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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.)


Low Fat Diet

If you are trying to find a healthy eating plan that will allow you to lose weight, you may want to try one that is low in fat and high in complex carbohydrates. What are the advantages to this eating plan?

WHY A LOW-FAT DIET?

*Fat is bad for your heart and other serious diseases, like cancer.
*Fat contains more than twice the calories of other foods.
*Fat is 7 times more easily converted to body fat than carbohydrates.
*Fat helps to destroy our taste for healthy food.

YES, we all need some fat (no more than about 25-30 percent of calories) but NONE of us need the amount or the type we commonly eat.

WHY RICH IN COMPLEX-CARBOHYDRATES?

*Complex carbohydrates are less fattening, very healthy and less easily converted to body fat.
*Complex carbohydrates are a great source of energy.
*Our brain thrives on complex carbohydrates.

There are 3 basic types of carbohydrates:

1. Simple Carbohydrates - also called sugars
These are made up of simple molecules that are quickly and easily digested into the bloodstream. The sudden surge of energy they produce can be very upsetting for our system.

THESE CARBOHYDRATES SHOULD BE EATEN ONLY IN SMALL QUANTITIES.

Foods high in simple carbohydrates:
Table-sugar, syrups, preserves, jellies and jams, ordinary sodas, soft drinks, sweets, candies, and cakes.

Food ingredients high in simple carbohydrates:
Dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose, fruit juice concentrate, and glucose syrup.

2. Complex carbohydrates - These are made up of complex molecules, so it takes longer for our body to absorb and digest them. Result? We stay full for longer and our system is not upset.

Foods high in complex carbohydrates:
Whole wheat or whole grain bread, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, oats, and most vegetables and fruits.

3. Very complex carbohydrates - also known as Fiber (beans & legumes)
This type of carbohydrate is SO complex that we cannot digest it at all!

Nevertheless, it provides bulk that keeps us feeling full and it has significant health benefits. It helps lower cholesterol, reduces the risk of diabetes and helps combat certain cancers.

Complex carbohydrates are essential ingredients in any healthy weight loss diet. This is why low carbohydrate diets are so UNHEALTHY.

DIET GUIDELINES:

*Eat less fat - especially animal fat.
Switch to lower fat options like: low fat dairy food, low-fat cheese, and fat-free dressings. Switch to fish, turkey and chicken instead of beef, lamb, and pork. Use less fat when cooking and add less fat (mayo, butter) to your plate.

*Eat more complex carbohydrates.
Sweet potatoes, whole grain or whole wheat bread, oats, whole grain cereals, brown rice, whole grain pasta; check labels. Make sure the ingredients list whole grains or whole wheat.

*Eat less sugar and sugary foods.
Table sugar, soft drinks, cookies, candy. Switch to lower-sugar options; drink lots of water and fruit juices rather than sodas.

*Eat more fruits, vegetables and salad.
Make these foods a MAJOR part of your diet.

*Eat more fiber.
Eat more beans and legumes for extra fiber.

Why a low fat diet is a good choice:

*It is easy to follow.
*It is filling.
*It is healthy.
*It is good for slow, steady weight loss.
*It is used by successful dieters.
American Heart Association Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol Cookbook, 4th edition: Delicious Recipes to Help Lower Your Cholesterol

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