Roadblocks That Sabotage Weight Loss

by | Apr 15, 2013 | General Health, Weight Loss | 0 comments

Overweight Woman Sitting on Exercise Ball

In the book “How to Lose Weight By Exercising the Power of Your Mind” I go through a number of reasons why we sometimes don’t reach our weight loss goals. Quite often the problem starts because although we might be keen on getting a new body and do many things in order for that to happen it’s rare for most people to actually make the mental changes that they need to in order to guarantee the physical success.

Strange as it may seem although we might try to blame our genes, our parents, our grandparents or whoever it is that we try and throw our responsibility on to the shoulders of, the simple fact is success or failure is quite often determined by a muscle that most of us forget to use when we’re trying to do anything life changing like losing a huge amount of weight.

The muscle I’m talking about is of course the mental muscle, the one between our ears. The first thing that we need is a good enough reason WHY. In fact, the more powerful the reason why we have that we want to get fit and get our physical selves in order, the greater the likelihood of success we will have.

Part of that is not being able to picture ourselves the way we want to be. We might have a mental idea of being 50 lbs lighter but the image that we imagine is still the person that we see in the mirror today.

One thing that can help is getting out some old pictures of yourself when you were hopefully that little bit thinner as well as being that little bit younger. Now I appreciate for some people that might mean having to go back a long way but although the person you are looking at may not seem to be  the real you, there’s enough of the real you within those old photographs for  the present, current you to latch on to and say “Yes I can get back there. I can get back to that place where I once was.” and the more pictures that you can find of yourself the way you want to be, the greater reminders and incentive that you’ll give your mind and it’s perfectly true the more we think about something, the more likely we are to achieve it.

Some people use what’s called a picture board where they gather together not just pictures of themselves but also pictures of other people who are the way they want to be, doing the things that they want to do so if your idea is to be able to put on the latest fashion in swim wear and go to the beach, well why not put pictures of that on your image board.

Another thing that often hinders people from achieving their weight loss goals is the unconscious practice of self depreciation or to put it more blankly, putting yourself down. As health psychologist Kelly McGonigal PhD explains “If you focus on self-criticism, you’ll be like a lace on it” so simply put, instead of focusing on negative thoughts, instead of focusing on putting yourself down, treat yourself with kindness and start concentrating on positive things that you’re doing each moment each day to achieve your weight loss and fitness goals.

The last thing that often discourages many people from continuing their weight loss journey is that seems that the weight is not coming off quick enough.  As I have said on numerous occasions, if you’re dieting properly, if you’re moving away from the foods that are high in carbohydrates that are blankly detrimental to your health and at the same time you have increased the amount of exercise that you’re doing, well then quite often you will be losing fat but at the same time also possibly putting on a little bit of a muscle.

The fact that the scales aren’t going down as quickly as you might want them to but you feel like you’ve got  that little bit more energy, you notice your clothes are fitting better, and you just feel that little bit better within yourself – those are signs that what you’re doing is actually working. Just because the scales aren’t cooperating at the moment is neither here nor there, physically you’re improving and once the realization of that becomes firm within your mind, that positive attitude will keep reinforcing itself driving you on to success.

Top 10 Reasons Why You’re Not Losing Weight

by | Apr 15, 2013 | Degenerative Diseases, Diet, Exercise, Weight Loss | 0 comments

Here’s a nice little article from Huffington Post – A list of 10 top reasons why you’re not losing weight.

It lists things like:

– You have a medical condition

– You’re not varying your work outs

– Not being consistent in your weight loss efforts

– You’re drinking too many sugary drinks and quite a few other things as well.

It’s well worth the read. I can’t promise you any in depth knowledge or understanding but its  timely reminders of what we should and shouldn’t be doing, I think will be worth the 5 minutes you popping over to have a look at it.

The link is below.

Link to the article

Discovering Food Types You Can’t Eat on a Low Carb Diet

by | Apr 15, 2013 | Low carb diet, Weight Loss | 0 comments

I needed to lose weight but what type of diet should I choose? After some research, I decided on a low carb diet, as I am not a big fan of breads and other high-carb foods. However, there were other things I learned that I would not be able to indulge in, and I knew that I would be missing some of my favorites. In this article, I will tell you about many of the food types you can’t eat on a low carb diet.

Breads, Pasta and Rice

carbs

Here is where the high carbs come in. Bread, pasta and rice are not only high in carbs, but very low in nutritional value altogether. You can try these items if they are whole grain, and sugar-free, but on a low carb diet; they should be used in very limited amounts, if at all.

Sugar, Pastries and Candy

pastries

Sugar, pastries and candy are probably the most evil carbs! They contain huge amounts of carbohydrates, and offer little to no nutritional value whatsoever. There is really no place for these items on a low-carb diet. If I was craving sweets, which I do on occasion, I had to opt for sugar-free gelatin or low-carb yogurt. I could do that, I decided. After three or four days, the craving for sweets was mostly gone.

Fruits- Insidious Carbs

I do like fruit. However, upon learning that they contain large amounts of carbs and sugar, I realized they would not play a large role in my new, low-carb way of eating. Since a low-carb diet usually means less than 60 carbs per day, I had to be choosy when picking my carbs. Fruit seemed to be one of the food types you can’t eat on a low carb diet. I did learn, however, that if you wish to include fruit in your food plan, berries are the best choices. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are all good choices, and they contain less carbs than other fruits. I just had to limit myself to a small serving each day. I liked to sprinkle a few in my yogurt for extra flavor.

berries

Veggies are a staple on diet, and are not one of the food types you can’t eat on a low carb diet. In fact, salads are a mainstay when you are limiting your carbs. I did, however find that there are some vegetables that are a definite no-no if you are watching the carbs. These include:  carrots, corn, beets and many others. I kept a carb-counting book handy to check before I indulged.

veg salad

These are just some of the food types you can’t eat on a low carb diet. I missed some of my favorite foods, but I enjoyed my new diet full of protein and veggies. I came up with many recipes using alternatives for higher-carb foods. And within 8 months, I was free of my extra 50 pounds, and am now the healthiest I have ever been!

Popular and Delicious Low Carb Diet Foods

by | Apr 15, 2013 | Low carb diet, Weight Loss | 0 comments

These days one of the most popular diets out there is the low carb diet. It has been proven that a diet rich in protein and low in carbs is a great way to significantly reduce a persons body fat levels. While most people know the weight loss benefits associated with a low carb diet, not nearly as many know what low carb diet foods to eat. Fortunately for you, the following article has some of the most popular and delicious low carb foods that you can make a part of your next diet. Read on and learn.

The first food group we’ll discuss is meats. Of course at the center of most low carb diets is meat. Most meats contain no carbs at all so you should feel free to eat as much meat as you want. One thing to watch out for is fat content. Many meats, such as red meat and pork contain lots of unhealthy saturated fats. While you can have these foods on occasion, you are better off sticking with lean meats such as chicken, turkey and fish. Try and consume only the white meat portion of your turkey and fish as the dark meat also contains more unhealthy fat. It is important to note that meats are going to be the center of your low carb diet so hopefully you aren’t a vegetarian.

chicken

Next we’ll talk about vegetables and fruits. Generally on a low carb diet, want to avoid simple carbohydrates that contain a lot of sugar. The one exception however comes in the form of fruits and vegetables. You need to make these foods a staple in your diet no matter what type of diet you are on. While fruits do contain a good amount of carbs, they also contain lots of other nutrients that your body needs in order to maintain itself. However, it may not be a bad idea to cut down on your fruit intake, and increase the amount of vegetables you eat. That having been said, all vegetables are not created equal on a low carb diet. Leafy greens are among the most popular low carb diet foods out there. They contain very few carbs and are jam packed with nutrients. You would also be wise to stay away form starchy vegetables such as potatoes and carrots as these foods tend to have a higher carb content.

leavy veggies

Last, we’ll talk about grains. You are going to want to stay away from grain based foods altogether. Foods like bread, cereal and pasta are pretty much nothing but carbs so they should be avoided at all costs. The one exception are low carb versions of these foods that have a high fiber content.

 grains

Some other popular low carb diet foods include cheese, nuts and protein shakes. These are great to get you the extra calories that you miss out on from avoiding some of your favorite high carb foods. Try a low carb diet today and watch the fat melt away.

cheese, nuts, protein shakes

Want To Learn How To Start Power Walking For Fat Loss?

by | Apr 12, 2013 | Exercise, General Health, Weight Loss | 0 comments

If you’ve been unaccustomed to exercise for any length of time then it obviously pays to be careful about how you start exercise again. Where you start will often depend on how heavy you actually are and how fit you are right now.

Most of us will and if your extra pounds haven’t given you sore knees, ankles or hips then perhaps walking as a means of exercise is probably a very good first step. Just getting the body moving again for many people can be a bit of an eye opener.

Obviously the first thing to do is play it safe and just have a chat through with your doctor saying that you want to start getting your body in shape again and as a first step in doing that you want to start walking just to see if they’ve got any objection or advice.

The golden rule about any new type of exercise is to make sure that you pace yourself and push yourself. By pace yourself I mean that you do what you can do without overdoing it. Push yourself means that once you get comfortable doing something do a little bit more.

For instance you might start walking and eventually get yourself to the point where walking around the block is a breeze. So that’s the time to introduce maybe a flight of stairs. You’ll often find them outside the city hall or the local court house and a brisk walk up a flight of stairs like that towards the end of your walk if you can do it that way around is something that will get the heart pumping just that little bit more. And that really is the secret – it’s getting the heart moving a little bit more than it’s used to without overdoing it.

Once you get comfortable doing that obviously you can add in distance, you can add in more steps, you can pick up the pace, you can do so many different things when you start walking. The hardest part about walking is starting in the first place but once you get to a point and you want to try and get  a bit more benefit out of getting from A  to B on foot then you can move on to power walking.

The article below takes you through the very first steps of power walking. First steps I hope that will lead on to a new you.

A lot of people just don’t think they have the time to go to the gym to work out with the equipment there. There are also those that do already go to the gym but want to know what else they can do to be more fit and lose weight. Learn how to start power walking for fat loss by following this article.

Always be sure that you’re wearing the right kind of shoes for power walking. Since this exercise is all about moving around on your feet, you have to make sure that you’re getting the most out of it by not having sore feet while you’re walking. Get some shoes that aren’t too tight or too loose. They also need to be a little bit flexible. Don’t wear shoes that are too nice either since they are going to be in rough shape quickly from all of the walking you’re going to be doing.

shoes

Figure out where you’re going to be doing your power walking routine. You want to go somewhere with a lot of space. If you have a membership with a gym you may be able to use the track that they have set up in there. You need to be mindful of your surroundings in the gym because there may be other people around you. You could also just power walk around where you live. Look at a map and see if there are any interesting places near you and make it a goal to walk there and back as fast as you can.

alley

Make sure that your body is in good enough shape before you start power walking for fat loss purposes. If you have any trouble with your heart or problems with your legs, then you may want to speak with your doctor before starting. While this kind of exercise isn’t too hard on the body, you don’t want to make any physical problems you may be having already any worse than they are.

steth

You could get a treadmill if you have room for one where you live. There are a lot of options out there. The most popular kind of treadmill is one that you can use to adjust walking speed and that’s about it. The more pricier options will allow you to set an incline so you get more of a workout for your upper legs. Before buying a treadmill it’s important that you know whether or not it’s any good. Read a few reviews about various treadmills before making a decision so you can find one that meets your needs. Don’t spend extra money on features that you’re not going to be using.

treadmill

You should now have some knowledge on how to start power walking for fat loss. It’s a great way to get yourself into shape and it takes barely any equipment to get started. If you’re ready to get started then use what you’ve learned here and put it into practice.

Is it Harder to Lose Weight When Your Older?

by | Apr 5, 2013 | Exercise, How Your Body Works, Metabolism, Weight Loss | 0 comments

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So the question has been asked. Is it harder to lose weight as you get older?

Well for those of us who are over 45 or 50 the answer is it can be more difficult but most of that is down to lifestyle changes rather than any real biological effects.

The thing is as we get older we start to lose muscle mass and at the same time we start to put on fat. So even though it might seem that you are staying roughly at the same weight the simple fact is you’re getting more fat and less muscle which obviously isn’t good for the body.

Most of the time that is caused by simply not enough activity and because you aren’t active well, there’s a metabolic rate change due to the fact that the ratio between your muscles or your muscle mass if you prefer and your fat mass has changed.

As the muscle mass goes down and the fat mass goes up well, the metabolism starts to slow down which of course just makes the problem a little bit worse.

So what can you do about it? Well it’s actually quite easy to break the cycle.

The first thing you need to do is obviously become more active. You could do such things simply as walking, resistance training, going dancing, you know like you used to do when you were young.

If you combine that with healthy eating well, you’ll find that you’ll start to reverse the muscle loss because you’ll be more active and you’ll also reverse the fat gain so you might even stay at roughly the same weight but you’ll be a lot fitter and a lot healthier and certainly a lot more active because of it.

You know age does have its advantages. You might be older but in terms of health just make sure you’re wiser too.