For the past 40 years I have paid close attention to my diet and body weight. When I was pregnant with my first child, I gained 50 pounds and discovered my thyroid gland was under-active. I dove into learning about food, nutrition and metabolism with all my might, which is my pattern when I really want to know something. I wanted to provide the best possible nutrition for my child and I wanted to regain my pre-pregnancy weight and health.
In the past I taught guided imagery and shared weight management tips with adults who wanted to loose weight. My favorite eating plans are The Zone, South Beach Diet, and Weight Watchers. They work and they are a healthier way to loose weight.
When I started gaining a few pounds near the end of last year, I decided I better review what I know and start applying it more faithfully. Right now I am fluffy but if I let it go, fluff will turn to fat.
My holidays are made sweeter by consuming lots of our traditionally rich foods and there is a particular brand of fruit cake that happens to be my downfall. I gave in to my desire for it frequently this year. In addition, I retired a year ago and am not as active as I used to be so the extra pounds started to appear recently. Fluff is great for pillows but not for a body!
Below are tips I believe will help you and me move toward a healthy, fit, attractive body.
.
* Clean out and organize your refrigerator and freezer. Get rid of the most tempting, tantalizing foods which would wreck your healthy eating plans.
* Tell your self and others you are choosing to eat healthy. Do not talk about being on a "diet".
* Get your teeth cleaned, and whitened if needed, so you will enjoy smiling more.
* Avoid the magazines with pictures of the extremely beautiful women. You don't even what to know how many of those good looks are bought or photo shopped.
* Clean out any clutter in your home, car, garage, purse and desk. This action confirms to your subconscious mind you are serious, you are letting go and you are leaving the past behind.
* Plan to eat 3 meals and 3 snacks a day in order to keep your metabolism revved up. Keep calories for meals around 500 and keep snacks around 100 calories. Don't be overly strict and create stress.
* Never skip meals because it sends your body into starvation mode. It slows down the metabolism. Your body will produce stress hormones and then you will overeat or make poor food choices when you do eat because you are overly hungry.
* Spend some time learning about the glycemic index of food. Fruits like bananas and grapes have a higher glycemic index than apples and pears. Mashed potatoes, bread, white rice and pasta are high glycemic foods with little nutritional value. Sweet potatoes and green leafy vegetables are low glycemic foods and packed with nutrition. Corn and peas are high glycemic.
* Pay attention to the foods your body is craving. Your body may be telling you which nutrients it needs or you may just be emotionally hungry and need to call a friend or get a hug. If your craving ice cream you need a hug.
* Place a low fat protein source such as chicken, fish, lean beef or pork, about the size and thickness of the palm of your hand, on 1/3 of your plate and add fresh fruits and vegetables to the other 2/3rds of the plate. Add a small slab of healthy fat and you will have the ideal meal for loosing weight.
* Lightly steaming vegetables preserves their nutritional content and enhances the flavor. If you prefer raw vegetables you are ahead of the game when it comes to the nutritional value of food; however, some people may not be able to easily digest uncooked foods.
* Broil, bake, steam, lightly grill or saute your protein sources in small amounts of olive oil, butter or coconut oil.
*Eat as many dark, green leafy vegetables, like spinach, kale, or chard, you can. They are powerhouses of nutrition. Romaine lettuce is more nutritious than Iceberg. Choose Romaine or Spring Mix for your salads.
* Do not heat oils to the point of smoking. They oxidize and become free radicals. Free radicals harm cells and cause the body to age and create health issues.
* Choose healthy fats ; nuts, olive oil, avocados, coconut oil, fish oil, flax seed oil, or butter (margarine is only a few molecules away from being plastic and canola oil is a genetically modified product. I don't recommend either one). Avoid animal fat.
* Eat fish more often than you eat meat and chicken. Eat red meat about once a month. It has many B vitamins, minerals, and is a good protein source. If you are vegan you need to supplement your diet to obtain B vitamins.
* Meals and snacks should be a combination of protein, complex carbohydrates (fresh fruits and vegatables), and healthy fat to avoid sugar spikes which make you crave sugary/starchy foods.
* Include all flavors in a meal whenever possible (salty, spicy, sweet, bitter, sour) and you have a better chance of satisfying your hunger with less food and you will stay satisfied longer.
* Pause before eating or drinking anything and ask yourself if you really want it. Become consciously aware of what you eat and drink.
* Slowly chew, smell, taste, and cherish each bite of your food and you will eat less. Breathe frequently while eating to slow yourself down.
* Make your food presentation attractive. Use your nice dishes and silverware. Have lots of colorful food on your plate. You are important and special and need to treat yourself that way.
*Avoid drinking ice cold drinks with meals because the digestive fires are slowed down.
* Drink a full glass of water or drink a cup of hot water 1/2 hour before meals to decrease the amount you eat.
* Drink a glass of water at the first hint of hunger. Often the body is thirsty rather than hungry but we interpret most urges as hunger.
* Drink a glass of water when you wake up, one before each meal, one with every caffeinated beverage, one between meals and one about 2 hours before bed. Dehydration can make you think you are hungry. Keep well hydrated.
* Cook foods at low temperatures to preserve their nutritiousness and prevent your healthy oils from becoming unhealthy (I am not a fan of microwave cooking).
* Have a small protein snack before exercising so your body will burn fat, not muscle while you are exercising, and you will have the energy to work out longer.
* Always shop on the periphery of the grocery store. Choose fresh produce and items from the fish/meat department. Avoid boxes, cans, and containers of processed foods. They contain too much salt, fat, sugar and are low in nutrition.
* Choose foods which are closest in appearance and scent of their natural ripe state. Locally grown are often more nutritious since they are not picked so green and shipped across continents.
* Use as many spices in your food as possible for their nutritional content. For example, parsley aids digestion and is a diuretic. Turmeric cleanses the liver and speeds up metabolism.
* Be suspicious of all white foods. Ask yourself if you really want it because it will take you off course; white rice, flour, sugar, bread, and pasta. These foods contain too many grams of carbohydrate and offer little nutritionally. Starchy foods become sugar when they are digested.
* Avoid artificial sweeteners. They stimulate the pancreas to release insulin and your body cannot burn fat as fuel in the presence of insulin which is what you want to accomplish in order to loose weight. Diet drinks and food can actually cause weight gain.
* Avoid eating late in the evening. Eat a small snack of protein/carbohydrate/fat about 2 hours before bed.
* Alcohol is only healthy when consumed in small amounts. Women should not have more than 1 drink per day and men, no more than 2 drinks per day. The more you drink above these limits, the greater the risk of developing serious problems such as: liver disease (cirrhosis or hepatitis); stomach and pancreas disorders; depression; anxiety; sexual difficulties; muscle and heart muscle disease; high blood pressure; damage to nervous tissue; serious accidents; some cancers; and obesity (alcohol has a lot of calories).
* Brisk walking is a great form of exercise. Perform some physical activity you enjoy at least 3 times a week but walk daily, even if it has to be in 10 minute segments. Weight training will help you develop muscle, increase your metabolism, and loose weight faster.
* Reduce stress and eliminate negative emotions. Walk daily, stretch, perform yoga, Tai Chi, keep a journal, meditate, pray or engage in talk therapy.
*Write down the things you like about your body and focus on these for 5 minutes each day. Never focus on what you do not like for any length of time.
* Perform guided visualizations daily. See yourself wearing the clothes you want to wear, doing the activities you want to do, and looking the way you want to look. See yourself on the scale and the weight registering at your ideal weight. Walk, talk, and act like you have the body you want.
* Keep your personal appearance at it's best so you feel good about yourself. A healthy self-image keeps you focused on your health goals.
* Walk, stand and sit with your spine in proper alignment. There is a direct correlation between the shape of your spine and the state of your mind. Poor posture causes your shoulders to stoop and your abdomen to protrude. Not a good look.
* If you have a sedentary job, take mini breaks and walk around and stretch every two hours or more frequently if you can (stretching stimulates receptors in your joints which helps your body relax).
* Repeat affirmations: I am making healthy choices. My health and my feelings of well being are the most important things I can focus on today. All is well in my world.
*Get plenty of restful, deep sleep. Go to bed at the same time each evening, relax before going to bed by reading, praying/meditating, avoid watching high action dramas prior to sleep. By the way, naps are good for you. Indulge yourself.
* Take frequent deep cleansing breathes through out the day to relax the mind and body.
In the past I taught guided imagery and shared weight management tips with adults who wanted to loose weight. My favorite eating plans are The Zone, South Beach Diet, and Weight Watchers. They work and they are a healthier way to loose weight.
When I started gaining a few pounds near the end of last year, I decided I better review what I know and start applying it more faithfully. Right now I am fluffy but if I let it go, fluff will turn to fat.
My holidays are made sweeter by consuming lots of our traditionally rich foods and there is a particular brand of fruit cake that happens to be my downfall. I gave in to my desire for it frequently this year. In addition, I retired a year ago and am not as active as I used to be so the extra pounds started to appear recently. Fluff is great for pillows but not for a body!
Below are tips I believe will help you and me move toward a healthy, fit, attractive body.
.
* Clean out and organize your refrigerator and freezer. Get rid of the most tempting, tantalizing foods which would wreck your healthy eating plans.
* Tell your self and others you are choosing to eat healthy. Do not talk about being on a "diet".
* Get your teeth cleaned, and whitened if needed, so you will enjoy smiling more.
* Avoid the magazines with pictures of the extremely beautiful women. You don't even what to know how many of those good looks are bought or photo shopped.
* Clean out any clutter in your home, car, garage, purse and desk. This action confirms to your subconscious mind you are serious, you are letting go and you are leaving the past behind.
* Plan to eat 3 meals and 3 snacks a day in order to keep your metabolism revved up. Keep calories for meals around 500 and keep snacks around 100 calories. Don't be overly strict and create stress.
* Never skip meals because it sends your body into starvation mode. It slows down the metabolism. Your body will produce stress hormones and then you will overeat or make poor food choices when you do eat because you are overly hungry.
* Spend some time learning about the glycemic index of food. Fruits like bananas and grapes have a higher glycemic index than apples and pears. Mashed potatoes, bread, white rice and pasta are high glycemic foods with little nutritional value. Sweet potatoes and green leafy vegetables are low glycemic foods and packed with nutrition. Corn and peas are high glycemic.
* Pay attention to the foods your body is craving. Your body may be telling you which nutrients it needs or you may just be emotionally hungry and need to call a friend or get a hug. If your craving ice cream you need a hug.
* Place a low fat protein source such as chicken, fish, lean beef or pork, about the size and thickness of the palm of your hand, on 1/3 of your plate and add fresh fruits and vegetables to the other 2/3rds of the plate. Add a small slab of healthy fat and you will have the ideal meal for loosing weight.
* Lightly steaming vegetables preserves their nutritional content and enhances the flavor. If you prefer raw vegetables you are ahead of the game when it comes to the nutritional value of food; however, some people may not be able to easily digest uncooked foods.
* Broil, bake, steam, lightly grill or saute your protein sources in small amounts of olive oil, butter or coconut oil.
*Eat as many dark, green leafy vegetables, like spinach, kale, or chard, you can. They are powerhouses of nutrition. Romaine lettuce is more nutritious than Iceberg. Choose Romaine or Spring Mix for your salads.
* Do not heat oils to the point of smoking. They oxidize and become free radicals. Free radicals harm cells and cause the body to age and create health issues.
* Choose healthy fats ; nuts, olive oil, avocados, coconut oil, fish oil, flax seed oil, or butter (margarine is only a few molecules away from being plastic and canola oil is a genetically modified product. I don't recommend either one). Avoid animal fat.
* Eat fish more often than you eat meat and chicken. Eat red meat about once a month. It has many B vitamins, minerals, and is a good protein source. If you are vegan you need to supplement your diet to obtain B vitamins.
* Meals and snacks should be a combination of protein, complex carbohydrates (fresh fruits and vegatables), and healthy fat to avoid sugar spikes which make you crave sugary/starchy foods.
* Include all flavors in a meal whenever possible (salty, spicy, sweet, bitter, sour) and you have a better chance of satisfying your hunger with less food and you will stay satisfied longer.
* Pause before eating or drinking anything and ask yourself if you really want it. Become consciously aware of what you eat and drink.
* Slowly chew, smell, taste, and cherish each bite of your food and you will eat less. Breathe frequently while eating to slow yourself down.
* Make your food presentation attractive. Use your nice dishes and silverware. Have lots of colorful food on your plate. You are important and special and need to treat yourself that way.
*Avoid drinking ice cold drinks with meals because the digestive fires are slowed down.
* Drink a full glass of water or drink a cup of hot water 1/2 hour before meals to decrease the amount you eat.
* Drink a glass of water at the first hint of hunger. Often the body is thirsty rather than hungry but we interpret most urges as hunger.
* Drink a glass of water when you wake up, one before each meal, one with every caffeinated beverage, one between meals and one about 2 hours before bed. Dehydration can make you think you are hungry. Keep well hydrated.
* Cook foods at low temperatures to preserve their nutritiousness and prevent your healthy oils from becoming unhealthy (I am not a fan of microwave cooking).
* Have a small protein snack before exercising so your body will burn fat, not muscle while you are exercising, and you will have the energy to work out longer.
* Always shop on the periphery of the grocery store. Choose fresh produce and items from the fish/meat department. Avoid boxes, cans, and containers of processed foods. They contain too much salt, fat, sugar and are low in nutrition.* Choose foods which are closest in appearance and scent of their natural ripe state. Locally grown are often more nutritious since they are not picked so green and shipped across continents.
* Use as many spices in your food as possible for their nutritional content. For example, parsley aids digestion and is a diuretic. Turmeric cleanses the liver and speeds up metabolism.
* Be suspicious of all white foods. Ask yourself if you really want it because it will take you off course; white rice, flour, sugar, bread, and pasta. These foods contain too many grams of carbohydrate and offer little nutritionally. Starchy foods become sugar when they are digested.
* Avoid artificial sweeteners. They stimulate the pancreas to release insulin and your body cannot burn fat as fuel in the presence of insulin which is what you want to accomplish in order to loose weight. Diet drinks and food can actually cause weight gain.
* Avoid eating late in the evening. Eat a small snack of protein/carbohydrate/fat about 2 hours before bed.
* Alcohol is only healthy when consumed in small amounts. Women should not have more than 1 drink per day and men, no more than 2 drinks per day. The more you drink above these limits, the greater the risk of developing serious problems such as: liver disease (cirrhosis or hepatitis); stomach and pancreas disorders; depression; anxiety; sexual difficulties; muscle and heart muscle disease; high blood pressure; damage to nervous tissue; serious accidents; some cancers; and obesity (alcohol has a lot of calories).
* Brisk walking is a great form of exercise. Perform some physical activity you enjoy at least 3 times a week but walk daily, even if it has to be in 10 minute segments. Weight training will help you develop muscle, increase your metabolism, and loose weight faster.
*Write down the things you like about your body and focus on these for 5 minutes each day. Never focus on what you do not like for any length of time.
* Perform guided visualizations daily. See yourself wearing the clothes you want to wear, doing the activities you want to do, and looking the way you want to look. See yourself on the scale and the weight registering at your ideal weight. Walk, talk, and act like you have the body you want.
* Keep your personal appearance at it's best so you feel good about yourself. A healthy self-image keeps you focused on your health goals.
* Walk, stand and sit with your spine in proper alignment. There is a direct correlation between the shape of your spine and the state of your mind. Poor posture causes your shoulders to stoop and your abdomen to protrude. Not a good look.
* If you have a sedentary job, take mini breaks and walk around and stretch every two hours or more frequently if you can (stretching stimulates receptors in your joints which helps your body relax).
* Repeat affirmations: I am making healthy choices. My health and my feelings of well being are the most important things I can focus on today. All is well in my world.*Get plenty of restful, deep sleep. Go to bed at the same time each evening, relax before going to bed by reading, praying/meditating, avoid watching high action dramas prior to sleep. By the way, naps are good for you. Indulge yourself.
* Take frequent deep cleansing breathes through out the day to relax the mind and body.
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