickly gained back all of my weight (plus some).

I have finally learned that losing weight has to be a lifestyle change, not a temporary fix. Crash diets and all the other crazy diets will not only cause you to fail, they are harmful to your health. To lose weight and keep it off you must NOT go on a "diet." What? Why? Because we all consider a "diet" a temporary thing. For example, how many times have you said, "Oh, I will go on this low-fat diet until I lose 20 pounds." Okay, what happens after you lose the 20 pounds? Or you simply give up? You go back to your old habits and gain that 20 pounds back.

The only way you will ever be successful at losing weight, with the added benefit of improving your health, is to make healthy changes that you can live with for the rest of your life. Period. Not for a week, a month or 3 months, but for life. For me, my initial goal was to lower my cholesterol level. I had to have a blood test for my insurance coverage and my cholesterol level had to be lower than the previous year's levels or I would have to pay a much higher premium. Well, that was a pretty good incentive for me make some positive changes.

I sat down and figured out what I needed to do. I knew I had to change the way I ate and I knew I had to exercise in some form or other every day. So, I made a list and I stuck to it. It was difficult at first. To make matters worse, I am a compulsive eater. However, as the days went by, it became much easier because my body stopped craving sweets and processed foods. For the first time in my life, I was never tempted to binge because I never felt deprived.

Use the list below and make whatever changes you need to make in order for it to work for you. FYI, my cholesterol level dropped 65 points after 7 weeks, and my triglycerides dropped 70 points!
Another benefit that I hadn't planned on was that after being an insomniac since my teen-age years, I now sleep like a baby every night!

MY LIST FOR WEIGHT LOSS SUCESS:

1. Avoid "white" Foods & Processed Foods.
These foods have no nutritional value and are "empty" calories. Sweets, anything made with white flour,and anything that comes in a package with a long list of ingredients.
Always read the food labels. Stay away from those long lists of ingredients. The longer the list, the more chemicals and additives are present. These are extremely toxic to your body.


2. Drink Lots of
Water. Water keeps your body's organs hydrated and flushes out unhealthy toxins. It helps to fill you up and reduces your urge to over-eat.


3. Eat a Healthy Breakfast.
Instead of coffee and donuts, try fruit, yogurt, grains like oatmeal or whole grain toast, and lean protein. NEVER skip breakfast. By eating a large, healthy meal when you get up in the morning, your metabolism will "rev up" and you will not be hungry by mid-morning. If you skip breakfast, your
body will go into starvation mode and store calories in your body as FAT, yes FAT! So do yourself a big favor and eat breakfast.


4. Reduce Your Stress Level.
So many of us live with too much
stress. Stress lowers your immune system, making it easier to get sick. It also makes us lethargic, tired, and depressed. There are a lot of simple things you can do and a lot of ways to feel better about yourself and your life. Take a long, hot bath, read a book, listen to music, get a massage. Do something nice for yourself. Giving yourself something to look forward to is a tremendous mental incentive.


5. Move!
Oh my gosh! There are so many ways to incorporate movement into your day, even at work. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Get up every hour and walk around your floor, your hallway or your desk. Park your car in the farthest space from where you need to be. Walk or bike to work. Skate, dance, golf, jump rope, clean house, play tag. The best exercise you can do is to walk. Try to take a walk every day! The more you move, the more your metabolism will be your friend. (I walk 3 miles every day whether it is raining, snowing or freezing.)


Burn the Fat

If you want to burn the fat and lose weight, there is a secret to doing it naturally and effectively. The secret is eating the correct foods and participating in regular exercise. When you eat correctly and exercise regularly your body becomes a very efficient fat-burning machine.

Eat five small protein-rich meals every three hours throughout the day. This keeps your metabolism moving and helps your body maintain a stable insulin level. This consistency prevents the body from releasing excess insulin and storing fat. Your body, instead, uses the energy right away, helping you to lose weight.

Since eating actually increases your metabolism, eating regularly every few hours will keep your metabolism at its most efficient. Every time you eat, your body expends energy to digest, absorb and store the food. Therefore, the more you eat, the more your metabolism revs up and the more fat your body burns.

When you eat your meals, you must make sure you are eating the right combination of foods. Use the guidelines listed below:

*DRINK WATER – In addition to eating more often throughout the day, make sure you drink lots of water, at least 8 glasses a day. Sip slowly throughout the day. Water speeds up metabolism and flushes toxins out of your body. Your body must have plenty of water in order to work at its most efficient level.

*EAT FIBER – High-fiber foods absorb substances containing sugars, fats, carbohydrates, and the calories associated with them, speeding up the movement of food through the body; this also speeds up weight loss. High-fiber foods include whole fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grain breads, cereals, wheat germ, barley and brown rice. Always check food labels for fiber content.

*EAT LEAN PROTEIN – A large percentage of calories from protein are burned off in the digestion process (this is called the thermic effect food). Of all the nutrients our body ingests, protein has the highest thermic effect. Eat lean meats, poultry and fish.

*EAT HEALTHY FATS - Monounsaturated fats do not raise blood cholesterol levels and are an excellent source of antioxidants. Monounsaturated fats are, in fact, required for the body in order to function effectively. Replace butter and other fat with extra virgin olive oil in cooking and baking. Season your olive oil with garlic and/or herbs and spices.

*AVOID CARBS BEFORE BEDTIME – Carbohydrates provide fuel for your body. When your body does not need them for energy, it stores them as fat. Eating carbs before bedtime will result in excess fat, something you DO NOT want.

*EXERCISE –The easiest exercise that will benefit anyone regardless of their fitness level, that can be done inside or outside, is walking. A brisk walk can burn as many calories as jogging, but does not have the risk for injury that jogging does. As an aerobic exercise, walking revs up the metabolism and keeps it going even after you have stopped. The only equipment needed is a good pair of shoes.

By following the guidelines listed above, your body will function more efficiently, you will lose weight, and you will be healthier. It is not difficult to make the changes necessary to transform your body into an efficient fat-burning machine. You will feel better, have better health, and have more energy.

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