Gift Downloads

If you have come here purely for the 4 free gifts, please accept my sincere apologies. A technical issue has meant I have had to remove the link to them. Sorry for any disappointment.

Christmas Eating

So how are you all doing with your health goals then? Christmas is approaching and hopefully you have managed to shrink into that party outfit! I am pleased to say that I have! The next task is to keep it off, especially over Christmas. This is just a short post to serve as a reminder that Christmas is just another day. You do not NEED to fill yourself with toxic junk just because of the date! Why undo all your hard work? We all know that eating all that food makes us feel lethargic and then, it seems to cause a downward spiral. We eat the rubbish, feel lethargic, laze about, eat more, feel worse, laze more... you get the picture! Don't do it to yourself. In my quest to shed the lbs I have reduced my calorie intake by listening to my body and only eating what I need and no more. By doing this I have discovered that I have much much more energy. Eating (or more specifically, digestion) takes up a lot of energy and some people suffer more from that than others. I suffered terribly with sluggish digestion and lacked in energy in a big way. Now I am eating so much less food, I am positively bouncing around and have gone from sleeping 8 hours a night to just 4 and feeling fine on it. So, when you start getting into the festivities, just remember how much better you will feel by the New Year if you just take control of what goes into your mouth! Happy Christmas!!! See you in the New Year :-)

Bulging Belly?

Sometimes we want to shrink our bellies and so we diet, count our calories, exercise more etc etc and yet nothing seems to make much difference. That belly is still bulging and your waist line is thicker than you'd like. There is something else you can try... something that can make several inches worth of difference to your middle! Check your food labels for wheat and wheat flour and avoid the products that contain it. So many people talk about how much better they felt and how they were less bloated after cutting out bread. Bread is a huge culprit in the 'bloating' world but you'll be amazed at how much more wheat you are consuming in all your other meals. Avoid the wheat, give it a couple of weeks and you'll be thrilled with the results. And one last thing... get a tape measure and record your waist measurements before you start. You are not likely to notice the difference on the bathroom scales, but you will see it in inches. Go for it and please comment below to let me know how this has worked out for you :)

Stomach Trimming

When you're losing weight, even if you still have fat around your middle, it can be surprising how effective targeted exercises can be at pulling your waist in and making it appear trimmer. So I found this great video and wanted to share it with you.



If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment here :)

Accountability

Who are you accountable to? What is it that stops you from eating those foods you know you shouldn't? Have you considered getting yourself an 'accountability coach'? Just choose a family member for example, particularly a spouse or someone who you would feel completely embarrased to tell that you had eaten 'a whole pack of cookies, 2 chocolate bars and a family pack of crisps' and make a deal with yourself and them that every day, they will ask you what you have eaten that you shouldn't, and that you, WILL TELL THEM HONESTLY what you ate. No witholding, no lies. If you know you are going to be quizzed and that you have to confess, you may just stop eating like a pig! I used this and it has worked wonders. I was in a state of repeated cupboard raiding and didn't know how to stop it. This worked. :) I hope it works for you in your goals. Please share your thoughts below and any tips you have found useful too :)

I'd Like Your Thoughts

If you're enjoying my blog, please comment below.  I really like hearing your thoughts :)

Find Your focus

Okay, you want to lose weight.  How badly?  What's your motivation?

It's all very well deciding that you want to lose weight but all too often, it doesn't go much further than that.  To lose weight you HAVE TO make changes to your diet, you cannot continue to eat in the same manner as you have been up to now and expect to lose weight.  Obvious I know.  And yet, we fail to do it.  The 'diet' begins, we make changes but we don't keep them up.  So what's going wrong?

If you were losing weight for an event or a holiday, it is much more likely that you will stick with the diet.  You have a clear motivation and a deadline.  If you just want to lose weight, you are almost doomed to failure.  You have to find more motivation than that if you want to sustain it.

What motivation could you have then...?  if you have been overweight for a while then you may already be experiencing health issues.  Perhaps you suffer with foot pain?  Ankle or knee pain?  Maybe walking around in warm weather is quickly exhausting for you?  Your back hurts.  Let me assure you that most of these issues will go away or be hugely relieved by losing your extra body fat.  And if you're not suffering from ill effects from being overweight yet, be assured that sooner or later, they will catch up with you.  What better motivation could you have then?  You have a holiday to aim for!  The holiday of being pain and discomfort free, one where you can enjoy life to the full!  Forget the 'looking slim' motivation, it isn't strong enough but you CAN do it for your health, to lead a fun and active life and then, if you want to keep living that lifestyle, that will be all the motivation you need to stick with it for life!

You can do it! :)

...and don't forget,

while you're here, just pop your details in the box at the top right of the page, and I will send you some gifts to help you on your weight loss and well being journey right away! :)

Deprivation... good or bad?

When trying to lose weight or stick with some other healthy eating plan, one thing tends to be consistent across the board... you have to deprive yourself of certain foods.

In my view there are two ways that this tends to be implemented.  The first, highly successful game plan is to educate yourself to dislike the food using techniques such as hypnosis or studying all the bad effects of eating the food.  If this works for you, and it does for some but not others, then you will find yourself easily ignoring the eliminated food. Having no interest in it at all.  If this works for you, congratulations! You should be able to get and stay in shape easily. :)

Then there is the other, more commonly used method.  Willpower.  Let's say for example, that you have eliminated chocolate.  You make a decision to stop eating it and you manage.  Well done! After a time, maybe a week or two, you have done so well and decide that you can take it or leave it now and you are in control of your chocolate consumption.  Sooo, you have a chocolate bar, safe in the knowledge that you are in control and will only have the one.   However, you discover that it tastes rather good and, well, as you've had one, you'd like another and you might as well get it over with in one go rather than have some again later, so you have more chocolate, after all, you know you won't eat any again later.  At this point, you may have something else that you shouldn't be eating or you may get a handle on it again and stop... until later...

What has now happened is that you have started a binge cycle.  By depriving your self so gallantly, when your willpower breaks, it breaks in style!  Then, you get it back again, wear your halo for another few days, then hit the 'naughty' foods again, undoing every scrap of good you have done.

So how about this... pick a small item, something sweet, chocolatey, indulgent... whatever works for you, but keep it small.  Allow yourself this item every day.  It is not compulsory to eat it, but you have to know that you can, that that is your treat.  You are not depriving yourself, you can have it.  What you ARE doing is controlling the amount of 'damage' you are might do.  Surely allowing yourself a fun sized chocolate bar, a GU mini chocolate pot, that kind of thing, will relieve you from the feelings of deprivation which are behind the binge/saint cycle that ultimately stops you from getting to your goal.  It's all very well substituting and eating fruit instead of chocolate, but, in my experience, if you want chocolate, you want chocolate, not an apple, and ultimately, you will have the chocolate too, after consuming 200 calories worth of fruit as an avoidance tactic!

Try it for a couple of weeks, see how you get on.  Hopefully, this will break the cycle for you.  I am starting this today as I am guilty of this cycle too!  I will let you know how I get on soon :)

Learning to Listen

A recent 'buzzword/phrase' seems to be 'Portion Distortion'.  Most of us are eating far more than we should be.  There are several reasons behind this, but a lot of it is that we tend to assume that the portions we are provided with by restaurants, supermarkets, friends and family etc, are the right size for our needs but how can they be?  Let's say that you buy a microwave meal (not that I am suggesting you do! It's just an easy example) and the packaging tells you that the meal contained within is one serving.  Who is it a serving for?  Would it be a serving for a 4'10", 90lb female and also a serving for a 6'4", 190lb male?  Absolutely not!  Their respective body sizes obviously dictate that they both require different amounts of food.  And yet both of these individuals are likely to read the label on the packaging and accept that a 'serving' is a serving appropriate to them. 

When you order a meal in a restaurant you just accept that the portion size provided to you is correct, but the staff don't check out all the customers and serve up food in accordance with their body types.  Hamburgers and hot dogs are a very typical 'one size fits all' meal. 

What you need to do is start listening to your body.  Eat only when you are genuinely, physically hungry.  Stop eating before you become full up. Your body takes time to register satiety, up to twenty minutes usually.  Slow down your eating and pay attention to your body.  As long as you are eating natural, wholesome foods, your body will tell you everything you need to know about portion control.  If however you eats 'fake foods' such as sweets, popcorn, chocolate etc your body will work against you on this.  Your body is asking you for nourishment and goodness, so when you eat rubbish, it still keeps asking for more... because you have not provided it with the nutrients it requires, and hey Presto! You're overeating!

Eat good natural foods and slow down.  Your body will thank you for it!

Decisions, Decisions...

When we are deciding whether to go on a diet, there are many hurdles which we can meet before we even begin.  First of all, we need to decide which will be the best 'diet' for us.  Once this has been decided upon there comes another hurdle... when should I begin?  More often than not we will choose the coming 'Monday'.  The problem is of course, that we probably have several foods that are not suited to our plans, already in the cupboards, and what are we going to do with them?  Throw them away? Noooo, I don't think so!  We wouldn't want to be so wasteful...  Perhaps we should donate them to our neighbours?  That might seem a bit wrong... "Here's all my junky, fattening foods, I don't want to eat them as I want to be slim.  I thought you'd enjoy them though."  No.  I think not.     So, I guess I will eat them.  After all, I will be on a diet on Monday and I won't be able to eat anything like that after then will I? Hmmm...

Or perhaps you don't have those foods in the cupboards, but then, because you are going to be on that diet from Monday, you actually buy and eat foods you 'won't be eating' after then.  Either way, you probably give yourself a few extra pounds to lose before you even begin!

Make your decision... and start NOW.  If you wait til the morning you have all night to eat everything you shouldn't.  If you don't have all the foods you need for your diet you can still make healthy choices until you have a chance to get the groceries in. Just make that decision to start right away.  You will save yourself several pounds and a lot of frustration with yourself if you do.

And what to do with those foods... well, it's really up to you.  I would be inclined to just put non perishables to the back of the cupboard and keep them for when visitors come or another suitable occasion.  With regards to the perishables, well, you have to decide for yourself what to do with them... just don't have a 'pre-diet eating session' with them!

I wanted to share this poem with you too.  I wrote it before I learned to break the cycle myself.  Good luck to you.  You can do it, but you have to start NOW. :)

The nightmare before diets By Helen Allen, Norfolk, England. 2010

    
    Twas the night before my diet
    And all through my home
    Not a creature was stirring
    But my mind, it did roam
   
    It went to the kitchen
    And mentally scoured
    The cupboards for foods
    To be promptly devoured
   
    It would be such a waste
    If I threw them away
    But if I left them there
    The temptation would stay
   
    So conciously I did
    Arise from my chair
    To eat up those foods
    And leave my cupboards bare
   
    Two chocolate bars
    And the last slice of cake
    I ate them all up
    Of that, there's no mistake

    So on the next morning
    My diet began
    A nice low fat breakfast
    Then five miles I ran
   
    For my lunch I had salad
    I was doing so well
    But then came the evening
    And that's when I fell
   
    I sat on the sofa
    Felt hungry and bored
    So I went to the cupboard
    Where the kids treats were stored
   
    There I ate more bad foods
    Than I normally would
    But I consoled myself
    With "Tomorrow, I'll be good".

Lose Weight Long Term

Right, so, you've dieted and lost weight, then you gained it back.  Then you did it again... and again.  Why?

It certainly wasn't because the diet didn't work. It worked while you were on it... but then, you lost the weight you wanted to and stopped following the plan.

A friend of mine had been wanting to lose weight and, after he had a chat with me, it turned out he had not realised how much fat and sugar he was consuming in his day to day eating.  Instead of 'going on a diet', he has made some changes... and has lost over 10lbs in the last few weeks.  Has he cut out all fat and sugar? No.  Has he reduced fat and sugar significantly? No.  All he has done is cut down his biscuit intake from 4 per day to 2, and instead of eating a whole candy bar on his coffee break, he eats a half of one, and instead of eating a medium sized slice of cake in the afternoon, he eats a piece half the size of what he used to.  That's it.  No major changes, no strict counting of this and that.  No increased exercise just a few simple and most importantly, sustainable changes. 

These kind of changes are easy to sustain.  He has not deprived himself.  He is still eating those same foods.

This is the 'trick' to long term weight loss and management.  Whatever changes you make to your eating, they need to be ones that you can stick with for the rest of your life.  If you feel that eating only meat is something you can happily do for the rest of your life, then that may be the 'diet' for you.  If you want to never consume sugar ever again and you believe you are happy to continue eating that way for life, then maybe that's the plan for you.  Whatever it is that you can honestly say to yourself that you can stick with for the rest of your days, that's for you.  Whether the changes are major or minor is irrelevant.  And by choosing the right long term plan, you are setting yourself up for a life long healthy weight!

Forget What You Can't Do...

...and instead, do what you can! 

I walk a lot for my fitness.  I am not able to run because of ligament damage, but I CAN walk so I do it a lot.  Recently however, I also had a problem with the tendons in my ankles and was told by my Dr not to go for walks until they have recovered.  For the first couple of days I was a bit fed up as what seemed like the only activity I had available had been taken away too... but then... I dusted off my dumbells and really started hitting the weights properly after a gap of (well, a few too many) years!  I am loving it and really strengthening up my muscles quicker than I imagined would be possible.  I can't go out for walks but then, when using weights I tend to be standing still, laying or sitting down so that works out brilliantly.

I also resurrected my bicycle and have been cycling an average of 10 miles a day.  Again, there is no impact or strain on my ankles so I have found something else I CAN do too :) 

I know you don't need to know about my injuries or issues, I am simply using them here as an example of how you can continue helping yourself in your fitness despite health issues that may permanently or temporarily affect you.  There is always a way if you are prepared to look for it!  I also believe that everyone should be grateful to have the ability to use your body and that it is a terrible waste to not do whatever you are able to.  Imagine if tomorrow you found yourself totally paralysed and unable to bounce on a trampoline, take a walk, kick a ball etc etc... wouldn't you desperately wish you had made the most of your time before your body was paralysed?  I know I would if I wasn't making the most of it now.

To wrap up, I just want to share this inspirational video with you... after watching, you will realise that you really CAN do it!  Whatever it is! :)

Lift Your Butt and Strengthen Your Back

Have you heard of Tube Walking?  I hadn't until recently but it is used in physiotherapy to help strengthen the hips, thighs, buttocks and back.  Now it is becoming very popular in the fitness world as one of the best exercises to perk up you posterior!  The results can be quite remarkable and, recently, and the X-Men actress, Rosie Huntington-Whitely apparently perked up her bottom so much in just a few weeks that her costume had to be adjusted!  I don't know how you feel about it, but I have started spending 5 minutes a day Tube Walking!  Here is an instructional video for you, it will be quicker than me explaining how you do it....

The bands are available from here --> Resistance Band Loops  <--  and a book with even more exercises to do with the bands is available here -->  Clean and Lean Diet and Exercise <--

Happy Butt Shaping!!! :)

Making Your Weight Loss Plan.

Since excess weight puts you at risk of many health problems, if you are carrying a few extra pounds, you may need to make some weight loss plans to help avoid those risks and prevent disease.

But what should be your long-term goal? And what short-term goals should you set to help you get there? You have a better chance of attaining your goals if you make sure that the weight loss techniques that you choose to use are sensible and reasonable right from the outset.

Here are some guidelines from the experts in choosing weight loss plans and goals.

1. Be realistic

Most people’s long-term weight loss plans are more ambitious than they have to be.

For example, if you weigh 170 pounds and your long-term plan is to weigh 120, even if you have not weighed 120 since you were 16 and now you are 45, that is not a realistic weight loss goal.

Your body mass index or BMI is a good indicator of whether or not you need to shed of pounds. The ideal BMI range, according to the national Institutes of Health, is between 19 and 24.9. If your BMI is between 25 and 29.9, you are considered overweight. Any number above 30 is in the obesity range.

With this in mind, you will need to find or create a sensible weight loss plan that will help you achieve a weight range that falls within the ideal BMI range for you.

2. Set appropriate objectives

Using a weight loss plan just for vanity’s sake is psychologically less helpful than losing weight to improve health.

You have made a big step forward if you decide to undergo a weight loss plan that includes exercise and eating right so that you will feel better and have more energy to do something positive in your life.

3. Focus on doing, not losing

Rather than saying that you are going to lose a pound this week, say how much you are going to exercise this week and what you plan to eat.  This would definitely be much more beneficial to you in your success and continued sensible weight loss plan.

Keep in mind that your weight loss within a span of a week is not completely in your control, but your behavior is.

4. Build bit by bit

Short-term weight loss plans should not be “pie-in-the-sky.” This means that when you have never exercised at all, your best weight loss plan for this week should be based on finding three different one-mile routes that you can walk next week, or aiming to ascend and descend a set of stairs 5 times in a row, 3 times each day.  Everything you do will add up and start making a difference.

5. Keep up the self-encouragement

An all-or-nothing attitude only sets you up to fail. Learn to evaluate your efforts fairly and objectively. If you fall short of some goals, just look ahead to next week. You do not need to have a perfect record.  Just keep on with your objectives and you will surely make progress in time.

After all, self-encouragement should definitely be a part of your weight loss plans. Otherwise, you will just fail in the end.

6. Use measurable measures

Saying that you are going to be more positive this week or that you are going to really get serious this week is not a goal that you can measure and should not be a part of your weight loss plan.

This is another reason why you should incorporate exercise on your weight loss plan and focus on it. You should be able to count up the minutes of exercise in order to be successful in your plan.

The bottom line is, people often make weight loss plans that will only remain just that, plans! They have to put it into action by incorporating measurable goals that will motivate them to succeed.

What About Those Calories?

Hmmm, yes, what about those calories?  Where do they come into it?

There is a lot of debate over calorie control and several conclusions have been drawn.  I would like to offer my thoughts on calories here.

Firstly, what is a calorie?  Well, it is the rate at which a certain thing produces energy.  Most people think of calories only in terms of food but this is not so, they apply to anything containing energy.  A calorie unit is measured as follows...  specifically, a calorie is the amount of energy, or heat, it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). One calorie is equal to 4.184 joules, a common unit of energy used in the physical sciences.  So, in every day language, calories are the measurement used to determine the amount of energy a thing can provide, strictly speaking, as heat energy.

In scientific terms, energy IN must equal energy OUT.  In the world of weight management, the energy IN of course is food/drinks consumed.  Our body then very cleverly converts it from the form it was received in, into a form it can use to produce the energy a person needs to function.  Many of you will have heard of the Basal Metabolic Rate.  This rate varies from person to person according to muscle mass, bone density etc and it is simply the number of calories your body requires to maintain itself in it's current condition if you were to do absolutely nothing except lay still at all times.  Of course, most of us do actually move, some more than others! So we need additional calories on top of those required by our BMR to provide us with the energy for these activities.  So, if our BMR is 1400 calories per day, and our activity for the day will need and additional 600 calories, we need then to consume a total of 2000 calories for the day to maintain our weight because we will have used up exactly the amount of energy that we put in.  If we consumed 2200 calories that day, then technically, 200 calories remain in our bodies!  The body has to find a way to store these extra calories, to save them up for the future when they may be needed... and the body's calorie storage mechanism is... you guessed it... FAT!

So, the principle behind that is fairly straight forward, and it therefore stands to reason that, if you want to lose weight, you should reduce your calories to a lower intake than the amount you expend, and you will create a deficit, and your body will delve into it's reserve stores (your body fat) to fuel the extra energy output required.  The result, fat/weight loss!  Yay!  Now here is where we need to be careful though...

A pound of body fat, in a controlled scientific experiment, will produce 3500 calories.  It then follows that for every 3500 calories you expend over that which you consume, you will lose 1lb of fat...  well, almost.
If you take your time and cut back only a small amount of calories from what you require daily, you should be okay, but you must not cut back by too much.  Research has shown that humans can extract approximately 31.4 calories/pound of body fat daily. After that, the body will have to burn muscle instead.  So, let's say you are carrying an extra 10lbs of body fat, your body cannot supplement your energy intake with more than 314 calories from FAT per day.  If you eat any less than 314 calories per day below what your body requires, it will use up your muscle instead!  Muscle mass really bumps up your BMR so you DO NOT want to reduce it!

In conclusion, I would say that there is little wrong with calorie counting for weight loss and weight management.  You just have to be sure to do it in a sensible and thought out way, don't just start eating 1000 calories a day!  Do this and I'm sure you will lose weight but then, after a while, your body will adapt, the weight may stop coming off and where do you go from there?  You have already gone so low on your calorie intake!  You will then have less muscle mass, so your body won't require nearly as many calories as it did before and this will make maintaining any weight loss even harder.  Be sensible, get your body fat measured and do the 31.4 calories per pound of body fat calculation.  Let's do a quick example of that:

Let's say a person weighs 150lbs.  They get their body composition measured.  They are carrying 33% body fat which is 50lbs.  50 x 31.4 = 1570 calories.  If their BMR was calculated at 1400 and they use 600 on daily activity, and they choose to consume 2000 calories per day, they will maintain their weight.  If they cut their calories to 1500 a day, but maintain their 2000 calories expenditure, they will get 500 calories a day to use from their body fat quite safely, and without using up thier muscle because it is well within the 1570 calories that can be withdrawn from their 'fat bank' daily.  When they have lost 20lbs, they will only be able to 'withdraw 942 calories from their fat bank' daily, and when they have only 10lbs to lose, they will only be able to withdraw 314 calories daily... meaning they will need to increase the calorie consumption to 1686.  By maintaining the muscle, and therefore the BMR, with careful calculation along the way, a person should be able to lose their weight and increase their calorie intake back up to a comfortable 2000 a day to maintain their goal weight once they get there :)

You may need to read this a couple of times to really grasp it, but that is how the calorie equation balances out.

Sometimes, all it takes is a word (or a few)

We can trawl through endless advice and ideas on dieting, much of which is valid and useful.  Some people will take the information and act upon it.  These people will yield their desired weight management results.  And yet, there are so many people out there who just cannot seem to succeed.  What on earth could be going on?

Well, something that is often not addressed at all in weight management/loss programs is the mindset of the person.  I don't want to go into this here and now, but so often people tell themselves that (despite being on a diet) they 'deserve' the cake, or it's just a 'treat', one 'won't hurt' and so on.  They are making these foods which are not good for you into 'treats', things to 'deserve'!  Don't you think you 'deserve' to treat' your body to some natural nourishing food?  Something that is actually good for your body and mind?  I do.

I know this is a short post, but my main reason for writing it was to share a quotation from a book with you.  One that made a difference to me anyway.  Read it, think about it.  Read it more than once if necessary but do take it in...

"Here is a rich man who is the victim of painful and persistent disease as the result of gluttony.  He is willing to give large sums of money to get rid of it, but he will not sacrifice his gluttonous desires.  He wants to gratify his taste for rich and unnatural foods and have his health as well.  Such a man is unfit to have health, because he has not yet learned the principles of a healthy life".  ~  James Allen

So, what changes can you make to your attitude towards 'unnatural foods' that would help you to lose those excess lbs?  I'm sure there are several.

You can do it! :)

Beating Those Cravings

If you are a successful dieter, this opening will probably not sound terribly familiar to you... but if you have tried and failed to stick with diets, then this will most likely strike a chord with you.

You get yourself all motivated for your weight loss and the diet plan which you are now about to follow.  The day goes well, you have counted all your points or calories, or stuck like glue to all the rules of whatever the plan you're following is.  Dinner time has been and gone and you have been really good.  You sit down to chill out for the evening knowing that you have got off to a great start, you are going to succeed in your weight loss efforts!  Then, this funny little feeling starts creeping into your mouth.  You try and ignore it but it won't leave you alone.  You're perhaps watching TV, but your mind is now distracted by this feeling, this desire to eat something... and not just anything, but something really off limits!  You try and ignore it, you try and fight it.  Then you may decide to get yourself a drink instead, yes that'll do it right?  You have your drink.  That seemed to have worked... for now.  The evening goes on like this until eventually, just before bedtime, you give in and help yourself to whatever you can find in the snack cupboard!!!  Cursing what you just did, you go to bed and vow to do better tomorrow...

Of course this issue with cravings is not just limited to evenings, it can strike at any moment in the day but the evenings seem to be where they become the hardest to resist.

So, what can you do about it?  You have all the good intentions and yet you continue to keep sabotaging your efforts...almost against your own will!  Unfortunately, unless you live on your own or with a family who are happy to have no unhealthy snacks in the cupboard, I have only discovered ONE thing that really works long term.  First of all though, let me go through the other ideas that can and do work although not as successfully in my opinion.

Drink Plenty of Water.  The reason behind this is two fold.  By drinking plenty of water you are helping to keep your cells refreshed and your body cleansed.  By doing this, you can also help to eliminate the chemicals and sugars that you have consumed and are craving more of.  It also provides you with an 'action' to replace eating with.  You are putting your hands to your mouth and consuming something.  If water is not your thing (although it really should be!) try adding some flavouring by making a fruit tea, allowing it to cool and adding to your water as though it is a cordial.

Create a Food 'Road Block'.  If you have a snack cupboard in your home - intended for the use of your children and other family members of course -  put the most unhealthy or hard to resist snacks at the back of the cupboard and place healthy options in front of them.  Now, when you go to that cupboard, you will see the fruit, rice cakes or whatever else you have chosen to put there, first.  Okay, so you may just reach over them but you will have to make a concious effort to do so.

Know You Will Cave In.  If you really can't resist despite all your best efforts, then allow for what you plan to eat in the evening in your daily plan.  It is suggested that if you cut your calories in the day, then you will just get hungry and binge later on in the evening BUT, if you are going to do it regardless of what you have had through the day, then allow for it.  If for example you are doing a diet where you count points, then work out how many points you will need to have the intended late night snack and cut back through the day in anticipation.

So those are some ideas for you to try out to help you with your cravings.  And, may I just say, I nearly wrote 'carb cravings' there but thought some of you may not think of them as such... although I can't remember the last time I really craved an egg, or some fish etc... can you?  Hmmm...

Now, that ONE thing that works long term.  It is not easy at first but once you get through the early days, it becomes REALLY easy.  Cut out ALL refined carbohydrates.  This means breads that have sugar added to them (opt for a natural rye bread for example), white rice, sugar in all forms, pasta etc.   You can still eat carbohydrates, you just need to ensure that they are in their 'whole, natural state'.  If you are eating potato, you must eat the skin too.  Eating sugars makes you want to eat MORE SUGARS!  It's a physical fact and the only thing you can do is to avoid them completely.  Sorry about that.

Hopefully some of the earlier tips will be enough for you to take control of your cravings without having to eliminate sugars altogether, but if they don't, at least you know what you can do to beat them once and for all!

15 quick tips for people who don't like to exercise

  We've all had days when we don't have the energy to tie our athletic shoes,  let alone bounce around in them. But exercise can give a daily blast to your mind, body, and soul. 

 Here are fifteen quick tips to get you moving:

   1. Don't get intimidated by the prospect of a daily exercise regimen. You don't have to run a marathon. You need only get your body moving each day.   Once you tone your muscles, you'll naturally find yourself wanting to do more challenging workouts.

    2. Reframe the way you think about exercise. Begin to think of each workout as a gift you give to yourself instead of just another "should," "ought," or "must."
       3. Make sure you enjoy your exercise program. Some people like classes.  Some people don't. Choose what's right for you so it becomes something you actually look forward to.
       4. Make sure your workout is convenient. Schedule it for a time of day when you typically feel the most energetic. Have your gym bag packed and ready to go by the door or in the car. 
       5. Make your workout weather-proof. If you run or walk outside, get the right workout gear so weather conditions are never an excuse. 
       6. Make sure you're doing it right. One reason for wanting to quit exercising is injury or pain. Check with your doctor before you start an exercise program so you know you're safe in the workout you choose. And check in with trainers, too, if you're working on equipment at the gym or trying a new sport. 
       7. If you're having a low-energy day, tell yourself you have to exercise for only ten minutes. That will get you moving, and once you're in the exercise groove, you'll usually want to finish your workout. 

     8. Go with friends. Start a group for walking, running, or training. The camaraderie (and peer pressure) can do wonders for your daily motivation. 

     9. After a really good workout, write a few notes in your journal about how good you feel. Use it as a reference the next time you don't want to begin.  

    10. Start with small goals. If you want to run for 30 minutes, for example, start by walking fast. When you can do that, make a goal to spend those 30 minutes running for one minute, walking for one minute. When you build on these smaller goals, you'll be running in no time. And you'll give your confidence a boost, too. 

    11. Recognize that some days it will be easier to exercise, and some days you'll have to struggle through the workout. This has to do with a lot of factors, including mood, hormones, the glass of wine you had last night...Take the pressure off by understanding the fluctations. And exercise anyway. 

    12. Try behavior modification tapes. Mike Brescia has a good one for exercising at Momscape.com:  This audiotape is not self-hypnotizing or subliminal. You'll hear every message, but these messages are subtle and, for many people, effective.

13. Use a visible reward system. The effects of exercise are cumulative and long-term, so sometimes it helps to see your results on a daily basis. After each workout, put a big red star on the calendar as a symbol that you completed the day's workout. Take photos of yourself every month in your workout gear so you have a visual record of your results, too.

14. Get to the bottom of your exercise aversion. For women, if it's the run-of-the-mill gym you can't stand, try a women-oriented fitness center, such as Curves. This is a fast-growing fitness phenomenon, and many women feel like their workout becomes a 30-minute vacation--like a girls' night out at the exercise machines. 

15. Be gentle with yourself. Take a day off at least once a week. And if you do skip a few workouts, don't beat yourself up, but do get right back in the routine. The fewer consecutive days you skip, the more likely you'll be to make your workout a lasting gift you give to yourself. 

Fitness: By Susie Cortright

Healthy Eating on the Road

Staying On The Right Track... When You're On The Road.

 Typical freeway fare includes fast food, microwave-ready service station options, bags of chips, and lots of sodas. These foods are almost always full of bad fats, lots of calories, and not much valuable nutrition. Plus, eating junk food for a couple of days can leave you feeling fatigued and crabby, and give you a stomach ache.

With a little bit of effort and willpower, you can navigate your way around the junk food and maintain your healthy diet while on a long road trip. You'll feel healthier, more alert, and have more fun.

Breakfast

You may be eating breakfast at a restaurant, a hotel continental breakfast bar, or even the food aisle of a gas station. Avoid excess sugar. High carbohydrate meals may improve your mood for a short time, but lots of sugar can also make you sleepy. That's not good if you are the driver.

Healthy eating at a restaurant:

• Choose an omelet filled with vegetables and order a side of whole-wheat toast instead of a stack of pancakes and syrup.
• A bowl of oatmeal with fresh fruit is very filling and good for you.
• If you want something sweet, choose a bran muffin, which is a good source of fiber. Or opt for whole-grain toast with just a little jam or jelly.

At the hotel continental breakfast bar:

• Choose a whole grain cereal with low-fat milk.
• Fresh fruit gives you vitamins and fiber.
• Yogurt or hard-boiled eggs are good sources of protein.
• Avoid sugary muffins, sweet-rolls, and pre-sweetened cereal.

At the service station:

• Look for single-serving whole grain breakfast cereals and low-fat milk.
• Protein bars can make a good breakfast food substitute, but watch out for extra sugar and calories--read the labels.
• As a last resort, choose a hot breakfast sandwich or small breakfast burrito over donuts and sweet-rolls.

Fast food restaurants:

• Most breakfast choices have lots of calories and saturated fats, but breakfast burritos may have less than other selections.
• Fruit and yogurt parfaits will give you some calcium and protein without too much saturated fat.
• Drink low-fat milk or 100 percent juice instead of sodas and orange-flavored soft drinks.

Snacks in the Car

If you are the driver, you probably should not be snacking since eating can be a big distraction. Snacks to keep your passengers happy should be low in saturated fats, low in sugar and nutritious. Take a cooler with ice packs to keep your snacks and beverages cold.

When you stop for gas and restroom breaks, find a local grocery store which will have a better selection than the gas station.

Eat healthy snacks in the car:

• Load up on fresh-cut vegetables and fruit. Bring along a small cooler with ice packs to keep your snacks fresh.
• Bring plenty of water. It will keep you hydrated and, if you spill it, won't stain the upholstery like sodas.
• Individually wrapped portions of string cheese or vegetarian cheese alternatives can be kept in the cooler with the fruit and vegetables. They are a great source of calcium and protein.
• Bring baked whole grain crackers along on your trip. This is good for added fiber and nutrients.
• Don't overindulge in greasy chips. There are baked varieties that have a lot less unhealthy fats. You need to watch how much you eat of those too, however, since they don't offer much in the way of nutrition.
• You can also pack sandwiches made with whole grain bread and peanut butter or lean meats. Keep these in the cooler, too.
• Nuts such as almonds, cashews, and walnuts contain polyunsaturated fats and are easy to take on a trip in either individual bags or larger containers.

Lunch and Dinner

Lunch and dinner on the road usually means going to a restaurant. Don't spend too much time at fast food restaurants; instead opt for full-service restaurants that offer more choices.

Healthy eating in restaurants:

• Order a soup or a salad to eat with your main course. Soups and salads are generally healthy and start to fill you up so that you eat less of the more calorie-dense main meal.
• Skip the entrée altogether. Soup and salad might be enough for a healthy meal.
• Split a meal with your dining partner. Most restaurants serve huge portions, so there is usually enough food to share. This saves calories and money. Besides, sharing eliminates the temptation to take leftovers back on the road, where they can't be properly stored.
• Select foods that are prepared with healthier, low-fat methods. Baked chicken is healthy, but fried chicken has too much fat.
• Eat the vegetables. Most entrées come with at least one vegetable. If not, be sure to order a vegetable side dish.
• Skip dessert, or choose some fruit. A full meal that ends with a sugary dessert may make you feel sleepy. That might be fine if you are passenger, but a bad idea if you are the driver.

At fast food restaurants:

• Find sandwich shops like Subway or Quiznos that let you select your sandwich ingredients. Choose whole grain breads, lean meats, and lots of vegetables.
• Many fast food restaurants offer salads, but you need to be careful when you select one. Some of those salads are very high in fat, especially taco salads or those topped with fried chicken strips.
• Don't super-size your meal. It sounds like a great deal, but you will eat way too much calories, fat, and sodium.
• Order sandwiches made with grilled chicken rather than fried chicken.

At the Hotel

If your trip requires a hotel stay, you might get a bit hungry after a long day of travel. If going to a restaurant is not an option, you should still find healthy foods.

Eating at the hotel:

• Find a local grocery store and buy healthy snack items such as fruit, nuts, or healthy choices from a salad bar or deli section. If your hotel has a microwave, you can find healthier frozen dinners or soup.
• If your only choice for a snack is the hotel vending machine, skip the candy and chips and look for nuts or microwave popcorn.
• Some restaurants will deliver food to your hotel room and may have some healthy menu items available. If you go for a pizza delivery, don't order extra cheese or meats high in saturated fat. Choose lots of vegetable and mushrooms. Order a side salad too.

Follow these easy tips for better nutrition on the road, and have a safe and healthy road trip.

  by Shereen Jegtvig, About.com Guide