Sunday, January 15, 2012
Saturday, July 23, 2011
What Motivates You?
My Dear Losers,
I have been a little absent this season, letting several awesome teammates take over a lot of the motivating speeches and helpful hints. I've learned a lot from you. Thank you so much!
I'd like to ask you a question as we are winding down this season. What motivates you?
I found that, when I began trying to lose weight, I never found anything I would stick with, that really worked, until my friend started a Biggest Loser competition. It was the first thing that worked for me, and I was so happy to finally go from being uncomfortably overweight to being thin and fit!
But as I've continued coaching, trying to help other people do what I did, I've seen varying levels of results. Not everyone has the same awesome results I had, and, what's worse, I am not having the same results I had in the past. So obviously the solution isn't just to join a Biggest Loser group. So what is?
I think the answer here is motivation. For some, the competition is motivation enough. The knowledge that others will see our weights every week, the drive to be the first on the list, the "eye on the prize" money--for some, that's enough motivation to make you work hard every day to keep the rules, say no to temptation, get up early and go to bed early, and work!
But that's not enough for others. After a few months of posting my weights on a spreadsheet, I am no longer bothered by being in the middle or near the bottom. The drive to be at the top is gone, as is the embarrassment if I go backward. I think several of us "old timers" are experiencing the same thing. There needs to be something new to motivate besides the chart or the prize money.
So what is it?
You'll have to find it on your own, I'm afraid.
I have realized that I had more motivation than just the chart to get my butt in gear at the beginning. My husband had challenged me to get down to my marriage weight before we had a baby. Every time I got pregnant, I had not reached that goal. We had had three children, and I was up 35 pounds from that goal. This time, I was determined that I would reach that goal before we had a baby. Every time I ran, I thought about holding my new little one, and it kept me going. I got excited to exercise or eat healthy, because it would bring me closer to my baby. Each bottle of water I drank was spurring me onward to my goal. It even motivated me to say no to desserts, white processed bread and rolls, and even homemade strawberry jam!
I realize this goal won't work for everyone. It won't really work for me this time, either, since I now have my sweet baby I worked hard for. I also have an extra 20 pounds. I need to find new motivation.
Whatever it is you find that motivates you, it has to be something you'd give nearly ANYTHING for. It has to be what you want THE MOST. It's the only way you will be able to see great results like those who have shone in these competitions. Here are some things other people have told me has worked for them.
Janelle--skinny pants. She took a picture of her favorite pair of skinny pants and hung it on her fridge, so she saw what she was working towards several times a day, especially every time she wanted a snack. And it worked! She lost almost 15% of her body fat in 12 weeks!
Lady Rachel--a wedding gown. She had awesome results last season because she was striving to fit into her wedding gown for a big event. And even after having several children, it worked!
For many, the goal may just be to have your thighs stop hitting each other when you walk. For others, the sight of your belly hanging over your pants may be enough to do it for you. For some, a high school reunion may be coming up, and you'd do ANYTHING to look good for the old crowd of friends. But whatever it is, it's got to be a DRIVE! It has to be something you REALLY want, enough to sacrifice for it!
A couple other tips:
If you find healthy food and exercise you enjoy, it really helps with reaching your goals. Even if you have the greatest drive in the world, if the process is drudgery, you probably won't get there.
Also, it REALLY helps to have a teammate. Someone that will run with you, yoga with you, call and invite you to aerobics or the gym or a 5K. It's ESPECIALLY helpful if it's also someone you eat with, like a spouse. I've noticed what a struggle it is to lose weight while being married to a thin man who loves creating decadent desserts. That's where the motivation comes in. You have to want it enough to say no to your spouse when he offers you a luscious slice of raspberry cheesecake.
Anyway, there's my two cents. I've told you the steps to take to lose weight--you can access them any time on my blog biggestloser-amy.blogspot.com --but now you know the real trick is to be highly motivated. If you have all the ingredients--a great diet and water plan, a great exercise routine, support from a spouse or teammate, and driving motivation--you can't lose!
Or, to put it another way, you'll "lose" big!
Amy
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Healthy Recipe: Cashew Chicken and Broccoli
"Healthified" Cashew Chicken and BroccoliFrom Betty Crocker
55% less sat fat • 52% less fat • 21% fewer calories than the original recipe. We cut the fat in this dish by using less cashews. Brown rice and veggies raise the fiber.
Prep Time: 30 min
Total Time: 30 min
Makes: 4 servings
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon finely chopped gingerroot
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 cup Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups Green Giant® frozen sugar snap peas (from 24-oz bag)
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
2 medium green onions, sliced (2 tablespoons)
3 cups hot cooked brown rice
1/4 cup salted roasted cashew halves and pieces
1. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and gingerroot; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken begins to brown.
2. Add broccoli, 1/2 cup of the broth and the pepper flakes. Cover; cook over medium heat 2 minutes, stirring once. Add peas; cook 2 to 4 minutes longer, stirring once, until vegetables are crisp-tender.
3. In small bowl, mix remaining 1/2 cup broth, the soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch and sugar; stir into chicken mixture. Add onions; cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Serve over rice; sprinkle with cashews.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.
Make the Most of This Recipe
What is "Heallthified"?
We've replaced ingredients with great-tasting alternatives to create better-for-you recipes that are just as yummy as the originals.
Success
If you choose to cook regular brown rice, be sure to start it before you begin stir-frying—it will take about 45 minutes to cook. The instant type takes only about 10 minutes.
Substitution
Frozen broccoli can be substituted for the fresh.
Time-Saver
Look for packages of pre-cut chicken for stir-fry in the meat department.
Nutrition Information:
1 Serving (1 cup chicken mixture and 3/4 cup rice): Calories 440 (Calories from Fat 100); Total Fat 11g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 70mg; Sodium 660mg; Total Carbohydrate 51g (Dietary Fiber 8g, Sugars 6g); Protein 35g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 15%; Vitamin C 40%; Calcium 8%; Iron 20% Exchanges: 2 1/2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 3 Vegetable; 3 Lean Meat Carbohydrate Choices: 3 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Healthy Recipe: Nutty Summer Squash with Asiago Cheese
from Trilea
Nutty Summer Squash with Asiago Cheese
2 tsp butter or trans-fat free margarine
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 medium zucchini, cut into 3" strips
1 medium yellow squash, cut into 3" spears
2 Tbsp chicken or vegetable broth
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 C chopped walnuts, toasted (I used almonds)
1/3 C (1 1/2 oz) shredded Asiago cheese (can substitute Parmesan or mozzarella)
Melt margarine or butter in skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or until soft. Add zucchini and squash, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for six minutes, or until zucchini and squash are tender. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle with the walnuts and cheese.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutty Summer Squash with Asiago Cheese
2 tsp butter or trans-fat free margarine
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 medium zucchini, cut into 3" strips
1 medium yellow squash, cut into 3" spears
2 Tbsp chicken or vegetable broth
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 C chopped walnuts, toasted (I used almonds)
1/3 C (1 1/2 oz) shredded Asiago cheese (can substitute Parmesan or mozzarella)
Melt margarine or butter in skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or until soft. Add zucchini and squash, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for six minutes, or until zucchini and squash are tender. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle with the walnuts and cheese.
Makes 4 servings.
Healthy Recipe: Savory Stuffed Zucchini
Trilea had some great healthy (or mostly healthy) recipes I wanted to share with the group.
Savory Stuffed Zucchini
Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
5 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
3 Tbsp. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spread
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375˚. Scoop out pulp from 8 zucchini halves; set aside. Arrange zucchini halves on baking sheet. Meanwhile, coarsely chop remaining zucchini and pulp.
Melt spread in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook chopped zucchini and onion, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.
Add red pepper, garlic and oregano. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute; cool slightly. Evenly spoon vegetable mixture into zucchini halves.
Top with cheese.
Bake 30 minutes or until tender.
Savory Stuffed Zucchini
Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
5 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
3 Tbsp. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spread
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375˚. Scoop out pulp from 8 zucchini halves; set aside. Arrange zucchini halves on baking sheet. Meanwhile, coarsely chop remaining zucchini and pulp.
Melt spread in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook chopped zucchini and onion, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.
Add red pepper, garlic and oregano. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute; cool slightly. Evenly spoon vegetable mixture into zucchini halves.
Top with cheese.
Bake 30 minutes or until tender.
Healthy Recipe: Raisin Bran Muffins
My sister gave me this recipe. I used it for breakfast every other day or so during the previous biggest loser seasons. It's also good for a mid-afternoon snack. They really stick with you and limit your hunger, plus they're full of fiber, and my kids all love them!
Refrigerator Muffin Mix
You may only want to do part of a recipe because it makes a whole lot. I probably make four dozen muffins out of this recipe.
(Weight Watchers: 1 ½ point per muffin)
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 ½ cup sugar
½ cup applesauce
¼ cup oil
1 qt buttermilk (or regular milk)
1 15oz pkg raisin bran cereal
5 c flour (I like to substitute some wheat flour in for some of the regular flour)
½ T salt
4 ½ tsp baking soda
Combine ingredients thoroughly. Store in container in fridge.
Pour out the amount needed in cupcake lined muffin tins and return remainder to fridge. Keeps about one month.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes
Keep Going!
Okay, here's the reason I had you read about stimulants and detoxification.
If dieting and eating healthy is new to you, your body will be trying to assimilate different habits. If you're suddenly trying to drink enough water after years of dehydration, your body will actually feel worse before it feels better. If your body is used to a sedentary lifestyle, and you go out for that first one-miler, you will probably come home winded and feeling like you're going to puke. (Believe me, I did!) If you start exercising and the sweat causes rashes on your skin, you may be tempted to quit. (This happened to me.) If you drink two cans of diet coke a day, and decide to stop because it's an unhealthy stimulant, you will crash and have major withdrawals. If you start eating five fruits and vegetables a day, or cut out refined sugars, you may feel sick and tired, even like you have the flu.
All these things are going to make you want to say, "I'm doing the right thing and I feel worse! It must not be the right thing to do. I'll go back to what I was doing before because I felt better."
DON'T DO IT!
Everyone knows that to break a drug or alcohol addiction, you must go through some withdrawal. The worse the addiction, the more painful the withdrawal will be. But is that a reason to tell that poor person who is addicted to drugs, "Well, the withdrawal doesn't feel good, so we must be doing it wrong. Go back to the drugs and see if you feel better." No.
It is my opinion that this is why many dieters quit early into their routine. They hit the detox phase, and it's uncomfortable, so they return to what they were doing before instead of plowing ahead to life without addictions and stimulants, to a healthy body with natural energy that works the way it should.
So my tip of the day is, keep going! Don't let that little wall stop you--the grass really IS greener on the other side. Yes, it's tough to change old habits, and there's definitely physical resistance as well as the mental inertia to fight. But fight! Keep going! Your body will eventually hit the stage where it has broken through all that--where it has cleansed, detoxed, reached the "breakthrough point," and it'll feel so good! The technical term for it in German is Körperdummanschlagenzeit, or "the time when your body stops being stupid."
That one was for you, Sherry :)
If dieting and eating healthy is new to you, your body will be trying to assimilate different habits. If you're suddenly trying to drink enough water after years of dehydration, your body will actually feel worse before it feels better. If your body is used to a sedentary lifestyle, and you go out for that first one-miler, you will probably come home winded and feeling like you're going to puke. (Believe me, I did!) If you start exercising and the sweat causes rashes on your skin, you may be tempted to quit. (This happened to me.) If you drink two cans of diet coke a day, and decide to stop because it's an unhealthy stimulant, you will crash and have major withdrawals. If you start eating five fruits and vegetables a day, or cut out refined sugars, you may feel sick and tired, even like you have the flu.
All these things are going to make you want to say, "I'm doing the right thing and I feel worse! It must not be the right thing to do. I'll go back to what I was doing before because I felt better."
DON'T DO IT!
Everyone knows that to break a drug or alcohol addiction, you must go through some withdrawal. The worse the addiction, the more painful the withdrawal will be. But is that a reason to tell that poor person who is addicted to drugs, "Well, the withdrawal doesn't feel good, so we must be doing it wrong. Go back to the drugs and see if you feel better." No.
It is my opinion that this is why many dieters quit early into their routine. They hit the detox phase, and it's uncomfortable, so they return to what they were doing before instead of plowing ahead to life without addictions and stimulants, to a healthy body with natural energy that works the way it should.
So my tip of the day is, keep going! Don't let that little wall stop you--the grass really IS greener on the other side. Yes, it's tough to change old habits, and there's definitely physical resistance as well as the mental inertia to fight. But fight! Keep going! Your body will eventually hit the stage where it has broken through all that--where it has cleansed, detoxed, reached the "breakthrough point," and it'll feel so good! The technical term for it in German is Körperdummanschlagenzeit, or "the time when your body stops being stupid."
That one was for you, Sherry :)
Detoxification
This is an article about detoxification, or in other words, cleansing the toxins from the stimulants your body has become accustomed, or even addicted, to. This is a very pro-fruit article, which I am not completely endorsing. Although I think fruit is excellent for your body, I don't believe you should always eat nothing but fruit before noon every day. Try to glean some good concepts from this article without getting too fanatical.
Detoxification
Stimulants cannot give the body what it needs. Only natural food can promote a healthy and thus happy physiological function. You could look at it this way: the only natural way to feel good is the one that is a by-product of a normally functioning body that is producing sufficient energy at the cellular level. Any other way to feel good is phony and a result of stimulants, how innocent these stimulants may look.
Your body detoxifies itself all day and for the biggest part during your sleep. Especially until noon it is therefore sensible to eat fruit only. Your body has to dispose of the toxic elements it receives from stimulants, nutrition and pollution.
If you stop the stimulating of your body with a certain stimulant there is a good chance that the following is the result:
# an immediate loss of energy;
# emotional symptoms such as headaches, sickness and depressions.
So, if you stop the use of a stimulant you will not feel better right away. It's obvious that these products are really addictive. In some cases if someone improves his eating habits an immediate increase of energy is experienced but the opposite is just as often the result. The body has not only to deal with the moment but also with the problems that have resulted from the past...
Weight loss
For example: if someone improves his eating habits (for example eating a lot of fruit or quitting on dairy products) and loses weight, not only does the body have to burn the fat, it also has to cope with toxic waste that is embedded within the fat. So if your body is burning that fat it is very likely that you will feel ill because your body also burns the toxic waste products embedded within that fat.
Fruit
If you haven't eaten fruit and vegetables on a regular basis and you start to eat a lot of fruit, your body will detoxify itself first. Even if you don't change your use of stimulants!
Fruit can be used to help your body detoxify. The best way of doing this is not to eat anything but fruit until noon. Till that time your body is still busy detoxifying from the night before. Now you know why people always drink freshly squeezed orange- or grapefruit juice in the morning.
The strongest detoxifying effect is caused by the acid fruits. Especially (red) grapefruit and lemons are detoxifying. Citrus fruit is all acid fruit but also tomatoes and pineapples are acid fruits . Squeeze 3 oranges, two mandarins and half a red grapefruit for breakfast. It's the quickest energy supply to wake you up in the morning!
Be a little-bit careful with the acid fruits when you are ill. Your body is already very busy detoxifying and when stimulating this process it could cause an over-reaction of your body to clean itself even more and could make you even feel worse for that moment. So don't go squeezing 20 oranges to get better.
If you are really sick and don't want to eat or drink, the best drink is a glass with the juice of half a lemon filled up with boiled water and a bit of cane sugar (not refined white sugar!) Because you only use half a lemon the detoxifying effect is not so strong but your body does receive much vitamin C.
Oil-tanker
Don't forget that the human body reacts like an oil-tanker. It is wise not to expect immediate results from changing your eating patterns. Going on a diet is nice for a two weeks holiday at Hawaii beach but won't help you losing weight or make you feel better, healthier and more energetic on the long run.
Detoxification
Stimulants cannot give the body what it needs. Only natural food can promote a healthy and thus happy physiological function. You could look at it this way: the only natural way to feel good is the one that is a by-product of a normally functioning body that is producing sufficient energy at the cellular level. Any other way to feel good is phony and a result of stimulants, how innocent these stimulants may look.
Your body detoxifies itself all day and for the biggest part during your sleep. Especially until noon it is therefore sensible to eat fruit only. Your body has to dispose of the toxic elements it receives from stimulants, nutrition and pollution.
If you stop the stimulating of your body with a certain stimulant there is a good chance that the following is the result:
# an immediate loss of energy;
# emotional symptoms such as headaches, sickness and depressions.
So, if you stop the use of a stimulant you will not feel better right away. It's obvious that these products are really addictive. In some cases if someone improves his eating habits an immediate increase of energy is experienced but the opposite is just as often the result. The body has not only to deal with the moment but also with the problems that have resulted from the past...
Weight loss
For example: if someone improves his eating habits (for example eating a lot of fruit or quitting on dairy products) and loses weight, not only does the body have to burn the fat, it also has to cope with toxic waste that is embedded within the fat. So if your body is burning that fat it is very likely that you will feel ill because your body also burns the toxic waste products embedded within that fat.
Fruit
If you haven't eaten fruit and vegetables on a regular basis and you start to eat a lot of fruit, your body will detoxify itself first. Even if you don't change your use of stimulants!
Fruit can be used to help your body detoxify. The best way of doing this is not to eat anything but fruit until noon. Till that time your body is still busy detoxifying from the night before. Now you know why people always drink freshly squeezed orange- or grapefruit juice in the morning.
The strongest detoxifying effect is caused by the acid fruits. Especially (red) grapefruit and lemons are detoxifying. Citrus fruit is all acid fruit but also tomatoes and pineapples are acid fruits . Squeeze 3 oranges, two mandarins and half a red grapefruit for breakfast. It's the quickest energy supply to wake you up in the morning!
Be a little-bit careful with the acid fruits when you are ill. Your body is already very busy detoxifying and when stimulating this process it could cause an over-reaction of your body to clean itself even more and could make you even feel worse for that moment. So don't go squeezing 20 oranges to get better.
If you are really sick and don't want to eat or drink, the best drink is a glass with the juice of half a lemon filled up with boiled water and a bit of cane sugar (not refined white sugar!) Because you only use half a lemon the detoxifying effect is not so strong but your body does receive much vitamin C.
Oil-tanker
Don't forget that the human body reacts like an oil-tanker. It is wise not to expect immediate results from changing your eating patterns. Going on a diet is nice for a two weeks holiday at Hawaii beach but won't help you losing weight or make you feel better, healthier and more energetic on the long run.
Stimulants
A word or two about stimulants. No, these aren't just illegal drugs. They are things we think we can't live without--something that boosts energy temporarily but ultimately are habit forming, addicting, and destructive. In order to be able to kick these habits, we need to know what habits we are ingesting. This article is informative about all sorts of dietary stimulants. In the next email I'll talk to you about what this has to do with dieting and losing weight.
Stimulating your body
A stimulant is a substance that quickly changes a symptom in an unnatural way. Many people in Western society live on stimulation. We use stimulation to make us feel good. If you try to control a symptom with stimulants, the cause of that symptom will remain. The core of a problem will never be solved by using stimulants. The number of stimulants we use is endless.
We will discuss the most important stimulants in a quick overview.
List of most common stimulants
Refined white sugar
A lot has been written about the detrimental effects of refined white sugar on the body. It is really very bad for you. Inform yourself because a lot of products contain a lot of refined white sugar. Cola for instance, but also ketchup contains a lot. Try to cut down on it by using natural brown sugars, like cane sugar. (Regular brown sugar is just refined white sugar mixed with molasses, and is not significantly better for the body.)
Sugar has a stimulating effect. If you consume a product full of sugar you get a kick out of it, that's why products that contain a lot of sugar are so attractive.
Possible substitutes:
- cane sugar; tastes the same, same kick.
- natural fruit juices; same kick from natural sugars.
Coffee
The stimulating effect of caffeine in cola, coffee, tea, and chocolate are well known.
Substitute for cola: for the caffeine green tea; for the sugar it contains (one 0.2 l. glass contains 3 spoons full of refined sugar) you can drink fruit juices.
Substitute for coffee:
- Japanese or Chinese green tea.
Gives the same kick because it contains the caffeine but is less worse because it does not contain the stomach irritating substances.
Diet pills
The stimulation of some diet pills is obvious. A lot of weight loss herbs are stimulatory. Some athletes have even experimented with these to give them more energy during their competitions. How's that for a stimulant?
You should be very careful or better: do not use them at all. If it is really necessary consult your doctor first.
Substitute: Fruit.
Fruit is detoxifying and you can eat as much of it as you want. You will lose a lot of weight if you cut down on other nutrition and replace them by fruit.
Cigarettes
The nicotine in cigarettes is another well know stimulant.
Substitute:
- squeeze fruit (kills time);
- carrots.
Spices
Some people feel that salt, pepper, and some spices can be stimulating. Did you ever notice that some people seem to require large amounts and others require none?
Substitute:
- herbal salt.
Red Meat
People feel good and strong right after the consumption of red meat. This is a bit strange because the energy of meat consists of proteins and they take 4 - 6 hours to digest. Therefore the immediate effect must be a stimulant.This effect can be caused by the stimulating elements the meat contains. A well known theory is that when animals are being killed, the animals know that it's about to happen. This activates the production of adrenaline which fuels their blood with fear hormones. These are incredibly stimulating and it is impossible to remove all of them from the meat (and milk). (This creeped me out a little, and I'm not sure how much I believe--take this all with a grain of salt.--Amy)
Animals are also injected with hormones that can stimulate too.
Substitute:
- fish. (Why wouldn't the fish release the fear hormone as well?)
Drugs
Soft-drugs as hashish and pot stimulate the kidneys and the blood circulation and can't be overdosed but also contain a lot of polluting elements that can cause cancer, like cigarettes. So stay away from them.
Hard drugs are chemical drugs and are extremely stimulative (pills, powders, alcohol). They speak for themselves, the biggest kick, the biggest kick down for health. These stimulants are so aggressive they kill brain cells. An overdose is killing.
Stimulating your body
A stimulant is a substance that quickly changes a symptom in an unnatural way. Many people in Western society live on stimulation. We use stimulation to make us feel good. If you try to control a symptom with stimulants, the cause of that symptom will remain. The core of a problem will never be solved by using stimulants. The number of stimulants we use is endless.
We will discuss the most important stimulants in a quick overview.
List of most common stimulants
Refined white sugar
A lot has been written about the detrimental effects of refined white sugar on the body. It is really very bad for you. Inform yourself because a lot of products contain a lot of refined white sugar. Cola for instance, but also ketchup contains a lot. Try to cut down on it by using natural brown sugars, like cane sugar. (Regular brown sugar is just refined white sugar mixed with molasses, and is not significantly better for the body.)
Sugar has a stimulating effect. If you consume a product full of sugar you get a kick out of it, that's why products that contain a lot of sugar are so attractive.
Possible substitutes:
- cane sugar; tastes the same, same kick.
- natural fruit juices; same kick from natural sugars.
Coffee
The stimulating effect of caffeine in cola, coffee, tea, and chocolate are well known.
Substitute for cola: for the caffeine green tea; for the sugar it contains (one 0.2 l. glass contains 3 spoons full of refined sugar) you can drink fruit juices.
Substitute for coffee:
- Japanese or Chinese green tea.
Gives the same kick because it contains the caffeine but is less worse because it does not contain the stomach irritating substances.
Diet pills
The stimulation of some diet pills is obvious. A lot of weight loss herbs are stimulatory. Some athletes have even experimented with these to give them more energy during their competitions. How's that for a stimulant?
You should be very careful or better: do not use them at all. If it is really necessary consult your doctor first.
Substitute: Fruit.
Fruit is detoxifying and you can eat as much of it as you want. You will lose a lot of weight if you cut down on other nutrition and replace them by fruit.
Cigarettes
The nicotine in cigarettes is another well know stimulant.
Substitute:
- squeeze fruit (kills time);
- carrots.
Spices
Some people feel that salt, pepper, and some spices can be stimulating. Did you ever notice that some people seem to require large amounts and others require none?
Substitute:
- herbal salt.
Red Meat
People feel good and strong right after the consumption of red meat. This is a bit strange because the energy of meat consists of proteins and they take 4 - 6 hours to digest. Therefore the immediate effect must be a stimulant.This effect can be caused by the stimulating elements the meat contains. A well known theory is that when animals are being killed, the animals know that it's about to happen. This activates the production of adrenaline which fuels their blood with fear hormones. These are incredibly stimulating and it is impossible to remove all of them from the meat (and milk). (This creeped me out a little, and I'm not sure how much I believe--take this all with a grain of salt.--Amy)
Animals are also injected with hormones that can stimulate too.
Substitute:
- fish. (Why wouldn't the fish release the fear hormone as well?)
Drugs
Soft-drugs as hashish and pot stimulate the kidneys and the blood circulation and can't be overdosed but also contain a lot of polluting elements that can cause cancer, like cigarettes. So stay away from them.
Hard drugs are chemical drugs and are extremely stimulative (pills, powders, alcohol). They speak for themselves, the biggest kick, the biggest kick down for health. These stimulants are so aggressive they kill brain cells. An overdose is killing.
So What CAN I Eat?
Folks,
So far I've told you to drink water, sleep, and not to eat certain things. We are not done. You do actually need to eat food.
I have found that the best foods for me (in order of importance) are vegetables, fruit, whole-grain and high-fiber breads, beans, some dairy, some nuts, and some lean meats.
The elements you want to get into your diet are protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Vegetables and fruit are high in fiber, water content, vitamins and minerals. Whole grain foods, beans, nuts, dairy and meat are high in protein and sometimes fiber, but not high in saturated fats. True, most do have some fats, but you should not eliminate your fats completely. Some say to cut dairy from a weight-loss diet, but I would rather cut it down than cut it out, since it's so important to not get calcium deficient, which is very common in low-calorie diets.
Now to talk about when to eat these. I have MANY books and websites with menu guidelines and recipes. I can send these if you are interested. Basically, though, here's my program:
•Wake up
•Drink water (possibly with 1 T fresh squeezed lemon--not from a bottle)
•Eat something small--a piece of fruit or yogurt
•Get moving! Do something energetic but not too strenuous, like a walk, go up and down the stairs a few times, sit ups, a few weight repetitions, etc.
•Drink water
•Eat breakfast. Breakfast shouldn't be the biggest meal of the day, but it should include some protein, possibly fruit and whole grains, and veggies if you can do it. Veggies are appropriate in any meal or snack.
•Drink water.
•It has been recommended that you eat something small every two hours to keep your blood sugar up and your cravings down. Snacks should be small and pack a nutritious punch. Consider low-fat cottage cheese, nuts, raisins, dried or fresh fruit, celery with peanut butter, fresh cut-up vegetables, cheese, etc.
•Drink water.
•Lunch should probably be your biggest meal. Your metabolism is going strong and you're using energy. Don't overdo it, though.
•Drink water.
•Snack.
•Drink water.
•Try to have dinner by 6:00. I have heard avoid carbohydrates and fruit at dinner time if you are trying to target the fat on your belly. I have no idea why.
•Drink water!
Somewhere in that day you should also have a real workout, but that is a subject for a different day.
A tip about eating--try to be careful about portions. Even if you are eating all the right, healthy food, you can still eat too much. I had the habit of finishing off my kids' food before I started losing weight. I had to physically restrain my hand from going to my mouth several times because it was ingrained in me so well to finish their food! Remember, you can put them away in a container and eat them for lunch tomorrow and save that much time on food preparation! It's not worth it to get seconds or to finish someone else's food. That is social eating, not nutrition eating.
Also, an occasional piece of pie won't kill you. It has been suggested that you eat right for six days, then take a day off. I try not to do that, but Sundays aren't always as regimented for me as the rest of the week, and I do occasionally go out to dinner with my family while I'm on a diet. While it may reverse you for a day, sometimes it's best to acknowledge the cravings and satisfy them once in a while instead of repressing until you have a complete binge breakdown and go nuts.
I LOVE getting recipes of healthy foods I can fix for my family! If you have any that work for you, please share. I will be sharing some of my favorite recipes and meal plans over the next few days as well.
A fun and interesting page about health benefits of fruits and vegetables:
http://www.thefruitpages.com/rightnutrition.shtml
A link to some ideas for healthy foods:
http://www.whfoods.com/eathealthy.php
A great page about how to eat and lose weight:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5284377_eat-lose-weight-stay-healthy.html
So far I've told you to drink water, sleep, and not to eat certain things. We are not done. You do actually need to eat food.
I have found that the best foods for me (in order of importance) are vegetables, fruit, whole-grain and high-fiber breads, beans, some dairy, some nuts, and some lean meats.
The elements you want to get into your diet are protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Vegetables and fruit are high in fiber, water content, vitamins and minerals. Whole grain foods, beans, nuts, dairy and meat are high in protein and sometimes fiber, but not high in saturated fats. True, most do have some fats, but you should not eliminate your fats completely. Some say to cut dairy from a weight-loss diet, but I would rather cut it down than cut it out, since it's so important to not get calcium deficient, which is very common in low-calorie diets.
Now to talk about when to eat these. I have MANY books and websites with menu guidelines and recipes. I can send these if you are interested. Basically, though, here's my program:
•Wake up
•Drink water (possibly with 1 T fresh squeezed lemon--not from a bottle)
•Eat something small--a piece of fruit or yogurt
•Get moving! Do something energetic but not too strenuous, like a walk, go up and down the stairs a few times, sit ups, a few weight repetitions, etc.
•Drink water
•Eat breakfast. Breakfast shouldn't be the biggest meal of the day, but it should include some protein, possibly fruit and whole grains, and veggies if you can do it. Veggies are appropriate in any meal or snack.
•Drink water.
•It has been recommended that you eat something small every two hours to keep your blood sugar up and your cravings down. Snacks should be small and pack a nutritious punch. Consider low-fat cottage cheese, nuts, raisins, dried or fresh fruit, celery with peanut butter, fresh cut-up vegetables, cheese, etc.
•Drink water.
•Lunch should probably be your biggest meal. Your metabolism is going strong and you're using energy. Don't overdo it, though.
•Drink water.
•Snack.
•Drink water.
•Try to have dinner by 6:00. I have heard avoid carbohydrates and fruit at dinner time if you are trying to target the fat on your belly. I have no idea why.
•Drink water!
Somewhere in that day you should also have a real workout, but that is a subject for a different day.
A tip about eating--try to be careful about portions. Even if you are eating all the right, healthy food, you can still eat too much. I had the habit of finishing off my kids' food before I started losing weight. I had to physically restrain my hand from going to my mouth several times because it was ingrained in me so well to finish their food! Remember, you can put them away in a container and eat them for lunch tomorrow and save that much time on food preparation! It's not worth it to get seconds or to finish someone else's food. That is social eating, not nutrition eating.
Also, an occasional piece of pie won't kill you. It has been suggested that you eat right for six days, then take a day off. I try not to do that, but Sundays aren't always as regimented for me as the rest of the week, and I do occasionally go out to dinner with my family while I'm on a diet. While it may reverse you for a day, sometimes it's best to acknowledge the cravings and satisfy them once in a while instead of repressing until you have a complete binge breakdown and go nuts.
I LOVE getting recipes of healthy foods I can fix for my family! If you have any that work for you, please share. I will be sharing some of my favorite recipes and meal plans over the next few days as well.
A fun and interesting page about health benefits of fruits and vegetables:
http://www.thefruitpages.com/rightnutrition.shtml
A link to some ideas for healthy foods:
http://www.whfoods.com/eathealthy.php
A great page about how to eat and lose weight:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5284377_eat-lose-weight-stay-healthy.html
Simple Tips
Some things to know so you don’t get frustrated:
1 Healthy weight loss is 1-2 lbs per week.
2 It is normal when beginning a weight loss program to gain weight in the beginning.
3 It is also normal to plateau. Last season we had a few people plateau for weeks at a time. It was very frustrating for them, but they didn’t gain weight and eventually broke through the barrier.
4 Drink plenty of water all day long. If your pee is pale yellow or clear, you’re doing great! Water not only helps you stay hydrated but is a key chemical ingredient in helping your body to burn glycogen for energy for your workouts.
5 I recommend doing cardio and weights. More muscle mass boosts metabolism.
6 Everyone’s body responds differently to different exercises. Sherry is a runner by nature. She loves it. Her husband hates it and running has never given him great weight loss results. But they bought him a Bowflex and the weight really started coming off.
7 Find a type of exercise that you will enjoy. You will be more likely to keep going if you look forward to your workouts. But don’t be afraid to do things you don’t like if they help. Getting out of your comfort zone is always a key ingredient in any area of growth.
A Healthy Dose of Realism
Sherry, our fabulous assistant coach, reminded me to insert something here.
Now, before everyone gets started the first week and potentially gets discouraged right off the bat: make sure you tell the contestants that is NORMAL for the body to actually GAIN weight during the first 2 weeks of starting a diet and exercise program. Also, remind them that healthy weight loss is 1 - 2 lbs a week. Now, naturally when you put a lot of effort into it, you can lose more than that week after week. But they need to know what is normal and healthy. If they were only to lose 1 lb a week from the beginning to the end of the contest, that is a real victory. What's more, people who lose 1 -2 lbs a week are more likely to be able to maintain that weight loss. If you have a lot of players watching the show (The Biggest Loser), the might think they are failing if they only lose 1 lb this week. That is so not true! They are not failures. They have just completed a very successful week.
Absolutely. I've been so excited to get started that I've forgotten to tell you what a healthy diet involves. It involves ups and downs. Weeks where you've tried your hardest and don't lose anything, or have even gained. Again, even though we are calling it The Biggest Loser, we are not exclusively focusing on incredible weight loss--we are focusing on making our bodies healthier for the long term.
So, if this week does not exceed your expectations, please don't get discouraged. You're building a lifestyle, and that can't happen over night, or even over a week.
Amy
Now, before everyone gets started the first week and potentially gets discouraged right off the bat: make sure you tell the contestants that is NORMAL for the body to actually GAIN weight during the first 2 weeks of starting a diet and exercise program. Also, remind them that healthy weight loss is 1 - 2 lbs a week. Now, naturally when you put a lot of effort into it, you can lose more than that week after week. But they need to know what is normal and healthy. If they were only to lose 1 lb a week from the beginning to the end of the contest, that is a real victory. What's more, people who lose 1 -2 lbs a week are more likely to be able to maintain that weight loss. If you have a lot of players watching the show (The Biggest Loser), the might think they are failing if they only lose 1 lb this week. That is so not true! They are not failures. They have just completed a very successful week.
Absolutely. I've been so excited to get started that I've forgotten to tell you what a healthy diet involves. It involves ups and downs. Weeks where you've tried your hardest and don't lose anything, or have even gained. Again, even though we are calling it The Biggest Loser, we are not exclusively focusing on incredible weight loss--we are focusing on making our bodies healthier for the long term.
So, if this week does not exceed your expectations, please don't get discouraged. You're building a lifestyle, and that can't happen over night, or even over a week.
Amy
What NOT to Eat
If you are not sure about what food to avoid to lose weight, please read on for some simple guidelines.
Food to avoid to lose weight: foods with a high fat content
This is obvious, when you want to lose weight, or more accurately you want to lose fat, it doesn't really make sense to eat exactly that. Having that said, fat itself is not your worst enemy, but you still should cut down on it if possible
Examples:
excess pure fat on meats, too much butter or margarine on your bread, bologna and hot dogs, etc.
Food to avoid to lose weight: foods high in sugar
The second group of foods that you better give a miss are foods with a high content of sugar or highly refined carbohydrates which the body treats also as sugars. Apart from the obvious higher calorie content, the bigger problem is that these foods spike your blood sugar level quickly, your pancreas reacts by releasing lots of insulin to get the blood sugar level back down. Often the blood sugar drops then to an even lower level as it was initially which quickens subsequently your appetite. And that is certainly a condition that you would want to avoid when being on diet!
Examples:
the worst foods in this category are soda pops, fruit juices, white bread, white rice, cakes and cookies etc.
Food to avoid to lose weight: foods high sugar AND fat
Foods from this category you must try to eliminate totally from your food plan! The reason is that the high sugar content primes the body's insulin response, which in turn opens so to speak your body's cells to take up the sugar - and in this case also the fat! You see, the calories from foods high in sugar and fat go directly onto your hips! Or wherever ...
Examples:
foods high in sugar and fat are: potato chips, french fries, cakes and tarts, chocolate, white bread with butter etc.
Now, that you know what food to avoid to lose weight, you might wonder what there is left to eat? I know, it first seems like that, but there is still plenty of choice. Stick to lean protein, lots of vegetables, low fat products and for the carbohydrates, opt for the whole grain versions and try to limit their the portion size. And to make you life easier while dieting, better focus on what delicious food you still can eat and not what food to avoid to lose weight!
Claudia Ohst - EzineArticles.com Expert Author
Claudia writes articles about health and weight loss issues and is the webmaster of the blog "Diet on Autopilot". Instead of the latest diet schemes, more emphasis is put on installing new eating behaviors to achieve weight loss on autopilot.
And here are two more links about what NOT to eat:
http://arthritisfordogs.net/top-foods-to-avoid-to-lose-weight/ (DEFINITELY read this one!)
http://www.happynews.com/living/weight/foods-avoid-during-weight-loss.htm
Food to avoid to lose weight: foods with a high fat content
This is obvious, when you want to lose weight, or more accurately you want to lose fat, it doesn't really make sense to eat exactly that. Having that said, fat itself is not your worst enemy, but you still should cut down on it if possible
Examples:
excess pure fat on meats, too much butter or margarine on your bread, bologna and hot dogs, etc.
Food to avoid to lose weight: foods high in sugar
The second group of foods that you better give a miss are foods with a high content of sugar or highly refined carbohydrates which the body treats also as sugars. Apart from the obvious higher calorie content, the bigger problem is that these foods spike your blood sugar level quickly, your pancreas reacts by releasing lots of insulin to get the blood sugar level back down. Often the blood sugar drops then to an even lower level as it was initially which quickens subsequently your appetite. And that is certainly a condition that you would want to avoid when being on diet!
Examples:
the worst foods in this category are soda pops, fruit juices, white bread, white rice, cakes and cookies etc.
Food to avoid to lose weight: foods high sugar AND fat
Foods from this category you must try to eliminate totally from your food plan! The reason is that the high sugar content primes the body's insulin response, which in turn opens so to speak your body's cells to take up the sugar - and in this case also the fat! You see, the calories from foods high in sugar and fat go directly onto your hips! Or wherever ...
Examples:
foods high in sugar and fat are: potato chips, french fries, cakes and tarts, chocolate, white bread with butter etc.
Now, that you know what food to avoid to lose weight, you might wonder what there is left to eat? I know, it first seems like that, but there is still plenty of choice. Stick to lean protein, lots of vegetables, low fat products and for the carbohydrates, opt for the whole grain versions and try to limit their the portion size. And to make you life easier while dieting, better focus on what delicious food you still can eat and not what food to avoid to lose weight!
Claudia Ohst - EzineArticles.com Expert Author
Claudia writes articles about health and weight loss issues and is the webmaster of the blog "Diet on Autopilot". Instead of the latest diet schemes, more emphasis is put on installing new eating behaviors to achieve weight loss on autopilot.
And here are two more links about what NOT to eat:
http://arthritisfordogs.net/top-foods-to-avoid-to-lose-weight/ (DEFINITELY read this one!)
http://www.happynews.com/living/weight/foods-avoid-during-weight-loss.htm
Sleep It Off!
My first tip for weight loss was about water. Now we're going to talk about sleep. Everyone knows sleep is important, but I didn't really understand that it could help me lose weight as well. Here are the things I personally have learned and have helped me relating to sleep. I will also include words of advice from experts and laymen in the field.
1. Sleep! Make sure you get enough sleep. One week I was exercising, drinking water, eating right, not eating too much, but I was still staying about 2 pounds higher than where I started the week. Finally, my husband took over for me so I could take a long 4-hour nap, then a full night's rest. In the morning I'd lost ALL the extra weight.
2. Drink water before you go to bed and when you wake up. If you don't like the "full bladder" feeling while sleeping, don't drink too much, but keep in mind how much you dehydrate during the night. That's a long time your body is going without water, and it's doing a whole lot of building and metabolizing over that time, which all requires water.
3. Eat no later than 3 hours before going to sleep, and try to avoid carbs up to 6 hours before going to bed. Your metabolism slows down at the end of the day, so it doesn't need as many calories. You want to try to basically be done digesting the food by the time you go to sleep. If you get hungry during those three hours, drink some water--it's a good time to get about 1/3 of your daily intake of water in. An over-full tummy also leads to worse sleep, and makes you fuller in the morning when you should be starting your metabolism back up with a healthy breakfast. If you are hungry in the morning, it will help you set your meal schedule where it should be.
4. Lift weights! Increased muscle mass will help you burn more while you sleep. Also, although there are mixed opinions about it, I find that a workout an hour or two before I go to bed revs my metabolism just that much more and helps me weigh less the next day. Might be something to try on Thursday nights. . .
Here are several other studies and opinions about sleep:
A full night of undisturbed sleep not only leaves you feeling energized for a new day, but it helps your body metabolize your food much more efficiently. When your body is in the resting state during sleep, it actually works much harder to process energy and burn calories than if you were to sit on the sofa watching the television.
This is because your bodies repair and renew our depleted muscles, joints and other body parts in your sleep. This renewing process needs fuel to regenerate lean muscle mass and the body tissues. In a smooth and successful repairing process, certain amount of fat stores will be burn to run this process. In other words, this repairing process will burn calories.
So, how many calories do you burn in your sleep? Well, an average person can burn off over 50 calories while sleeping. And, you can accelerate this calories burning process significantly by taking some simple steps and training your body to burn fat while you sleep.
(reference: Susie, 2loseweightfast.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-many-calories-burn-while-sleeping.html)
Step 1
To burn more calories while sleeping, take up weight lifting during the day. One pound of muscle burns on average about 50 calories per one day and night, while one pound of fat burns only nine calories. By starting a weight lifting program and increasing muscle mass, you will be sure to burn more calories in your sleep.
Step 2
Burn more calories at night by turning down the heater. Our bodies use more energy to keep warm. By turning down your heater at night, you will be turning up your body's metabolic rate, which will burn more calories to keep you warm.
Step 3
Avoid carbohydrates for at least six hours before bed. When the body is low on carbohydrates, it starts using calories to burn fat for energy. If there are no carbohydrates in your system before bedtime, your body will burn more calories to burn fat for energy.
Step 4
Sleep for more than seven hours to burn more calories at night. Getting more sleep will not only help you burn more calories at night, it will also help keep your metabolic rate higher during the day burning even more calories.
Step 5
Make sure to meditate and relax before going to sleep. Relaxing causes cortisol levels to drop, which will in turn help your body burn more calories.
(reference: CM Herold, http://www.ehow.com/how_4938219_burn-calories-sleeping.html)
A lack of zzzzs can affect your ability to lose weight.
By Michael Breus, PhD
Thursday, May 08, 2003
To lose weight seems to be the number one resolution each new year. However, nearly 90% of these resolutions meet with either little or no success. Some people even gain weight instead. Most people never know there may be a very simple reason why: They don't sleep well.
Studies published in The Journal of the American Medical Association and The Lancet suggest that sleep loss may increase hunger and affect the body's metabolism, which may make it more difficult to maintain or lose weight.
Sleep loss:
-Makes you feel hungry even if you are full. Sleep loss has been shown to affect the secretion of cortisol, a hormone that regulates appetite. As a result, individuals who lose sleep may continue to feel hungry despite adequate food intake (Note: could have been [Tommy] Dorsey's problem since he was known to overeat and suffer from insomnia).
-Increases fat storage. Sleep loss may interfere with the body's ability to metabolize carbohydrates, which leads to high levels of blood sugar.
-Excess blood sugar promotes the overproduction of insulin, which can lead to the storage of body fat and insulin resistance, a critical step into the development of diabetes.
It is also important to realize that the quality of sleep (that is, getting the right amount of "deep sleep") is just as important as the quantity of sleep. For example, decreased amounts of restorative deep or slow-wave sleep have been associated with significantly reduced levels of growth hormone, a protein that helps regulate the body's proportions of fat and muscle during adulthood.
Sleep Tips to Help You Shape Up
Specialists recommend that people who vow to lose weight should adjust their sleep habits as well as their eating habits. The following are useful tips to help shape up.
***-Don't go to bed feeling hungry, but don't eat a big meal right before bedtime.***
-Exercise regularly, but no sooner than three hours before bedtime.
-Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol in the late afternoon and evening.
-If you have trouble sleeping for more than a few weeks, or if sleep problems interfere with daily functioning, speak with your doctor.
1. Sleep! Make sure you get enough sleep. One week I was exercising, drinking water, eating right, not eating too much, but I was still staying about 2 pounds higher than where I started the week. Finally, my husband took over for me so I could take a long 4-hour nap, then a full night's rest. In the morning I'd lost ALL the extra weight.
2. Drink water before you go to bed and when you wake up. If you don't like the "full bladder" feeling while sleeping, don't drink too much, but keep in mind how much you dehydrate during the night. That's a long time your body is going without water, and it's doing a whole lot of building and metabolizing over that time, which all requires water.
3. Eat no later than 3 hours before going to sleep, and try to avoid carbs up to 6 hours before going to bed. Your metabolism slows down at the end of the day, so it doesn't need as many calories. You want to try to basically be done digesting the food by the time you go to sleep. If you get hungry during those three hours, drink some water--it's a good time to get about 1/3 of your daily intake of water in. An over-full tummy also leads to worse sleep, and makes you fuller in the morning when you should be starting your metabolism back up with a healthy breakfast. If you are hungry in the morning, it will help you set your meal schedule where it should be.
4. Lift weights! Increased muscle mass will help you burn more while you sleep. Also, although there are mixed opinions about it, I find that a workout an hour or two before I go to bed revs my metabolism just that much more and helps me weigh less the next day. Might be something to try on Thursday nights. . .
Here are several other studies and opinions about sleep:
A full night of undisturbed sleep not only leaves you feeling energized for a new day, but it helps your body metabolize your food much more efficiently. When your body is in the resting state during sleep, it actually works much harder to process energy and burn calories than if you were to sit on the sofa watching the television.
This is because your bodies repair and renew our depleted muscles, joints and other body parts in your sleep. This renewing process needs fuel to regenerate lean muscle mass and the body tissues. In a smooth and successful repairing process, certain amount of fat stores will be burn to run this process. In other words, this repairing process will burn calories.
So, how many calories do you burn in your sleep? Well, an average person can burn off over 50 calories while sleeping. And, you can accelerate this calories burning process significantly by taking some simple steps and training your body to burn fat while you sleep.
(reference: Susie, 2loseweightfast.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-many-calories-burn-while-sleeping.html)
Step 1
To burn more calories while sleeping, take up weight lifting during the day. One pound of muscle burns on average about 50 calories per one day and night, while one pound of fat burns only nine calories. By starting a weight lifting program and increasing muscle mass, you will be sure to burn more calories in your sleep.
Step 2
Burn more calories at night by turning down the heater. Our bodies use more energy to keep warm. By turning down your heater at night, you will be turning up your body's metabolic rate, which will burn more calories to keep you warm.
Step 3
Avoid carbohydrates for at least six hours before bed. When the body is low on carbohydrates, it starts using calories to burn fat for energy. If there are no carbohydrates in your system before bedtime, your body will burn more calories to burn fat for energy.
Step 4
Sleep for more than seven hours to burn more calories at night. Getting more sleep will not only help you burn more calories at night, it will also help keep your metabolic rate higher during the day burning even more calories.
Step 5
Make sure to meditate and relax before going to sleep. Relaxing causes cortisol levels to drop, which will in turn help your body burn more calories.
(reference: CM Herold, http://www.ehow.com/how_4938219_burn-calories-sleeping.html)
A lack of zzzzs can affect your ability to lose weight.
By Michael Breus, PhD
Thursday, May 08, 2003
To lose weight seems to be the number one resolution each new year. However, nearly 90% of these resolutions meet with either little or no success. Some people even gain weight instead. Most people never know there may be a very simple reason why: They don't sleep well.
Studies published in The Journal of the American Medical Association and The Lancet suggest that sleep loss may increase hunger and affect the body's metabolism, which may make it more difficult to maintain or lose weight.
Sleep loss:
-Makes you feel hungry even if you are full. Sleep loss has been shown to affect the secretion of cortisol, a hormone that regulates appetite. As a result, individuals who lose sleep may continue to feel hungry despite adequate food intake (Note: could have been [Tommy] Dorsey's problem since he was known to overeat and suffer from insomnia).
-Increases fat storage. Sleep loss may interfere with the body's ability to metabolize carbohydrates, which leads to high levels of blood sugar.
-Excess blood sugar promotes the overproduction of insulin, which can lead to the storage of body fat and insulin resistance, a critical step into the development of diabetes.
It is also important to realize that the quality of sleep (that is, getting the right amount of "deep sleep") is just as important as the quantity of sleep. For example, decreased amounts of restorative deep or slow-wave sleep have been associated with significantly reduced levels of growth hormone, a protein that helps regulate the body's proportions of fat and muscle during adulthood.
Sleep Tips to Help You Shape Up
Specialists recommend that people who vow to lose weight should adjust their sleep habits as well as their eating habits. The following are useful tips to help shape up.
***-Don't go to bed feeling hungry, but don't eat a big meal right before bedtime.***
-Exercise regularly, but no sooner than three hours before bedtime.
-Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol in the late afternoon and evening.
-If you have trouble sleeping for more than a few weeks, or if sleep problems interfere with daily functioning, speak with your doctor.
A Word About Water and Minerals
A Word About Water
How long can you live without:
Air – about 2 to 5 minutes
Water – about 3 to 5 days
Food – about 2 to 3 weeks
Which is more important to your body? First, oxygen; second, water; and third, food.
Babies are about 75 – 80% water
We decrease in water % as we age. We should be about 70% water as adults, but most are between 50% and 60%
Most have dehydrating and acidic diets --see this website for more info: http://www.suite101.com/content/health-suffering-from-acidic-diet-a34051
The effects of aging and many diseases can be attributed to a gradual dehydration
Tap and bottled water are either stripped of naturally occurring healthy minerals or contain vast amounts of toxins
Dissolved minerals are the easiest for the body to absorb and use
Water is needed to digest our food, process fat, flush toxins, and allow all the body’s systems to work properly
Minerals the body uses dissolved in water are called electrolytes
Water metabolizes and transports nutrients essential to our body functions, including transporting oxygen to your brain!
Muscles contain much more water than fat does
Ionic minerals are required to absorb vitamins
Caffeine is a diuretic--that is, it makes you retain water and gain weight.
Sugary and salty foods take a lot more water to digest properly
Drinking too much water devoid of the proper mineral content will cause leaching of these minerals from bone and tissue, causing cramps and poor function of the body’s systems.
Brad King-Performance Nutritionist, fitness and Wellness Expert, Member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, author of 10 books says in his book, Xtreme Health:
"We are a miracle at birth. Our body is the vehicle to take us through our life's
journey. When we are born, we are approximately 70% water, however, as we age, our
water content diminishes. Unfortunately, most individuals between the ages of 30 &
40 have already lost 10 to 15% of their water stored and by the age of 65, are
lucky to still have 50%."
journey. When we are born, we are approximately 70% water, however, as we age, our
water content diminishes. Unfortunately, most individuals between the ages of 30 &
40 have already lost 10 to 15% of their water stored and by the age of 65, are
lucky to still have 50%."
Aging is the process of drying up from the inside out- dehydration
Brad King- "Next to oxygen, water is unquestionably the most important nutrient
for sustaining life. Then why don't the majority of us drink enough of it? Water,
tea, soft drinks & juices are not a substitute for water- they dehydrate you."
Brad King- "Next to oxygen, water is unquestionably the most important nutrient
for sustaining life. Then why don't the majority of us drink enough of it? Water,
tea, soft drinks & juices are not a substitute for water- they dehydrate you."
Many so-called signs of aging are also signs and symptoms of chronic dehydration
including:
Heartburn
Dyspepia
Back pain
migraine headches
Old-age diabete
Hypentension
Rheumatoid joint pain
Autoimmune diseases
Cholesterol build-up
Dry skin
Constipation
Colitis
Tiredness
Anxiety
Depression
Dehydration is the primary cause of daytime fatigue, which slows down the
metabolism and impairs focus, concentration and physical performance.
Dehydration is the primary cause of daytime fatigue, which slows down the
metabolism and impairs focus, concentration and physical performance.
Brad King- Xtreme Health: "Thirst is the obvious sign of dehydration, but the
truth is your body is in need of water long before needs water to create energy."
Dr. Henri Coanda- Nobel Prize winner originated the expression, "You are what you
drink." He said that water effects our health more than any other nutrient.
Even if you are drinking water daily, you are probably still dehydrated. Normal water molecules have a surface tension rating approximately 70 - 74 dynes. Our cells have a surface tension rating of approximately 45 dynes. To hydrate the cells more efficiently, the surface tension of water needs to be lower, closer to 45 dynes.
Dr. Alexis Carrell, 1912 M Nobel Prize - Medicine- "Since the molecular structure of water is the essence of all life, the man who can control that structure in cellular system will change the world."
OK, if you were able to "absorb" (ha ha, my little pun) all that info, basically what I'm saying is this: Not only does your body need a lot of water to function correctly, but it also needs the right mineral content in that water, both to make your body less acidic, fight disease, fight fatigue, and lose weight. While drinks like Gatorade or Powerade say they have electrolytes, they also have a whole lot of sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup, and they make your blood MORE acidic.
I have found that the best way to add minerals to my diet is to have them dissolved in my water. There are several products out there that do this. I've found one that my family has enjoyed for years--it's called X20 by Xooma. I just stick a little packet, or "sachet" of minerals in my water bottle and shake it up, then drink it like normal and it doesn't change the taste. If you're interested in trying it, let me know--I can let you know where to get some.
I don't want to "flood" you with info (sorry, the puns just keep coming!) but I think cellular hydration through correct minerals is vital to optimum health, and I've been sort of keeping it a secret from the rest of the Biggest Loser seasons, but if it's one of the reasons I've felt more healthy, gotten sick a lot less, and been able to lose weight a lot quicker in the past few years, I decided I'd better share it with the group!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)