Throw Away Your Bathroom Scale!

It may seem hard to believe that the bathroom scale can be your enemy in low-fat living but if you're accustomed to a morning weigh-in that leaves you feeling guilty, angry, discouraged or demoralized, then it's worse than your enemy - it's a skilled saboteur that stands ready to undercut your fat-fighting work.

Think about what happens when you step on that accusatory scale. Most of the time, it just delivers the bad news - that you haven't lost weight or, worse, you've gained weight. Sure, the numbers are accurate, but the tale they tell is not the whole story. Those numbers on your scale typically tell half-truths. Your scale may tell you that you've gained ten pounds, when in truth you may have lost 5 pounds of muscle and gained 15 pounds of fat. If that's happened, the scales give you the illusion that you're only 10 pounds overweight, when in fact you need to shake off 15 pounds of fat.

On the other hand, the news might be better than the scale says. If you've been on a low fat program, for instance, your scale may say you've lost only 7 pounds after three months. But in fact you may have gained 5 pounds of muscle and lost 12 pounds of fat, giving you a net improvement in body composition that's much more impressive than the scale is telling you. Or the scale may show you gaining weight when that weight is all muscle, which actually weighs more than fat. Not only are the scales indifferent to the balance between muscle and fat, they cannot distinguish between water weight and fat weight, either. An added pound or two may be just water and may vanish in, a day or so.

Among the reported 70 percent of all dieters who regularly weigh themselves, most forget that their body weight reflects an intricate combination of water, muscle, fat, bone and related tissues. The balance among those factors can vary from hour to hour, day to day, even when there's no fat loss occurring. What this means, then, is that there's no reason to weigh yourself every day, or even every week. When you're on the track with low fat living, in fact, you may actually gain weight (as measured by the scale) while losing fat, changing body pro- portions, getting healthier and increasing your energy.

If you're a stickler for mathematical progress checks, there's still some measuring you can do if you want to, and it's far more useful than referring to the scale. Measure your waist, hips, thighs and arms; they'll all start to change as you lose excess fat. Then check these measurements every month or two for a simple indication of your progress. The fit of your clothing is another valid sign of improvement. You may want to try on a tight pair of jeans now, then put them away for future comparison.

In a nutshell, just keep the bathroom scale out of sight and out of reach. You have enough stress in your daily life without a morning dose of guilt, doubt and Monday-morning quarterbacking.

Time To Take Control Over Those Food Cravings

One of my greatest problems with the control of my weight is the fact that so much self disipline is needed to achieve any tangible results. Ah, but I hear you saying, "Whats new about that" We all have that problem! Tell us something new!

Well yes we do all know that that is the biggest problem is it not. Lets face it, eating is one of life's greatest pleasures, and we would be pretty abnormal if this was otherwise.

After all, most of us are "regular" people. How many of us stick to the perfect diet all the time, we all have our struggles with food to a greater or lesser extent. If we can recognize an awareness of this problem, and also make a point of knowing a little bit about our health, and also proper food nutrition, we are then much more likely to make wiser decisions about our choices of food.

Many people struggle with food "cravings," and reasearch tells us that it is fairly common for food "cravings" to occur at certain times, quite often around bedtime. Your guard may be down, or you may have had an unusually hard day, and off you go on your not-so-merry way, intent on finding that tasty treat. Fatigue and stress often combine to take their toll on the best of intentions, so please don't worry about it, rest assured you are not alone.

When food "cravings" are out of control, what started out as a bedtime snack, quickly turns into a full blown feeding frenzy...not something most of us fully understand or appreciate. We head to the kitchen and every other possible place where food can hide, quickly clearing a path as we go.
Most food cravings are not about satisfying a nutritional need or imbalance. They seem to be more emotionally related, or God forbid, are caused by plain old gluttony. Exactly why we over-indulge is not completely understood, however our knowledge about this subject continues to grow.

These Are Some Of My Thoughts On How To Control Food Cravings.

If the food isn't available, you can't eat it. Empty the cookie jar and keep it that way! Keep healthy food choices on-hand.

It is important to recognize the feelings and emotions that will lead to a food craving. Do you have food cravings when you’re bored, or maybe you are feeling lonely, or is it stress that is the trigger. If you can identify the trigger which leads to that craving, then you are half way to winning the battle, because you will be able to deal with the emotion that is making you desire a certain food.

Sometimes, even recognizing that a craving is about to happen doesn't seem to help, but please do not give yourself a hard time about it, what is done is done, do not feel guilty because after all there is always tomorrow. Why not call one of your friends and share how you were feeling at that time, because it is a very good idea to make good use of your support network.

Self-control and discipline by themselves will not cut it! If you depend totally on yourself for control, you will fail. Forming caring and supportive relationships is really essential, so if you do not currently have a support network, start building one TODAY.

Get enough sleep. When you are feeling really tired, you are more likely to crave things, and with me personally, it is usually chocolate, possibly you are the same.

Never give up. When you go off the rails, do not despair, get a grip, do whatever is necessary to re-gain control, because you really must get that control back. Try to practice restraint most of the time, but do not get obsessed and un-balanced in your weight loss approach. Think moderation and not total abstinence at all times!

Exercise. This will increase the feel good endorphins that will help cut down on your cravings. Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. I hear so many people say that they just cannot fit in any excerise, believe me you can, we are talking about 30 minutes here, at the worst, it will mean you will have to get out of bed that bit earlier.

An early morning brisk walk will do wonders for the spirit and the soul, and will help set you up for the rest of the day!

Use moderation. Instead of stuffing yourself with every kind of food hoping that your cravings will disappear, eat 100 to 200 calories of whatever it is that you happen to be craving for at at that particular moment in time, but you must stop it at that!

Substitute with low-fat foods and complex carbs. If you’re hungry for chocolate, eat non-fat chocolate yogurt or mousse, or try fig bars or raisins for a sweet craving instead. You will be amazed at how this will help.

You must try and never skip a meal. It is much wiser to eat something if even only an apple, every three to five hours. Try six smaller meals, or regular meals with nutritious snacks in between.

Try and remember that hunger cravings are very frequently stress related. Practice other ways to cope with stress, a walk in the park for example, spiritual connections, a cozy fireplace, or even take a bath. You see, all of these stimulate neurochemicals that activate regions of the brain which increases a feeling of well being. Relaxation techniques really can be beneficial in reducing the levels of stress which you may be experiencing.

So the bottom line is to try and substitute pleasurable experiences for comfort foods.

Beware of certain medications which can stimulate your appetite. Certain drugs which are used for the treatment of depression and bipolar disorder can be appetite stimulants. Other drugs, both prescription and over the counter, may influence appetite as well. If you are on a medication and troubled by food cravings, discuss this with your doctor or pharmacist. You may well be able to find an alternative that doesn't send your food cravings out of control.

Distract yourself. What's that old expression...idle hands are the devils workshop, so get busy! Do anything other than give in to your desire for food, and keep doing it until the cravings subside.

One final thought for you. Take a look inside your refrigerator and kitchen cabinets and do some general "house cleaning." Throw-out all that unhealthy stuff that is waiting to sabotage your diet, and start shopping more wisely. A little forethought and careful planning will go a long way for improving your chances of success.

One of my golden rules is that I NEVER go shopping when I am hungry! Absolutely fatal!

So to conclude, remember that control is the key, eat healthily and in moderation at all times, but do not forget that at the end of the day you are only human. If you do give in to temptation, don't beat yourself up about it, tomorrow is another day, live long, enjoy your life, and most of all be happy!

Tips For Healthy Eating During The Holiday Season

The time from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day has to be the hardest few weeks to stick to a healthy eating lifestyle or any diet for that matter. We are constantly tempted by sweats, treats and just way to much food in general. I would like to share a few tips with you that have helped me in the past to stay on track between now and the end of the year.

1) Make sure you eat before you go to any holiday gathering. You know you will be tempted by all sorts of unhealthy but yummy foods. Make sure you don’t go overboard by eating something that is good for you before you go. Try to make sure you are not hungry when you arrive, or you will be much more tempted to overeat as well.

2) Drink some water before you go and alternate higher calorie drinks like alcoholic beverages, eggnog or hot chocolate with water while you are at the holiday party. Drinks can have a lot of hidden calories in them, so watch out. Diet sodas are another good option.

3) Fill you plate with some “good “ foods first. Pick some raw vegetables, but go easy on the dip. Turkey breast, and lean ham or pork roast are other good choices. Don’t forget a nice plate of salad with a low fat dressing and some fresh fruit for dessert.

4) Don’t cut your favorite holiday treats completely out. If you don’t allow yourself the occasional small indulgence, you will be much more likely to break down and binge on all those cookies and treats. The key is to enjoy small portions or bites of your favorite foods. If you have a soft side for chocolate chip cookies then go ahead and indulge, but limit yourself to one a day or every few days. Of course the same applies if you prefer cheesecake or gingerbread men.
Eat several small meals a day. This old tip holds especially true during the holiday season. We tend to skip meals and indulge in one large holiday dinner with the entire family. Don’t starve yourself all day. Get some snacks in and most importantly start your day with a good, healthy breakfast. You will be able to enjoy your holiday more by stabilizing your blood sugar. You don't want to spend the day being grumpy from not eating for hours, or be the first ready for a nap after overeating.

5) Use the busy shopping season and burn some extra calories. If you are heading to the mall, park a little further away, or take your time and do a round of window shopping all through the mall before you buy. Every few extra steps that you take count. Just don’t reward yourself afterwards with food. For extra motivation to get more walking in, consider wearing a pedometer. See http://www.walkingofftheweight.com for more information on walking and using a pedometer.

6) Take some time to relax. The holidays can be a very stressful season if we let them. Many of us (including myself) tend to overeat or medicate ourselves with food when we are stressed. Work in some extra time just for you. Sit in front of the fire with a good book or your favorite magazine, go get your nails done, take a bath or go for a walk. Do whatever works for you to calm you down and help you distress.

Above all, enjoy the holidays and remember they are not only about food, but more importantly about family spending quality time together. Treat yourself to some new holiday candles, listen to your favorite Christmas tunes, or go for a drive through a lit up neighborhood this year. Have fun during this special time of the year and enjoy that occasional cookie.

Happy Holidays!