To lose weight, be in control of food (1 of 2)

Good morning everybody.  Almost all of us were aiming to lose weight and get sexy especially to women.  The tendency of us when we are doing nothing is that we tend to eat.  Maybe not a hard food.  Some are eating while they are reading books, some are eating while they are watching  TV, some are eating while they are playing games in the computer.  We love to eat.  But all of us should be aware and should always be in control when eating, especially those fatty foods. 

Before you start reading a diet book, apply weight loss approaches which have been successful for many people.   There are many books on weight loss that can teach you how to control your food eating.  There is this Bob Greene’s approach in his book “The Best Life Diet”.  It is easier to follow since it gives more time to gradually adjust to your new lifestyle. This is applicable to busy people who might not commit to a gym schedule or structured diet right away. 

In Phase One, focus on eating breakfast, avoiding extra snacks and not eating two hours before you sleep and increasing daily physical activities like walking. This is more double than limiting the amount of food intake right away. Once you get used to your new habits, move on to Phase Two which encourages you to exercise more and eliminate at least six problem foods like pastries, fries and sodas. Phase Three is about developing weight loss skills. Recipes and sample plans are presented but the focus is still on moderation.

Reference:  Mitch Felipe  ( E-mail the author at mitchfelipe@gmail.com

(End of Part 1)

Losing weight is a life-long effort (2 of 2)

Good morning friends.  This is the second part of the article.  Hope you are following.  Let me continue now …

More than burning calories

Effective weight loss is more than knowing how to burn and how to count calories.  There are a lot of people who have memorized calorie counts of foods and have bought all the necessary exercise gadgets to monitor calories and exercise performance, but still find it hard to maintain weight.

If you still have unresolved personal issues which might trigger overeating, then there’s a greater chance that you can break your diet plans or discontinue your exercise program because you are not prepared for such circumstances.

Identify the triggers for over-eating or lack of exercise. Write a journal of your food intake, physical activities and even sleep. At the end of the day or week, analyze why you did not follow your food plan. It might be due to stress from work, conflict with your husband or low self-esteem.

The best weight-loss strategy is usually the cheapest one.  Resorting to surgery, liposuction and diet pills can surely make you lose weight, but the real issue is maintaining your weight-loss results long term.  Try not to attribute real weight-loss success to unnatural strategies because the worst thing that can happen is you will be dependent on those.

You are the best person to end your weight loss problems. If you believe that you can lose weight through attitude and behavior change, then you’ve already taken the initial step to long-term weight management. – Mitch Felipe

Losing Weight is a Life-long Effort (1 of 2)

Good morning friends.  Are you fat?  Many of us were having a hard time to exercise daily, eat small amount of food, and take some diet pills.  But we all know that this is one of the factors to lose weight.  With reference to Mitch Felipe of Philippine Daily Inquirer and as many says that losing weight is a lifelong effort.  I want to share it with you and you can get some good tips how to lose weight.  We have to be patient if we want to look healthy and sexy.  It’s not easy but if you have belief that you can do it well, nothing is hard.

If you want to lose weight, then “to lose weight” should not be your goal.  Weight loss should be a lifestyle change which is the foundation of long-term weight control.   Being motivated is not enough to succeed in your weight-loss attempts. You should be ready to modify some aspects of your life. Even if you can lose weight at the start by exercising more and eating less, but you still go out late at night to drink with your friends, you will have a hard time losing weight consistently and maintaining your weight due to lack of sleep and extra calories from drinking and extra foods at night.

Why do a lot of dieters believe that weight management has an end? May be because they are tired of thinking and doing something about their weight all their lives and they want to put in mind that once they reach their goals, their problems will just come to an end.

Gina Kolata, author of the book “Rethinking Thin,” concludes in her book, which is about a two-year weight-loss study, that no matter what the diet is and how much effort is exerted for weight loss, most people will not be able to lose their desired weight.

The book implies that losing weight is a lifelong effort and the most important things to consider during the weight-loss process should not only be weight changes, but lessons learned like food control, feeling good about oneself and lifestyle change. – Mitch Felipe

Walk it off!

Good morning friends.  Did you know that a few minutes of walk every day is good for the health?  Maybe some of you think that it will not affect the health for just few minute walking.  Wrong!  Going to gym is not only the solution to make our health good.  Walking is one … 

If you spend some time walking every day, here’s some good news for you. People who walk regularly are known to suffer lesser from ailments such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and several other diseases. Don’t walk as much as you’d like to make an extra effort to include it in your daily regimen and you’ll notice the difference it makes to your life almost immediately. Not only is walking cheap (all you have to invest in are a pair of comfortable sneakers and track pants), there are several benefits to it as well…

Walking is greatly recommended for people in their 50s and 60s because it decreases the risk of heart-related diseases and strokes.

Regular walking not only reduces cholesterol and lowers blood pressure, but also increases bone density and helps prevent osteoporosis especially in women.

People who walk and exercise on a daily basis are known to suffer lesser from depression and anxiety as it improves self-esteem and is an instant mood enhancer.

Haven’t been sleeping that well lately? Walk a few minutes every day and notice that you sleep better.

Want to lose weight? Walk. Experts say that nothing helps you lose weight in an effective way than a daily walk. Start with a few minutes and gradually build up your stamina.

Walking reduces the risk of colon cancer as well as cardiovascular diseases.

It is better than running since you go a little easier on your joints, you don’t wear down your joints or muscles.  – The Times of India

Prevention through the ages (2 of 2)

Your 40s

You could be losing one percent of bone from your spine every year during this decade.  That’s why you need to be especially diligent.

Diet/Fitness  In addition to keeping up the calcium (still 1,000 mg), you should add weight training to your workouts, to help strengthen muscles around your bones.

Doctor visit  If you experience early menopause, get a bone-density test; you’re greater risk for osteoporosis than if you go through menopause at the average age (51).

Your 50s and beyond

Bone loss accelerates at menopause;  you can lose up to 20 percent of bone density in the first 5 to 7 years.

Diet/Fitness Your calcium requirements go up to 1,200 mg; add another serving of calcium-rich foods or an additional supplement.  If you  didn’t start weight training earlier, now’s the time.  Lifting even light weights will make you stronger and protected you against falls, a serious threat as you get older and sustain fractures more easily.

Doctor visit  Find out where you stand.  Ask about a bone-density test;  if your mineral stores are low, your doctor may suggest hormone-replacement therapy (estrogen) or raloxifene (brand name: Evista).  These can cut the risk of a fracture by 39 to 50 percent.  Other drugs that can help: alendronate sodium (Fosamax) and risedronate sodium (Actonel), which help build new bone. – Sally Katigbak