The Positive Weight Loss Approach

Once you have made up your mind to lose weight, you should make that commitment and go into it with a positive attitude. We all know that losing weight can be quite a challenge. In fact, for some, it can be downright tough. It takes time, practice and support to change lifetime habits. But it's a process you must learn in order to succeed. You and you alone are the one who has the power to lose unwanted pounds.

Think like a winner, and not a loser - - remember that emotions are like muscles and the ones you use most grow the strongest. If you always look at the negative side of things, you'll become a downbeat, pessimistic person. Even slightly negative thoughts have a greater impact on you and last longer than powerful positive thoughts.

Negative thinking doesn't do you any good, it just holds you back from accomplishing the things you want to do. When a negative thought creeps into your mind, replace it reminding yourself that you're somebody, you have self-worth and you possess unique strengths and talents.Contemplate what lies ahead of you. Losing weight is not just about diets. It's about a whole new you and the possibility of creating a new life for yourself. Investigate the weight loss programs that appeal to you and that you feel will teach you the behavioral skills you need to stick with throughout the weight-loss process. First you should look for support among family and friends. It can be an enormous help to discuss obstacles and share skills and tactics with others on the same path. You might look for this support from others you know who are in weight loss programs and you can seek guidance from someone you know who has lost weight and kept it off. .

There are success stories across the country today. On television and in newspapers, magazines and tabloids about people who have miraculously lost untold pounds and kept it off. In all instances they say their mental attitude as well as their outlook on life has totally changed.

Diets and weight loss programs are more flexible now than they once were and there are many prepared foods already portioned out. They are made attractive and can be prepared in a matter of minutes. Low-fat and low-calorie foods are on shelves everywhere.

You will probably need to learn new, wiser eating skills. You will want a weight loss regimen that gives you some control, rather than imposing one rigid system. Look for one that offers a variety of different eating plans, so you can choose the one that's best for you.

Keep in mind, too, that your weight loss program will most likely include some physical exercises. Look at the exercising aspect of your program as fun and recreation and not as a form of grueling and sweaty work. The fact is that physical fitness is linked inseparable to all personal effectiveness in every field. Anyone willing to take the few simple steps that lie between them and fitness will shortly begin to feel better, and the improvement will reflect itself in every facet of their existence

Doctors now say that walking is one of the best exercises. It helps the total circulation of blood throughout the body, and thus has a direct effect on your overall feeling of health. There are things such as aerobics, jogging, swimming and many other exercises which will benefit a weight loss program. Discuss the options with your doctor and take his advice in planning your exercise and weight loss program.

Live a Longer and Healthier Life

You should balance your activities with the proper amount of rest. Some of the leading experts in the field of aging now believe that regular exercise along with the proper amount of rest may actually add years to the life span. Results from a number of tests indicate that speed and muscular strength of many of the elderly can be extended.

Leading authorities agree that this new data is going to shatter many of the myths about aging and physical performance. The conclusion now is that the performance and ability of the elderly has long been underestimated, diet, proper sleep and exercise along with rest and relaxation are all important factors in preserving our bodies.

Laughter is one of the best things for your mental and physical state. People are naturally attracted to someone who has a good sense of humor. You can develop a good outlook and a good sense of humor by associating with and surrounding yourself with pleasant happy people.

Recognize that stress is a killer. A life filled with stress can really wreak havoc on your body causing a number of illnesses such as heart attacks, strokes, asthma, gastric problems, menstrual disorders, ulcerative colitis, angina, irritable colon, increased blood pressure, ulcers, headaches, etc.

There are different types of stress such as mental, emotional and physical. Emotional stress seems to take the greatest toll on everyone. All stress is not bad; in fact, life would not be very interesting if it were not met with challenges. However, too much stress, too often with no effective and appropriate outlet, does not allow the body and soul to recuperate. You might review a typical week to see if you can identify things that might be making you anxious or causing you stress. Once identified, stressors can be attacked and eliminated.

Are you a worrier? Chronic worriers don't have more serious problems than others - they just think they do. Many worriers try to cope by trying not to think about their problems, but this just makes things worse. Doctors say that chronic worriers feel less anxious if they actually spend a half-hour a day thinking specifically about their problems.

Get plenty of exercise. People who are physically fit look good and feel good. A good exercise regimen will lengthen your life. Improve your appearance, build self confidence and help delay the aging process.

Remember that you need to do something physical every day. If you don't use your joints, quite simply they'll tighten up with age to create the stooped, bent and worn out appearance we so often associate with old age. Studies have shown that people with arthritis experience less pain if they continue to keep their joints flexible. As one gets older, the bones tend to get brittle which is why it is common for senior citizens to break bones and especially their hips when they fall.

Eating right, getting proper sleep and learning to relax are all very valuable in maintaining a healthy body and mind. And keep in mind that eating healthy foods and avoiding those high in fats, sodium and cholesterol will help to decrease your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and associated problems.

Submitted by Tony Dole

Why Most People Fail At Losing Weight

Why do so many people fail at losing weight? Is it because they are lazy? No. Is it because they are addicted to food? No. Is it because they aren’t good at exercising? No. Failure at weight loss stems from a few main factors: People don't truly understand the risks of being overweight. Why do most want to lose weight? Most would say to look better. Looking better certainly is a benefit of losing weight, but this shouldn’t be the sole reason to lose weight. There is a 1000 pound gorilla in the room and it’s often ignored. Being overweight for a long period of time kills thousands of people each year. Thousands of studies have shown and proven without any doubt that losing body fat will improve and lengthen your life. Knowing the dangers of being overweight is a tremendous motivator to not only lose fat, but to keep it off. People don't commit to permanent lifestyle changes. So many people think of a "diet" as something temporary. When they are on a "diet" they restrict themselves so much that they are miserable. Sooner or later failure is inevitable because of the unreasonable demands of most "diets." Some of these diets force you to only eat certain foods (e.g., no carbs, special soups etc…) You, like myself, have probably tried them before. The key to losing weight long term is to make gradual lifestyle changes you can stick to forever. Most individuals are not provided the truthful facts of losing weight and becoming healthier. With the conflicting information in the media, and all of the different lose weight quick fad diets, it’s understandable why so many people really don’t know the truth about losing fat and keeping it off long term. Most people don't understand they are constantly either gaining fat, or losing fat. There is no in-between. Some people justify binging or giving up because they hit a small road-block. This isn’t an all or nothing game. For example, when I was overweight, if I ate an unhealthy lunch, I’d go ahead and eat an unhealthy dinner since I already "messed up" the day. Or I’d say, I’ll start eating healthy on Monday since I’ve already eaten poorly this weekend. Every person at times eats too much. The successful people will not let a road bump completely derail their entire lifestyle change. If you are not implementing positive lifestyle changes and losing weight, you are gaining weight. Again, there is no "in-between." Most people don't realize what they consume each day. So many overweight people eat thousands of extra calories and fat without realizing it. It’s tough to know if you are gaining weight or losing weight each day unless you are keeping an eye on what you’re consuming. This article was written by Mandy, the creator of FreeWeightloss.com, and the author of theUltimate Weight Loss eBook.

100 Painless Ways to Cut 100 or More Calories

"Losing weight can be as simple as cutting out a meatball here and an egg roll there." ~~Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.

REACHING YOUR FAT-LOSS GOALS may be easier than you think. To lose a pound of fat a month, all you need to do is cut 100 calories a day from your diet, assuming the intake and expenditure of all other calories remains the same. That's because a pound of body fat is equivalent to about 3,500 calories. So if you cut 100 calories a day for 31 days, you're cutting 3,100 calories--or about a pound.

Wait...a pound a month? Isn't that a little slow? Well, mounds of research indicate that you're more likely to keep weight off if you lose it slowly. Besides, losing a pound a month doesn't require drastic changes in your eating habits. It can be as simple as eating two egg rolls with your Chinese stir-fry instead of three. Here are 100 painless ways to cut 100 or more calories a day. As a bonus, they all reduce fat or sugar, which means, calorie for calorie, you're getting more vitamins and minerals.

• Spread 1 tablespoon of all-fruit jam on your toast rather than 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter.
• Replace 1 cup of whole milk with 1/2 cup of nonfat milk.
• Eat 2 poached eggs instead of 2 fried eggs.
• Replace 1/2 cup of granola with 2 cups of Cheerios.
• Instead of using whole milk and eggs to prepare 2 slices of French toast, use nonfat milk and egg whites.
• Snack on an orange and a banana instead of a Snickers candy bar.
• Munch on 35 pretzel sticks instead of 1 ounce of dry-roasted peanuts.
• Replace 1 cup of sweetened applesauce with 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce.
• On your lamb-and-vegetable kabob, replace 2 of the 4 chunks of meat with fresh whole mushrooms.
• Dip an artichoke in 1 tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise instead of 1 1/2 tablespoons of regular mayonnaise.
• Steam your asparagus rather than sauté it in 1 tablespoon of butter or oil.
• Instead of a 5-ounce glass of wine, opt for cherry-flavored sparkling water.
• For a chewy snack, have 1/2 cup of dried fruit rather than 9 caramels.
• Replace 3 slices of bacon with 3 slices of Light & Lean Canadian bacon.
• Eat a Lender's egg bagel instead of a Sara Lee egg bagel.
• Select 1 cup of home-style baked beans instead of an equal serving of baked beans with franks.
• Replace 2 biscuits with 2 dinner rolls.
• When making a sandwich, use 2 slices of Roman Light 7-grain bread instead of Pepperidge Farm wheat bread.
• Eat 1/2 cup of steamed fresh broccoli instead of 1/2 cup of frozen broccoli in cheese sauce.
• Make a burrito with 1/2 cup of fat-free refried beans and 1 ounce of nonfat cheese instead of the same amount of traditional refried beans and cheese.
• Replace an apple muffin with a high-fiber English muffin.
• Reduce a typical serving of chocolate cake (1/8 of a two-layer cake) by one-third.
• Switch from 1 cup of whole-milk hot chocolate to 1 cup of steamed 1% milk flavored with a dash of almond extract.
• Replace 1 cup of caramel-coated popcorn with 2 1/2 cups of air-popped popcorn.
• Switch from 1/2 cup of yogurt-covered raisins to 1/2 cup of plain raisins.
• Snack on 1 cup of nonfat plain yogurt instead of 1 cup of custard-style yogurt.
• Top your celery sticks with 2 tablespoons of fat-free cream cheese instead of 3 tablespoons of regular cream cheese.
• Replace 2 fried-chicken drumsticks with 2 roasted drumsticks and a cup of peas and carrots.
• Instead of eating 5 chocolate-chip cookies, savor the taste of 2.
• Lighten your 2 cups of coffee with 2 tablespoons of evaporated nonfat milk instead of 2 tablespoons of half-and-half.
• Replace a 12-ounce can of cola with a 12-ounce can of diet cola.
• Thicken your cream sauce with 1 percent milk and corn starch instead of a roux of butter and flour.
• At the appetizer tray, choose 4 fresh raw mushrooms instead of 4 batter-fried mushrooms.
• Use 2 tablespoons of fat-free sour cream instead of regular sour cream (on baked potatoes or in stroganoff). If done twice in the day, 100 calories will be cut.
• Reduce the size of your steak from 4 1/2 ounces to 3 ounces.
• Grill a cheese sandwich with nonstick cooking spray instead of margarine.
• Replace 1 cup of chocolate ice cream with 2/3 cup of nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt.
• Snack on 2 ounces of oven-baked potato chips instead of regular potato chips.
• Instead of topping your salad with an ounce of croutons, get your crunch from 1/4 cup of chopped celery.
• Instead of 1 cup of macaroni salad, eat 3 1/2 cups of spinach salad with 2 tablespoons of low-calorie dressing.
• Cut the peanut butter on your sandwich from 2 tablespoons to 1 tablespoon.
• Serve your turkey with 1/4 cup of cranberry sauce instead of 1/2 cup.
• Order a sandwich on cracked wheat bread instead of a croissant.
• Complement your hamburger with 1 1/4 ounces of oven-baked tortilla chips instead of a side of fries.
• Split an apple Danish with a friend rather than eat the entire thing.
• Order 2 slices of cheese pizza instead of 2 slices of pepperoni pizza.
• Grab a Dole Fresh Lites Cherry frozen fruit bar instead of a Sunkist Coconut frozen fruit bar.
• Snack on 1/2 cup of fruit cocktail canned in water instead of 1 cup of fruit cocktail canned in heavy syrup.
• Switch from 1 cup of fruit punch to 1 cup of sparkling water flavored with 2 teaspoons of concentrated orange juice.
• Instead of eating garlic bread made with butter, spread baked garlic cloves on French bread.
• Rather than snack on 1 cup of grapefruit canned in syrup, peel and section 1 small grapefruit.
• Dip your chips in 1/2 cup of salsa instead of 1/2 cup of guacamole.
• Switch from 1/2 cup of Frusen Gladje butter pecan ice cream to Breyers butter pecan ice cream.
• Use 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise in your tuna salad instead of 2 tablespoons.
• Hold the tartar sauce on your fish sandwich, and squeeze lemon on it instead.
• Replace 3 fish sticks with 3 ounces of grilled halibut.
• In sandwich spreads or salads, use 3 teaspoons of dijonnaise instead of 4 teaspoons of mayonnaise.
• Use 2 tablespoons of light pancake syrup instead of 2 tablespoons of regular syrup.
• Top your pasta with 1 cup of marinara sauce instead of 1/2 cup of alfredo sauce.
• For each serving of pasta salad you make, reduce the oil or mayonnaise by 1 tablespoon.
• Replace 1/2 cup of peaches canned in extra-heavy syrup with 1/2 cup of peaches canned in water.
• Prepare 1/2 cup of steamed peas and cauliflower instead of frozen peas and cauliflower in cream sauce.
• Cut back on sampling during cooking. The following "tastes" have 100 calories: 4 tablespoons of beef stroganoff, 3 tablespoons of homemade chocolate pudding, 2 tablespoons of chocolate-chip cookie dough.
• At an Italian restaurant, snack on a large breadstick instead of a slice of garlic bread.
• Eat a 3/4-cup serving of pudding made with skim milk rather than a 1-cup serving of pudding made with whole milk.
• Choose 1/2 cup of brown rice instead of 1 serving of frozen rice pilaf with green beans or 1 serving of frozen Oriental rice and vegetables.
• Compliment your sandwich with 3/4 cup of split-pea soup instead of 1 cup of chunky bean and ham soup.
• Replace 3 tablespoons of strawberry topping on your ice cream with 3/4 pint of fresh strawberries.
• Pass on the second helping of mashed potatoes.
• Eat 3 grilled prawns with cocktail sauce instead of 3 breaded and fried prawns.
• Make a pie crust with 1 cup of Grape-Nuts cereal, 1/4 cup of concentrated apple juice and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, instead of using a traditional graham-cracker crust. You'll save 100 calories per slice.
• Replace 8 sticks of regular chewing gum with sugar-free chewing gum.
• Snack on a papaya instead of a bag of M&Ms.
• Substitute 3 ounces of scallops for 3 ounce of lean beef in your stir-fry.
• Rather than spread 4 tablespoons of cream cheese on two slices of raisin bread, dip the bread in 1/2 cup nonfat apple-cinnamon yogurt.
• Munch on 1 cup of frozen grapes instead of an ice cream sandwich.
• Rather than drink a strawberry milkshake, make a smoothie of 2/3 cup of low-fat milk, 1/2 cup of strawberries and 1/2 a banana.
• Replace 2 brownies with 2 fig bars.
• Eat 2 meatballs instead of 4 with your spaghetti.
• On a hot day, quench your thirst with a glass of ice water with lemon or mint instead of a can of light beer.
• Eat 1/2 cup of black beans instead of 3 ounces of roast beef.
• Replace 1 1/2 tablespoons of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spread with 1 1/2 tablespoons of Nucoa Smart Beat margarine.
• Choose 1 serving of vegetarian lasagna instead of lasagna with meat.
• Eat 2 Kellogg's Nutri-Grain bars instead of 2 Kellogg's Pop-Tarts.
• Drizzle 3 tablespoons of low-calorie French dressing on your salad instead of 2 tablespoons of blue cheese dressing.
• Replace 1 large flour tortilla with 1 six-inch corn tortilla.
• Eat a turkey sandwich instead of a chicken salad sandwich.
• Choose 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in water instead of 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in oil.
• At Burger King, have a Whopper Jr. Sandwich with regular fries instead of a Whopper With Cheese Sandwich.
• Order your Quarter Pounder without cheese.
• At Jack in the Box, eat a regular taco instead of a super taco.
• Fix 1 cup of turkey chili with beans rather than regular chili with no beans.
• Use 1 cup of fat-free cottage cheese instead of regular cottage cheese.
• Order a sandwich with barbecued chicken instead of barbecued pork.
• Replace 1 cup of corn with 1 cup of carrots
• Reduce your helping of turkey stuffing from 1 cup to 2/3 cup.
• Have a single scoop of ice cream instead of a double scoop.
• Replace 2 ounces of corn chips with 2 ounces of SnackWell's wheat crackers.
• Eat 1 hot dog at the baseball game instead of 2.
• Shred 2 ounces of fat-free cheddar cheese on nachos instead of regular cheddar.
  
  Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., is a nutritionist in private practice and editor of the Nutrition Report. Her latest book is Nutrition for Women: The Complete Guide (New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1993).
Submitted by Linda Roxbury.

Natural Ways To Lower Your Blood Sugar

The body does much better eating smaller amounts of food, more often throughout the day. It's easier on the intestines, the pancreas, and the digestive enzymes.

Depending on your caloric intake you could eat 4-6 meals, of 400-600 calories each. Eat at least every four hours.

Also increase your water. Being chronically dehydrated is hard on the blood, the carrier of not only the blood sugar but also insulin itself.

The Truth About Belly Fat

Belly fat – we all want less of it. But did you know that it may even be a problem for thin people, though they don't know it? And that some of it hides deep inside, around your inner organs, where it may pose a silent health threat if there's too much of it -- no matter what size you wear?
It's true: There's more to belly fat than your size.
Where did it come from? What's it doing to you? And what can you do about it?
Before you go any further, this is not about fat phobia. Your body needs some fat. And it's not about judging yourself or anyone else.
Instead, it's about geography -- where your fat is located -- even if you can't see it.