November 24th, 2008 — diet, exercise, goals, motivation, weight loss
The road to wellness is paved with potholes for many people and dieting mistakes are rampant. However, if you pay attention to the warning signs as you travel down that road you will know when to swerve and when to look out for danger spots. Here are the most common dieting mistakes that are waiting to derail your progress.
1. Allowing yourself to cheat.
We all get tripped up by this one. After all, what is a piece of cake in the grander scheme of life, right? Well, if that one piece of cake is the trigger that will throw you off of your diet, it should be avoided. We all have trigger foods that start the avalanche of other foods we shouldn’t eat. If you are aware of the foods that you simply cannot resist, get rid of them now and do your best to stay away from them. It won’t be easy, but in time, you’ll be able to overpower them.
This also works for exercise. How many times have you put off going to the gym one day, and then had that one day turn into a week, a month or a year? If you honestly can’t make it to the gym, that’s one thing. If you are justifying not going, that is something completely different. It’s going to take discipline to reach your goals and now is the best time to start working on that.
2. Justifying anything and everything.
It is only human nature to make excuses and justify eating the things that we enjoy. However, if the foods you enjoy are killing you (albeit slowly) it is not an option to justify them. Learn all that you can about nutrition and the foods you are eating. Once you know that your plate of fettuccini may send you to an early grave, you may rethink eating it.
3. Starving yourself.
This is by far the most common mistake and it’s responsible for thousands of diets failing every year. Starvation diets are not smart, and in fact, they may be dangerous. You may see some short term results, but in the long run, you are only damaging your metabolism and creating an unhealthy relationship with food. The best diets are the ones that limit calories the smart way, leaving you satisfied and giving your body enough fuel to function properly.
4. Putting off until tomorrow what you could get done today.
This old cliché certainly applies to dieting. How many times have you said, “My diet starts tomorrow?” Instead of putting it off, start right now – this second even. A diet is more than limiting the foods you eat. A good diet involves changing your mindset, your lifestyle and the way you view food.
Now that you are prepared to face these potholes, you’ll know how to combat them when they loom before you. A diet is a journey that may have a few setbacks, but if you keep on moving forward, you will be successful.
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November 15th, 2008 — exercise, gym, injury, wellness
Our elbows go through hell on a regular basis, and we may not even realize how much stress we put on this poor joint every day. Whether you are playing tennis, basketball, baseball, golf or pretty much any sport that requires arm movements, you are running the risk of injuring that elbow. Let’s look at a few ways that you can keep your elbows happy and tickle your funny bone instead of breaking it.
1. Wear a proper brace.
If you are playing tennis or if you have a history of tennis elbow, you’ll need to get outfitted with a brace. Once you’ve strained this joint, it’s pretty likely that it’s going to happen again. A brace can greatly reduce the odds of re-injury and it will generally just feel better. You’ll be able to do more if you aren’t hampered by a sore elbow.
2. Warm up properly.
Brace or no brace, you’ve got to get stretching before you do anything. Your elbows are subjected to a lot of daily abuse and daily stretching can be very helpful for those that suffer from chronic elbow pain. Make sure that you never skimp on your warm up, you will regret it later.
3. Know your body.
Let’s say you’re playing baseball and you’re really giving it all you have. After a few throws, you might start to feel a dull ache in your elbow. As you keep throwing, it only gets worse. If you try to push past that pain and keep going, chances are pretty high you’re going to sprain or strain it. You need to know how to listen to your body and pay attention to these warning signs. You can look at this way, you can try to struggle through 15 more minutes of throwing, and risk not being able to exercise for six weeks, or you can quit after you feel that first ache and avoid injury.
4. Change up your routine.
Elbows are at such a high risk for injury because this joint is used so frequently and often in a repetitive fashion. Going back to our baseball analogy, if you keep throwing the same pitch for several minutes straight, your elbow is going to protest. Try changing up your routine so that you’re not using that elbow in the same way every time. Taking short breaks will help you exercise longer.
5. Wrap it up.
If you don’t have a brace, but you know you’re going to be using your elbow a lot, wrapping can be very beneficial. However, wrapping only works if it is done properly. Otherwise, you may actually increase your risks for spraining it. Ask your personal trainer or even a physical therapist to show you how to wrap your elbow. You may need someone else there to do it properly until you get the hang of doing it one handed on your own.
Even though our elbows are prone to injury, you can greatly reduce the risk by following the points above and knowing when to say when.
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October 7th, 2008 — Weight Loss Journal, calories, diet, food, food labels, healthy eating
When you first get on a diet, especially one that is calorie restricted, you’ll find that you are pretty limited when it comes to food choices. For many, it’s simply easier to take advantage of prepackaged meals. While these are expensive, there is a lot to be said for convenience, and for having everything spelled out for you. But are these foods actually bad for you? Just because it’s prepackaged, doesn’t mean that it is safe. You need to read those labels and make sure that what you are putting into your body is actually healthy. Here are some warning signs to watch out for.
1. Sodium content.
Most of us don’t bat an eye when it comes to cracking open a can of soup, or even a can of nice vegetables. They are so low in calories, they have to be good for us, right? Did you know that one simple can of soup can have more than your entire day’s allotment of sodium? The average adult needs less than 2400 mg of sodium per day, but the average American ingests way more than that.
Prepackaged diet food is a common offender when it comes to overdoing it on the salt. They have to make it taste good somehow, right? Now, some sodium is good for you, after all, your body does need it need for vital functions. But too much sodium is also very bad for you. It leads to excess water retention, and has been blamed for high blood pressure and a host of other problems.
The key is reading that label and seeing just how much sodium is in one serving. Remember, if you eat the whole thing, you’ll need to multiply that number by the amount of servings to get an idea of the exact amount of sodium that you are eating. Try to stick to the 2400 mg a day suggestion, or go a little less.
2. Chemicals.
Prepackaged foods are typically loaded with different preservatives and some of them can be harmful, especially if you are sensitive to them. MSG is probably the biggest offender and it has been blamed for everything from weight gain, to migraines and increased blood pressure. Even if you are not sensitive to MSG, it’s a good idea to limit your exposure to it.
Check for other common names such as autolyzed yeast and disodium guaylonlate. This is a cheaper form of MSG, but it contains the same makeup. In fact, many MSG “free” soups will contain either of these ingredients and if you are sensitive, you may have the same reactions.
BHT is another common preservative and that can be found in everything from breakfast cereal to deodorant. In those that are sensitive to this additive, it may cause vertigo and other health issues. It’s best to try to limit your exposure to this preservative as well.
Remember, just because something says that it is natural or good for you, doesn’t mean that it is. Always read your labels!
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May 18th, 2008 — exercise, healthy eating, wellness
Thank you Weight Master for including Weight Ladder in the weight management and fitness forum.
Best posts from the Fitness Health Network blogs for the week:
- Most of us have been there; down to those last few pounds to reach our goal weight. Sometimes when we're there it's frustrating because we can't seem to lose them. Well stress no more over at Get Fit Slowly we learn just how to accomplish Losing Those Last Few Pounds. For instance, eating grapefruit will help you regulate your insulin levels.
- What Are Probiotics? Journal of Healthy Living explains that one probiotics is Lactid Acid Bacteria used to keep food from spoiling and to help out our digestive tract. So eat more yogurt!
- This week at Lazy Man and Health we learn how to Keep Walking Programs Interesting simply by changing our scenery. So take a walk while you run an errand.
- Weight Ladder this week talks about the risk factors, warning signs, and treatment of sudden cardiac arrest in I am at Risk, Are You? Know the Facts on Heart Attacks.
- Many people love to golf, myself included. No Calories Needed talks about golf stretches in Going To Play Golf this week. Try them and see if they improve your game.
- Healthy Weight and Fitness Blog says Health Magazines Sorta Suck. In this video blog learn how to weed the true articles from the advertisements that look like articles.
Best posts from other wellness blogs that I read throughout the week:
- What are the Three Steps You Need to Achieve Your Goals? Nutrition Fitness Life responds with: desire, commitment, and knowledge.
- Watch Out For Ghrelin! Starling Fitness warns us that it can it make you eat more than you would otherwise by instilling more hunger in you. Protect yourself.
- Weight Master presents Wedding Exercise this week at his blog. Who knew dancing at wedding receptions could keep you in shape?
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