Entries Tagged 'diet' ↓
November 19th, 2008 — Weight Loss Journal, diet, goals, motivation, weight loss
The process of starting a diet is probably one of the most difficult steps you can take when you’re getting started on the road to fitness. It’s not easy to commit to making changes in your life, especially if they are big changes, and it is all too easy to keep putting them off. Years later, you still may never actually get around to starting that diet.
Setting a specific date for a diet may not work either. Once again, it’s all too easy to push it back until you just forget about it. How many of us have said, “Oh, I’ll start my diet on Monday… Tuesday… Thursday…” and it just never gets done? If you don’t think that you can stick to a specific date or time, it’s probably best to avoid using this form of motivation to get on a diet.
Another major concern is the overall timing for your diet. There are things in our lives that we cannot control, and starting a diet in the middle of chaos is a great way to set yourself up to fail. Let’s look at a few big events that should never go hand in hand with a new diet.
Starting a new job –
This is a killer for many people. You want to make a good impression, you want to look your best, and naturally, you may think about dieting. However, with the added stress that comes with starting a new job, the need for the right kind of energy, dieting at this time is not ideal.
Right before school starts –
Once again, we’re dealing with a stressful event, whether you’re the one going to school, or your kids are. It’s all too easy to get swept away by activity and lose your focus on your diet. You’ll need extra energy and a strict diet at this time can just be too difficult to maintain.
Family crisis –
You can’t really plan these and they usually strike at the worst possible time. However, trying to diet through grief, or added stress is not recommended, especially if the diet is strict.
So, now that you know when to avoid starting a diet, when you should start? The best answer is today, right this second in fact (as long as one of the above events is not looming). Make that move right now to say I am now on a diet. I’m starting this second and I will not put off until tomorrow what I can get done today. It’s a cliché – but it works. Stop putting off your diet plans, but don’t beat yourself up if something outside of your control throws you off.
As soon as you are back on your feet and settled, start that instant towards getting back on your diet plan. The less time you waste, the less you put off the inevitable, the more likely you’ll be able to achieve your weight loss goals – starting today.
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November 17th, 2008 — Weight Loss Journal, diet, exercise, food, goals, gym, motivation, review
Most of look at dieting as a drudgery, as something that should be dreaded, and as such, many of us either fail at getting started, or can’t stick to it. What if you could change that mindset and look at dieting as being fun? How would that impact how you feel about losing weight? Chances are, it would make it a lot easier and you’d be surprised at how simple it can be to change your mindset and get some great results. Let’s look at just a few ways that you can make dieting fun.
1. Set up some great rewards.
When you’re working towards something that is really exciting, it’s just a whole lot easier to get there. Try setting up fun rewards for yourself for reaching specific milestones. Whether it’s losing ten pounds, or getting healthier, you need to find a way to reward yourself in a fun way. Just remember that this fun should not include food rewards, or you’ll be sabotaging all of your efforts. Try to stick with fun rewards that involve some sort of activity, or even relaxation. You’ll be much more likely to want to stick to your goals if you set yourself up for success.
2. Make it an adventure in learning new ways to prepare food.
This is a great way to make dieting a lot more fun and you’ll be bolstering your cooking skills while you’re at it. Get some new cook books and try out brand new recipes that you normally wouldn’t even touch. Make it an adventure to try out new food from different countries, and challenge yourself to find healthy ways to start preparing your regular food. Once again, by putting an element of fun into your daily food regime, you can easily start looking forward to eating healthier and that right there can mean big success.
3. Join a fun exercise class.
Exercise is hard for many people due to repletion, as well as the physical effort that goes into it. However, if you can find an exercise class that is also fun, you may find that you end up looking forward to going. Sweating to the Oldies is successful for a reason – the participants have fun, even though they are working out. Look into belly dancing classes, hoop dancing or other fun ways to get active and burn calories. You’ll undoubtedly find that getting to the gym is a whole lot easier when you do.
4. Have a friend join you for some competitive fun.
When you’re held to accountability by a challenge it’s a lot easier to have fun with what you’re doing and to stick to your goals. Try racing a friend to see who can lose weight faster, or reach certain fitness goals. You’ll be having fun while you stay competitive and for many, this is just the right motivation to help them lose weight and get healthier.
These are just a few ways that you can introduce an element of fun to losing weight. Get creative and see how many you can come up with!
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November 12th, 2008 — Weight Loss Journal, diet, motivation
As our lives become more focused around online activities, it was only natural that diets would make the move towards becoming more online based. There are literally thousands of different sites that purport to help you lose weight, but do these plans really work? For many dieters, they do, and it’s due to the fact that online diets include a few things that a book or an exercise plan can’t provide. Let’s take a look at why online diets can be successful, and whether or not they may be right for you.
The first component that helps online diet plans reach such a phenomenal success rate is the fact that they often have a community atmosphere. Support is a vital part of being able to lose weight, and when you have access to hundreds of other people that are going through the exact same problems that you are. Having that support system can make a big difference, both in motivation and in having a shoulder or three to lean on. This may be the biggest reason that online diet plans are so successful.
The next component is the ability to easily log and calculate what you are eating. It’s tough trying to keep track on paper and you may not always have access to dietary information on food. Most online diet sites include calorie calculators as well as common labels for many different types of food. They offer interfaces that allow you to easily add up what you’re eating and figure out more about your food choices. Sometimes, seeing it in front of you like that makes all the difference in the world.
Thirdly, online diet plans can offer a greater degree of accountability. When you are involved in a community atmosphere, there is that competitive element that can help motivate you and help you stick to your diet. When you are seeing your progress in black and white, and where you may be having problems, it’s easier to learn how to stick to your diet and keep going.
Online dieting also offers a degree of anonymity that appeals to many people. You’ll be able to share your problems with other people, but they never really have to know who you are. For those that are embarrassed about their weight problems, this offers a level of freedom that is unparalleled and it may be the turning point in helping them finally reach their fitness and health goals.
Online diets may not be for everyone, but there is evidence that they can make a big difference in how you lose the weight, and how you stay motivated. If you don’t feel like joining a membership site, there are other ways that you can harness the power of the Internet to help you on your weight loss journey. Whether it is through a blog that details your efforts, or using online calculators and software to help you track your progress, the resources that are available online can be incredibly beneficial to those looking to lose weight.
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November 11th, 2008 — Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, diet, potassium, sodium
Whenever you start a diet you're going to need to make sure that you are taking the right supplements for your body. Most "diets" lack one or more of these supplements. Without the proper balance of nutrients and vitamins, your body can easily feel deprived and your cravings can skyrocket out of control. There are several supplements that most people need while they're dieting, but you will need to check with your doctor before adding them. These are general supplements you can use, but our advice cannot replace that of a doctor.
1. Vitamin C -
This is an essential vitamin when it comes to dealing with stress. Even if you don't realize it, dieting is very stressful on your body. It's having to deal with cravings, a reduction in calories and to some extent, deprivation. This means that its working overtime, even if you're not. Vitamin C helps your body undue the damage caused by stress and the antioxidants make sure that your cells stay healthy. If a supplement is out of the question, try to drink some orange juice or eat a tomato.
2. Potassium -
If you suddenly cut out a lot of foods that naturally contain potassium, it's very easy to get unbalanced. In addition if you are exercising as part of your weight loss plan, it is all too easy to lose potassium, which can lead to dehydration, muscle cramps and a feeling of weakness. However, you're going to need to make sure that you are not getting too much potassium, since it can have side effects. Check with your doctor to see how much you really need before supplementing.
3. Salt -
While this is not a traditional supplement, you're still going to need to make sure that you have at least some sodium in your diet. A lack of proper sodium can also make you feel very sick. While it's important to cut out processed foods that are very high in sodium, you'll need to make sure that you are getting at least some salt. In addition, most table salt is iodized, which is very important for your thyroid. Some people that completely remove sodium from their lives end up with thyroid problems due to a lack of iodine in their systems.
4. Calcium -
In order to keep building strong bones and muscles, you're going to need to make sure that you are getting enough calcium in your diet. If you are on a diet that cuts out dairy products, this is even more important.
5. Vitamin A -
While you don't want too much of this vitamin, it is important for your eyesight. Make sure that you are getting it in the form of uncooked carrots or through a supplemental pill.
For most of these needs, it is best to take a multi-vitamin while you're dieting. It's a lot easier to get everything you need this way instead of taking dozens of different pills. Ask your doctor which multi-vitamin is right for you. I get vitamin C, vitamin A, and potassium (and others) via my multi-vitamin, salt from almonds, and calcium from my daily double tall non fat no foam latte. That tiny little pill can really make a difference when it comes to feeling strong and healthy.
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November 11th, 2008 — Meals, calories, diet, exercise, food, goals, healthy eating
There has been a lot of buzz lately about calorie cycling and whether or not it is an effective means of losing weight. For some, it has enabled them to lose massive amounts of weight. For others, it may just not work. Let’s take a look at the theories behind calorie cycling and go further into depth on how this particular diet plan works.
First, the main theory behind calorie cycling is that dieting trains our bodies to need less calories. That means that as soon as you eat a little more, you may gain weight. Calorie cycling promotes changing up the amount of calories you eat every single day so that your body never really knows what is going on. For example, on a Monday you may eat 1500 calories, on Tuesday 2000 calories and on Wednesday 2500 calories, before dropping back down to 1500 on Thursday.
This diet is very popular due to the fact that you’re able to eat more and you don’t necessarily have to give up the food that you like. Exercise is also an important component of calorie cycling, but it will depend on the plan that you are following as to how much you’ll need to do. This is one of the more interesting diets out there and since some of the results are so dramatic, it has certainly become very popular.
The main concern over calorie cycling is the focus on being able to eat whatever you want, just as long as you are within your set calories for the day. While that sounds great in theory, over time it may lead to problems. Yes, it’s fine to stick within calorie guidelines, but some may be tempted to take that advice a little too far. It’s one thing to eat your set amount of calories, it’s another to get them from fried chicken.
Calorie cycling can be an effective means of losing weight, but it should not be viewed as your ticket to eat whatever you want. Smart food choices are essential, no matter what kind of diet you are on and food that is unhealthy is simply that – unhealthy. Eat a little fried chicken now and then, but only occasionally and in moderation. Otherwise, you won’t be doing your arteries any favors.
Unlike many fad diets, calorie cycling does appear to work well, at least over the short term. However, unless you introduce lifestyle changes and a healthy exercise plan into the mix, those results may be short lived. If you do decide to follow one of these diet plans, don’t lose sight of your goals beyond weight loss, such as better health and a greater level of fitness.
By keeping your eyes on these goals, as well as the numbers on the scale, you’ll be well on your way to permanent weight loss, and you’ll feel better too. Give calorie cycling a try, but don’t use it as a license to remain unhealthy.
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November 10th, 2008 — Weight Loss Journal, diet, food, goals, motivation
The diet industry is a multi-billion dollar machine that keeps churning out new diets, new hope and new hype every single year. If diets were so effective, there would be no need to keep coming up with new methods and new diet plans, but the sad truth is, the vast majority of diets fail. Why is this and what can you do to change this truth? Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why diets fail.
Lifestyle changes are not addressed. This is possibly the biggest issue for dieters. If you are not eating the right foods all the time, and making that commitment to change, chances are, as soon as you do see results from your diet, you’re going to fall back on old habits. It is not easy to completely overhaul your life, but in many cases, if you want to lose weight, and keep it off, that is exactly what you’re going to have to do.
The diet does not offer enough variety. Whether it’s the soup diet, the juice diet, or even some of the more popular diet plans, a lack of variety can be a major reason for failure. It’s simply too difficult for many people to eat the same things, day in and day out. Even if you go into a diet plan like this enjoying a certain kind of food, after two weeks of eating nothing but, chances are you won’t feel the same way. Variety is the spice of life, and that is very true with food.
The diet plan does not include any exercise. Plain and simple, if you want to burn fat more efficiently, you’re going to have to get up and move around. Thousands of books come out every year promoting new ways of eating, but many of them fail to add the important component of exercise.
The diet plan focuses solely on water weight. This is a very common issue that affects dieters. When you first start on these plans it seems like weight just magically falls off of you. Then, you go back to eating normally and whoosh – it comes right back. These diets are disheartening at best, and dangerous at worst.
The diet is unsafe. There are many fad diets out there that are simply too extreme to stick to. Whether you’re fasting, or drastically cutting back calories, this results in a lack of energy, and you may simply just feel awful. We all need a certain amount of calories every day for our bodies to function properly. If you’re not getting enough, you will end up feeling lousy and you may even throw off your metabolism.
If you don’t want your diet to fail, remember that lifestyle changes are necessary and exercise should not be avoided. Simply eating better food and moving around more will help you lose weight – and keep it off – and you’ll find that it is much easier to keep going, even though the results may be a little slower.
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October 27th, 2008 — Meals, Weight Loss Journal, diet, food, healthy eating
It is a common practice, and many of us are guilty of it. We forgo eating all day long, because we know we’ll be eating out that night, or that there is a special event coming later in the day and we want to be able to eat whatever we want. However, is this type of planning actually derailing your diet? Let’s take a look at just a few reasons why this mindset is not healthy, and may actually be counterproductive.
1. You’ll end up eating more.
If you don’t eat all day, and are suddenly faced with plenty of food, it is all too easy to eat way more than your recommended amount of calories, and worse, you may never even realize how many calories you’ve had. Remember, 3500 extra calories equals one pound of fat. At some special events or dinners, it is all too easy to get more than 3500 calories on a single night.
Because you went hungry all day, your body’s blood sugar levels are off. This can also cause you to eat more, simply to get regulated. There is no point in starving yourself for a day, and then try to make up for it at night, it’s just too rough on your body.
2. It puts you in the wrong mindset.
Right off the bat, you’re preparing to cheat, and in a big way. Many people feel that it is all right to have that big dinner, especially if they didn’t have any calories all day. But once again, we go back to the point that you do end up eating more, usually much more than you intended.
By sticking with that “it’s ok to cheat” mindset, you may be hampering your future progress on your diet. If you’re not making those lifestyle changes that will stick with you, the chances of future success and being able to keep your weight off do decline dramatically.
3. You can end up in a bad cycle.
Once your body gets used to fasting during the day, and eating whatever you want at night, it’s all too easy to get into a bad cycle. You may find that you’re tempted to do this more than once, and before you know it, you’re back to making excuses and falling into the wrong mindset. A diet is much more than food control, it’s also about being able to control your mind, and your food cravings.
By allowing yourself this much wiggle room, and setting yourself up for behaviors that are hard to change, you’re making your diet needlessly complicated, and chances are, over time, you’ll be disappointed with your results.
Instead of fasting all day, even when you have a special event coming up, eat as you normally would. You may even want to have a healthy snack before you go. Your blood sugar won’t be sending off signals that will make you want to eat everything in sight and you’ll end up being able to successfully avoid even the dessert tray. A way to fight eating too little during the day is eating many small meals during the day.
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October 15th, 2008 — diet, fad diets
Even the most sensible dieter can be lured into a fad diet by outrageous claims and seemingly easy results. However, there are a few fads out there that can be incredibly dangerous, especially if you are not in good physical condition. While some fad diets are harmless and are designed to make only your wallet lose weight, there are many irresponsible fads out there that could do a lot more damage. Here are just a few that every dieter should ignore.
While fasting is a religious practice that many swear by, if you have never fasted before, it is all too easy to harm your body. It is especially important to avoid this type of diet when there are extreme temperatures. For example, fasting in winter is not advised since your body will need more calories to keep warm. Fasting in summer can cause a myriad of health problems, especially if you become dehydrated.
2. Unsafe Purging Diets –
To put it simply, surviving for a weekend on some pre-packaged juice and supplements is not a smart idea. Besides the natural reaction of spending all of your weekend running to the bathroom, this type of diet can quickly deplete your body’s natural resources. You can easily run too low on your potassium, sodium and water levels, and this can lead to dehydration or in severe cases, a heart attack.
3. The tapeworm diet –
Does this one really need to be stated? Judging from the amount of people who have bought the idea hook, line and sinker and visit the website, sadly, yes. Having a parasite take up residence inside your body is a bad idea. Yes, you may lose weight, but you are risking permanent harm to your internal organs. Parasites are something everyone should avoid, not welcome.
The last entry on this list illustrates that desperate people will go to desperate measures, even if they know better. While 98% of us would probably recoil from the thought of welcoming Mr. Tapeworm into our stomachs, there are those that may actually stop and think, “well, gee, that would be nice – I could eat whatever I want.” It is this segment of the population that is most at risk for being harmed by fad diets.
While this is certainly an extreme example, we included it for one main reason. There are many fad diets out there that are just as dangerous – if not more so – than the tapeworm diet. The bottom line – if it doesn’t sound healthy, if it is not something your doctor would recommend, if it involves putting your body through extreme stress, it is not worth it.
Keeping the right perspective on fad diets is essential and that is something that no dieter should ignore. Losing weight is important, but not at the cost of your health. Stick to the tried and true methods of eating right, exercising regularly and staying motivated. It’s a lot healthier than the alternatives.
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October 14th, 2008 — about, diet, trigger food
Once you're ready to take that step and go on a diet, there will literally be thousands of options available to you. There are a myriad of different diets out there and most claim that they have the secret to fast weight loss. It can be very frustrating to keep trying these different diets, only to find that they don't deliver on their promises.
Not all diets are created equal and they will not work for everyone. Each one of us has a unique metabolism and genetic makeup that determines how we respond to different types of diets. For example, there are people that genetically don't need a lot of protein and they do best on diets that are centered around eating a lot of whole grain foods and vegetables.
On the other hand, there are people who naturally have an issue with eating carbohydrate laden foods. In order to determine which diet is going to work for you, there are a few questions you'll need to answer. First and foremost, you'll need to figure out what your danger foods are, or which foods always cause you to gain the most weight.
For example, some people find that they can eat all the bread they want, but when they eat chocolate, they instantly gain weight. By determining your "danger" foods, you can select the right diet that specifically avoids them.
Next, you will need to ask yourself how determined and committed you are to losing weight. There are very extreme diets that require a lot of willpower. If you honestly do not think that you could see yourself on the same diet three weeks from now, it's best to find one that you can actually stick too. While extreme diets do get results quickly, they are usually so intense that it is nearly impossible to keep up with their rigors.
Lastly, you'll need to ask yourself if a traditional diet is the way that you want to go. You can read all the books you want and try all the different programs out there but at the end of the day, the basic formula for weight loss is reduce the intake of calories and increase the amount of exercise. If you feel that you have the capability of monitoring your own food intake, you don't need to go on a special diet. You can simply use this formula and change the way you eat.
There is no magic bullet when it comes to weight loss. However, by finding the diet that is best suited for you, you are greatly increasing your chances for success. It is never easy to commit to losing weight, but you can make it a lot less stressful and increase your chances for success by choosing a diet that won't doom you to failure.
In some cases, it may take some trial and error to find the plan that works best for you. The most important thing to remember is that you are making that effort and it will pay off if you stick to it.
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October 13th, 2008 — Meals, diet, healthy eating, motivation, nutrition, snacking
Have you ever fallen off the diet wagon and then said, well, I may as well enjoy myself today, since I’ve already messed up. I’ll get back on my diet tomorrow. If this sounds familiar, you’re dealing with one of the biggest reasons that diets fail. Cheat days are fine, within reason, but if you’re letting them get out of control, you are dooming yourself to failure in more ways than one.
Let’s say that you simply cannot ignore that piece of chocolate cake that is looking at you and pleading with you to partake. It’s easy enough – we’ve all fallen victim to the cake monster a time or two. But, after that piece of cake, you start to beat yourself up. You did it *again*. By this point, you’ve already mentally defeated yourself for that day, so why bother eating healthy? Most of us then turn around and scarf down a pizza for dinner, since we’ve already derailed our diet for the day anyway.
This is exactly what you do not want to do. One piece of cake made have added 500 extra calories, but how about the rest of the day? It’s time to break free of that cycle and banish your cheat “days” for good. We’re not saying that you have to avoid cheating all together. We’re human, it happens. You fall down, it’s natural. The key is to get back up immediately, and not roll around in a banana cream pie for the rest of the day.
By saying, “Ok, I had that piece of cake. I shouldn’t, but I’m not going to let it ruin my diet,” you’re allowing yourself to breath, to make that mistake and get back up. You may need to do a little retraining at first, but you’ll get there. It is vital to stop beating yourself up mentally. After all, it is only a piece of cake. By kicking yourself repeatedly, you’re only going to want to eat more. If you have an issue with eating for comfort, this could spiral out of control.
Cheat days can really wear on a diet, and if you banish the concept of a cheat “day” you can do a lot better. Instead, have a cheat “lunch” or a cheat “snack.” You won’t be completely demolishing your diet and you won’t fall off track. Avoid the “Well, I’ll just do X amount of sit-ups” routine as well. Chances are you won’t, and you’re giving yourself just another reason to beat yourself up again. Realize that every now and again you’re going to make mistakes.
No one is perfect, and sometimes, that cake gets the best of us. You may lose that battle, but you don’t have to lose the war. Get the right mindset and become your best ally instead of your worst enemy. This will help you stay on your diet, and more importantly, you’ll be building up your own self-esteem as you go, and that will pay off for the rest of your life.
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