Addressing The Fears And Feelings Associated With Weight Loss

It seems a little strange that losing weight can entice feelings of fear. Fear doesn’t seem to have a place in such a constructive process. Usually weight loss is associated with both positive and negative feelings. The positive feelings are more obvious and understandable. You’re feeling better, have more energy, look better, fit in nicer clothes, etc. However, are you aware that negative feelings about your life changing process are also normal?

Weight gain happens for a reason and it’s not all about that familiar hand to mouth motion. It’s not just about food it’s about what is behind the overeating. Smaller weight gains can usually be attributed to just poor eating and exercise habits. However, large weight gain is almost always associated with something much deeper. Gaining weight is camouflage. It allows you to disappear in society, which in turn can make you feel safer. The key is to understand what you were hiding from? Was there a trauma in you life that needs to be addressed?

Conversely, as you begin to understand why you gained the weight, you also need to address your feelings as you succeed at your weight loss efforts. This is a journey that will require time and patience. You may stall and have to restart. You may lose motivation and need assistance to get back on track. You may not fall off the wagon; you may execute a premeditated jump off the wagon. These actions can all be associated with fear.

If this sounds all too familiar, take the time to address these volatile emotions before they take you down. The following pro-active steps can ease the fears and keep you on track.

· Find A Support System. This can be a personal trainer who understands your struggle and is willing to push to keep you on track. The trainer may use motivational techniques or tactics that help you face your fears head on and eliminate the need to self-sabotage your forward motion. Personal Trainers are NOT just for movie stars any more! They are available to the general public. Call your local gym for a referral.

If a personal trainer is not an option, team up with a friend who has succeeded with weight loss and is willing to help you stay on track by exercising with you daily. Share food journals. You will learn as much from your friend’s food journal and your friend will be necessary accountability to keep your eating habits in check.

· Daily Journal Writing. Emotions locked in your mind become bigger and bigger over time which then become nearly impossible to control. Everything starts with a thought! Once you learn to train and manage your thinking you will be able to change your life. Write out your feelings and fears. The mere act of writing helps you to understand why you feel what you feel and releases the negative energy.

· Follow Up With Affirmations. After releasing the negative emotions, follow up with affirmations. It is important to fill the space with a positive turn around. Give your brain something good to dwell on now.

· Take Quiet Time. Often our lives are so busy we don’t have time to breath, much less think. Give yourself 15 minutes a day to sit and let go of the mental stress. This takes more effort than you may think. During these 15 minutes consciously let go of any thoughts that are occupying your mind. Vacuum the mental clutter and empty your mind of all thought. Let your system rest for 15 minutes and you will find that you are more in control of more of your day.

Fear is a normal part of any major life change. Once you understand this you can begin to address this emotion and push past it. Keep that forward motion by challenging any feelings that cause you to sabotage your positive growth.

7 Easy Steps To Healthy Weight_Loss

Today more than ever there is so much information out there on losing weight that is has become very confusing and sometimes difficult to follow. It’s actually very easy to lose weight if you follow my 7 principles.

1. - Before you can start any diet program you need to be in the right frame of mind. If you do not feel good about yourself you probably will not want to choose healthy foods. You cannot expect the act of going on a diet to make you feel better about yourself. The only way you can choose to eat a healthy diet to lose weight is if you have a positive self-image.

2. - Learn more about who your ancestors were. If you eat more like your ancestors you will be eating food that is better for your body. You will likely lose weight, have more energy and feel great. It has been shown when a group of people stop eating the food that was indigenous to them they start gaining weight and having health problems.

3. - Eat whole foods that are as natural as possible. When you eat whole foods that are full of nutrients your body will know how much to eat and how much not to eat. You do not have to count calories because your body is a wonderful machine. If given the right nutrients you will be at the best weight for you, have plenty of energy and feel great. Eating highly processed empty calorie foods will cause your body to always be hungry because it’s trying to get the nutrients it needs.

4. - Drink the best weight loss supplement known to man, water. Most people do not know the difference from being hungry for food or thirsty for water. A great deal of times people eat when they should drink. Most likely you will not feel as hungry if you are getting enough water. You will be satisfying the thirst, which is confused for hunger. Water also helps you digest food better. Drinking water before you eat will help fill you up.

5. – Always chew your food well. Chewing your food well will ensure that you get the most nutrients out of your food. Getting the most nutrients will satisfy your body therefore you will eat less. Another benefit of chewing well is that it helps aid in digestion.

6. - Eat small, frequent meals in a day. Large meals tax your digestion system, making it work harder. Taking too much time in between meals makes you hungrier for the next meal.

7. - Increase your physical activity. Most people are over weight because of a lack of physical activity. Start walking more, bicycling, walk your dog for longer periods of time, swim, dance and leave the car at home when you can. It’s important that you choose a physical activity that you enjoy because you’ll stick with it. Choosing a physical activity purely based on the fact that it burns a lot of calories may be a mistake.

Does Hoodia the African weight loss secret actually work?

Astounding as some dieters say the new Hoodia weight loss supplement is, other dieters say it’s a fake and doesn’t work at all. If you’re not familiar with Hoodia Gordonii, it’s the new fad in dieting products. It comes from a cactus type plant in South Africa and has been eaten there for thousands of years by the aboriginal natives. The San Bushmen in the Kalahari Desert eat the Hoodia succulent plant by picking off a piece before a hunting trip or period of time they know they won’t have much food to eat. By ingesting the piece of Hoodia they know that they will not be hungry for the entire day. This of course is very helpful when you are living in the desert and the availability of food is very scarce.

So what about if your living in middle America and are looking for something to help you curb your cravings and keep of the pounds, will Hoodia do the trick? It depends on who you ask, some dieters say it is the magic pill and will help you lose the weight with no side effects. Other people will say, “I tried it and it did absolutely nothing for me”. How can this be the case you might ask, one person swears to it and one swears at it. It’s actually no mystery at all if you know what is happening in the industry. Hoodia has gained huge popularity due to increased media exposure; so far since last November Hoodia has been on CBS 60 minutes, the BBC, CBS News, Oprah Winfrey’s “O” Magazine, ABC News and most recently it was featured on the NBC Today Show with Katie Couric. Because of this news coverage the demand for Hoodia has greatly increased and along with this, the amount of companies providing fake or impure Hoodia has also greatly increased.

If I can stress only one thing in this Hoodia article, it would be to know what is in the Hoodia you are buying. When it comes to buying Hoodia, you have to be an informed buyer; you can’t just buy the first Hoodia Pills you see. And unlike other supplements you buy at your nutritional store, in the case of Hoodia, you can’t trust brick and mortar stores anymore than you can an online company. There is no regulation when it comes to Hoodia pills; there is no testing process or certification that a Hoodia brand has to go through. Because of this anybody can start a new Hoodia brand, put whatever they want in a pill and call it Hoodia and sell it. Many companies are doing just this, making lots of profit and leaving you the dieter with a bogus product, the dieter then tells others, “hey, this Hoodia stuff is no good”.

Natural Health Report has published a study done by Truth Publishing and Alkemist Pharmaceuticals located at: naturalhealthreport.com/A-Hoodia-Gordonii-exposed.html, the study findings state that eleven out of seventeen brand-name Hoodia supplements tested failed a laboratory analysis of authenticity. Unfortunately in the study they don't say which brands failed but they do say which brands passed.

Eleven out of seventeen brand names failed to be authentic, to me that is an amazing statistic and says a lot about the industry. Looking at those statistics we can now see why some dieters are saying Hoodia is wonderful and helps you lose weight and others are calling it a scam. The truth is there is both authentic pure Hoodia and bogus fake Hoodia available and what you get will determine how you feel about it.

This information should not necessarily stop you from buying Hoodia, as there are many reports of Hoodia decreasing you appetite by up to 1,000 calories a day and many people trying to lose weight swear by its results. Like we have stated before you just need to be very cautious and be able to identify pure Hoodia from ineffective and impure Hoodia. So how can you identify which Hoodia brand is best? Here are some things the consumer should look for:

* Certification - the company should provide a visual documentation on their website that the Hoodia they are selling is authentic Hoodia Gordonii from South Africa.

* Independent Testing – some of the top companies selling Hoodia are now submitting their product for independent testing to assure the customer their Hoodia is authentic and set them apart from the competition. If the brand has been tested you will again most likely be able to see visual documentation on their website.

* You should be know if the product is a pure hoodia powder or in extract form. There is a lot of information on the internet as to which is better and you should be informed on which kind you want to buy.

* Know what all the ingredients in the pill are - many companies will increase the total milligrams of a Hoodia pill by adding other ingredients to it, so in a 750 mg. pill you might only get 50 mg. of Hoodia. Also know if those other ingredients are something you want to be taking.

* Brand Reputation – the longer Hoodia is around the more people are talking about which brand is working for them. Do some internet searches on the brand you are thinking of trying and see if you find that lots of people are having problems with that brand. You have to take general public comments with a grain of salt though because many company owners have people spreading bad publicity about their competition.

In closing, when it comes to Hoodia the consumer will need to stay cautious for awhile, the situation may get worse before it gets better. Demand for Hoodia is growing, supply is decreasing and the wholesale cost is increasing. What does this formula equal? It equals bad news for the dieter who wants to get some authentic Hoodia; there will be a lot of fake Hoodia out there. Give Hoodia a try, just do your homework first, be an informed, educated buyer and you may find that you truly have found a product to help you shed those extra pounds with no side effects. Some great other supplements you can try is acai berry pure and natural acai .

Are You Sabotaging Your Weight Loss Program

You've no doubt heard that it is better to eat many small meals throughout the day (approximately 5-6), than to go all day without eating and then "gorging" yourself on dinner in the evening. But did you ever wonder why?

The fact is, your body can only process about 350 calories every 90 minutes like in the 1000 calorie diet . Eat more than that, and you're most likely overloading your digestive system. If your body cannot use all the "fuel" you provide it at any given time, it will use what it can (and only what it can), and then store the rest as body fat. It assumes, through thousands of years of experience, that there will be "lean" times when it will need those fat reserves for fuel. But in this modern age, we, thankfully, seldom face those lean times.

Because of this, if we are to keep our weight from spiraling out of control, we must, by CHOICE limit our quantities of food, as well as the KINDS of food.

So, how do we use this information in losing weight? Simple. Eat light, but eat often. There are many benefits to this strategy. First, you are only providing your body what it needs, when it needs it. Second, you are able to better maintain a consistent blood sugar level, and so you're not left feeling tired all day.

And by making certain wise and healthful choices, you will find the 350 calorie limit CAN be quite filling. Make poor choices, however, and you'll be left feeling unsatisfied. So be sure to choose healthful fruits & vegetables and limit your intake of breads & cereals (these calories will add up fast). Also, when including meat in the diet, choose ONLY healthful, low-fat fish & fowl.

This one simple tip, if practiced FAITHFULLY, will help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Alcohol And Weight Loss

When trying to lose weight, it is highly recommended that you refrain from drinking alcohol. This reasoning is based both in the fact that alcohol has a high concentration of unhealthy sugars and empty calories as well as the knowledge that alcohol generally drives you compromise your habits, which might make you eat the wrong foods if they are available.

However, if you do wish to have a night cap, it is recommended that you drink alcohol in moderation and opt for a low-sugar red wine as opposed to a carbohydrate-dense beer.

Alcohol is generally consumed in social situations, such as at a meal or party. Generally, when drinking one glass, an additional glass or two are offered. Because you are in a social situation, it can be difficult to refrain from over-indulging, at least as far as the parameters of your diet are concerned.

If you do have a weight loss partner and are in a situation involving alcohol together, you two can share the responsibility of helping each other avoid unwanted glasses. Each additional alcoholic beverage boosts the number of calories you consume per day as well as the amount of sugar running through your blood stream.

Many people feel uncomfortable rejecting a drink in a social situation. They do not want to be party poopers by reminding friends of their diet or they do not want to seem to stiff in front of others. If you find yourself in a situation where it is tough to avoid consuming a beverage, then consider ordering a diet coke on ice. A diet coke has no calories or fat grams, but will come in a nice glass that will appear to be an alcoholic beverage.

If you must consume wine, then opt for a deep red wine. Red wines are wines that are generally lower in sugar than a white wine or a beer. Red wines are made keeping the skin of the grapes on, which also makes the wine more rich in minerals than the white wine counterpart, which is made from only the core of the grape.

Also keep in minds that beverages such as beer have yeast, fat and sugar. There is a reason that frequent beer drinkers develop a beer belly – they consume vast amounts of beer but do not work it off right away.

Like fruit, it is also a good idea to consume wine when you are also eating a meal. The meal will help to regulate the spike in your blood sugar level so that your body is not shocked by the addition of new alcohol calories or sugars.

Keep in mind that while alcohol consumption might not be avoidable for you, the munchies and desire to consume high-fat and high-grease foods needs to be controlled. If you do find yourself in a situation where you have consumed too much wine, it is important for you to avoid tacking on additional calories from food. Moderation and education are the two keys to effective weight loss when it comes to wine consumption and the hunger that follows.

8 Ways To Create Balance To Achieve Lasting Weight Loss

Need to lose weight with a good diet food plan? Dreading the thought of another diet program? You don’t have to follow diets to lose weight. There are many people discovering this for themselves and they are the ones who are finding long term weight loss apposed to short term fixes. The key to weight loss is finding the right balance of what you eat, what you think, and what activity you do. It is not about following a perfect plan. It is impossible to be perfect every day! Finding the right balance helps you to decrease your calorie intake, increase your metabolism and keeps the self-sabotage at bay. Here are 8 steps to bring more balance into all corners of your life so you too can find weight loss success.

1. Eat more frequently during the day- Skipping meals or waiting too long between meals can have a negative impact on your metabolism and results in overeating later in the day. It’s best to have 3 small meals and 1-2 snacks throughout the day. You will feel more satisfied and eat less. Plan to have a snack or meal every 4-5 hours.

2. Watch portion sizes- Appropriate portion sizes are still quite misunderstood. Most Americans are eating 2-3 times the recommended portion sizes. Limit your grains, cereals, pastas, and rice to ½ - 1 cup serving sizes. Keep meat, poultry and fish to 4-ounce portion sizes. Restaurants are notorious for giving extremely large servings of food. Keep this in mind when eating out. Eat half of the food on your plate or take the rest home for lunch the next day. Studies show that when people are given large portion sizes, they eat up to 56% more calories without realizing it. To add insult to injury, our portion sizes are larger than they have ever been. Start to become more aware of the portions you are served wherever you are.

3. Eat the right fats- Yes some fat is important. Omega 3 fatty acids are an important strategy for weight loss success and yet most Americans are not eating enough of these healthy fats. Some reports show these fatty acids may be helpful in increasing your metabolism. They are also shown to be a wonderful mood supporter and people report significantly less food cravings and triggers to eat when they incorporate omega 3 fatty acids on a daily basis. This is especially important for any emotional eaters out there. Omega 3’s are found in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, cod; they are also found in canola oil, walnuts, and ground flax seeds.

4. Increase fruits and vegetables- Fruits and vegetables are not only packed with important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, they are also loaded in fiber and low in calories. Include 5-8 fruits and vegetables every day. This is one of the most important diet changes you can make. When you fill your plate up with fruits and vegetables you eat less of the higher calorie foods. For example, let’s take a sample steak dinner.

Original meal: 8 ounce steak Whole baked potato with fixings ½ cup steamed broccoli

Meal Makeover: 4 ounce steak ½ baked potato with fixings ½ cup steamed broccoli Side salad with mixed greens, tomatoes, and 1 tbsp light vinaigrette dressing

By changing the balance of this meal to include more vegetables while decreasing the steak and potato we saved approximately 350 calories. Saving 350 calories daily can result in almost a 1 pound weight loss per week. Small changes are the key.

5. Eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full- Our bodies have an innate weight management mechanism. It performs this task by making you feel full when it is time to stop eating. Every time you eat past full you are taking in more calories than your body needs which will result in weight gain. Start to become more aware of your internal cues for hunger and satiety (fullness). You will be amazed how many times you wait too long to eat and how often you eat past full and enter into stuffed. It’s common for all of us to do this from time to time. However, it’s time to check in with yourself and see how often you are falling into these food patterns. Listen to your body, it will tell you when you are physically ready for food and when you are ready to stop.

6. Exercise regularly- I know, this isn’t anything you haven’t heard before but it is a crucial part of weight management. It is important to engage in regular aerobic and weight bearing activity. The aerobic exercise helps you to burn the fat and weight bearing activity increases your metabolic rate. Muscle burns up to 90% more calories than fat. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you will burn in a day. By adding three to five pounds of muscle you could actually burn 100 - 250 additional calories a day. This combination of aerobic and weight bearing activity is what really kicks weight loss into gear.

7. Limit sugar especially on a low carb food diet - Sugar becomes a major issue for many people wanting to lose weight. Not only does it add calories, it also causes insulin spikes leading you to store more calories as fat, it stimulates your appetite, and is a major food trigger for emotional eaters. However, it doesn’t mean you need to go all or nothing. When people try to omit all sugar from their diet they can become obsessed about sugary foods and end up in a binge. Find the right balance for sugar. Avoid daily use of sugar and instead have some guiltless treats once in awhile. A little cake at a birthday party or some ice-cream with friends is a good way to incorporate sugar once in awhile to avoid the negative outcomes.

8. Pamper yourself regularly- Who wants to argue with that?! The reality is many people eat for emotional reasons. Food makes us feel good on many levels. The problem occurs when eating becomes the only coping mechanism your subconscious knows of. This is why that pesky urge to emotionally eat is so strong. It is hard to reason your way out of it. For many people food is the only thing they know that makes them feel better. When you start to do other things that make you feel good on a regular basis such as taking a hot bath, going for a walk, having a hot cup of tea; then your subconscious starts to register these activities as coping mechanisms as well. Over time this will decrease the constant urge to use food. You can’t expect to have a bad day, go take a bath and not have an urge to eat. It is something you need to do regularly and something you truly enjoy so your subconscious starts to recognize it as a new choice.

© 2005, Meri Raffetto

A Weight Loss Plan For Success

The formula for losing weight is simple: eat less and exercise more. But, it's not really all that simple, is it?

Long-term weight loss isn't impossible, but you do have to be committed. Having a weight loss plan for your success is a good start. Here are ten items that should go into your weight loss plan.

1. Eat breakfast. This keeps you from getting too hungry later and then losing control over what you choose to eat later in the day.

2. Stock your refrigerator and pantry with healthy foods and snacks and limit high-fat, high-salt snacks such as potato chips and cookies.

3. Fill up on Fiber. Eat foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The fibers in these foods will fill you up leaving less room for unhealthy choices.

4. Don't fall into bad habits on weekends. Many people will follow a strict diet on weekends only to fall back into eating more (unhealthy) on the weekends as a reward for "being good" all week. Unfortunately, this can cause you to regain tahe weight you may have lost during the week.

5. Watch portion sizes. Your perception of what a serving size should be and a "true" serving size can differ dramatically. Measuare your portions accurately, especially when you first start your healthy eating regime.

6. Set lifestyle goals - not weight loss goals. Commitment to eating healthy foods does lead to healthy weight loss -- gradually. Looking at your weight daily can cause discouragement and will make many people give up and go back to unhealthy food choices.

7. Take healthy snacks with you when you take road trips. Grab healthy granola bars, bananas, apples and other fruit to prevent the tempation of stopping for a cancy bar or milk shake.

8. Don't deny yourself the foods you love. If you absolutely love chocolate, go ahead and have a small pice - half of a candy bar insteaad of a whole one! And avoid eating your "splurges" every day. Save them for when you really need them!

9. Start moving. Exercise is the key to long term weight loss. You've heard the saying, "Move it or lose it." Too true!

10. Keep a journal. Writing down what you eat, when and how much you exercise and your moods will keep you on track and motivated to continue the course.

Weight loss is achieved by both diet and exercise. It is also achieved by persistence. If you "fall off the wagon" one day, pick yourself up and continue your healthy lifestyle the next. Don't give up!