Sleeping Too Little?

Sleep deprivation makes you tired and cranky and less able to think clearly.

Sleeping too little promotes weight gain. Not getting a good night's sleep can lead people to pack on pounds over time. Lack of good sleep when it comes to both quality and quantity are the driving forces behind the negative health and body weight effects.

More than 28 per cent of Americans sleep fewer than six hours a night. Work-related stress, shift-work, prolonged light, and television or computer exposure are the most frequent lifestyle factors that contribute towards sleep deprivation.

What can you do?

In her book Take a Nap! Change Your Life, Sara Mednick, Ph.D., points out that 20 to 30-minute naps can be used during the week to recharge yourself mentally, and 90-minute naps should be used on your off days to help minimize your sleep debt. By taking 90 minutes to doze, you will go through all the stages of sleep, and some research shows that the benefits of this length nap are equivalent to that of getting eight hours of sleep during the night.

Read more:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/10/15/sleep-deprivation-fat-cells/1630289/

 

Do you believe overweight people should run?

Do you believe overweight people should run?

As always I would say do what is the best for you and your situation.

I tried running when I was obese. It was very hard. I didn’t know about walk/run method for beginners.  I pushed myself to run for a minute and got tired quickly.

Then I had surgery for a knee and had to wait almost a year to resume running. I also managed to lose significant amount of weight during the non-running period.

When I started again, it was so different; it felt like if I were another person.

I fell in love in running since then and it changed my life.

Traditional Holiday Eating

Holidays are the most challenging times when it comes to eating healthy.

It is hard to keep the weight off and your body healthy while still enjoying yourself this holiday season.

Being health-conscious doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t enjoy the holiday season, but

I’m afraid most of us give up our healthy eating habits to “indulge” during the holiday season.

When food is served during holiday family gatherings it is difficult to strike a balance between maintaining a healthy diet and joining in with the fun and festivities.

I don’t expect to lose weight during the holidays. I will try to remember that while it is extremely difficult to lose weight during the holidays, it is hard but manageable to keep and maintain my pre-holiday weight.

Knowledge is the first step to a successful weight loss

Knowledge is the first step to a successful weight loss journey. The more you know, the more likely you are to do the right thing.

Somebody smart said that knowledge is power. By arming yourself with the facts about healthy weight loss, you are more likely to build confidence in your abilities and achieve your weight loss goals.

I agree, but want to add that knowledge by itself is not power. It is the application of knowledge that yields sustained success. Knowledge is very important, but action is the key.

Losing weight isn’t rocket science. Once you understand your body, it’s simple.

Simply put, you must change your nutrition - permanently.

Food choices that help us feel full with fewer calories

To be successful at lifelong weight management, we need to make food choices that help us feel full with fewer calories and make sure that we don’t feel hungry. Feeling full and satisfied while eating nutritious foods should be a critical part of any successful weight loss eating plan.

Hunger is the most significant problem with weight loss and a diet that results in hunger will never be successful. It is hard not to eat when we get hungry. It goes against human nature. When we get hungry, we tend to want to eat more. The feeling of an empty stomach is very difficult, if not impossible, to tolerate and at some point we give in. You diet is not going to work for you if you are hungry or tired all the time.

It is hard to force yourself to eat less. But it's possible to choose what we eat. Some foods keep us full and satisfied, while with others hunger returns soon after eating.

Lost 91 pounds without feeling hungry

In May 2010 my weight was 261 pounds. Since then I learned a lot about physiology, nutrition, health and exercise science, and I believe I know more about losing weight than an average person. When it comes to shedding pounds, it is what and when we eat that counts most. If you change what you eat and how you eat, you will be able to lose weight. I did it and it worked very well for me. I lost 91 pounds without feeling hungry.

While staying home and sitting through Hurricane Sandy

 

This storm forever changed our lives. Hurricane Sandy brought horrific reality to New York. I could see with my own eyes the nature’s devastating power. I thought that NYC was immune to dangers like this.

Whether you were affected directly by Hurricane Sandy, or just fitness what is going on in New York, the devastating event has caused many of us to feel way more fragile.

For some New Yorkers live is slowly and gradually returning to normalcy, but for many it is going to take much longer. While times are extremely tough for those who still have no power, heat and water, there are many examples that Hurricane Sandy brought out the best in us.

It appears that at a moment of extreme polarization, Mother Nature brought us together and the we're-all-in-this-together spirit is being felt everywhere.

Strange thing happened to me. While staying home and sitting through Hurricane Sandy I ended up with eating even when I was not really hungry. I am surprised by my response to the storm.

Which one describes you?

When it comes to our future success, there are two ways to look at life.

We can feel powerless. We believe life just happens to us. It’s out of our hands, so we sit back, play the role of the victim and react to everything.

Or, we can feel powerful. We believe our choices make a difference in what happens to us. We chose to act rather than react to people and situations.

Which one describes you?

Losing weight can be achieved without feeling hungry

To be successful at lifelong weight management, you need to make food choices that help you feel full with fewer calories and make sure that you don’t feel hungry. Feeling full and satisfied while eating nutritious foods is a critical part of my eating plan.

Hunger is the most significant problem with weight loss and a diet that results in hunger will never be successful. It is hard not to eat when you get hungry. It goes against human nature. When we get hungry, we tend to want to eat more. The feeling of an empty stomach is very difficult, if not impossible, to tolerate and at some point we give in. My method is not going to work for you if you are hungry or tired all the time.

It is hard to force yourself to eat less. But it's possible to choose what you eat. Some foods keep you full and satisfied, while with others hunger returns soon after eating. Eating large amount of the right food is my key to success.

I consumed a low number of calories but got all the fullness and satisfaction. My simple, if not primitive, web page ilostweightyoucantoo.com shows what food choices I made to control hunger, so I could lose weight, keep it off, and stay healthy.

Eating foods high in nutrients and fiber and low in calories allowed me to become satiated without consuming excess calories. Fresh green vegetables and fresh low-sugar fruits are the best of those foods. They let me feel full with the least amount of calories. Green raw vegetables are low in calories and rich in nutrients and fiber. The more of them I ate, the more weight I lost.

More: ilostweightyoucantoo.com

Do you eat every night in front of the television?

Do you eat every night in front of the television?

Gaining weight is hard to avoid when we eat in front of the TV. As long as food is readily available, most of us will continue to eat, well past the point of satiation.

We end up eating more because we simply eat to the pace of the program, or we eat until the program is over.

Eating in front of the TV sets us up to prefer unhealthy foods, because we are exposed to more advertising for unhealthy foods, than commercials for fresh fruits and vegetables.

To be successful



Weight loss is the intentional decision to reduce body weight by change eating.

There are things you can do that influence your weight.

To be successful at lifelong weight management, you need to make food choices that help you feel full with fewer calories.

Exercise isn't enough to lead to weight loss

Exercise isn't enough to lead to weight loss, New staty shows that high-intensity exercise may not, by itself, lead to high-intensity weight loss.

Times article here

 

You must eat breakfast if you want to lose weight

You must eat breakfast if you want to lose weight, and make sure it includes lean protein. Eating lean protein at breakfast is one of the most important things you can do to feel less hungry.

Even if you don’t feel hungry in the morning, eat breakfast anyway. It may be a challenge, but this is something you can do. Breakfast will help you prevent hunger later on. It will reduce your appetite and cravings and help you stick with your eating plan all day long.

I start my day off with good breakfast. For me it means non-starchy vegetable, fresh low-sugar fruit, lean protein, whole grain bread, and healthy fats (I take Omega 3 supplement).

This is my average day, but I generally eat the same things from day to day:

blueberries, blackberries, or apple, 1 slice of dry, 100% whole-grain toasted bread with
1 slice of 99% fat free turkey breast,1 fresh tomato hot tea (no milk, no sugar).

As you can see it is not a typical "breakfast foods". The protein consumption, when eaten as part of the daily first meal reduces my appetite throughout the day. I also believe that it jump-starts my metabolism and sets my body in the optimal fat-burning state.

Eating like this was initially a little challenging, but I got used to it. It has become a part of my eating strategy that caused me to lose 91 pounds without feeling hungry. I eat breakfast every day.

Stop waiting for the right time - it never comes

Most people will just keep thinking about making changes. Thinking about change and talking about change doesn't make a difference. You need to get to the execution phrase. Action is what produces change.

Start making these changes now. Stop waiting for the right time to start losing weight; it never comes. There is no reason you can't begin your weight loss journey right here, right now. No more excuses! Don't wait for the "right time". Do it now. Take advantage of the motivation you're feeling now.

Start losing weight now - this very moment. There is never a “best moment” to start losing weight. The best time is NOW.

More at: http://ilostweightyoucantoo.com/

This way of eating helped me lose weight quickly

I eat fresh non-starchy vegetables, fresh low-sugar fruits and lean protein. My proteins are lean turkey breast, grilled chicken breast and fish. I also eat a slice of whole grain bread.

I drink a lot of tea and water. I also take Omega-3 to make sure I have enough of so badly needed healthy fats. I totally eliminated foods that have empty calories and those that are filled with unhealthy fats, sugar and artificial ingredients.

This way of eating helped me lose weight quickly. It also provided my body with the right amount of fuel, nutrients and minerals it needs. It gave my body the perfect jump-start. It provided rapid weight loss at the start, so I had the incentive to keep going. It gave me a powerful mental boost.    

When I saw the numbers on the scale going down every single day, I got excited and wanted to stick with my method. Fast results kept me motivated. The more weight I lost, the more I realized how doable and relatively “easy” it was.

What does it feel like?

I feel great. Have lots of energy. I keep losing weight without exercise, calorie counting, and most importantly, without being hungry. I not only eat food that caused me to lose weight, but it is also healthy. My important health-related numbers (cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar) went down and are good now.

No single formula for weight loss can work perfectly for every person. But when you adopt a diet that consists primarily of fresh vegetables, fruits, lean protein and whole grains, you will be amazed how easily and “effortlessly” you will lose weight.

I have been eating this way for two years. Lost 91 pounds and managed to maintain it.

More at: ilostweightyoucantoo.com

Positive changes once a person experiences weight loss

There are a lot of positive changes once a person experiences weight loss. Having lost weight I have new level of energy. I lowered my cholesterol, and blood pressure. My blood pressure was lowered so much that I was able to discontinue blood pressure medication entirely. I was amazed a few changes could make.

Replacing soda with water helps control weight

Sugary drinks, like soda, don't produce the same satiety, or satisfied feeling, that eating solid food produces. People who cut back on sugary drinks can help control their weight. Replacing soda with plain water, as a part of your weight loss strategy, results in average weight losses of up to 15 pounds.

By the way, diet soda is not the way to go.

Diet soda will not help you lose weight. Diet soda is artificially blackened water mixed with synthetic chemicals. It is one of the biggest health scams. When we drink diets soda with sweet taste, our body expects calories to follow, and when this doesn't occur it leads to distortions in our biochemistry that may actually lead to weight gain.  

Why? Artificial sweeteners in diet soda can increase our appetite and stimulate fat storage.

5K Race for the Cure in New York

I ran in today’s Race for the Cure 5K in New York Central Park.

Over 20,000 participated in today’s event. Some ran, and some walked.

According to RunKeeper app, my time was 26:55 minutes and average pace was 8:27 min per mile.

Weather was nice, and it was a good run. Massive participation and support for the cause was impressive.  

I ran the same race a year ago. I remember it very well because it was my first official 5K race. My time was 32:22 and average pace 10:13 then.

Accountability is king! Master accountability.

Weight loss takes a lot of personal accountability. Accountability is always validated by documented evidence. What is means, in the world of losing weight, is that you must record what you do and your results.

Try this no-fail way to stay accountable – buy and use a scale. Invest in a digital scale and weight yourself on a scale daily. Your digital scale will be a top tool in losing weight. I use a digital scale that gives me an accurate readout to the nearest .2 pounds every time I step on it.

Weighting yourself every day will the focus on how quickly you are losing weight. When you see the numbers on the scale going down, you want to keep going. The act of succeeding on a daily basis will make you feel wonderful about yourself.

Those who weight themselves daily are more likely to lose weight and keep it off that those who inconsistently weight themselves.

Fat Brazilians?

Fat Brazilians? Research shows that the number of Brazilians suffering from obesity is growing.

And the trend toward the fuller figure is most prevalent among women.

Brazil is known as home of the perfect beach body - but in reality, 48% of the population is overweight and 16% obese.

Role of exercise in weight loss

Exercise is one of the healthiest things that you can do for yourself. While exercise is extremely important, it does not lead to significant weight loss on its own. Many people believe that weight loss without exercise is impossible and they expect a lot of weight loss from exercise alone. They formulated this opinion independently or were lead to believe, that the solution must be found in the gym.

I think it is important to have realistic expectations about what exercise can and cannot do for weight loss. Exercise alone as a weight loss method is particularly ineffective without paying attention to food intake. Individuals who think that they can lose weight simply by increasing their exercise program and not controlling their food intake are almost always embarking on a futile journey.
For people who are already overweight, even 60 minutes of physical activity each day may not be enough to halt weight gain.

It takes about an hour on the treadmill for a 170-pound man to burn off a donut or a medium bagel (without butter or cream cheese). Without making any dietary changes the same 170-pound man would have to walk additional 10 miles per day In order to lose 2 pounds per week. It would take this man more than five hours of active playing basketball to lose a pound. This is a lot of exercise and time.  

My view is that exercise is not an effective stand –alone weight loss solution. We cannot lose weight by exercise alone. I also believe that the most effective tool for successful weight loss is to change what we eat. The fact is, nothing causes us to lose weight and to burn fat faster than the foods we eat and don’t eat. Following a sensible eating plan and sticking to it matters most.


Aerobic exercise vs resistance training

Aerobic exercise burns more calories than resistance training but its impact on weight loss is minimal. Some find it hard to accept but exercise isn't necessarily helping us lose weight.

Resistance training is great for improving strength and increasing lean body mass. But if you are overweight, and you want to lose weight, you need to know that exercise has a disappointingly small effect on weight loss. Exercise is great for our physical health and state of mind, and aerobic exercise may be the better choice.

According to the study published in published in the August 25 issue of the American Journal of Physiology, running beats weight lifting for losing weight.

The researchers found that aerobic exercise burned 67 percent more calories than resistance training but the report did not did not mention that even if you exercised every day, in order to achieve any noticeable weight reduction, you would have to do it for hours each day.

The study at the Duke University Medical Center compared the effectiveness of aerobic exercise (such as jogging), resistance training (such as weight lifting), or a combination of the two activities.

Aerobic exercise significantly improved risk factors for heart disease and diabetes Resistance training didn't deliver these benefits. Aerobic exercise plus resistance training achieved results similar to aerobic exercise alone, the investigators found.

The role of exercise in weight loss has been wildly overstated. When it comes to shedding pounds, it is what and how much we eat that counts most. There are certain foods we should eat and certain ones we should avoid. If you we change what eat and how eat, we will be able to lose weight.

Physical activity (unless done vigorously like a professional athlete) is not a minor component to the economy of weight loss. Exercise is great for our physical health and overall wellbeing, but it has a small effect on weight loss. The critical component is what food we eat.

Why the weight loss industry has not worked for so many

A majority of adults in the United States are overweight or obese and millions of Americans are trying to lose weight. Did you ever think about why the weight loss industry has not worked for so many dieters?

We would all love a shortcut to weight loss, so we seize on one when it is offered to us and we spend lots of money each year on weight loss products and services. The diet and weight-loss industry is a multi-billion dollar industry.

There are people who stand to make a lot of money by confusing us about weight loss. They know that we are eager and desperate to lose weight. Their hopes of getting us to buy their diet foods and pills rest on convincing us that we will need experts and special help to achieve weight loss.

They are not interested in the delivery of permanent results. If they showed us how to lose weight and keep it off, we wouldn’t have to keep purchasing their products, attend their meetings, and buying their special foods. The industry is predominantly driven by profit and it is built on repeat business.

They thrive on our failure. They need us to keep coming back to them for business, keep spending money on their products, services and advertised “solutions."  It would be a very short-lived business if we all succeeded the first time. Their whole business model depends on our failure.

How did you do this summer?

Summer is when people gain the most weight and get out of shape. How did you do this summer?

It is never too late to become a better you

I am a living proof that it is possible to lose weight without exercise, no matter what your life, your current situation looks like.

The possibilities are within your control. I did it, naturally – you can, too! The process is simple and you can begin this very moment – right now.
I posted my strategies and what I do on a daily basis to share with you how I made my body transformation on the Eat like Me page.. http://www.ilostweightyoucantoo.com/eat_like_me.html

Just because you are struggling

Just because you are struggling does NOT mean you are failing. Every great success requires some kind of struggle to get there. Don't blame yourself if you aren't perfect. Accept that you made a poor choice, but don't let that poor choice influence the rest of your plan.



Two-thirds of us are either overweight or obese.

Two-thirds of us are either overweight or obese. The exact numbers are: 68.8% of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese; 35.7% are obese.

35.5% American women are overweight compared to 32.2% of American men.

According to the US Census Bureau, there were 308,745,538 of us in 2010.  That would mean 210 million Americans are overweight and 105 million are clinically obese.

At least 5 million people in the United States are 100 or more pounds overweight! Most of these people suffer in silent frustration. It doesn't have to be this way! 

Being overweight is not caused by how much we eat but what we eat. What makes us overweight is not that we eat so much more, but that we get our calories from refined carbs, fat, or mostly low-nutrient food.

As long as we are eating empty calories and fatty foods, it is difficult to lose weight healthfully.

 

Eating breakfast

I recently read a smart statement that:

“If eating breakfast works best for you, do it. If not eating breakfast works best for you, then do that. Simple as that. “

It got me thinking. While I agree that we should do what works for us, I also have a strong opinion about eating breakfast if one tries to lose weight.

I do eat breakfast every day. Breakfast helps me prevent hunger later on. I start my day off with a good breakfast. For me it means non-starchy vegetable, fresh low-sugar fruit, lean protein, whole grain bread, and healthy fats (I take Omega 3 supplement).  

This is my average day but I generally eat the same things  for breakfast from day to day:

blueberries, blackberries, or apple, 1 slice of dry, 100% whole-grain toasted bread with 1 slice of 99% fat free turkey breast, 1 fresh tomato, hot tea (no milk, no sugar). See picture above.

As you can see it is not a typical "breakfast foods". The protein consumption, when eaten as part of the daily first meal reduced my appetite throughout the day. I also believe that it jump-starts my metabolism and sets my body in the optimal fat-burning state.

It is very important for me to stick with protein breakfast option. Eating like this was initially a little challenging, but I got used to it. It has become a part of my eating strategy that caused me to lose 91 pounds without feeling hungry.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day: More than 10,000 successful dieters who have lost more than 30 pounds and kept it off for more than a year say that eating breakfast is a key part of their plan, according to the National Weight Control Registry.

The best breakfast is one that contains both protein and fiber to boost your energy levels and help you stay satiated throughout the day
 

Read interesting article on Yahoo

Read interesting article on Yahoo.

http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/diet-exercise-better-losing-weight-164900774.html

My comment:

I believe that the role of exercise in weight loss has been wildly overstated. Exercise isn't necessarily helping us lose weight and weight loss can be achieved without exercise. Understanding this fact will help many people who try to lose excess weight so they can concentrate their efforts on what really works (changing what and how we eat). I am a walking example.

What works for me

I am going to share what has been working for me.

While no single approach, formula, or plan for weight loss can work perfectly for every person. The eating method I describe below worked for me. I have lost weight almost effortlessly, and most importantly, have kept it off.

For two years I have been using this method and I lost weight, lowered my cholesterol, and lowered blood pressure. I lowered blood pressure so much that I was able to discontinue blood pressure medication entirely. I have new level of energy,

You may want to look at what worked for me and then adopt it to your unique circumstances, lifestyle, likes and dislikes.

I eat fresh non-starchy vegetables, fresh low-sugar fruits, lean protein (skinless grilled chicken breast or fish), whole grain bread, and healthy fats (daily Omega 3 supplement daily). I also take multivitamin supplement once a day. I drink hot tea (no milk, no sugar) three times a day and lots of water.

I generally eat the same things from day to day. Here is my “secret” that allowed me to lose weight without going hungry and with no exercise.

Breakfast

Blueberries, blackberries, or apple.
1* slice of dry, 100% whole-grain toasted bread with 2 slices of 99% fat free turkey breast.
1 fresh tomato
Hot tea (no milk, no sugar)
1 capsule of Omega 3

Lunch

Grilled skinless chicken breast, lots of romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and green or red paper. All vegetables fresh and uncooked. Once a week spinach.
Hot tea (no milk, no sugar)
Twice a week I have fish instead of chicken breast.

Dinner

Grilled skinless chicken breast, romaine lettuce, tomatoes. All vegetables fresh and uncooked.
Hot tea (no milk, no sugar)
Snack
Fresh apples (uncut)

More at: ilostweightyoucantoo.com

Many have not been successful

Overwhelmed by the amount of weight-loss information out there?

With so much conflicting weight-loss advice on the Internet to confuse out efforts, it is no wonder that many have not been successful losing weight and keeping it off.

Weight Loss Made Simple

To lose weight you need to reduce caloric intake.

Food is the component that largely determines whether we are gaining or losing weight. The key to losing weight is focusing on eating of the foods that promote weight loss.

My basic weight loss logic is: maximum nutrients – minimum calories. I eat a high volume of food, but consumed a low number of calories. Most people, including me, are satisfied by the amount (i.e. volume) food they eat rather than the calories in said food.

During the weight loss process it is necessary to consumer fewer calories than your body needs.

What works for me is supplying my body with all the nutrients it needs while consuming calories in a lower amount that my body requires. The goal is to leave your body deprived of some calories so that it will be forced to go into your fat stores and use some of that stored fat as an additional source of calories. Notice that I am talking about calories here – not nutrients. You never want to deprive your body of nutrients.

This kind of eating does not mean starving yourself.

Why

For some people weigh loss is extremely difficult to achieve. I have seen posts indicating desperation and emotional, as well as, physical suffering because of unwanted weight.

With those people in mind I decided to create a website and  Facebook page to share what worked for me. For those who tried almost everything, and still are not very successful, the approach that worked for me might present not only hope, but a real chance for weight loss.

It is a simple method and is easy (if you are determined) to implement. My method worked for me. I lost 91 pounds relatively easily and have no problem with maintaining it. I like the new me and would like to offer an opportunity to experience the same to anybody who is less lucky than me.

Losing weight fast

People who lose weight rapidly at the beginning are so motivated by their results, not only do they stick to the diet better, but more important, they keep the weight off longer.