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.)

Healthy Eating Out

7:19 AM  , ,  1 comment

Do you like to eat out? If you answered yes, you are not alone. In the past ten years, the percentage of people who eat out has increased by over fifty percent. Because restaurant food tends to be higher in fat and calories, it is difficult to stick to your healthy eating plan when eating out.
HOW EATING OUT CAN DESTROY YOUR DIET
  • Restaurant portions tend to be much larger than a normal serving, making it difficult to make healthy choices. It has been estimated that restaurant servings tend to be three to four times greater than typical serving sizes. 
  • Restaurants often serve bread or rolls with a meal, which can cause dieters to pack on the pounds. 
  • Restaurant appetizers tend to be extremely high in calories.  For instance, a basket of fried onions can pack a whopping 2,000 calories.  Now, while you might not devour the entire basket yourself, chances are you will have a good share of it if it is passed around the table. 
  • Many restaurants now offer free refills of soda.  Soda glasses tend to be large, meaning that you are receiving greater servings of this sugary beverage.  Just the soda alone can put you far over your daily recommended allowance of calories for weight loss. 
  • Once people become accustomed to large portions when eating out, they tend to increase their portion sizes at home as well.  As a result, dieters can be sabotaged both in restaurants and at home.  If you eat out more than once a week, toning down your portion sizes can be particular difficult.
  • The greatest challenge is the restaurant buffet.  There are so many different foods being offered, it is difficult to limit yourself.  Since you can go back to the buffet as many times as you want, you are tempted to overindulge.  Dieticians recommend either avoiding the restaurant buffet altogether, or limiting your second portions to fruits and vegetables. 
 HEALTHY EATING OUT
With all of the drawbacks to eating out, is it possible to eat out and still stick to your diet? Yes, if you make the right decisions and are aware of the temptations. What guidelines should you follow when you are eating out?
  • Never starve yourself before going out to eat. Such a tactic will cause you to overeat once you get to the restaurant.  
  • Instead of ordering a soda that is full of sugar and unhealthy ingredients, choose water with lemon or unsweetened iced tea. This alone will save you several hundred calories.
  • Appetizers tend to be high in unhealthy fats and calories. Instead of ordering breaded fried onions or potato skins drenched in cheese and bacon, order a dinner salad. Skip the croutons and heavy dressings, however. Opt for a fat-free dressing, vinaigrette or oil and vinegar.
  • Skip the dinner rolls, biscuits, croissants and any other breads or rolls that are offered.
  • Most entrees are rich in fat and calories. Instead of ordering the Fettucini Alfredo or the roast beef swimming in gravy, choose lower-fat entrees like grilled fish or chicken. Make sure you select entrees that are accompanied by vegetables.
  • Substitute French fries or mashed potatoes for a baked potato.
  • Before you being eating your entrée, divide it in half, especially if you have ordered an entrée that is high in fat and calories. Put the other half in a take-home container and eat it for lunch the next day or give it to your eating companion.
  • Never order dessert unless it is fresh fruit. A rich dessert can pack on an astounding 500-1200 calories alone!
You do not have to stay at home if you are trying to follow a healthy eating plan. If you love to eat out, follow the above tips and you will still be able to stay on your diet. Healthy eating out is all about making the right choices.

1 comments:

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