Once you have made up your mind to lose weight, you should make that commitment and go into it with a positive attitude. We all know that losing weight can be quite a challenge. In fact, for some, it can be downright tough. It takes time, practice and support to change lifetime habits. But it's a process you must learn in order to succeed. You and you alone are the one who has the power to lose unwanted pounds.
Think like a winner, and not a loser - - remember that emotions are like muscles and the ones you use most grow the strongest. If you always look at the negative side of things, you'll become a downbeat, pessimistic person. Even slightly negative thoughts have a greater impact on you and last longer than powerful positive thoughts.
Negative thinking doesn't do you any good, it just holds you back from accomplishing the things you want to do. When a negative thought creeps into your mind, replace it reminding yourself that you're somebody, you have self-worth and you possess unique strengths and talents.
Contemplate what lies ahead of you. Losing weight is not just about diets. It's about a whole new you and the possibility of creating a new life for yourself. Investigate the weight loss programs that appeal to you and that you feel will teach you the behavioral skills you need to stick with throughout the weight-loss process. First you should look for support among family and friends.
It can be an enormous help to discuss obstacles and share skills and tactics with others on the same path. You might look for this support from others you know who are in weight loss programs and you can seek guidance from someone you know who has lost weight and kept it off.
There are success stories across the country today. On television and in newspapers, magazines and tabloids about people who have miraculously lost untold pounds and kept it off. In all instances they say their mental attitude as well as their outlook on life has totally changed.
Diets and weight loss programs are more flexible now than they once were and there are many prepared foods already portioned out. They are made attractive and can be prepared in a matter of minutes. Low-fat and low-calorie foods are on shelves everywhere.
You will probably need to learn new, wiser eating skills. You will want a weight loss regimen that gives you some control, rather than imposing one rigid system. Look for one that offers a variety of different eating plans, so you can choose the one that's best for you.
Keep in mind, too, that your weight loss program will most likely include some physical exercises. Look at the exercising aspect of your program as fun and recreation and not as a form of grueling and sweaty work. The fact is that physical fitness is linked inseparable to all personal effectiveness in every field.
Anyone willing to take the few simple steps that lie between them and fitness will shortly begin to feel better, and the improvement will reflect itself in every facet of their existence.
Doctors now say that walking is one of the best exercises. It helps the total circulation of blood throughout the body, and thus has a direct effect on your overall feeling of health.
There are things such as aerobics, jogging, swimming and many other exercises which will benefit a weight loss program. Discuss the options with your doctor and take his advice in planning your exercise and weight loss program.
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Friday, 17 February 2012
Healthy Weight Loss & Dieting Tips
How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off
In our eat-and-run, massive-portion-sized culture, maintaining a healthy weight can be tough—and losing weight, even tougher. Adding to the difficulty is the abundance of fad diets and “quick-fix” plans that tempt and confuse us, and ultimately fail. If you’ve tried and failed to lose weight before, you may believe that it’s just too difficult or that diets don’t work for you. And in one sense, you may be right: traditional diets don’t work—at least not in the long term.
But there are plenty of small but powerful changes you can make that will help you to achieve lasting weight loss success. The key is to create a plan that provides plenty of enjoyable choices, avoid common dieting pitfalls, and learn how to develop a healthier, more satisfying relationship with food.
The key to successful, healthy weight loss
Your weight is a balancing act, but the equation is simple: If you eat more calories than you burn then you gain weight. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight.
Since 3,500 calories equals about 1 pound of fat, if you cut 500 calories from your typical diet each day, you'll lose approximately 1 pound a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories). Simple, right? So why is weight loss so hard?
All too often, we make weight loss much more difficult than it needs to be with extreme diets that leave us cranky and starving, unhealthy lifestyle choices that undermine our dieting efforts, and emotional eating habits that stop us before we get started. But there’s a better way! You can lose weight without feeling miserable. By making smart choices every day, you can develop new eating habits and preferences that will leave you feeling satisfied—as well as winning the battle of the bulge.
Not all body fat is the same Where you carry your fat matters. The health risks are greater if you tend to carry your weight around your abdomen, as opposed to your hips and thighs. A lot of belly fat is stored deep below the skin surrounding the abdominal organs and liver, and is closely linked to insulin resistance and diabetes.
Getting started with healthy weight loss. While there is no “one size fits all” solution to permanent healthy weight loss, the following guidelines are a great place to start:
Think lifestyle change, not short-term diet. Permanent weight loss is not something that a “quick-fix” diet can achieve. Instead, think about weight loss as a permanent lifestyle change—a commitment to your health for life.
Various popular diets can help to jumpstart your weight loss, but permanent changes in your lifestyle and food choices are what will work in the long run.
Find a cheering section. Social support means a lot. Programs like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers use group support to impact weight loss and lifelong healthy eating. Seek out support—whether in the form of family, friends, or a support group—so that you can get the encouragement you need.
Slow and steady wins the race. Aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week to ensure healthy weight loss. Losing weight too fast can take a toll on your mind and body, making you feel sluggish, drained, and sick. When you drop a lot of weight quickly, you’re actually losing mostly water and muscle, rather than fat.
Set goals to keep you motivated. Short-term goals, like wanting to fit into a bikini for the summer, usually don’t work as well as goals like wanting to feel more confident or become healthier for your children’s sakes. When frustration and temptation strike, concentrate on the many benefits you will reap from being healthier and leaner.
Use tools that help you track your progress. Keep a food journal and weigh yourself regularly, keeping track of each pound you lose and inch of your waist lost. By keeping track of your weight loss efforts, you’ll see the results in black and white, which will help you stay motivated.
Keep in mind it may take some experimenting to find the right diet for your individual body. It’s important that you feel satisfied so that you can stick with it on a long-term basis. If one diet plan doesn’t work, then try another one. There are many ways to lose weight. The key is to find what works for you.
In our eat-and-run, massive-portion-sized culture, maintaining a healthy weight can be tough—and losing weight, even tougher. Adding to the difficulty is the abundance of fad diets and “quick-fix” plans that tempt and confuse us, and ultimately fail. If you’ve tried and failed to lose weight before, you may believe that it’s just too difficult or that diets don’t work for you. And in one sense, you may be right: traditional diets don’t work—at least not in the long term.
But there are plenty of small but powerful changes you can make that will help you to achieve lasting weight loss success. The key is to create a plan that provides plenty of enjoyable choices, avoid common dieting pitfalls, and learn how to develop a healthier, more satisfying relationship with food.
The key to successful, healthy weight loss
Your weight is a balancing act, but the equation is simple: If you eat more calories than you burn then you gain weight. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight.
Since 3,500 calories equals about 1 pound of fat, if you cut 500 calories from your typical diet each day, you'll lose approximately 1 pound a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories). Simple, right? So why is weight loss so hard?
All too often, we make weight loss much more difficult than it needs to be with extreme diets that leave us cranky and starving, unhealthy lifestyle choices that undermine our dieting efforts, and emotional eating habits that stop us before we get started. But there’s a better way! You can lose weight without feeling miserable. By making smart choices every day, you can develop new eating habits and preferences that will leave you feeling satisfied—as well as winning the battle of the bulge.
Not all body fat is the same Where you carry your fat matters. The health risks are greater if you tend to carry your weight around your abdomen, as opposed to your hips and thighs. A lot of belly fat is stored deep below the skin surrounding the abdominal organs and liver, and is closely linked to insulin resistance and diabetes.
Getting started with healthy weight loss. While there is no “one size fits all” solution to permanent healthy weight loss, the following guidelines are a great place to start:
Think lifestyle change, not short-term diet. Permanent weight loss is not something that a “quick-fix” diet can achieve. Instead, think about weight loss as a permanent lifestyle change—a commitment to your health for life.
Various popular diets can help to jumpstart your weight loss, but permanent changes in your lifestyle and food choices are what will work in the long run.
Find a cheering section. Social support means a lot. Programs like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers use group support to impact weight loss and lifelong healthy eating. Seek out support—whether in the form of family, friends, or a support group—so that you can get the encouragement you need.
Slow and steady wins the race. Aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week to ensure healthy weight loss. Losing weight too fast can take a toll on your mind and body, making you feel sluggish, drained, and sick. When you drop a lot of weight quickly, you’re actually losing mostly water and muscle, rather than fat.
Set goals to keep you motivated. Short-term goals, like wanting to fit into a bikini for the summer, usually don’t work as well as goals like wanting to feel more confident or become healthier for your children’s sakes. When frustration and temptation strike, concentrate on the many benefits you will reap from being healthier and leaner.
Use tools that help you track your progress. Keep a food journal and weigh yourself regularly, keeping track of each pound you lose and inch of your waist lost. By keeping track of your weight loss efforts, you’ll see the results in black and white, which will help you stay motivated.
Keep in mind it may take some experimenting to find the right diet for your individual body. It’s important that you feel satisfied so that you can stick with it on a long-term basis. If one diet plan doesn’t work, then try another one. There are many ways to lose weight. The key is to find what works for you.
Friday, 10 February 2012
Weight Loss Motivation
Motivation for weight loss will snowball once you see the effectsLosing weight is by no means the easiest of tasks so it's important to get and keep yourself motivated. Being in the right frame of mind can be one of the most important factors in weight loss.
Keep yourself focused on reaching your target but keep your targets realistic. Putting on weight is only a disaster if it causes you to give up.
Conversely, if you have a particularly good period of weight loss, don’t put too much pressure to meet or beat the same targets over the next period.
Benefits of losing weight
Focus on how the weight loss will be beneficial to you.
You may find visualising how you will look in smaller clothes helps.
Focus on the health benefits. You'll have more energy and blood glucose levels will be better too.
You’ll feel more confident and able to look forward to holidays and special occasions.
Hints to help you through the weight loss
Keep your targets small and realistic
Review your progress on a monthly basis rather than a weekly basis
Get a trusted behind you to help motivate you during the harder times
Make a conscious effort to focus on the positives
Make a record of your progress, this might be online or you could make a photo diary
Keep yourself focused on reaching your target but keep your targets realistic. Putting on weight is only a disaster if it causes you to give up.
Conversely, if you have a particularly good period of weight loss, don’t put too much pressure to meet or beat the same targets over the next period.
Benefits of losing weight
Focus on how the weight loss will be beneficial to you.
You may find visualising how you will look in smaller clothes helps.
Focus on the health benefits. You'll have more energy and blood glucose levels will be better too.
You’ll feel more confident and able to look forward to holidays and special occasions.
Hints to help you through the weight loss
Keep your targets small and realistic
Review your progress on a monthly basis rather than a weekly basis
Get a trusted behind you to help motivate you during the harder times
Make a conscious effort to focus on the positives
Make a record of your progress, this might be online or you could make a photo diary
Friday, 3 February 2012
Top Ten Weight Loss Tips
Weight Loss Resources members share the secrets of their success in our Top Ten Tips list. The list represents important ideas that come up time after time when members tell us about their weight loss success.
1.Don't cut out all the food you enjoy. I like the occasional takeaway, but now I save up calories to have one or earn it. If I restricted myself to just fruit and veg I'd give up very quickly. I also found that I could still eat my favourite foods if I 'tweak' them a bit: low fat cheese, low fat spread instead of butter, light mozzarella etc. Also the best thing I did was get olive oil spray! Sara
2.Write everything down. Even (or especially) on bad/splurge days. It’s only if you write things down that you know what you are doing. I’m not saying don’t have the Peking Duck. I am saying, at least know what having the Peking Duck means. Rachael
3.I find sticking a wedding invitation or holiday photograph of destinations I want to visit in a prominent place in the kitchen. This is a bit more subtle than a fat photograph of yourself and reminds you when you are tempted. Laura
4.Use scales in the kitchen - it's amazing how easy it is to deceive oneself! Mary
5.I think it is a good idea to buy some new clothes when you are down a size or two. That way, you are reminded of what you have achieved and not to go back to old sizes. Chuck out the old stuff or give it away. Steve
6.Life is too short so build in treats! Ok my weight loss is nice and slow but I don’t feel like I am on a diet or that I am depriving myself of anything (including chocolate and cheese. Lol!!!) Daniela
7.Be honest with yourself. Ok, if you go over the required cals, but keep a record, it's the average calorie intake that matters. Colin
8.It is not rocket science, but I am convinced that exercising is the key to success with sustained weight loss. I try to vary my routine, including the cross trainer and walking regularly, and cycling and swimming occasionally. Rob
9.Always measure alcohol consumed at home carefully, as it is easy to fool yourself. Maureen
10.Don’t ever give up! You are going to get bad days/weeks; it happens! Just get straight back on it and limit the damage. Joanna
11.Bonus Tip - my only tip really is to join up for the WLR 24 hour free trial and see for yourself. Everyone seems to adapt the site to their needs and if it works for me (never had much willpower and exercise was a bad word) then it has to be worth a try for everyone trying to lose either a few or a lot of kilos. Sarah
1.Don't cut out all the food you enjoy. I like the occasional takeaway, but now I save up calories to have one or earn it. If I restricted myself to just fruit and veg I'd give up very quickly. I also found that I could still eat my favourite foods if I 'tweak' them a bit: low fat cheese, low fat spread instead of butter, light mozzarella etc. Also the best thing I did was get olive oil spray! Sara
2.Write everything down. Even (or especially) on bad/splurge days. It’s only if you write things down that you know what you are doing. I’m not saying don’t have the Peking Duck. I am saying, at least know what having the Peking Duck means. Rachael
3.I find sticking a wedding invitation or holiday photograph of destinations I want to visit in a prominent place in the kitchen. This is a bit more subtle than a fat photograph of yourself and reminds you when you are tempted. Laura
4.Use scales in the kitchen - it's amazing how easy it is to deceive oneself! Mary
5.I think it is a good idea to buy some new clothes when you are down a size or two. That way, you are reminded of what you have achieved and not to go back to old sizes. Chuck out the old stuff or give it away. Steve
6.Life is too short so build in treats! Ok my weight loss is nice and slow but I don’t feel like I am on a diet or that I am depriving myself of anything (including chocolate and cheese. Lol!!!) Daniela
7.Be honest with yourself. Ok, if you go over the required cals, but keep a record, it's the average calorie intake that matters. Colin
8.It is not rocket science, but I am convinced that exercising is the key to success with sustained weight loss. I try to vary my routine, including the cross trainer and walking regularly, and cycling and swimming occasionally. Rob
9.Always measure alcohol consumed at home carefully, as it is easy to fool yourself. Maureen
10.Don’t ever give up! You are going to get bad days/weeks; it happens! Just get straight back on it and limit the damage. Joanna
11.Bonus Tip - my only tip really is to join up for the WLR 24 hour free trial and see for yourself. Everyone seems to adapt the site to their needs and if it works for me (never had much willpower and exercise was a bad word) then it has to be worth a try for everyone trying to lose either a few or a lot of kilos. Sarah
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