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Saturday, May 15, 2010

10 Ways To Lose Weight By Using Your Mind!

10 Ways to Lose Weight by Thinking Yourself Thin

The mind can be a wonderful tool and, believe it or not, can be used to help you lose weight. Losing those extra pounds i one thing but keeping them off is something even more difficult. To successfully keep those unwanted pounds off you must recondition your mind to think of yourself as trim, taut and terrific and forever put out of your mind the fat person you used to be.

Here are 10 ways you can think yourself thin.

1/ Put previous diets and efforts to lose weight behind you. Don't look on them as failures but merely stepping stones. Always picture yourself as slim and trim.

2/ Don't be afraid of food. Take control of food, don't let food control you. Think of yourself as a thin person and eat like a thin person. Just because you have a full plate of food doesn't mean you have to eat it all. Eat healthier, better quality food and put junk food out of your mind. Think of the food you eat as another means of reaching your desired weight-loss goals.

3/ Pressure to lose weight can be detrimental to your progress so don't compare yourself with others who are also trying to shed some pounds. Move at your own pace, not somebody else's. Keep your goals in mind and think thin.

4/ If you stumble and over eat, don't beat yourself up about it. Feeling guilty can sometimes send you in the opposite direction and, instead of eating less, you may end up eating more. Accept that it happened and learn from it.

5/ When shopping for clothes, imagine yourself thin and wearing clothes a couple of sizes smaller. Pick out the size clothes you are aiming to be able to fit into and imagine yourself wearing them. Even though you can't wear them yet, your are conditioning your mind to think thin.

6/ When you get up in the morning and several times throughout the day, take some time to relax, even if it's only a few minutes here and there. Do some deep breathing exercises, close your eyes and visualise yourself being the thin person you want to be. Imagine yourself as a thin person and savour what that would be like and what you would be doing if you were a few pounds lighter. Day dream about it.

7/ Hide your scales. Weighing yourself every day only acts as a constant reminder that you are overweight and might cause anxiety, stress and fear of failure. Also, weighing every day is not a true indication as our weight can vary up or down depending on lots of different things so you may actually be stressing over nothing. Let your clothes be your guide.

8/ Learn to like yourself as you are. When you look in the mirror don't see yourself as overweight but as someone who is becoming thin. Always think of yourself in a positive light and don't let negative thoughts stand in your way. Having a positive attitude will make it easier for you to reach your weight loss goals.

9/ Be conscious of what you eat and don't let other people influence your eating habits. It's true that to lose weight you will probably have to eat less or eat more healthy foods. You be the boss of your own body and don't be afraid to say no to foods that won't help you reach your slimming goals. Let the people around you know you are trying to lose a few pounds and ask them to be mindful of that when around you.

10/ Exercise is important when you are watching your weight. Picture yourself as a thinner you walking around the block or up those stairs that have always eluded you and actually make a conscious decision to do some regular exercise and then actually start exercising. Start slowly and slowly build up and keep that picture of you as a thin person in your mind. Don't let negative thoughts get in your way.

The mind is an incredible thing and by constantly feeding it positive thoughts and self images it truly can help you to become the thinner person you always wanted to be.

Kerry Northey has been in the health industry for over 25 years and has been writing health related articles for the past 12 months. Why not visit his Orthopedic Knee Surgery website and find important and interesting information about common knee injuries and lots more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kerry_Northey

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Top 10 Ways To Lose Weight For Your Child

Good article about the top 10 ways to lose weight if your child has weight issues....
Overweight Child? 10 Ways to Help Your Child Lose Weight and Stay Fit

With the number of obese children in this country continually on the rise, it is more important than ever to pay attention to what your child is eating. Children have also become more sedentary as their favorite types of entertainment have switched from active play to video games.

If you have an overweight child, it is up to you to help him lose weight so that he will be healthier now and as an adult. The eating habits that are developed as a child will carry over into adulthood, so it is important to get him into the habit of eating right while he is still young. Here are 10 tips that will help you guide an overweight child to lose weight and be healthy.

o Set a great example by eating healthy food, and working out yourself. It is much easier to promote healthy eating and fitness when you are actually practicing good habits yourself.

o Stress the importance of good health, and eating correctly, rather than focusing on a number on the scale or a size.

o Visit the doctor for a checkup, especially if your child seems to be craving sweets, urinating frequently at night or frequently during the day, has blurred vision, or unexplained fatigue. Along with the increase in obesity, juvenile diabetes is on the rise as well as an increasing number of children who are developing adult onset diabetes.

o Fast food is one of the biggest problems for obese children. Portion sizes are overly large, and the food is packed with fat and sugar. Even if you have to cook ahead of time and freeze the meals, avoid the drive thru window.

o Always have fresh fruits and vegetables available for kids to snack on. One of the healthiest ways for an overweight child to lose weight is to increase the nutritious, high fiber foods that they need for healthy digestion and for their vitamin requirements. Variety is the key to getting everything they need. This will also supply antioxidants which will boost their immune system.

o Can't seem to get them moving? Start by incorporating some sort of outdoor activity for fifteen minutes every day. It can be shooting baskets, passing a football, or swimming if that is an option. Once they get into the habit, you will likely find them doing it for longer periods of time without having to prompt them. It's all a matter of finding the activity that they enjoy enough to put the effort into. A new bike, scooter, or pair of skates can go a long way towards encouraging healthy outdoor play.

o Start with a good, hot breakfast. Kids who skip breakfast or eat sugary toaster pastries can't function as well and they will be starving early in the day. This leads to more unhealthy snacking when their sugar level drops.

o Don't expect them to give up sweets completely. There is nothing wrong with having a small dessert after they have eaten a healthy dinner, just not in place of it.

o Focus on things you know your child likes and that are good food choices. Make them available so that he chooses them in place of foods that will contribute to the problem.

o Don't reward with food-instead choose fun activities, small incentives like stickers or other non-food rewards.

Make changes your child's diet one meal at a time and try to get him moving by going on family adventures that require getting outside and walking. Working together is the best way to help your overweight child get healthy, and stay that way.

Denise Sanger is the owner of NewCoolToysOnline.com which features a fantastic selection of outdoor toys and outdoor play toys for kids of all ages including toddler outdoor toys. The company is located in sunny Florida and may be reached at 877-950-7665.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Denise_Sanger

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The Top 10 Ways to Lose Weight Successfully

Top 10 Ways to Lose Weight and Tame the Hunger Monster

Losing weight is about fewer calories in and more calories out. Right? The problem with eating fewer calories than we burn is that intentionally cutting back on food intake inevitably makes people hungry. As you cut back on your daily intake, there is a sense of deprivation, your body goes into panic mode, and you get hungry. You develop cravings and urges to eat. You keep hoping the constant gnawing of hunger pangs will pass, but instead you feel compelled to eat more. Eventually, you go back to your old ways of eating and the pounds creep back on.

While calories do count, it's a sense of fullness and satisfaction which are necessary ingredients for long term success. Here's the scenario: When your stomach is empty, nerve impulses automatically signal the brain to increase your appetite. In addition, a powerful brain chemical, neuropeptide Y (NPY), is released to stimulate appetite. If you restrict food for any reason - your body can't tell the difference between a diet or famine - nerve impulses and NPY soar in an effort to make you eat.

What you need to prevent these signals is larger quantities of the right kinds of foods. Instead of walking around starved all day, there are multiple ways to keep your body feeling happily full, and all the while losing weight. Here are ten powerful and practical ways to keep your hunger satisfied.

1. Eat Less. More Often.

Rather than eating one or two large meals, create structure for yourself by dividing your eating into several smaller portions through the day. How frequent should meals be? Three mid-size meals a day may suit some people, but for many five or six little ones may be a better plan. Decide how many meals and snacks work for you and then stick to your plan. Once you get good at following your eating schedule, then you can experiment with becoming looser with your eating. Eating smaller meals more often can give you the constant energy levels that leave you feeling more balanced and productive. Plus, you will be less likely to overeat when you feel reassured that more food is available shortly.

2. Balance Complex and Simple Carbohydrates.

Make those frequent meals about 300 to 500 calories each, with a mix of protein (nuts, eggs, low-fat or non-fat dairy products, beans, fish, lean meat, soy or poultry without the skin), fruits and vegetables, and whole grains to keep insulin and blood sugar levels even.

Simple carbohydrates, found in fruit juice, soda, candy, or highly processed foods like sugary cereals, digest quickly and provide an immediate source of energy. Complex carbohydrates, including vegetables, oatmeal, whole grain breads and cereals, and beans take longer to digest and provide a longer lasting source of energy. Complex carbohydrates are high-fiber foods, which improve your digestion, help stabilize blood sugar levels, and keep your energy at an even level. By creating a balance, and limiting processed carbohydrates you can feel satisfied longer after your meal.

3. Eat Solidly.

Solid food is more filling than liquid food. Yet, we are now drinking more calories than ever before - soft drinks, Frappucinos© and other fancy coffee drinks, frozen Slurpees©, sports drinks, alcohol, juices, sugary teas, and flavored water. A particular problem with liquid calories is that they don't fill us up or keep us satisfied like solid foods. Without having a sense of fullness, we don't compensate for the calories in fluids by eating fewer calories from other foods.

4. Snack Sense.

Eat snacks that contain fiber, protein, and water. The more of these ingredients a food contains, the longer it will satisfy. For example, a sandwich made with whole grain bread, lean protein, lettuce and tomato, and an apple is going to be far more satisfying than a few rice cakes and iced tea. In general, the more satisfying food feels, the more effectively they prevent nibbling. Rather than downsizing your normal portions when trying to lose weight, which can make you feel hungry and deprived, try eating more of low-calorie, high fiber, protein, and water content foods. Examples include hummus and whole wheat crackers, oatmeal made with skim milk and topped with raisins, cottage cheese with fresh fruit, or protein energy bars that are high in fiber and fruit and low in sugar.

5. Pile on the Veggies.

Sometimes you've just got to have some cookies, ice cream, pie, or chips. But to keep excess weight off - and stay healthy - include lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. High fiber foods (vegetables, fruits, beans, oatmeal, whole grains) fill you up and help you eat less. High fiber foods tend to be bulkier, filling up the stomach quickly. This stimulates receptors in your brain to let you know you're full. They also slow down digestion, helping keep you full longer. And if you're full longer, you're more likely to eat less later on.

6. Soup is Good Food.

Research shows that soup is one of the most satisfying foods there is. Soups may be of value for weight loss because they tend to be low in calories and high in a large volume of liquid. Soup weighs a lot. Just a few minutes after you've eaten them, soups and other foods high in water (i.e. vegetable stews or boiled potatoes) fill you up quickly and tell the brain you're sufficiently fed. Soups made from tomatoes, vegetables, beans, peas, or lentils are especially effective. (Note - soups made with cream, cheese, or sausage are not likely to be beneficial.) Excellent hunger busting soups include barley soup, lentil soup, split pea, tomato, and vegetable soup.

7. Losing Weight with Peanut Butter.

Peanut butter may seem like a guilty pleasure, but research shows it could be a healthy habit. A two-tablespoon portion size is packed with 8 grams of protein, 190 calories, fiber, vitamins and minerals, and is loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Research shows that dieters who eat nuts tend to stick to their diets because the fat and fiber content of nuts are very filling. As a result, they are not as hungry and ultimately eat less and lose more weight.

8. Protein Power.

The addition of protein to a meal can increase the amount of a hunger-fighting hormone. The hormone, known as peptide YY (PYY) may help reduce hunger and aid weight loss. Research suggests that low-fat foods containing protein produce stronger and more sustained feelings of fullness and decrease the likelihood of overeating later on. Including small amounts of seafood, lean meat, skinless poultry, reduced-fat dairy products or soy products with each meal may be excellent appetite subduers. Especially lean choices of protein include flounder, cod, crab, sole, tuna, egg whites, sirloin, tenderloin, skim milk, Canadian bacon, and loin pork.

9. Drink Up!

A glass of water has absolutely no calories, yet it can help keep you satisfied. The trick is in the timing. Drink water on an empty stomach and it will pass right through you too fast to stimulate a signal of fullness. But ingest it with your meal, and the volume and weight it adds to your meal will make you finish sooner.

Also, many times people mistake thirst for hunger. When your body is sending signals, we tend to assume it needs food. Next time you're hungry but "shouldn't be" try drinking a glass of water, Perrier, or herbal tea instead of reaching for a snack. It may be just what you need.

10. Breathe

Breathe before you eat, breathe while you eat, and breathe after you eat. Breathing before you eat moves you away from your thoughts and worries and connects you to consciously noticing, smelling, touching, and tasting the food that is in your present moment. Breathing more fully while you are eating brings oxygen into your body that helps digest the food. Breathe into the vibrant, welcoming, energy contained within your food. When you are breathing you are noticing your body and more able to notice when you've reached your fullness or satisfaction point. Breathing after you eat affirms yes to accepting the life and energy contained within your food.

Feeling hungry can undermine your best-laid weight loss plans. By adopting a few smart strategies listed above, you can make it through those moments of hunger-or prevent them from happening in the first place.

Dr. Annette Colby, RD can help you take the pain out of life, turn difficult emotions into joy, release stress, end emotional eating, and move beyond depression into an extraordinary life! Annette is the author of Your Highest Potential and has the unique ability to show you how to spark an amazing relationship with your life! Visit www.AnnetteColby.com to access hundreds of content filled articles and sign up for a Fr'ee subscription to Loving Miracles! newsletter.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Annette_Colby