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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.)

Secret to Weight Loss

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What is the secret to weight loss? Eat right, keep moving. That’s it. Very simple instructions, right? Then why are over one in three Americans overweight or obese? Because as simple as it sounds, putting those instructions into practice is not simple at all for many people.

It is a lot easier to prevent putting on weight than trying to lose those extra pounds later on. However, it is never too late to lose weight. If your momentum is toward weight gain, you can stop it from happening once and for all. Remember, losing weight is not just about looking better, it’s about your health and well-being.

THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF LOSING WEIGHT

Maintaining a healthy weight is not all that complicated. In fact, it is a good bet that most people know what to eat and what to avoid. A reasonable approach for losing weight is to stick to a diet that is high in complex carbohydrates, high in fiber, moderate in lean protein, and low in fat.

Complex carbohydrates are high-fiber foods that improve your digestion, stabilize blood sugar, keep your energy at an even level, and help you feel satisfied longer after your meal. The best complex carbohydrates come from beans, lentils, vegetables, and whole grain breads, cereals and brown rice.

Avoid simple (refined) carbohydrates. Eating simple carbohydrates is associated with a higher incidence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, leads to cravings and compulsive eating, causes wide swings in your blood-sugar levels, and causes weight gain. If a food label lists sugar, sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, white or “wheat” flour, it contains simple carbohydrates.

Lean protein: Fish is one of the healthiest sources of lean protein. It is nautrally low in saturated fat. Coldwater fish, such as salmon, is an excellent choice as it contains high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, a "good" fat. Poultry can also be a good source of protein if you choose white meat and remove the skin before eating. Never fry. Roast, grill or bake. Beans, peas, and lentils are also good lean protein sources, particularly for those who follow a vegetarian diet. They also provide plenty of fiber.

Healthy fats: The good fats are monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fats. Peanuts, walnuts, almonds and pistachios, avocado, canola and olive oil are high in MUFAs. MUFAs help in weight loss, particularly body fat. Seafood like salmon and fish oil, as well as corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils are high in polyunsaturated fats. Omega 3 fatty acids belong to this group.

EAT MORE OFTEN

Try eating small nutritious meals every three to four hours. This keeps the body’s metabolism working at maximum capacity, constantly burning fat and keeping a balanced energy level. Eat a healthful snack like a slice of whole-grain toast or a piece of fruit between meals. Never skip a meal! It is the worst thing you can do if you are trying to control your eating habits and weight.

“FAT FREE”

Do not fall into the so-called “fat-free” trap. Manufacturers keep coming out with low-fat or fat-free versions of their best-selling foods, but Americans keep getting fatter anyway. One of the greatest delusions is that “no fat” means “non-fattening.” The truth is, you are often getting just as many calories from the no-fat version, even if the calories are not coming from fat.

EXERCISE

You must incorporate movement into your daily regimen. You don’t have to go to a gym to work out. Take a walk around your neighborhood, walk to work, or walk in the park. Play with your kids, go skating, rake leaves, take the stairs at work, or get on your bicycle. There are many easy ways to increase your daily activity level.

Losing weight is a process, not a fad. It takes a lot of determination, self-control, and discipline to achieve your ideal weight.

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