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.)

Food As a Reward

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When you were a child were you rewarded with food to celebrate a good grade or when you sat still through church or perhaps, when you were quiet while your mom talked on the phone? From an early age, we are conditioned to use food as a reward. As adults, we may reward ourselves with an ice-cream sundae to celebrate a success at work.

The problem is, food was never designed to be used as a reward. Food exists simply to give us energy.  When we look at food as a reward, there is a great temptation to overeat.  We believe that we deserve it, that we’ve earned this opportunity to indulge.  We feel gratified when we eat food that might otherwise be forbidden.

Our food-as-reward culture has had calamitous consequences.  An increasing number of us are overweight, and getting fatter by the year.  We suffer from a myriad of health problems as a result of our obesity.  We may feel lethargic and unmotivated—too stuffed to engage in exercise.  We have become a nation of couch potatoes.

We don’t have to continue living this way.  We can simply stop rewarding ourselves with food.  However, it may not be that simple.  We will have to change our mindset—to develop alternative systems of rewards.  While this may seem difficult at first, it can be accomplished in time.

Here are some ideas for rewards that do not involve food:

  • If you love to shop but don’t have the financial resources to do so, try going to a dollar store. You won’t spend much but will have a great time finding some good bargains.

  • Indulge in a massage. This is a wonderful, relaxing way to reward yourself. It’s also very good for you mentally and physically.

  • Buy a book by your favorite author. Curl up in your most comfortable chair and indulge in some guilt-free reading.

  • Put on some music. Relax and enjoy the simple pleasure of listening.

  • Go play! Play outside with your kids, your dog, or go play tennis with a friend. Take a walk or go on a hike. Go to the skating rink, the playground, the beach or a swimming pool. You will have fun and the physical exercise is great for your mental and physical health.

  • Volunteer! This is a wonderful way to make yourself feel good and give something back to those in need. There is always a need for volunteers at nursing homes, hospitals, soup kitchens and elementary schools. The rewards are tremendous.


 You could also consider varying your routine. 

  • If you’ve become accustomed to rewarding yourself with a high-calorie cappuccino in the morning, spend some time in quiet reflection instead. 

  • If you feel as if you’ll be tempted to raid a candy store on your way home from work, take an alternate route instead. 

  • If you like to reward yourself with snacks in the evening,  try knitting, working a puzzle, or reading  so you don’t have time to reach for a snack. 

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