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.)

The Risks of Obesity

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Obesity is now one of the top health risks in the United States. These are many diseases that can result from obesity. High blood pressure, joint pain, diabetes, heart disease, liver ailments, menstrual abnormalities, breast cancer, female infertility, endometrial cancer, depression, and blood circulation diseases. The list seems endless.


But before knowing how to end obesity one must know exactly what causes it. How does one become obese? Obesity is caused by a combination of factors including intake of fatty foods, lack of physical activity, unhealthy food habits, laziness and/or endocrine problems and genetic tendencies.

SHORT-TERM REMEDIES:

There are a number of short-term remedies for obesity that are available. The problem with these methods is that they do not address the underlying causes of obesity, only the end result.

Liposuction: This is a surgical process where the fat is removed by sucking out the fat from the body by inserting a needle.

Surgery: Commonly this procedure involves surgery of the stomach and intestines where the stomach is made smaller to lower the intake of food.

Diet Pills: The majority of diet pills are for short-term use only. These diet pills are effective only if they are used in combination with exercises and a controlled diet.

LONG-TERM REMEDIES:

The only long-term effective, healthy and natural way to cure obesity is to change your current lifestyle to one that focuses on what you eat and how much physical activity you engage in.

Change Your Diet. A healthy diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts. It should be low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and sugars. 

Start Walking! This is one of the easiest and best ways to increase your metabolism, lose weight, and reduce your risk of cardiovascular illnesses, joint pain, depression and diabetes. Walking, whether at a leisurely pace or a brisk pace, will benefit just about anyone regardless of their fitness level.

Just Move! There are many other ways you can increase your physical activity. To burn calories, any kind of movement, whether it's riding a bike, climbing stairs, dancing, vacuuming or mowing the lawn, will help enhance your body's ability to burn fat and increase your metabolism. Increasing your metabolism will, in turn, help you lose weight faster.

If you are obese, you didn’t become that way overnight. It took a long time of bad habits to get there. Therefore, do not expect to overcome the habits that got you there overnight. Start slowly.

The most important thing is not to give up. Each day is a new day. If you have a bad day, don’t give up. Start over the next day. If you take small steps, eventually, it will become easier for your body and mind to adjust to the changes. Each day you will get closer to your goals. 

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