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.)

Learn How to Say No

10:48 AM    No comments

 Are you overbooked, overwhelmed and overstressed because you don’t know how to say no?  With today’s expectations and busy schedules, you’re not alone. Why do you say yes? The reality of always saying yes is that you are giving up what’s important to you in favor of what other people want. When you constantly take on more than you can handle, you will eventually “burn out.”

Wouldn't it be great if once, just once, you could stick to your guns and say no? There are many reasons we struggle with saying the word "no." We feel bound by obligation, fear of hurting someone’s feelings, personal disappointment or out of misguided guilt. Some of us really believe, no matter how mistakenly, that we can do it all.

Learning to say no can be one of the biggest favors you can do yourself and those you love. It helps reduce stress levels, makes you more aware of your limitations and gives you time for what’s really important. Learn how to stop saying yes and to stop feeling guilty.



Remember, there are only so many hours in the day. This means that whatever you choose to do limits your ability to have time to do other things. Even if you somehow could fit a new commitment into your schedule, if it’s not more important than what you are giving up, you really do not have the time to say yes.

*BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT YOU DO HAVE TIME FOR. If you want more time with your family, and saying yes means less time with them, say no. If saying yes means increasing your stress level, this affects your health. Your health is more important. Say no. The better grounded you are in your “yeses”, the easier it will be for you to say no.

*ANSWER NO WITH CARE, KINDNESS, AND EMPATHY.  It is very difficult for most of us to say no because we don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. You can be firm without being mean. If you can offer a mutually agreed upon solution, do so. Never try to come up with unnecessary excuses. Keep it simple. Ultimately, it is your right to say no and the reasons are nobody’s business. Don’t ever lose sight of this.

If you simply cannot say no without making some kind of explanation or compromise, try these suggestions. Say “I have another commitment “ or “I can’t do this now, but maybe at another time” or “I don’t have time to commit myself to something I cannot do well” or “I don’t feel comfortable about doing this” or, you get the idea.

*GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK. Saying no is challenging for nearly everyone especially if you are a “pleaser” who always feels guilt or regret over saying no. Your inclination to say yes in your mind is an offer to help someone. There is nothing wrong with this. It shows you are a compassionate, giving person. Just remember that you must balance your “pleaser” tendencies with a commitment to yourself and your own priorities.

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