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.)

Safely Lose Weight

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People who want to lose weight usually think that the only way to accomplish this is by reducing the amount of food they eat. This may not be the best solution. Depending on the amount you reduce in your food intake, it may even be dangerous to one's health. So how does one safely lose weight?

BEWARE OF CRASH DIETS

Most people think that trimming calories alone can shed their unwanted pounds. What people don't know is that this could be dangerous because when they decrease their calorie intake to below the required levels, the body begins to digest the fats. Sounds good but it isn’t.

Burning fat requires a lot of energy. Since there is not much energy in the body to facilitate the metabolism of fat, it will run at a very slow pace resulting in fatigue, illness and a weakened immune system that is more prone to disease and illness.

The body also compensates for a low-calorie diet by burning muscle. People on this type of diet who revert back to their old eating habits end up gaining back the weight they have shed. This would consist mainly of fats.

Since fats have more volume per mass than muscle, they end up having the same weight as before but bulkier. In losing weight, one should keep in mind that they should lose excess body fat, not muscle.

EAT PROPERLY

Eating a variety of foods is necessary in order for the body to get the nutrients necessary for good health. Include lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, healthy oils and drink at least 8 glasses of water every day.

Make sure you include a lot of fiber in your diet. Fiber moves toxins through your body and reduces your risk for many diseases including colon cancer and diverticulitis. In addition, pay attention to how you prepare your meals. Try to eat food that is roasted, steamed or broiled, rather than fried.

Try eating small healthy meals at frequent intervals, every three or four hours. This way the body will not think that it is being starved and will not store food as fat. Eating this way also increases your body’s metabolism, forcing it to operate at its maximum potential.

INCREASE LEAN MUSCLE MASS

Muscles burn calories when they work; they even do so at rest. Unlike fats that just lie around, bulge around the pants and dangle beneath the sleeves, muscles burn calories all-day long. Keeping this in mind, one can start weight loss by increasing muscle mass. The more muscle your body has, the less fat.

 AEROBICS

Aerobics are not only good for the heart by increasing cardio-vascular endurance, they help increase lean muscle mass while simultaneously decreasing excess body fat. Aerobics make the metabolic process more efficient even after a long while. Good examples of aerobics are jogging, walking, skating, cross-country skiing, and swimming.

DIET PILLS

Over-the-counter diet pills affect the amount of weight one loses as well as how long one keeps that amount of weight off. However, one must be wary of the side-effects. Consult your physician before trying any diet drug and to find out which type would be best for you.

Losing weight does not have to mean sacrifice and suffering. It actually means opening yourself up to a fuller and healthier life where you do not have to feel bad about yourself or you are not able to do the things you want to. You will feel better, live longer, and be more in control of your life.

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