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.)

Walk to Burn Fat

5:01 AM  , , ,  No comments

Walking is one of the easiest forms of exercise and one of the best ways to increase your metabolism, help you lose weight, and reduce your risk of cardiovascular illnesses. It strengthens your heart and lungs and forces your body to breathe more deeply. This pushes your body to burn more calories from fat.


To “step up” your walking and make it even more of a fat-burning experience, try the tips below:

*CHANGE YOUR SPEED. While you are walking, experiment with different speeds. Walk at a normal speed, slow down for a few minutes, then speed up to a fast walk for a few minutes. These changes in your speed will force your body to burn more fat and energy.

*WALK BACKWARDS.  Yes, you heard that right. Walk backwards. You will find that walking backwards works a whole different set of muscles and you can feel the burn very quickly. Practice by going forward for 10 minutes, then back for 2 minutes. (Be careful when going backwards!)

*CHANGE YOUR INCLINE. If possible, walk up and down hills. Walking uphill forces your body to work harder, burning more fat and energy. Change your speed while walking uphill. You will feel the burn!

*USE ANKLE WEIGHTS. Put on 2-3 pound ankle weights when you walk. These will make a huge difference in your workout because you have to work a lot harder to move your legs. You will burn fat faster. Change your speed to a slower pace if you feel unable to walk with the weights on at your usual pace.

*SWING YOUR ARMS. You can increase the fat-burning effect of your walk if you use your arms when you walk. Swing them in rhythm to your walking. Use wrist weights for an even more effective exercise.

 Tips to make your walk safer:

*WARM UP. Do some stretching exercises or walk at a slow pace for five minutes before you start your walk.

*ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR HEART RATE. Walk at a pace that challenges you but do not overdo it. If you feel like you are breathing too fast, slow your pace.

*ALWAYS CARRY WATER. If you walk long distances or you walk outside and the weather is hot, take small sips of water as you walk. It is very easy to become dehydrated.

*IF YOU GET BORED, VARY YOUR ROUTINE. Change your route, take a buddy to talk to, walk at different times of the day, or listen to music as you walk.

0 comments:

Post a Comment