Can you really change your life?

For many people the New Year means a fresh start, and another New Year’s resolution. And while making the resolution to lose weight is easy, keeping it, can be a challenge.

It's easier to stay motivated and stick to your New Year's resolution when you see your progress. Weigh yourself every day to stay motivated.

It is critical to know what truly motivates you to lose the weight. Keeping in your mind a concrete reason will have a tremendous impact as you proceed with your weight loss efforts.

Your desire to change must be greater than your desire to stay the same. When you are convinced that losing weight is more important than what you are giving up, then you are ready for action and you will likely succeed.

Motivate yourself daily. Focus on the reasons why you must lose weight every day. Is it health, or is it fear? Some people, me included, require fear.

One way to stay motivated is to imagine what you will lose if you do not reach your goal.
Plan ahead. Plan a healthy menu and write a shopping list to take to the store. It’s easier to stick to your nutrition goals when you have a list while shopping.

Losing weight is a commitment to behavioral changes. A number of behavioral and eating strategies that have worked for me may also work for you. [more]

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.