Archive for Uncategorized
The Importance of Hydration and Tips to Get Your Water in Every Day
Posted by: | Comments
Water May Suppress Appetite Naturally
- Try drinking before a meal
- Some studies have shown that a decrease in water intake causes fat deposits to increase
Best Treatment for Water Retention
- The body perceives insufficient water as a threat to survival and holds onto every drop – resulting in swollen feet, legs and hands
- Give your body plenty of water so that stored water will be released
- Sodium – culprit, “wherever salt goes water follows” so, drink more water – water forced through the kidneys takes away excess sodium
Overweight / Larger People Need More Water
- Water is key to fat metabolism, also, metabolized fat must be shed
- Mayo clinic – body weight in pounds divided in half, convert into ounces, divided by 8 to determine cups needed
Weather / Exercise
- Increase in hot weather (especially dry heat)
- Drink before, during and after exercise – 1 cup within ½ hour, 4-8 ounces every 20 minutes, 1 cup following. Weigh before and after exercise Replace every pound lost with 20 ounces
- Cold water absorbed faster than warm
Constipation
Having difficulty drinking the 8 cups of water that is recommended daily for most people? Plan! Plan! Plan!
- Flavor it
- Have it with every meal
- Carry bottled water (drink on your way to work and on your way home) DRINK UP!
Building Your Self-Esteem
Posted by: | CommentsWhile many people lose weight in order to improve their health and live more active lives, just as many of us are motivated by hopes of improving their self image. People who are overweight, even those working steadily toward their weight loss goals, can be burdened by negative messages from others or from themselves. There is nothing wrong with us trying to look our best, yet it is important for us to learn to appreciate ourselves in our current shape.
As you continue on your weight loss journey, don’t miss opportunities to learn about yourself and build up your self-esteem.
- Focus on the positive. Significant weight loss won’t happen overnight, so don’t put yourself down if you don’t see results as quickly as you like. Instead, emphasize the small victories you experience along the way. Losing weight takes effort and discipline, and you should feel proud of the hard work you have been putting forth.
- Don’t be afraid to have fun while exercising. While working out is an integral part of losing weight, it can also serve as a chance to discover new activities you enjoy.
- Don’t compare yourself to media images. Concentrate on your own unique qualities rather than the perceptions delivered through magazines, movies and television.
- Surround yourself with supportive voices. Seek advice and encouragement from those who are close to you. It can be especially helpful to find friends who are working to lose weight as well.
Self-esteem and Weight Loss
Posted by: | Comments
Most people wouldn’t think so but good self-esteem leads to more success with weight loss.
Judgments that people make about their worth is what is called “self-esteem.”
Characteristics of High and Low Self-esteem
People with high self-esteem believe they are worthwhile regardless of anything else including their looks and their actions. They accept themselves unconditionally as they are – understanding that they are fallible humans. While they may judge their behaviors, their worth as people does not change based on their behaviors, achievements, or lack thereof. For example, someone may be disappointed in her performance on a test but not go so far as judgingherself as inadequate based on this performance. They may wish they were more attractive in some way but not judge themselves as worthless because of it.
On the other hand, people with low self-esteem continually base their self-worth on the external such as how they look, what they do, how much money they have, or what they weigh. People with low self-esteem do not feel good about themselves unless they perceive themselves as having earned something such as having gotten to a desired weight or size. As one might imagine, the person with low self-esteem rides a roller coaster of self-worth – going up and down continually based on their judgment of their behavior.
How Self-esteem Can Interfere with or Facilitate Weight Loss
With respect to weight loss and fitness, self-esteem can mean the difference between success and failure. Why would the way a person judges himself interfere with successful weight management? Here are some reasons:
Read full Article at Suite101.com.
Self-Discovery and Self-Acceptance
Posted by: | Comments
Painful emotions can prevent us from being successful with our weight loss attempts. Understanding those emotions and working through them can transform our lives in many ways but we have to be willing to learn and improve ourselves. A gentleman called Jim Rohn stated, “I used to say, ‘I sure hope things will change’. Then I learned that the only way things are going to change for me is when I change”. We should all think of ourselves as a work in progress. If whatever you are doing isn’t working for you then you must be flexible enough to change your plan of action.
Christopher Westera has written a wonderful article called “The Eight Emotional Transformation Recipe”. He suggests that by following his 8 steps you will have greater clarity and an increase in consciousness that will help you to let go of painful emotions and give you the spirit of openness and acceptance:
- Accept full responsibility for the emotion even if you don’t fully believe it right now you need to tell yourself, “I create my reality, and I am creating this emotion right now”.
- Name the emotion by positively identifying feelings such as disappointment, shame, anxiety etc. This will increase your awareness, clarity and consciousness.
- Let go of the story – The story is whatever is outside yourself that caused the emotion.
- Bless the emotion by accepting it as a necessary learning step in order to move on to the next step.
- Feel the emotion physically in your body without judging or resistance. Christopher Westera states that what you resist persists and that you need to become a kind of observer of your own processes.
- Ask for clarity - In order to grow you need to ask yourself, “What do I need to learn from this emotion” and “What effective belief do I own that created this emotion?”
- Identify the belief – At the root of nearly every painful emotion there is an ineffective belief. For example, you may believe that you must make everyone happy, or that you can’t be loved if you are not perfect or you believe that you are simply not worth it.
- Replace the belief – Replace the belief with a more effective belief by telling yourself that you choose to reject the ineffective belief and that you are replacing it with an empowering belief.
By following theses 8 steps, changes will occur that will lead you to self-acceptance and in turn greater success in your weight loss efforts.
George Eliot has a wonderful quote that states, “It is never too late to be what you might have been”.
Frittata Recipe
Posted by: | CommentsMini Frittatas: This is not only an impressive dish, but so easy you’ll make them regardless if you low-carb or not. Best of all, you can eat these straight off the pan or at room temperature. I make them when having guests over for brunch, but you can easily pop the leftovers in the freezer and reheat, since the recipe makes about 40. There are about 4g of carbohydrates per mini-frittata, depending on your ingredients.
Mini Fritattas
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 8 large eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces thinly sliced ham, chopped
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Spray 2 mini muffin tins (each with 24 cups) with nonstick spray. Whisk the eggs, milk, pepper, and salt in a large bowl to blend well. Stir in the ham, cheese, and parsley. Fill the muffin cups almost to the top with the egg mixture. Bake until the egg mixture puffs and is just set in the center, about 8 to 10 minutes. using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittatas from the muffin cups and slide the frittatas onto a platter. Serve immediately.
4g carb, 12 grams of protein, 120 calories
The Key to Weight Loss Success
Posted by: | CommentsFinally– here it is. You have been waiting to hear these words for years…or at least as long the zipper on your skinny jeans hasn’t budged. The key to weight loss success! It’s not a shake, a supplement, or an exercise gizmo. You have it already, right at your finger tips. 
“I feel the most important action one can take when trying to lose weight is to keep a food diary,” says SparkPeople dietitian Becky Hand. “Yes, it takes time to write down everything consumed during the day, but this in itself can curtail overeating and be vital for self-assessment and monitoring. Today, it is easier than ever with computer-based tools such as SparkPeople’s free Food Tracker. A few clicks, and your results are known immediately!”
Studies show that people who keep food journals lose more weight and keep more of that weight off in the long run. The National Weight Control Registry–an ongoing research project tracking more than 3,000 people who’ve lost an average of 66 pounds and kept it off for five years–found that keeping a food journal is the one strategy used by the majority of successful dieters. In fact, in a study of 1,685 dieters conducted by a health insurance company, the best predictor of weight loss throughout the first year was the number of food records kept per week. Another recent study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that dieters who tracked their food intake in a “food diary” lost twice as much weight as those who didn’t track their food.
Article from Sparkpeople.com.
To learn more about how food journaling can help you on your weight loss journey, contact us! We’re here to help you reach your weight loss goals!
The Importance of Journaling
Posted by: | CommentsThe Importance of Journaling
- Simply put….a food journal will help you recognize why you eat the foods that you do and give you a means to analyze the nutrient content of your diet. Listing everything you eat helps you take a critical look at your eating habits.
- Don’t rely on memory: write down everything as you eat it. If that’s not possible, write down what you ate at end of the day otherwise, plan your day and write down everything ahead of time.
- Keep your journal for at least 3 days of the week: I recommend 2 week days and 1 weekend day. Weekends are difficult for some people. They will actually sabotage all of their week’s effort in those 2 days.
- Let’s talk about the success rate of keeping a journal…..people who keep a journal lose twice as much weight and did you know that 90% of people that journal have long term weight loss success?
Now, how do we keep a food journal?
Start by trying to record what you eat and drink each day:
- Start by writing down the day of the week.
- Document all the food you eat and its portion size. Be specific, some of us underestimate how much we’re really consuming. I hate to tell you this but every nibble counts, yes, that also means taste-testing as you’re cooking too!
- Write down the time and place you eat it. What were you doing while you were eating? Were you driving or sitting on the sofa watching TV?
- Write down your fluid intake and how you feel physically. Are you tired or energetic and do you notice a correlation between your energy level and food consumption? On a scale of 1-10 how hungry are you before you eat? Do you notice any association with your hunger level and food consumption?
- Document how you feel emotionally. Are you angry, sad, nervous, bored or excited? Some people eat more when they are upset and less when they are excited. At the end of each day, examine how your emotions affected your eating.
- Finally, document the amount and type of exercise or activity you perform. You will notice that the more you move the faster you lose.
- A journal is a great record of successful days and weeks. Use your journal as a reference tool and copy successful days when you find yourself “slipping”.
- Be honest. Remember, it’s a journal not a newsletter.
Attend one of our Support Group meetings today to share ideas and learn more about tips for success. Click here for more information.
Dr. Clark’s “Jump Start” Program Helps You Begin Your Journey to Weight Loss
Posted by: | CommentsMost people who are overweight have a genuine desire to shed pounds; however, beginning the process of weight loss can be intimidating. Working out can initially be difficult for some who carry excess weight, and switching from old eating habits to leaner meal plans is often very time consuming. Fortunately, Dr. Thomas Clark, director of the Center for Metabolic Health (CMH), has developed a program specifically for those wishing to start down the path toward long-term weight loss.
Dr. Clark’s “Jump Start” Program is designed to help you lose 8 to 25 pounds in just two weeks. This quick and safe weight loss will prepare and motivate you to proceed to a more in-depth health and fitness plan. Exercise is more manageable with the extra weight gone, and the “Jump Start” diet is a convenient way to introduce your body to better nutrition.
The “Jump Start” diet consists of Weight and Inches shakes, great tasting meal replacement shakes that are taken daily. These shakes supply your body with casein protein, which breaks down slowly and leaves you full, reducing temptation toward snacking. Because the shakes are high in protein and low in carbohydrates, they help your body lose weight while preserving muscle. This plan is also helpful for those wishing to break through a weight loss plateau, detoxify their bodies or undergo an elimination diet to sort out food allergies.
When you order the “Jump Start” program, you receive the “Jump Start” diet plan, two weeks of weight replacement shakes, a CMH journal to track your progress and Dr. Clark’s “The Basics” of Your Optimal Eating Plan chapter from “CMH Weight Management University.” You can also order the Enhanced “Jump Start” Program, which includes all of the above plus complete multi-vitamin, essential fatty-acid, activated B-complex and magnesium/potassium supplements. To order or to learn more please visit cmhva.com today.
Foods to Fight Diabetes
Posted by: | CommentsDiabetes is on the rise. The Centers for Disease control in the US predicts that an American born in 2000 has a one in three chance of becoming diabetic.
The food you eat plays a crucial role in your health. Certain foods can even help in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. In diabetes, the cells of the body cannot get the sugar they need. Glucose, a simple sugar, is the body’s main fuel. It is present in the blood even if you don’t eat any sugary foods, because the foods we eat are broken down into glucose. A hormone called insulin signals the body’s cells to let glucose in. In people with diabetes, glucose cannot get into the cells where it is needed.
People with type 1 diabetes do not have enough insulin to signal the cells to let in glucose, so it builds up in the blood stream. People with type 2 diabetes or who are at high risk for diabetes are said to be insulin resistant, meaning that while there is enough insulin present, the cells aren’t paying very close attention to the signal. Being above one’s healthy weight and choosing a fatty diet increase the likelihood of insulin resistance. Both types of diabetes are reaching epidemic proportions: An average American born in 2000 has a one in three chance of developing diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Low-fat, fiber-rich diets built from legumes, vegetables, whole grains, and fruits help individuals avoid diabetes and control blood sugar levels. Such diets can also prevent complications in people who already have diabetes.
To read more of this article, click here. To find out more about weight loss and it’s healthful benefits to you, contact us today!
Diabetes and Weight Loss: Finding the Right Path
Posted by: | Comments
There’s no question about it: If you’re overweight and have type 2 diabetes, dropping pounds lowers your blood sugar, improves your health, and helps you feel better
But before you start a diabetes weight loss plan, it’s important to work closely with your doctor or diabetes educator – because while you’re dieting, your blood sugar, insulin, and medications need special attention.
Make no mistake — you’re on the right path. “No matter how heavy you are, you will significantly lower your blood sugar if you lose some weight,” says Cathy Nonas, MS, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and a professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
A National Institutes of Health study found that a combination of diet and exercise cuts the risk of developing diabetes by 58%. The study involved people who were overweight (average body mass index of 34) and who had high — but not yet diabetic — blood sugar levels.
“We know it’s true — that if someone with diabetes loses 5% to 10% of their weight, they will significantly reduce their blood sugar,” Nonas tells WebMD.
“We see it all the time: people can get off their insulin and their medication,” she says. “It’s wonderful. It shows you how interwoven obesity and diabetes are.”
Even losing 10 or 15 pounds has health benefits, says the American Diabetes Association. It can:
- Lower blood sugar
- Reduce blood pressure
- Improve cholesterol levels
- Lighten the stress on hips, knees, ankles, and feet
Plus, you’ll probably have more energy, get around easier, and breathe easier.
Copyright © 2010; By Jeanie Lerche Davis, WebMD Feature. Click here to read the full story.
Gain the knowledge to lose the weight! Contact us today to find out more about how we can help you.
