By Patrick King
If you are overweight, you have a lot of energy stored within your body. This is because fat comprises of maximum number of chemical bonds, and these chemical bonds store chemical energy in them. If you want to lose weight, you'll have to find some ways to utilize this stored energy in a productive manner.
Burn more calories
You will lose weight if you burn more calories than what you take in. So you should either eat lesser calories, or work out more. I suggest you to do both.
Watch what you eat
It is not the quantity of food that increases your weight, but the type of food that you consume. For example, if you eat raw food, even in a large quantity, you won't get fat. So you can eat all kinds of fruits, salad, sprouts, and raw vegetables as much as you want. So, there is no need for you to remain hungry while trying to lose weight.
Go vegetarian
Even if you do not want to turn into a completely raw food vegetarian, you can still lose weight by becoming a regular vegetarian. Meat contains a lot of fat; so to lose weight, you'll have to lose the craving for meat.
Stay away from Sweet temptation
Skipping desserts is another good way to reduce weight. Whenever I need to lose some weight, I simply drop dessert. Doing so helps me to shed at least a pound in a week's time. Replace desserts with fruits or dry fruits at the end of the meal. This even results in a self limiting effect on appetite. Use molasses or honey in place of sweets. I can easily gobble up a whole box of chocolates, but cannot even think about eating half a cup of honey.
What did you say? You want to lose weight without even giving up dessert. Well, the good news is that even this is possible. What you should do is eat the dessert before the meal. If you do this, you will end up eating less during the meal.
Practice Yoga
According to me, the best form of exercise is Yoga stretches. They are easy to follow and totally inexpensive. You will easily be able to find a beginner's class in your respective schools or colleges.
Walk
You and I both know that walking is the greatest exercise, but we tend to forget it in our day to day life. So go easy on that gas pedal and walk to the mall now onwards.
Do not be in a hurry; lose weight slowly and steadily. Crash diets often have an adverse effect and you gain back the weight faster than you had shed it. Even if you lose one pound per week, it means that you will lose over 50 pounds in an year.
Losing weight is just a matter of being determining to lose weight, knowing the right way to go about it, and following it through. I have seen many people shedding up to 70 pounds by following these simply steps. You will not only become slimmer, but the side benefits are wonderful too. You will have more energy, feel better about yourself, and lead a much longer and healthier life.
Pat King is a Nationally Renowned Health & Fitness Guru and Creator of http://www.fitnesslifeclub.com/ He has worked in the Health & Fitness field for 12 years and has dedicated his life to spreading the importance of living a conscious healthy life. You can learn more about Pat at http://www.FitnessLifeClub.com/pat-king Last year Pat started his own Health & Fitness training and developing company. Pat teaches seminars in several states which include Professional Development & Leadership trainings for Fitness Professionals and Health Empowerment seminars for corporations and the general public. Pat's passion for Health & Fitness proves true in the TRULY TRANSFORMATIONAL seminars that he teaches. Pat hopes to release the first of a series of books in 2008 which are what he says to be the answer to the Health Crisis in America. Pat believes that he holds the secrets that will change the way people view there health and how it effects others. Have a Health & Fitness Question? Ask Pat at http://www.askpatking.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patrick_King
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Weight Loss - It's in Your Head
By Helene Haber
When you truly consider the weight-loss process, the battle waged is mostly in your mind. “Should I eat the corn muffin with butter or would it be better for me to have margarine or better yet, have jelly? What am I doing eating this muffin anyway? It’s so caloric and filled with saturated fat. I’m such a pig. I have absolutely zero willpower.” It’s no wonder you’ll eat that muffin with the butter and slather jelly on top to quiet that negative self-talk.
What you need more than a diet is a way to shift those negative self-defeating thoughts to more adaptive, positive self-statements. As with most things worth doing, this requires a bit of practice. First, become aware when you’re using a negative statement, then determine what about that thought is faulty and finally, replace it with a self-defense response or coping thought. In the corn muffin example, instead of listening to “I’m such a pig” which clearly mislabels who you are, respond with “Pigs are animals and I am human. I don’t have to be perfect.”
Many people cannot change their eating habits until they change their thoughts about food, eating and drinking. By shedding “distorted” thoughts and replacing them with productive ones, eating habits can be changed. It is possible to rid yourself from many self-critical thoughts, but like any ingrained habit, it takes vigor and vigilance to change. Here are some other thinking distortions to challenge:
Shoulds. Should statements are more about other people’s values, not ones chosen by the person who wants to lose weight. Additionally, should statements reflect an attempt by the dieter to motivate herself without really believing in the value. Better to determine what works for you. “I will eat up to two Hershey kisses daily and thoroughly enjoy them.”
All-or-Nothing. This kind of reasoning is the foundation for perfectionism. An all-or-nothing individual views the world as black or white. Since there is no allowance for gray areas, the behavior is either perfect or a failure. “I’ve ruined my diet by eating all that pizza. I can’t stay on a diet and I’ll just always be fat.” Maybe the problem does not arise from the behavior… maybe the problem is with the diet that does not allow for pizza. “I do not want to give pizza up for the rest of my life, so what I need is a way to include pizza in my diet without feeling like a failure. Let me try having a salad (dressing on the side) before the pizza to take the edge off my hunger.”
Good Foods/ Bad Foods. If the truth be told, foods do not misbehave. Foods are not good or bad. While it is true that some foods have more nutrients or are more fiber-dense than others, all foods can be enjoyed. How we think about food colors what we eat and how much we eat. If a food is labeled as bad (such as fries), then for many individuals that food is taboo. When one eventually succumbs to eating the forbidden, French fries, bingeing may result. Rather than continue with dichotomous thinking of good food/bad food, shift to allow space for all foods you like without judgement. Instead of “I ate those fries which are so bad for me” to “I really enjoyed that small portion of fries. They really satisfied me.”
Body Distortions. Rather than dwelling on how fat or thin you think your body is, it is extremely helpful to view your body in terms of what it can do for you. For example, when you look in the mirror, instead of zooming in on your stomach which “looks five months pregnant, although your last baby was nine years ago” tell yourself “my body has given life” or “my body enables me to go where I want to and allows me to have fun.”
The conversations that are going on inside your head cannot be stopped. However, what you can do is to be aware of negative self-talk and understand that it has little to do with actual reality. When you believe this, you can respond to the critical voice with a more objective, coping thought.
Although negative thoughts may not be stopped entirely, they can be quieted by listening to your compassionate, caring voice. In much the same way you would sympathize and listen to a close friend, listen to yourself. Be your own best friend and chances are you’ll have greater weight loss success.
Helene Haber
Holistic Nutrition Coach
Helene Haber, HHC is a board certified health counselor. She designs personalized wellness solutions for women of all ages looking to enhance their lives, get their bodies back in shape and their health back on track. Email: TopCatHelene@aol.com.
http://www.integrativenutrition.com/graduates/HHaber.aspx
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Helene_Haber
When you truly consider the weight-loss process, the battle waged is mostly in your mind. “Should I eat the corn muffin with butter or would it be better for me to have margarine or better yet, have jelly? What am I doing eating this muffin anyway? It’s so caloric and filled with saturated fat. I’m such a pig. I have absolutely zero willpower.” It’s no wonder you’ll eat that muffin with the butter and slather jelly on top to quiet that negative self-talk.
What you need more than a diet is a way to shift those negative self-defeating thoughts to more adaptive, positive self-statements. As with most things worth doing, this requires a bit of practice. First, become aware when you’re using a negative statement, then determine what about that thought is faulty and finally, replace it with a self-defense response or coping thought. In the corn muffin example, instead of listening to “I’m such a pig” which clearly mislabels who you are, respond with “Pigs are animals and I am human. I don’t have to be perfect.”
Many people cannot change their eating habits until they change their thoughts about food, eating and drinking. By shedding “distorted” thoughts and replacing them with productive ones, eating habits can be changed. It is possible to rid yourself from many self-critical thoughts, but like any ingrained habit, it takes vigor and vigilance to change. Here are some other thinking distortions to challenge:
Shoulds. Should statements are more about other people’s values, not ones chosen by the person who wants to lose weight. Additionally, should statements reflect an attempt by the dieter to motivate herself without really believing in the value. Better to determine what works for you. “I will eat up to two Hershey kisses daily and thoroughly enjoy them.”
All-or-Nothing. This kind of reasoning is the foundation for perfectionism. An all-or-nothing individual views the world as black or white. Since there is no allowance for gray areas, the behavior is either perfect or a failure. “I’ve ruined my diet by eating all that pizza. I can’t stay on a diet and I’ll just always be fat.” Maybe the problem does not arise from the behavior… maybe the problem is with the diet that does not allow for pizza. “I do not want to give pizza up for the rest of my life, so what I need is a way to include pizza in my diet without feeling like a failure. Let me try having a salad (dressing on the side) before the pizza to take the edge off my hunger.”
Good Foods/ Bad Foods. If the truth be told, foods do not misbehave. Foods are not good or bad. While it is true that some foods have more nutrients or are more fiber-dense than others, all foods can be enjoyed. How we think about food colors what we eat and how much we eat. If a food is labeled as bad (such as fries), then for many individuals that food is taboo. When one eventually succumbs to eating the forbidden, French fries, bingeing may result. Rather than continue with dichotomous thinking of good food/bad food, shift to allow space for all foods you like without judgement. Instead of “I ate those fries which are so bad for me” to “I really enjoyed that small portion of fries. They really satisfied me.”
Body Distortions. Rather than dwelling on how fat or thin you think your body is, it is extremely helpful to view your body in terms of what it can do for you. For example, when you look in the mirror, instead of zooming in on your stomach which “looks five months pregnant, although your last baby was nine years ago” tell yourself “my body has given life” or “my body enables me to go where I want to and allows me to have fun.”
The conversations that are going on inside your head cannot be stopped. However, what you can do is to be aware of negative self-talk and understand that it has little to do with actual reality. When you believe this, you can respond to the critical voice with a more objective, coping thought.
Although negative thoughts may not be stopped entirely, they can be quieted by listening to your compassionate, caring voice. In much the same way you would sympathize and listen to a close friend, listen to yourself. Be your own best friend and chances are you’ll have greater weight loss success.
Helene Haber
Holistic Nutrition Coach
Helene Haber, HHC is a board certified health counselor. She designs personalized wellness solutions for women of all ages looking to enhance their lives, get their bodies back in shape and their health back on track. Email: TopCatHelene@aol.com.
http://www.integrativenutrition.com/graduates/HHaber.aspx
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Helene_Haber
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