Posts Tagged ‘weight loss’

Weight Watchers

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

Weight Watchers is a sensible low cost weight loss program. For those looking for a long-term weight loss solution, Weight Watchers may be the answer. Weight Watchers encorporates weekly weigh-ins and meetings for support. Most people attending these meetings like the accountability or the weekly weigh in and get great ideas and group support from other members.

The current Weight Watchers plan is is based on a “points” system. Fat grams, calories and dietary fiber are used to calculate the “points” allowed for each day. Most prepackaged foods have a nutritional guide that details all of the necessary information to caslculate serving sizes and points value. The points scale is based on weight. Those weighing under 150lbs are allowed 20 points per day. The scale goes up from there. Two points per 10 lbs up to a maximum of 30 points per day (anyone weighing over 200lbs.) The plan also includes 35 “flex points” which can be used at any time during the week between weigh-ins. They can be used to add an aditional 5 points per day to the daily points allowance or used to really “blow it” on a favorite dessert…etc.

Weight Watchers offers many tolls for support. There are food guide books available for purchase which detail name brand foods and their points values, as well as a dining out guide which lists many restaurants to help with the challenge of dieting and dining out. Applebees chain restaurants offer Weight Watchers points on a selection of their menu as well. Other helpful tools offered for purchase at meetings are measuring spoons and food scalse to make the point calculating a little easier, and fabulous cookbooks which take cooking to a new level. The Weight Watchers e-tools website is also helpful for support, recipes, chat rooms and point calculating. On this site, one can enter a favorite recipe and receive a point value for each serving.

Many people find Weight Watchers less limiting than most other diet plans. You can eat any type of food you like and you can even splurge when you want or need to. This plan helps to teach portion control as well as good healthy eating habits. It may not be as fast as some other plans, but learning a new lifestyle is a lifelong lesson and most WW members keep their weight off for longer periods of time.

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Healthy Cooking

Wednesday, February 4th, 2009

Healthy eating does not necessarily mean bland boring food. There are many ways to still enjoy your favorites and cut the fat and calories. For those who are dieting and watching their calories and fats there are many alternatives to starving and eating nothing but chicken or rice cakes.

Starting with the protein portion of your meal, don’t completely dismiss pork. There are some cuts that are as lean and low cal as chicken such as the tenderloin or any other loin cuts. Pork is more flavorful in many recipes than chicken and can be used in a variety of different ways. Ground pork is another great trick. Use ground lean pork instead of beef in your recipes to cut the fat and calories and add tremendous flavor. Sloppy Joe’s are great when prepared with pork.

Don’t sacrafice the flavor of your favorite foods. There are many flavor alternatives available that will help enhance the flavor of your food. The butter substitute sprays are low or zero cal and add a pretty good imitation flavor of butter. Do not mistake these for non-stick spray. These butter sprays are in the dairy case and packaged in a pump spray bottle. They are a great replacement for pan sauteing or on veggies.

As for cooking vegetables, to add flavor without adding fat or calories, try cooking all your vegetables in chicken broth. May sound strange, but it adds so much flavor to the veggies they rarely need butter/butter spray. You can use pre-made broth or just add bouillon to the water before you cook the vegetables.

There are many condiments that can be added to your food to keep them from getting bland. Parmesan cheese is a good one for full flavor and low impact on the calorie and fat intake.

When you are dieting, you may need to get a little creative, but it can be done. Substitute the full fat items for low fat. Eat whole grain pasta when you can, mix it with plain pasta to add volume without sacrifice. Read and compare labels of everything you purchase. Some brands are considerably less fattening than others.

There are so many ways to keep your diet interesting and still cut the fat and calories. It just takes a little creative thinking and a lot of substituting. You can lose weight without losing flavor.

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Healthy Inspiration

Thursday, December 18th, 2008

What inspires people to get in shape or stay in shape? What is it that inspires someone to get up early and head out to the gym several times a week? Why do some find so much gratification in training and competing in a triathlon?

When we hear about these people and their accomplishments we realize the potential that is within all of us.  Power to stay on track, to eat right and have fit healthy bodies. Why is it that some people just can’t connect with this power that is within them and just “let themselves go”?

Everyone is busy in today’s world.  Those who are in shape don’t use this as an excuse.  To those whom it is important, they find a way to fit in their exercise. Others, in most cases are just making excuses.  The inspiration to be motivated is within all of us, so why do so many choose not to tap into it?

Maybe the simple truth is that inspiration has to come from within. No outside source is going to give you what it takes to become motivated.  An amazing success story may trigger something, but again it comes from within you.

I’m not suggesting that exercise and being in better shape will solve all your problems, but when you look better, you feel better.  Feeling better about yourself is a strong motivator.  Being motivated from your healthy lifestyle will help you in other areas.  It will help you get the most out of your life and help you to find purpose in everything you do.

Fitness is always a vicious cycle for those who are not involved.  You don’t exercise, therefore you are sluggish and too tired for any activity.  The food you eat may cause sluggishness, especially if you are eating a carb rich diet.  Being overweight makes everyday tasks even harder.  If you begin to exercise you will notice you have more energy.  When you exercise, you are more conscious of what food is going into your body.  You tend to watch a little more carefully what you eat and this makes you feel better physically.  When you are thinner and stronger, you can move about more easily and physical activity is not so hard on you.  It’s a cycle that is hard to break, but one thing leads to another and soon you honestly feel like a new person.

Finding the inspiration to make that first step and keep it going is very tough, but once you do your lifestyle will change tremendously.

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Water Aerobics

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

Do you have the need for exercise, but just can’t cannot handle the strain that aerobic classes entail? Water aerobics may be just the right thing for you. Water aerobic exercises have very low impact on the body, with a high impact benefit.  It is very valuable for those who just can’t handle the traditional aerobics classes.

Water aerobics is  great for a variety of people struggling with all types of ailments.  It’s easy on the back as well as the joints. It is often a prescribed type of physical therapy for people undergoing joint and back surgeries.  It is also very beneficial for those who “overheat” easily because you always stay cool while in the water.  It is a very safe form of exercise for pregnant women and those who are obese and need a way to get into better shape. With water aerobics, in most cases, you do not even need to know how to swim.  Most exercises are done in shallow water.

The basic theory of water aerobics is the same as most other aerobic activity; your goal is to get your heart rate elevated and keep it there for at least twenty minutes. The program will usually include choreography and upbeat music  just as in other aerobics classes.  Some intermediate and advanced classes will include equipment like wrist weights, kickboards or water dumbbells.

Not only is this a safe program, but it is a great way to get in shape in general. There are numerous benefits to participating in water aerobics classes, weight loss and heart health being at the top of the list.You will also notice better muscle tone, without putting any added strain on your joints.

Water is also very therapeutic for the body.  It can ease your body and soothe pain while at the same you are participating in a remarkably effective workout.

A water aerobics workout is a fantastic way to stay healthy and fit over the long term.

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Weight Loss Charts

Sunday, October 26th, 2008

Weight loss is one of the toughest battles to fight.  There are so many ways to go about losing weight, and none of them work for everyone.  The basic belief of “calories in and calories burned” is just too much work and too slow for most people.  The diet and weight loss industry is a multi billion dollar a year industry.  We all want to be thinner, but we don’t really want to work to hard to achieve it.

I believe that we are all genetically predisposed to a certain body type.  Some women are pear shaped, or apple shaped…etc. Some of us are just big boned and are never going to look like a supermodel.  Not that we want to, but that seems to be the standard most of us measure ourselves against. Honestly supermodels are too thin in most cases.  They are not considered a healthy weight for their height and mostly considered underweight.

It’s important to know your body type before you look at some chart to determine what your healthy weight should be.  We all know muscle weighs more than fat, right?  So if you are the same height and weight, you could still realistically wear totally different size clothing than someone with more or less muscle than you.

Taking a wrist measurement can help you decide what type frame you have.  Then you can go on to find your healthy weight for your bone structure or frame type. You can add 10% for large frame or subtract 10%for small frame to determine your ideal weight based on your frame size.

To determine the body frame size, measure the wrist with a tape measure and use the following chart to find your type- small, medium, or large boned.
Women:
height under 5’2″
small = wrist size less than 5.5″
medium = wrist size 5.5″ to 5.75″
large = wrist size over 5.75″
height 5’2″ to 5′ 5″
small = wrist size less than 6″
medium = wrist size 6″ to 6.25″
large = wrist size over 6.25″
height over 5′ 5″
small = wrist size less than 6.25″
medium = wrist size 6.25″ to 6.5″
large = wrist size over 6.5″
Men:
height over 5′ 5″
small = wrist size 5.5″ to 6.5″
medium = wrist size 6.5″ to 7.5″
large = wrist size over 7.5″
Using the above formula, you can determine your desirable body weight. The formula provides an approximate desirable body weight for height. Your perfect weight range can vary on an individual basis.

Body mass index (BMI) is also important when developing your own weight loss goals. BMI is calculated by using your height and weight and can be done by visiting  http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ , or numerous other sights on the web.

Weight loss is a personal struggle that more than 60% of americans face every day.  Above all you need to be comfortable with yourself and your size, no matter what the medical charts may suggest.

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Exercise and Why

Friday, October 24th, 2008

It is not uncommon to hear about exercise and it’s MANY benefits.  People everywhere are talking about exercise.  Some are more devoted than others and take exercising to the extreme, some develop a profession out of it, but there are some that do not take part in any type of exercise at all.

It is also very common to hear people talking themselves out of exercise.  There are so many excuses why they don’t or wont. Including the inevitable soreness after beginning a workout program, to not owning the proper attire, to sweating and ruining there appearance, and the biggest, not having enough time. Many people will find reasons not to get out there and just do it.

Exhaustion is another excuse for people who do not want to exercise.  However that too is a vicious cycle.  If you don’t exercise, you are more lethargic.  If you exercise, you will absolutely get more energy. But many people think they don’t have the energy to do it. Exercise helps those who lack energy due to sleep problems overnight.  After the first few days of a new exercise program, many insomniacs report the ability to sleep without the aid of prescription drugs.

If they could just get over that initial hurdle and start to move their bodies, they would realize the unlimited benefits they would receive from exercising. There are both physical and emotional benefits to beginning an exercise program.

Physically, your body will become stronger, giving you the ability to perform multiple tasks more easily.  You will find that everyday routine tasks become less taxing on your body.  You will develop much more energy and have much more stamina.  A trip to the supermarket wont be cause for a nap any longer. Health benefits are abundant as well.  Anything from high blood pressure, to circulation to high cholesterol can be greatly improved by developing some type of exercise program. All of your body’s functions will improve when you participate in some type of exercise.

Emotionally, the benefits are outstanding.  When you exercise there is a chemical released in your body the just makes you feel all together better.  Your thinking becomes more clear, your mood elevates, and having more energy makes anyone feel more alive. Exercise is a great treatment for many emotional issues such as anxiety and depression..  The endorphins released during exercise are an all natural anti-depressant.

Finding time in your schedule may seem a bit tough, but just 20-30 minutes of exercise a day, will help your general well being tremendously and allow you to be a better participant in life.

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Low Carb Lifestyle

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008

For me a low carb diet is best.  I have been eating a very healthy low carb diet for over a year and I have managed to lose 60+ pounds and keep it off.  Of course I also exercise regularly, but not strenuously. The low carb diet is relatively easy to understand and stick to.  Basically you just can’t eat anything with bleached flour or sugar.  No bread, no pasta, no sweets.  There are limitations and exceptions to these basic rules, but you have to be careful.  Once you reintroduce large amounts of carbs into your system, it can make you gain weight and cause a chemical change in how your body metabolizes fat and calories.

When you are on a low carb program, there are many different thoughts on exactly what is and is not allowed.  I prefer to eat mostly lean protein.  I’m actually watching calories and carbs, but not counting calories at all.  Just making the low carb selections that are low cal as well.  Some chose to go all out ant eat as much protein as they want.  Unlimited amounts of any food are not good for you, period.  Weight loss and healthy lifestyle are always about moderation.  So, for those who eat a pound of bacon with their tripple quarter pound burger, more power to them, but it’s not for me.

Occasionally, like everyone else, I just absolutely HAVE to have a bowl of pasta, a loaf of bread or a big ol’ piece of chocolate cake.  At this point, I do allow myself one full day of poor choices. However, the next day, I immediately go back to NO CARBS for 2-3 days then reintroduce the good carbs, like veggies, slowly. Honestly, I feel miserable when I am ingesting a lot of high sugar/high carb foods.  I get sluggish and tired.  I become moody and just awful to be around.  Carbs are not my friends and I try to remember this every time I want to binge on sweets.etc. It doesn’t always stick, but I do try to remind myself of how awful it makes me feel.

The decision to diet and lose weight is a personal one and there are many schools of thought out there on what works, and why.  I believe for me and my husband too, this is the best way for us to stay trim and feel healthy and remain active.  It changed our lives and we are such better partners and parents because of it.  I would recommend a low carb lifestyle to anyone considering weight loss.

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