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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.)

Anxiety and Anger

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One of the root causes of anxiety is anger. When a person is in a constant state of anxiety about things they have no control over it leads to depression. If you feel that your world is crumbling down around you then you are probably overwhelmed by negative feelings. These feelings, in turn, promote more anxiety, leading to depression…an endless cycle.

Before you begin trying to cope with anxiety and depression, you must take a good, honest look at your symptoms. Do you feel like you simply cannot take one more thing? Do you feel like no matter what you do, it’s wrong, so you see no reason to try anymore? Do you feel like the world is out to get you?

CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS

If you are suffering any one or all of these thoughts you are experiencing anxiety and depression. If you do not find a way to change your thoughts you will only continue to sink deeper and deeper into depression and despair. What can you do to change this pattern of thinking?

Instead of telling yourself that you are in a hopeless place, why not tell yourself that you are simply emotionally interrupted and need a resolve. Review all of your problem areas carefully and see if there are answers to your problems. Reviewing problems often opens doors to resources you may have overlooked.

If you feel like someone is out to get you then you might simply be so overloaded with stress and anxiety that you cannot think clearly. Visit your doctor or a mental health expert to learn more about your symptoms and find a way to gain control of your life. Anxiety and depression will play tricks with your mind.

 
RELAX

When times are difficult it does not mean it is the end of the world although sometimes it may seem that way. If you are struggling to pay bills or having difficulty with your children, keep in mind that most of us have these problem at some point in our lives and they will eventually pass.

Are your children driving you nuts? If they are, take a break. Go do something entertaining or get some exercise by taking a nice, leisurely walk. This can relieve the stress that is causing your anxiety, depression and anger. Life is too short to worry about the things you have no control over.

It is important to pamper yourself each day. Learn some coping relaxation response techniques that benefit both your mind and body. If you feel overwhelmed, curl up on a couch and watch a favorite movie. This can benefit your mind and body if you are letting your thoughts go.

SETTING GOALS

If you are struggling to reach goals then you might want to break your goals down to smaller segments and work slowly to achieve them. If you set goals within reason, you will not need to stress your mind finding a way to achieve your target.

Learn to focus on what you are doing instead of worrying about what you are not doing. This often clears the mind and helps you to relax. If you subject yourself to anger, you will most likely have difficulties with anxiety and depression until you learn to take control of your emotions.

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