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.)

Food Addiction

5:17 AM  , , ,  No comments

Do you like to pig out on ice cream or potato chips once in a while? Most of us do. It’s normal and is usually a result of a bad day or being overly tired. Some people, however, suffer from food addiction. Food addiction can be just as serious as an addiction to nicotine or drugs and just as deadly.

What is food addiction? It is when you have an overwhelming desire for a particular food. Your desire is so strong, that if you are unable to consume that food, you suffer from withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and depression.  Food addicts crave the comfort that a particular food gives them. Their cravings for food may be both physical and psychological.

TYPES OF FOOD ADDICTIONS

BINGE EATING: Compulsive overeating or binge eating, is where an individual goes on eating binges that can last several days.  The addict may sometimes lose weight, but tends to gain it back again.  Symptoms include eating quickly, compulsively eating alone, and eating when there is no evidence of hunger.

BULIMIA: Another form of addiction is bulimia, in which an individual overeats, then purges either by vomiting or by taking laxatives.  Signs of this condition include isolating oneself when eating, trying to consume huge portions of food rapidly, and being preoccupied with one’s weight.

ANOREXIA: Food addiction can also come in the form of anorexia. This is where an individual attempts to starve oneself in order to achieve an unrealistic weight.  Anorexics tend to be 15 percent below normal body weight and have a phobia about being fat.  They have difficulty eating with other people and appear to be obsessed with weight. 

 
TREATMENTS FOR FOOD ADDICTIONS

The good news is that food addiction can be successfully treated.  Treatment can come in a variety of forms.  A food addict may work with a psychotherapist to develop new ways to deal with food and his or her emotions.  The therapist might be able to identify the source of the individual’s fear or anger, the reason behind the individual’s addiction.

The psychologist will help the individual develop a treatment plan that spells out expectations and goals, both for the short-term and the long-term.  In the most serious cases, an individual may have to undergo in-patient treatment at a psychological facility.   Treatment often involves helping the individual to return to healthy eating methods, dealing with the underlying emotional causes of addiction, and learning effective coping techniques.

Food addicts often follow the tenets of the same kind of 12-step program used by alcoholics.  This involves admitting their powerlessness over food, their belief that they could be restored to sanity, and an admission of their faults and failings.  In addition, food addicts often draw strength from support groups made up of people who have similar difficulties dealing with food.  Just knowing that there are other people who face the same challenges can be incredibly therapeutic.
 
With patience and with time, food addicts can learn the behavioral skills that will enable them to keep their weight under control.  Of course, there will be times when individuals will be tempted to indulge in sweets or excessive carbohydrates.  However, knowing the pain that they will undergo if they continue their harmful eating habits could be just the incentive they need to stay on the right course.
 

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