Tips on how to lose weight

I just came across this article:

10 Easy to follow Tips to help You Lose Weight

by Steve Li

Dieting is not easy. If it were, we would probably all be thin. Since we are not, here are some tips that successful people use to lose weight so that others can benefit, too.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 1: DRINK 8-10 GLASSES OF WATER EACH DAY

Okay, for many people this is a big problem. Water doesn’t taste all that great generally because water doesn’t really “taste” like anything. Drinking water 8 to 10 times each day gets easier the more you actually do it. It is simply a matter of conditioning your taste buds, and yourself, so that it becomes easier to do. Once you get started, you will begin to crave water.

To begin with, you should drink a glass of water in the morning first thing, before you eat. This is probably the easiest glass you will drink all day and it will help you remember to drink water all day long. Better yet, why not drink two glasses?

If you really cannot bear the taste of water, try using a water purifying pitcher or filter. You can also add a few drops of lemon or lime to your water – but no sugar or sweetener! Ice also helps.

Check out flavored waters on the market, too. Just keep an eye out for additives.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 2: EAT BREAKFAST

Do not skip breakfast. If you need to go to bed a little earlier so that you can get up 20 minutes earlier each morning – do it! Breakfast is so important to your good health and to weight control. According to Dr. Barbara Rolls a professor of nutrition at Penn State University, "Your metabolism slows while you sleep, and it doesn't rev back up until you eat again."

Eating breakfast is not only good for overall weight loss, it will help you stay on track with your diet the rest of the day. You are more likely to binge on something sweet and in the “bread” group if you skip breakfast.

You can always keep a couple of hard-boiled eggs in the fridge or some high-fiber, low starch fruit around. If you plan to eat fruit at all during the day, breakfast is the perfect time to do it.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 3: EAT AT LEAST 3 MEALS AND 2 SNACKS EACH DAY

This can be one of the hardest adjustments to make. After all, you are busy! You already have a “full-plate”. When do you have time to worry about filling your plate with more frequent meals?

Just like eating breakfast will increase your metabolism, so will eating more often. This will also help you curb your bad-carb intake by making sure that your snacks are planned and occur regularly throughout the day.

Really, it will just take a minimal investment of planning time at the grocery store and at home each morning before you head out for the day to make some healthy food choices and prepare a few healthy snacks and meals. For suggestions, just see the handy list of snacks and appetizers listed later.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 4: AVOID WHITE FOODS

This is one easy way to remember what not to eat. If it is made from sugar, flour, potatoes, rice or corn - just say no. Remembering this rule of thumb will make it easier to recognize those rice cakes as an unhealthy high-carb snack.

Always look for colorful fruits and veggies to substitute for the white ones. Buy broccoli, lettuce, bell peppers, green beans and peas, brown rice in moderation, leafy greens like kale and spinach, apples, melons, oranges and grapes.

These foods are not only colorful they are also high in fiber, nutrients and important antioxidants. Eating colorful fruits and vegetables will give your diet variety as well as give you added health benefits.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 5: EAT YOUR VEGGIES

It is so easy to use a low-carb diet as an excuse for poor nutrition. Resist this temptation. If the only vegetable you have eaten in the last 5 years has been the potato, now is a good time to begin experimenting with other vegetables. This is important for your overall health and to avoid some nasty side effects of not getting enough fiber in your diet.

If you try hard enough, you will find vegetables that you enjoy eating. Experiment with grilling veggies and cooking with real butter to add flavor. You can also search for new recipes on the Internet or in cookbooks.

Remember, if you are only eating 40 grams of carb a day or less, two cups of plain salad greens contain only about 5 grams of carbohydrate. You have no excuse not to eat your veggies.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 6: PREPARE YOUR OWN FOOD AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE

While more and more restaurants are offering low-carb friendly menu items, many of them are still not ideal low-carb fare. There are many recipes for quick and easy meals that you can prepare yourself at home. Try to do this as often as possible.

If you cook your own foods, you know exactly what the contents are and you will be able to better control for hidden sugar and otherwise processed foods.

Another benefit is the cost savings over the long run. Even if you must go to the grocery store more often, you will save a significant amount per meal as opposed to eating at restaurants and fast food establishments.

It will also be easier to maintain your diet with your own favorite fresh food selections on hand.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 7: INVEST IN A GOOD SET OF FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS

Having food storage containers of various sizes on hand will make it so much easier for you to plan your meals and snacks. When you buy nuts, fruits and vegetables in bulk you can simply prepare, separate and store them for easy use later.

For instance, you can pre-slice your apples and snack on them over several days. Simply cut them, rinse them in pineapple or lemon juice and store. This will make a quick and easy snack for later.

Fix your lunch and take it with you to work. Better yet, fix your lunch and 2 snacks for work.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 8: EAT SOME PROTIEN AT EACH MEAL & AS A SNACK

In addition to everything that’s been discussed before, eating protein helps you burn more calories. Jeff Hample, Ph.D., R.D., a spokesman for the American Dietetic Association says that, "Protein is made up mainly of amino acids, which are harder for your body to breakdown, so you burn more calories getting rid of them.”

Just think – eating a protein rich snack can help you lose weight. How about a few slices of turkey or ham or some string cheese?

Eating protein will also help you feel full so that you are less likely to crave unhealthy snacks.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 9: DRINK A GLASS OF WATER AFTER EACH SNACK

This will help you get in your 8 to 10 glasses of water each day but it can also have other benefits. Ever feel hungry after eating a handful or standard serving of nuts? Try drinking water afterwards. The water will help you feel full and prevent overindulgence.

Drinking water after a snack will also help remove the aftertaste from your mouth and can help curb your desire for more.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 10: EAT SLOWLY & ENJOY YOUR FOOD

You will feel full and more satisfied if you take the time to savor your food and chew it slower. Don’t get in the habit of eating while standing or eating quickly. Sit down and chew.

Eating slower will help you enjoy your food more, pay attention to what it is you are actually eating and get a better sense of when you are actually full.



My brother-in-law just created a web page that will monitor everyone's progress, so check it out: http://www.geocities.com/powersweightloss/

As always...GO MOM! My mother has really stepped up to the plate and is working her tail off to lose weight. I am still predicting she will be the one to lose the most weight, she has more determination than all the other competitors...COMBINED!! Keep checking back for more updates.

Working out gives you more energy

I just read this article:

"Being active every day means more energy for school, work or home life

You’ve heard it many times – maybe even said it yourself: “I’d like to exercise, but I just don’t have time.”

The biggest excuse people give for not getting regular exercise is a lack of the time. Demanding schedules at school, work or home often get in the way of working out.

It’s important to remember, though, that regular physical activity helps you be your best at work, school and home. That’s why Canada’s Food Guide emphasizes the importance of combining regular physical activity with healthy eating for overall health and vitality.

According to Canada’s Physical Activity Guide, accumulating 60 minutes of light-effort physical activity (such as light walking or easy gardening( or 30 to 60 minutes of moderate-effort activity (such as brisk walking, cycling, raking leaves) is a good way for adults to stay healthy or improve health. For children, 90 minutes of physical activity is recommended.

But who has that kind of time? The truth is: you do – the key is to build exercise into your daily life. As the Food Guide illustrates, you don’t have to do it all at once. For adults, 10 minutes of physical activity done several times a day can add up to a healthy 30 to 60 minutes of exercise. For children and youth, five-minute segments count.

Make active choices

A brisk walk at lunch can go a long way to meeting your daily exercise needs. So can cycling to the store, instead of taking the car. Or shooting hoops with the kids before dinner. Instead of watching television, you could go to the community pool for a swim instead.

Avoid the sedentary life

Wherever possible, choose an activity with movement over one that means sitting down. That can be as simple as dancing to music instead of listening to it. If you cut back on computer time and video games in favor of physical activity, you’ll be well on your way to meeting the daily recommendations for exercise."


These are just some thoughts on how working out can give you more energy!! Also we are working on creating a Web site that will contain more information on the competition and everyone's progress. Stay tuned for more!

Eating in Moderation

We all know that when you work out and eat healthy, you can lose a lot of weight. However, one does not work without the other. You can work out 7 days a week, and not lose weight if you do not control your diet. This means not only eating healthy, but also eating in moderation. Studies show that you should eat a big breakfast and smaller lunch and dinner that way your body can burn off the calories throughout the day.

My advice for all you in the competition, try eating a bigger breakfast and a light lunch and dinner.

Also another thing I have noticed is eating till you are full. Try to cut back on your serving size and instead of getting seconds right away, wait 8 minutes. After those 8 minutes pass your stomach will not be hungry. Trust me, I've tried it and I've experimented one others. It works!!

Just a few tips to help you (meaning Mom!!) win this competition!

The Competition

At the end of this Holiday season, my family decided to start this weight loss competition. Here's the plan, there are four teams: Mom and Dad, Dennis and Rebekah, Christian and Sarah and the 'Divas' (Martha and Crystal). The teams members both have to lose 25 percent of their body fat. The winning team gets a free trip to Georgia to go to this amazing steakhouse.

So right now my family is busting butt to lose weight. Or so we hope:) My favorite is my mom. If I had to put money on it, she is the one who will definitely lose the most weight. She has the dedication and determination to will this competition, now if she could spread that to my father, we'd be all set.

I'll keep you posted on their progress....my job is the motivator. My mom says that I am mean, but deep down it's because I care.

So get off your butt and lose the weight!!!

Is it really worth it??

So the hot topic at work and home has been social networking and blogs. I obviously have a blog, and you can tell from my last post (JUNE!!!)how often I use it. But I do use Facebook and MySpace, not that I am addicted to Facebook. But it has helped me reconnect with old friends. It wasn't till recently that I realized that power of social networking. My friends Facebook messages, instead of texting or calling. You can get the news fast by using Twitter. I talk to my family more online than offline!! Talk about making it personal. I will admit that thanks to technology I can talk to my family that is outside Ohio everyday online, which is great! But what happen to picking up the phone and calling! Have we really become that lazy?