Energy Tip - Why Eat More Raw Foods?

Image via WikipediaYeah. So Why Should I Eat More Raw Foods?

Because cooking takes so many nutrients and vitamins OUT of food, you automatically start feeding your body what it needs when you reduce the cooked foods and start eating more uncooked, nutrient-rich foods. A raw carrot has exponentially more nutrition than a cooked carrot. Therefore more “ENERGY” to you.

Cooking also alters the chemistry of foods, often making them harder to digest. Why do we have so many digestive problems in this country? Because we’re putting foods into our bodies in a form that we weren’t designed to absorb.

High fiber, high water content, fresh produce abolishes constipation of the bowels, cells and circulatory system. Obstructions are cleared and blood flow increases to each and every cell in the body.

Enhanced blood flow is significant for two reasons: as mentioned above, 1 - blood delivers nutrients and oxygen to living cells, and 2 - carries away their toxic metabolites. (the residues of metabolism)

Obesity is endemic in this country. The diet industry is more profitable than the oil companies. Why? Because the way we eat and prepare our food practically guarantees that we’ll overeat.

Psychologists tell us that we overeat because our souls are hungry. But in reality, our bodies are hungry, even though we may feel full. When you start giving your body the nutrients it craves, overeating will cease, and watch your energy soar.

Eating raw foods is a boost to your metabolism as well. It takes little energy to digest raw foods, and it’s a healthy process.

Rather than spending energy to rid itself of toxins produced by cooking food, the body uses its energy to feed every cell, sending vitamins, fluids, enzymes and oxygen to make your body the efficient machine it was intended to be.

Hence abundant energy reserves are saved for you to use in other ways . . . like living fully and passionately every day!

You’ll naturally stop overeating, because your body and brain will no longer be starving for the nutrients they need. A starving brain will trigger the thoughts that make you overeat. The brain and the rest of your body don’t need quantity; they need quality.

So, the moral of this story is this, increase your intake of living, water and nutrient rich foods and your energy abundance will amaze you!

Healthy Eating For Weight Loss And A Long Life

Eating is a wonderful thing. It is also necessary for keeping you alive and healthy. But with the hectic pace of life today, it’s hard to keep to a healthy eating schedule.

It seems so much easier to snack and hit up fast food joints, rather than eat a healthy diet that consists of fruits, vegetables, and fish, while cutting down on saturated fats, trying to eat less salt, while getting more active and drinking plenty of water without skipping breakfast. Sounds so difficult even when you say it fast. (GRINS)

But you already know that, don’t you?

Price is a factor as well. The cheap food at the takeouts that tastes the best also happens to be the same food that clogs your arteries, and makes you fat. Oh the irony!

Why does a soy dog cost five bucks, when street meat only costs two bucks? Is the life of a bean curd worth more than that of a pig? Life is just full of mysteries.

However, healthy foods are really more inexpensive in the long run.

If you can’t exercise regularly, and you can’t quit smoking, at least you can try your best to start eating healthier.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Eat a good breakfast.

How many times have you been told it’s the most important meal of the day? The reason: because it is! And by the way, beer for breakfast doesn’t count.

2. Eat plenty of whole grains, fruits and veggies.

Eating healthy is all about routine and finding things that are healthy but tasty as well.

3. Eat regular meals.

Snacking has been the downfall of many a healthy person. Try to avoid unhealthy snacking, like deep fried butter and pork rinds, and replace it with a fruit bar or muffin.

4. Eat moderate portions.

If you are going to eat fatty, sugary foods, at least keep the portions small. There is no such thing as good or bad foods, only choices that are right or wrong for you.

5. Quit deep frying everything.

Instead, try baking, broiling, grilling, poaching, roasting, steaming, stir frying etc.

To make things easier, try reducing foods instead of completely eliminating them. Balance your food choices over time and recognize your eating pitfalls.

You should try eating 2-4 servings of fruit, and 3-5 serving of vegetables each day, while basing your meals around complex carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Eating healthy can be so beneficial and so easy. Really, all you have to do is just decide to take the leap and start your life headed in a new, healthy direction. It is so much easier than you think.

Al Smith

Al Smith writes for and publishes The Realgoalgetter Ezine and The Realgoalgetter Blog. His articles deal mostly with goal setting, self improvement, and motivation. Get some free reports, ecourses, and ebooks at FREE Ezines, Reports And Ebooks.

Some related articles:

Are You Getting Enough Fiber In Your Present Diet?
5 Simple Steps To Eating healthfully On The Go
Eating Healthy And According To A Preset Eating Plan
12 Weight Loss Secrets To Successfully Lose Weight

Lifestyle Choices - Set Goals for Losing Weight Permanently

Well, the race is on for those of us who want to look great on the beach this summer. Another couple of months and vacation time will be upon us. More than a few of us will be taking some actions to lose weight that we may have gained over the winter. Or, maybe over two winters . . .

The key to weight loss is smaller portions. Always has been. Portion control is necessary in these days of "supersizing". Eat less than you burn up. Sounds easy but hardly no one does it. We are growing into an obese society overall here in North America. (Check out our Portions For Life program.)

Losing weight can be achieved in various ways, but healthy habits are necessary if you want to lose the weight and have high energy permanently. That weight that you gained did not just appear yesterday, it probably built up over months, maybe even years.

Weight gain is in most cases a result of unhealthy lifestyle choices. You can roughly calculate the amount of calories your body needs a day and when you stay close to that number, you will probably have few weight issues. But for the rest of us that indulge in fast foods, candy, other high calorie and high fat foods, the weight accumulates slowly over a longer period of time.

Losing weight, especially losing weight permanently can only be achieved if the right goals are set, and then the goals strategies and results are monitored closely. You can only manage what you can measure so keep an eye on your progress. Build up those daily, habitually healthy actions and you will consistently hit your mark.

First of all, you need to realize that your extra weight has accumulated over months or years and therefore you will not be able to lose it within a few weeks or a few months, especially if we are talking of more than 20 pounds.

Generally physicians all over the world say that a healthy rate of loosing weight is about 6 pounds per month. So when to get started, set an achievable goal, set yourself 5 pounds for every month until you arrive at your goal weight.

Losing weight permanently often means a change in lifestyle and especially bad eating habits. You will most likely not be able to drop poundage when you keep eating what you are eating, even if you cut it down. You need to eat to live, not live to eat. Find out what foods will help you in your weightloss goals.

If you include fruits, vegetables and grains into your daily routine, you will seldom be hungry and you will lose weight. Changing to the new healthier eating habit will not only help you lose weight, you will also live a healthier life, and gain more energy. More vitamins and minerals from nutrient dense foods will enter your system regularly so that your body will thrive and energize.

Also know that the temptation to go back to old habits will be there, but setting goals for permanent weight loss gives you the motivation to resist those temptations.

This does not mean that you should never eat a piece of candy or have dessert. There are first of all very yummy, healthy desserts and every once in a while, when that chocolate is calling your name louder than ever, you can have a piece or two.

Excluding food that you love completely can risk your whole diet. If you indulge in one or two small pieces every once in a while will first, satisfy that sweet tooth and second, prevent you from getting to the point where you will eat a whole bar of chocolate and ruin your diet.

Set a goal to reward yourself. When you have reached one of your long-term goals, go ahead and give you self a reward. Make it commensurate with the size and difficulty of your goal.

Rewards have positive effects on our motivation to keep up certain behaviors and since there is not really anybody else who will reward you, do it yourself. Treat yourself to that new smaller outfit, or maybe a trip to the spa.

One very important goal in your permanent weight loss is certainly more exercise. Eating less food and keeping to those nutrient dense varieties, and exercising on regular basis is the key to keep the weight off.

A more fit you will burn more calories and also you will feel much better about keeping up the routine and the healthy lifestyle. Yes, it can be hard, but if you set reachable goals, you can build the daily habit.

Fit that exercise in your daily routine, no excuses. Start slowly and you will not only see the results, you will also be able to permanently keep that weight off.

If you too are taking action to get down to a healthier weight, check out our Portions For Life program.

Weight Loss Motivation Revisited

4 Effective Ways To Encourage Yourself To Lose Weight

A lot of people quit in the middle of a weight management program because they have lost their weight loss motivation. After a few weeks of dieting and exercising, it is normal for people to start losing some interest in what they are doing.

In fact, during the first few weeks of a weight reduction program, a lot of people would decide that they do not want to continue because they are no longer interested.

If you are one of those people who have lost their enthusiasm about their weight program, you should find a weight loss motivation. Remember that if you quit, you will never be able to shed off that extra weight off your body. Besides, if you have already invested money in your weight reduction program, you investment will simply go to waste!

Setting reasonable expectations
According to weight loss trainers, you should keep your expectations reasonable and realistic so that you will not lose interest easily. Focusing on short-term goals is very effect when it comes to motivating people to continue with their program.

For instance, you set a goal of losing at least two pounds per week. Since losing two pounds in a week is very realistic and easy to attain, you will be motivated to work towards that goal.

Aside from focusing on short-term goals, you should focus more on your activities rather than your weight. If you give your whole attention on the amount of calories that you eat versus the amount of calories that you burn during your daily exercise routine, you would mostly be more motivated to go on with your program.

Having an ideal body image
To keep you in the right track, you should keep an idea body image for yourself. Having that mental picture of yourself looking slim and healthy is a powerful weight loss motivation for you.

If you need some visual image, find somebody whose body you admire and keep a picture of that person in your room. Tell yourself everyday that someday you will look like this person. The power of suggestion always work especially when you repeat it constantly.

Working with a partner
One of the best ways to motivate yourself you continue your program is to have a partner. If you do your diet and exercise all by yourself, you will easily get bored and then stop.

If you have partner who is also into the same weight loss program, dieting and exercising becomes a social affair so you are less likely to lose interest. According to studies, working out with a partner or a team is more effective. Having a support group where you can share your diet and exercise troubles is a good way to keep toy interested.

Rewarding yourself
Rewarding yourself for your achievements is a weight loss motivation. Set a goal for yourself and once you achieve that goal treat yourself to something that you have always wanted to.

For instance, if you have been planning to go to the spa and relax, make that as your reward for yourself. Tell yourself that if you achieve your goal for the month, you will treat yourself to the spa.

by Andy Jefferson

HowToGainMuscleMass provides weight management information and expert articles. To find out how to lose body fat permanently, even in your mushiest spots, without drugs, without supplements and without messing up your metabolism, visit http://www.howtogainmusclemass.com/ for Free Underground Weight Loss Tips.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Jefferson
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Some related articles:

Are You Getting Enough Fiber In Your Present Diet?
5 Simple Steps To Eating healthfully On The Go
Eating Healthy And According To A Preset Eating Plan
12 Weight Loss Secrets To Successfully Lose Weight

Start the Day With a Bowl of Fruit Loops?

Start the Day With a Bowl of Fruit Loops

You see, the words "Fruit Loops" enticed you in here to see what the rest of the article was about. Maybe even that Fruit Loops had become the next great diet program and was the answer to weight loss.

Sorry to burst that bubble but we won't quite be traveling down that road.

Without exception, breakfast represents the first and, without question, the most critical meal in a normal day. It sets the tone for the rest of the day and will directly influence what your mood will be for the day and how productive you will be.

It sends the first message to your metabolism as to what you expect it to do and how hard it's going to have to work. Can your body call in sick or does it have to work efficiently for the next sixteen hours giving you good health and an optimum weight?

That's a big burden to put on just meal, especially one we approach still-half awake as we stumble to the kitchen. It is critical but your body is always up to the task.

Think of breakfast as the first position on an assembly line. If you don't put the frame of the car on the line at step one, the guy putting on doors at step two is not that important.

Did you know that over 50% of Americans are either overweight or obese? Of that group, an amazing 80% admit to skipping breakfast.

Without exception, it is the first approach most choose in trying to lose weight. Skipping a meal equals fewer calories equals weight loss is the formula that pops into the mind of someone desperate to lose weight.

Statistics clearly show that it doesn't or can't work otherwise those that did it would lose weight, which is the desired goal of the formula.

Why would anyone choose a method to try that you know will fail? The psychology behind that question sadly shows just how desperate and frustrated Americans have become to break this over-weight pattern.

I read a ton of literature on nutrition but far from consider myself an expert in it. Since I take full responsibility for my body and how I want it to look and act, I have spent the better part of my fifty plus years trying to understand nutrition and how it affects my overall health and appearance.

I have never read even one study or research report that even remotely suggests that skipping breakfast, or any meal helps lose weight. To the contrary, it directly contributes to gaining weight or maintaining an overweight condition.

Yes, it helps you to gain weight by skipping the meal.

Within 60 minutes of awakening in the morning, you must put calories into your body. You need to act and act rather quickly in turning on the key to your metabolism. It should be about 10-15 percent of the total calories your body needs to maintain normal activities.

For most adults, this will fall into the 250-400 calorie range.

It is critical to fall within this range, a King's feast of bacon, eggs, toast and juice is just as bad as skipping.

A cup of a whole-grain, natural cereal with skim (or reduced fat milk) is the perfect choice.

I use 100% natural and safe Stevia to sweeten it just a bit. I use the Kashi Go Lean cereal as it does not have the additives of the commercial brands, cost no more and is high-glycemic as far as carbs go.

These break down over hours, thus fueling you longer. Low-glycemic carbs, such as white bread or sugary cereal spikes your insulin almost immediately but results in a quick crash to your system when the level drops in about an hour.

Very poor approach to the end goal of keeping your metabolism running at the same level all day, where the most efficient burning of calories is accomplished.

Another approach is to make breakfast all protein, which breaks down slowly as well and gives you a much fuller feeling until the next meal. Egg whites or a whey protein shake or even cottage cheese are great choices.

If you have time constraints and kids to get off to school, plan ahead and have natural breakfast bars available.

However you tackle it, don't make the number one mistake that keeps your body from giving you the optimum weight you desire. You must eat, and eat often.

Although it represents the topic of another article that can go into depth on it, the body is meant to "graze". By that I mean, that you should eat six or seven times during the day, each light in calories.

By doing this correctly, there is never the sensation of hunger, and the internal engine called your metabolism works at top level and is able to fully digest all food and burn and use each nutrient available.

Keep in mind, the total calories of the day still must be considered and stuck to.

The main point I wanted to address here is how critical it is to rev up the engine at breakfast, not hours later. It's like driving a high-performance, finely-tuned car for a sixteen hour trip versus chugging through the same sixteen hours in a misfiring, broken down Pinto, with smoke pouring out of the exhaust. So buckle up and get started.

Stay healthy and fit with good nutrition and plenty of exercise!

Stylish Swim wear and Juicy Couture sweats and accessories is just a click away. From your Swim wear Experts at http://shirleyandcompany.com

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

Get Fit And Stay Fit This Summer!

While most of you have probably been working out all winter long and watching your diets, the key now is to maintain exercise and diet throughout the summer and retain all those great results you have worked so hard for.

Here are a few tips and suggestions on how to stay fit this summer.

No matter what type of diet regimen you’ve been on, it may be a good idea to continue the diet until after the summer is over. Maintaining a healthy diet will enhance your ability to participate in all forms of sports and activities throughout the summer months.

Also, your diet will afford you the opportunity to continue to eat light, healthy meals as opposed to fried, fatty, and heavy foods during the summer.

Summertime is synonymous with barbeque. No doubt you will have your fair share. Stick to your diet and you will keep the pounds off, especially on those special occasions when outdoor barbeques entice you with foods and drinks which may add excess calories.

Continue your exercise routine throughout the summer.

During the hot summer months, your body will fair much better in the heat if you are in good shape. No doubt, you may engage in running, walking, or other strenuous exercises.

Therefore, continue your exercise program and you will benefit in the long run. Whether you spend time in your garden, swim, or bike ride – any physical activity will enhance your health and help you achieve your weight goals.

No matter what form of physical activity you do choose, whether it's cycling, hiking, swimming, gardening or hitting the gym, make it enjoyable. Have some fun! Also, you can turn it into quality time with family, or perhaps some quiet time to de-stress after a busy day.

Keep active and continue your diet regimen throughout the summer so that you will look your best at all those patio parties. After all, you’ve worked very hard over the long winter months to achieve your goals. Now is the time to stay that way.

I read a great post over at the Burn The Fat Blog today. Check it out and see how others keep slim and trim after losing unwanted fat. The article is about women but it is very useful to men also. Keep the faith!

Weight Loss Discipline - Are You Really In Control Of Your Driving Forces?

Appetite versus Diet - A Tough Battle

Our bodies are complicated machines, not unlike an automobile. The way that we treat it, is the way it will perform. Feed it high grade nutrition and it runs well. Feed it low grade and it will sputter and stall, and you will have trouble starting it again.

Most of the operation of the body is done automatically. You don not have to think about it. Just put it in drive and let it run. While in drive, the autonomic nervous system is in control of most of the operation.

The nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system, and the endocrine or hormonal system all run smoothly, until the driver (you) disturbs it with emotion or activity. and, even then it adjusts to the circumstances.

Two bodily functions operate outside the normal, automatic, operation. Sex drive and appetite consume much of our daily time. Though, they may affect the nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, and endocrine systems, they are for us to control.

Sex and appetite are driving forces in our bodies. They produce cravings, and sometimes overpowering desires. Appetite and sex drive are present in us for two important reasons. They are necessary for survival of the individual and survival of the species.

Either one of these can spiral out of control. You are the driver of this human automobile. You must control thee urges. The body does not automatically turn of these cravings or desires. This is the first thing you must realize about a diet.

You must control the cravings, the same ones that were needed by our ancestors and still needed by poorer nations in the world today, to keep the species growing.

Appetite is a strong urge to overcome. We exist today, because our ancestors got fat during the good times , so they could survive harsh winters or droughts.

Today, in our modern American culture, food is plentiful. Food can be bought with little money, although the less expensive food is generally,of a poorer quality. Again, you are the driver. You decide when to stop or go. You decide where or when to turn.

There is no magic pill to make your body lose weight. If you are not committed to a diet plan, you will not succeed.

There have been diet aids, in pill form, to help you over the years. In the 1960's and 1970's amphetamines were given out rather freely by the medical community. These worked well for many people. But amphetamines had the risk of being habit forming or even addicting in some cases.

Strict control by the DEA ( Drug Enforcement Agency ) changed the ease of distribution of amphetamines. Then a new generation of diet pills were marketed by pharmaceutical companies. They were less effective and less addicting.

Around the same time, the herbal industry was experimenting with herbs and combinations of herbs for appetite suppression. The main ingredient in the formulas was ephedrine, in one form or another. Again,government regulations put a stop to the use of this ingredient a few year ago.

There has been many new herbal blends, developed over the last couple of years, to help suppress appetite. Perhaps, the most effective ingredient to have come out of these discoveries is Hoodia gordonii . It comes from a a cactus in southern Africa. Studies show that it actually curbs appetite and has not shown any serious side effects to date.

What you need to do first, is get your head right. Decide what you want to do and when you want to do it, as far as diet goes. Develop a healthy eating plan.

It should be a well balanced diet. It should contain foods that you enjoy eating, and foods you continue to eat for a long period of time. There are healthy, tasty, healthy meals that you can have delivered to your door, at a reasonable cost.

You may want to add a herbal, like hoodia gordonii to aid you in your diet. Most importantly work out your diet plan before starting. Decide when you are going to do it, then do it. Adding an exercise regimen to your diet program would be a good idea.

by John Markus

Written by John Markus at http://www.feelmorelife.com John had been a pharmacist for 33 years. His wife has type I diabetes. Also, his eight year old granddaughter has diabetes. He and his family have been dealing with these type of problems for a long time. Tough at times, but successfully in end. John has also been studying exercise and nutrition and their effects on the human body. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_H_Markus

Prevent Weight Gain Or Increase Weight Loss By Doing This . . .

Received an informative newsletter from Chet Day this morning (I have been getting his newsletters for years and they always have something to say), here's a taster of an article on how eating slower benefits weight loss, and then a link to the rest of the article below.

Slow Eating May Prevent Weight Gain
by Craig Weatherby
Courtesy of Vital Choice Seafood

Last May, we profiled the Slow Food movement, which started in Italy in reaction to the arrival of McDonald’s in central Rome, and has been gaining American adherents. (See 'Slow Food’ Movement Gains Momentum'.)

The five-point mission statement of Slow Food USA encapsulates the purpose of this grass-roots movement:

* Stewardship of the land and ecologically sound food production;
* Revival of the kitchen and the table as centers of pleasure, culture, and community;
* Invigoration and proliferation of regional, seasonal culinary traditions;
* Creation of a collaborative, ecologically-oriented, and virtuous globalization;
* Living a slower and more harmonious rhythm of life.

Implicit in the last goal – and the Slow Food movement’s very name -- is a desire to pay greater attention to the act of eating: an approach that the research we’re reporting today suggests could help halt this country’s fast-growing obesity/diabetes epidemic.

Following up on our story about the weight control benefits of using smaller dishes and bowls to achieve portion control – see 'Portion Control for Weight Control' – we’ve found substantial evidence that it makes sense to savor food more slowly than Americans typically do.

Advice posted on the National Institutes of Health Web site, under the heading “Get The (Fullness) Message” puts the point succinctly: 'Changing the way you go about eating can make it easier to eat less without feeling deprived.' (NHLBI 2007)

This line refers to the fact that it takes about 15 minutes for your brain to receive hormone-borne “I’m full” signals from your gut. So it’s logical to presume that eating fast lets you eat too much before you’re fully aware of it.

For instance, all of the few studies on the subject suggest that people eat more when they are doing other things at the same time, such as talking, reading, or watching TV (Liebman M et al 2003; Salmon J et al 2000).

But only recently has anyone looked for links between the rate at which people eat and the risk of becoming overweight.

Slow Eating . . . continued

Permanent Weight Loss Strategy Goes Beyond The Physical Aspect

The Three Bodies of Permanent Weight Loss

The following words may seem taboo: weight loss is easy!

We have just been going about it the wrong way. Almost all of the products and diets on the market today miss key components to achieving permanent weight loss. Almost all of them only focus on the physical body - what we eat, how much we eat, when we eat and how much we exercise.

If that is all that is necessary, then why have you not achieved your ideal weight? Why do diets and pills have a success rate of less than 9%? The reason is simple: there is a missing link to permanent weight loss.

The physical aspect of weight loss is only one third of the equation.

There are three separate aspects that must addressed for permanent weight loss, and I like to refer to them as the three bodies. The physical body is the first. The other bodies for weight loss are the missing links; the mental body and the emotional body.

The mental body includes your eating habits, orientation and perception of food. The emotional body includes the emotional reasons you eat, your attitudes toward food, and the underlying reasons you are overweight.

When you work with all three bodies, it makes weight loss easy!

Imagine sitting on a stool with only one leg. How long could you balance yourself? That is what it is like attempting to lose weight while only focusing on the physical- it becomes a balancing act and a struggle to stay upright!

If you find a stool that is steady with three legs, there is no balancing act at all. It is easy to comfortably sit on a balanced stool! When you have a plan that focuses on the physical, mental and emotional bodies of weight loss, you feel comfortable and secure, and your success rate dramatically increases from that of diets alone.

It is important to understand why the mental and emotional bodies play such a large role in weight loss. If making a change was as easy as simply stating the desire, we would all be ultra-healthy, thin millionaires with the perfect partners.

How many times have you made a New Years resolution and had it fall through? Because we are creatures of habit, change can sometimes be difficult. When you want to make a change, sometimes it feels as though you are pushing against something inside of yourself. What you are pushing against is your unconscious (AKA subconscious) mind.

Let’s talk quickly about the unconscious mind. The unconscious works very differently than the conscious mind. For example, when you think about not being allowed to eat cheesecake, it makes the unconscious mind want to eat cheesecake even more because you are thinking about cheesecake!

The unconscious does not know that cheesecake is bad because it only understands pictures and emotions, so all it sees is cheesecake! The more you think about not wanting the cheesecake, the more and more appealing it becomes until finally… well you know what happens.

In order to easily avoid “bad” foods and cut down on or totally halt cravings, it is important to work with the “language” of the unconscious mind.

While I could go into much more detail, I also want to briefly discuss the emotional body of eating.

There are two types of hunger - biological and emotional, and it is easy to tell the difference. Biological hunger comes on gradually and patiently, while emotional hunger comes on suddenly and feels urgent.

Underlying feelings such as self-loathing, hopelessness, sadness, or worthlessness are often at the root of emotional hunger. Less intense emotions such as boredom can become a culprit as well. Whatever the underlying emotion is, eating is simply masking what is going on in your life.

When you notice that you are experiencing emotional hunger, instead of asking “What should I eat?”, a better question to ask is “What is eating me?”

Start keeping a list of those feelings and thoughts and find a way to resolve them!

There are so many modalities that can help you let go of negative emotions and beliefs, such as psychotherapy, hypnosis, Emotional Freedom Techniques, Time Empowerment (my personal favorite), and Body Alignment, just to name a few.

In my personal practice, I find that having multiple modalities in my toolbox greatly increases the amount of change I can help a client achieve. If you are looking for assistance, you may want to seek someone skilled in many modalities as well.

In summary, when you work with all three bodies of weight loss- the physical, the mental, and the emotional- you greatly increase your chances at achieving permanent weight loss and you feel much better!

Weight loss can be totally easy if you approach it in a way that works with you, instead of against you!

by Pete Pantaziz

For continued advice on learning about all three bodies of weight loss, I highly recommend visiting my website at www.YourEmpowermentSource.com. We have also included a free law of attraction meditation download on our site.

Pete Pantazis, PhD(c) has become a recognized leader in the practical application of self-empowerment techniques and hypnosis. He is the President of YES! Your Empowerment Source™ (formerly known as The Pantazis Group), one of the nation's fastest growing companies in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Hypnotherapy. This year, hundreds will benefit from Pete's goal-oriented sessions in weight loss; smoking cessation; career advancement and relationship troubles; emotional issues like depression, rage, and anxiety; and even some physical issues as well.

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

Men And Weight Loss in General

Men and Weight Loss

Men and weight loss is a subject which has hardly been discussed, but it should be; at least among men. When it comes to dieting, men have a different point of view. Place a dinner consisting of steak and potatoes in front of them, and they are most happy.

Perhaps it will not be evident when they are young, but as they grow older, all of the fatty foods they’ve eaten may eventually catch up with them.

While weight loss is a topic most women can discuss, chapter and verse, men seen to fall into the “yeah, whatever” category. There is a wonderful commercial which nails the problem on the head.

A man is sitting in a chic restaurant with his woman friend. He is given a gourmet lunch (which you can hardly see on the plate). He stands up, throws down his napkin and says, “Enough of this chick food!” Runs out of the restaurant and goes across the street to a fast food restaurant.

A song begins, and a stream of men start filing out of the restaurant with a cheese burger in their hands rejoicing about the virtues of being able to eat what they want; and what they want is a cheese burger.

Although it was a wonderful commercial, it really brought home the fact that men want hearty meals; meaty meals; and are not engaged in eating “chick” food.

While the daily recommended diet should include two servings of fruit plus three servings of vegetables, needless to say it is difficult for many men to follow these guidelines. In order to assist men and weight loss, here are some tips you may wish to utilize:

Instead of high fat content meals, reduce the fact by consuming lean meats instead. Reduce sugar intake by substituting water instead of sodas and alcohol, especially beer.

If you need to snack, try low-fat cheese or non-fat yogurt. Stay away from Trans fats and foods which are fried.

You can certainly have sandwiches, but try to choose roast beef or ham; (you may want to try the Subway Restaurants which have low calorie, but delicious subs). Stay away from the fast food restaurants as much as possible. Bring lunch to the workplace or job site.

You can just as easily make a healthy meal at home, and save money as well. Eat vegetables and grains that are high in fiber and low in fat. Limit your sodium intake as well.

Try to do some form of exercise daily. You don’t have to kill yourself but a steady 20 to 30 minutes at least 4 or 5 times a week will make a huge different to your weight and life overall.

The good news is that studies have shown that men do tend to lose weight faster than women once they embark on a plan of healthy eating and exercise.

Men and weight loss usually bond together at an older age, when a doctor advises your cholesterol is too high; you’ve developed a paunch; or you have high blood pressure.

While you may be healthy now, undoubtedly you wish to remain so as you age. The only way this will happen is if you begin to understand the diet process; and why it is so important to your health.

Let's face it men, our metabolism will tend to slow down through the years and our eating habits will start to catch up with us, unless we actively prevent them from doing so. So this is not one to procrastinate with . . .

How To Lose Weight And Keep It Off

Great post about weight loss vs fat loss, why diets fail, and how to keep weight off permanently post diet period. Check out the 'KSuccess Blog'.

Rodger is currently hosting a Physical Fitness & Weight Loss Challenge. It started some time ago and is still open and the information alone is worth heading on over and checking out.

Back to the article link and a little teaser for you:

SMART Weight Loss - How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off

Did you know that as many as 95% of all diets fail to produce long-term weight loss? I don’t know about you, but that seems like a pretty dismal success rate to me. Why is losing weight and keeping it off such a difficult challenge?

Now, before you tell me all about your friend Joan who went on the XYZ diet and lost 30 pounds in 2 months, you have to be clear about what success means when it comes to weight loss and dieting.

It turns out that losing weight is generally NOT the problem. In fact, most overweight people will find that they can lose weight using almost any popular diet. The real problem is keeping the weight off after you’ve lost it.

That’s where most diets fail to deliver, and usually leads to the “yo-yo” dieting vicious cycle that can wreak havoc on your sanity!

In this article, I’ll show you why most diets actually set you up for failure right from the start. I’ll also show you an alternative way to lose weight based on a strategy that I have been using successfully over the past 10 months. It took me a while to figure out the best way to go about it, but that means that you won’t have to go through the same trial-and-error process that I did.

My Own Struggles with Weight Loss

A few years after finishing college, I started eating more and stopped exercising as much as I used to. Not surprisingly, my weight slowly started to go up.

About six years ago, I reached my peak of about 170 pounds, which clearly put me into the “overweight” category based on my height. I didn’t necessarily feel fat, but I was definitely overweight.

Since then, I’ve tried to lose the weight three times.

The first time was about four and a half years ago. My strategy then was to follow a traditional “diet” and eat less food to create a caloric deficit. I would often skip breakfast altogether, or have just a small piece of fruit.

Using this approach, I felt hungry a good portion of the day, particularly in the morning. I could hear my stomach rumble while I was trying to do work. I got cravings for food nearly every day. I definitely did not enjoy the experience.

This “diet” only lasted for about 3 months. My weight did drop down to about 165 pounds, but it quickly went back up after I stopped dieting.

My second weight loss attempt was about three years ago. At that point, I had started playing racquetball regularly 3 times a week. The regular exercise from racquetball helped me get my weight down to about 166 pounds. Then, I tried going on another diet to get my weight down even more.

After about 4 months, I finally broke 160 pounds for a single day! Unfortunately, I had the same problems sticking to this diet as I did before, and I never reached my target of 158 pounds. To make matters worse, I dropped one of my regular racquetball days because the gym was too crowded and ended up going back up to about 167 pounds.

I started my third attempt on March 2006. This time, I didn’t want to have the same poor results that I experienced before, so I changed my strategy.

I’m very confident that this time I’ll be able to lose the weight and keep it off long-term because I’ve already reached and surpassed my original target weight of 158 pounds. Plus, I have kept the weight off for well over 3 months.

So far, I’m down to about 155 . . .

Read more . . .

How Persistent Are You When You Hit The Wall And Think About Wimping Out?

Motivate Yourself To Move - No Matter What

"Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice." - Wayne Dyer

I'm absolutely miserable our first morning back in town after a marvelous month spent in sunny, but quite cool, Florida. I find myself faced with the prospect of pushing myself out into Chicago's sub-zero cold for my daily five mile walk.

“Ain't happenin',” I think. “Now what?”

The bare minimum I will walk on a day like today is one hour. So, my only other option is to bundle up, race down the street to East Bank Club, chain myself to one of their high-tech treadmills, tough it out for that hour and get the whole thing over with.

As treadmills go, I especially favor the ones that look like “Star Wars” Strato Scooters, so I pick my favorite on the end, punch the “quick start” workout button and away I go.

However: by 13:09 into my workout, I'm already bored silly without my I-pod. I can't believe I forgot it. That thing's like an appendage to me, but today it's in a different spot than usual because of last night's travel and I just plain forgot it. My dang knees are crying, too.

How many of you would quit right here and now at the first sign of a little discomfort?

If you want to lose weight and get healthier, you have to work past the pain and walk every day. (Consult with your doctor first, but do get your butt moving ASAP.)

You know what your personal pain tolerance is and what everyday aches you have that you always use as an excuse to not move as much as you should. Stop letting those things hold you back. Stop holding yourself back.

Get on the scale. Look at yourself in the mirror. Feel how tight your waistband is. Look at yourself from behind. Notice how snug your shirts, sweaters and blouses fit.

It's time for you to get moving. Or are you waiting for some catastrophic health event to strike where, if you're lucky enough to survive, THEN maybe you'll start to do what you need to do for a healthier, more fit life?

Why wait?

Back to the music matter: it works wonders as a distraction from pain. It's one of the things that keeps me walking day after day after day. Studies prove that people who walk and listen to their favorite music are more likely to develop walking into a daily habit. (And for safety, listen only in one ear while you're walking outside.)

15:51 minutes: I'm restless and looking for an escape. I spy some of Nautilus's new, split treadmill machines called treadclimbers. Hmmmm.

17:09: My curiosity gets the better of me. I feel the need to switch over to one of the treadclimbers and keep my warm up going while I get oriented on this new cardio contraption.

“No need to run. 2 X's the workout!” blare the red-dotted words on the screen. We'll see.

I last five whole minutes - that's the amount of time allotted to figure out how to work the thing - before I call it quits. I can't move my legs another revolution.

“Continue workout?” red-dot flashes next. Not!

“Treadclimber, indeed,” I wonder. What genius thought this one up? But in my heart I'm envious of those who zoom along, cardio-cranking, proficiently smooth and sweating like hell. That's the real name of the fitness game if you can handle it. Lucky dogs. Otherwise, take it slow, do what you can, but you do have to push yourself and practice every single day to get results.

And if your heart, knees, hips and back can take it, the treadclimber will seriously boil off your excess pounds in no time flat and then keep them off for as long as you continue to use it daily. That's the key to one of dieting's biggest “secrets,” consistency - doing it daily. Forever.

I can't beat a path back to my old treadmill fast enough. The grass was not greener, and clearly I need music to get me through the rest of this workout.

Another turning point: how many of you would quit now? How many of you would figure, “What the heck,” and just stop right here?

I have to press on. No excuses.

Doing some quick math, I figure seventeen minutes on the first treadmill, plus the five minutes I spent on the tread climber, equal twenty-two minutes. That leaves me with a minimum of thirty-eight minutes to go - back on my original “Strato Scooter.”

A few minutes into it, I wish my knees would stop screaming while I wait for the Excedrin I popped a bit ago to kick in. I'm just thankful to be back on level “ground,” if you know what I mean.

My one eye slits open: only 30 more minutes to go. This is pure, unadulterated penance for my 30-days of wayward vacation behavior. Miraculously, however, I didn't gain any weight even though we wined and dined with tastes of dessert almost nightly. (OK, so some nights there was more than just a “taste.”)

And don't think I was a total slug while we were away. It was 30 straight days of walking a minimum of five miles a day on the beach and swimming an hour in a perfectly heated pool every afternoon that helped me keep my weight in check.

Plus - two more dieting biggies: weighing myself every morning and being very stingy with every single white starchy, sugary carb I put in my mouth at breakfast or lunch that helped, too. (I never eat both on the same day anymore.)

Vigilance is vital. There is no other option.

I quickly count my blessings. In the old days I would have figured, “Heck with it, we're on vacation,” and toss all caution and training to the wind. And by the time I'd get back home - I could easily be up ten, fifteen or twenty. Not any more.

But, at 11:23, (of the 38 minutes I have left this go-round) I discover I have to pee.

“No way,” I think. If I stop again I will never be able to get back on this thing. I know it. This is way too hard for me today - especially without my usual musical diversion.

15:52: For distraction, I sneak my Bluetooth outta my purse and clip it on my ear, placing a verboten call (club etiquette rules) to my business partner, whispering to her that I'll be in within the hour.

I then slam my eyes shut, grab hold of the handlebar and by 20:44 I gleefully realize I'm over halfway there.

Failing to keep my mind occupied, I compulsively open my eyes again and again only to find the first thing I stare at is that dang elapsed time.

25:52: How will I keep on walking for the duration? Then I think about the consequences if I don't - that does it for me every time. After struggling for a lifetime of being mostly overweight, I know full well what will happen if I ever succumb to such lazy thinking again.

An almost anorexic gal climbs onto one of the treadclimbers just a bit in front of me. Her legs and feet are a dizzying blur as she gears up to speed instantly without so much as a how-da-ya-do warm up. She's tall and weighs maybe ninety pounds dripping wet - half of what I weigh, so what do I expect. The lighter the load, the faster you move.

“Only ten minutes to go, no one would know if you stopped now,” I hear. I know it's not me but that dang Demon voice in my head trying to sabotage me yet again. I refuse to listen. “I would know, you butthead, and that would never do.”

Why risk entertaining such a bad habit now, after all I've done, after how far I've come? Quitting early just isn't my style. I know how much better I look and feel without that extra 130 pounds. Even with my chronic pains, the effort's well worth it. The pains are far less and I'm much healthier now.

Onward.

33:17: My Demon is hard at work begging me, demanding, stomping his foot to get me to stop now “before it's too late.” “Too late for what,” I snarl? Demon doesn't come up with a good enough answer, so I press on, eyes clamped tight to shut out the elapsed time's red-dot display.

36:28: Just a few more minutes. “You can do it,” I encourage myself.

“Don't be a fool. No you can't,” hisses Demon.

37:01: Only 59 more seconds of this misery. Rest assured, I will never forget that dang I-pod again.

I see myself punch the cool down button. Am I crazy or what? Adding five more minutes onto this treadmill torture for good measure is insane, but I do it anyway - just because I can, thinking, “Take THAT, Demon.”

I always make sure to get my daily walking workout in no matter how hard it is, no matter what.

How about you? You know there is no REAL excuse.

Do whatever has to be done. It's always your choice.

by Laura Dion-Jones Casey
P.O. Box 10876
Chicago, IL 60610
312-933-7325
February 16, 2007 ©
http://www.poundbypoundonline.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Dion-Jones_Casey

A Short Lesson On Body pH And It's Importance To Your Health!

How Body pH Can Affect Your Energy Levels

WHAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE; WE ARE BIO ELECTRICAL ENGINES
In order to accomplish all the many millions of complex functions that occur over the course of the day, your body has to be able to communicate with itself… all the way down to the cellular level. And do you know how it does this? Through pulses of electricity. That's right, electricity.

Your body operates on an electro magnetic current. Believe it or not, all of the organs in your body emit these fields of electrical current. In fact, nerve signals are nothing more than electrical charges.

What creates this electrical power in your body is a very fine balance that exists in your bio chemistry. And of all the systems in your body that depend on this delicate, bio chemical balance, one of the most important is your blood stream. This is where pH comes into play. But what is pH?

WHAT PH IS AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO ALL YOUR BODY FUNCTIONS
PH is a scale that measures how acidic or alkaline a substance is. The scale ranges from 1 to 14 with 1 being very acid, 7 neutral and 14 very alkaline.

So what does pH have to do with you and your blood? Well, the pH of your blood is extremely important. The ideal pH level for your blood is right around 7.35 and your body goes to enormous lengths to maintain this level.

Why? Because if your blood pH were to vary 1 or 2 points in either direction, it would change the electrical chemistry in your body, there would be no electrical power and in short order you would drop dead. As you can see, maintaining the right pH level in your blood is pretty important!!

With this in mind a good way to avoid upsetting this delicate bio chemical balance would be to take a look at those things that can compromise the maintenance of the ideal pH level in your body. And what is the main culprit in this case? The answer is the creation of acid in your body.

Before we look at what causes acid, here's a graphic example to give you an idea of what can happen in the blood when your pH drops to less than ideal. Red blood cells are how oxygen is transported to all the cells in your body.

As red blood cells move into the tiny, little, capillaries, the space they have to move through gets pretty small. In fact, the diameter of the capillaries gets so small that the red blood cells sometimes have to pass through these capillaries one red blood cell at a time!

Because of this, and because it's important for the red blood cells to be able to flow easily and quickly through your body, they have a mechanism that allows them to remain separate from each other.

This mechanism comes in the form of the outside of healthy red blood cells having a negative charge. This causes them to stay apart from each other, sort of like when you try to push the negative ends of two magnets together. They resist each other and stay apart.

Unfortunately, acid interferes with this very important mechanism in a pretty frightening way. Acid actually strips away the negative charge from red blood cells. The result is that your red blood cells then tend to clump together and not flow as easily. This makes it much more difficult for them to flow easily through the bloodstream.

But it also makes it harder for them to move freely through those small capillaries. This means less oxygen gets to your cells. Acid also weakens the red blood cells and they begin to die. And guess what they release into your system when they die? More acid.

I could describe a whole list of processes that occur when your system becomes and remains acid but I think you get the idea. The point is that aside from the acid that is secreted into your stomach to aid digestion, acid in your body is bad. Really bad.

In regard to producing energy in the body, here's an easy question for you. What do you think happens to a person's energy level if over time their system becomes more and more acid, their biochemical balance is disrupted and their red blood cells can't deliver oxygen and nutrients as efficiently to all their cells? The answer is simple. Their energy level drops. Dramatically.

Are you beginning to get the picture here as to the importance of pH in your body? Good. Now let's take a quick look at what causes acidity in your body and then look at steps you can take to get your body pH back to an ideal level.

WHAT CAUSES ACID IN THE BODY
The primary cause of an acidic condition in your body is from what you put in your mouth. In other words, what you eat and what you drink. And it isn't how "acid" something may seem when you eat or drink it. It has to do with what is left over when you digest it.

Specifically, does eating or drinking something leave behind an acid or alkaline "ash". For example, I don't know about you but I love seafood. Scallops are one of my favorites. However, when your body digests scallops, it leaves an extremely acid ash. In fact, scallops are one of the most acid foods you can eat.

Unfortunately, a lot of the things most people put in their mouths create an acid ash. These include alcohol, coffee and a lot of flesh protein in your diet. Interestingly enough, stress also tends to create an acid condition in the body.

STEPS YOU CAN IMMEDIATELY TAKE TO IMPROVE YOUR PH
Fortunately, it is pretty easy to immediately change your pH for the better and make it more alkaline. The first step is to understand which of the foods you are eating and the drinks you are drinking are acid and which are alkaline. Then it's simply a matter of eliminating some of the more acid foods you are eating and adding in more alkaline foods.

However, before you start, it's important to get a baseline of what the pH is in your body so that you can see how you are improving or if you need to continue to eliminate more acid foods and add in more alkaline ones.

You can do this by testing the pH of your saliva on a regular basis. This is really simple to do. More details on how to do this are provided on some web pages I have created for you to help you out. A link to these pages is provided below.

In addition to decreasing the amount of acid foods you eat and increasing the amount of alkaline foods you eat, one of the best ways to immediately begin changing your pH is to drink "green drinks".

You can make these by simply adding a powder that is made up of a whole host of vegetables that are highly alkaline to a glass of water. Information on suggested green drink powders to use is included on pages that I have a link to below.

RESOURCES WHERE YOU CAN LEARN MORE
Clicking on the following link will take you to some pages I created that have more information on alkaline and acid foods, how to test your own pH and what to look for in green drinks.
http://www.ajpip.com/resources/site_map.htm

Start taking the steps described above and you may very well find your energy levels increasing over time. Mine certainly have.

- by Andy Long

After years of extreme fatigue, severe digestion problems and frequent sickness, Andy Long now enjoys energy levels that allow him to windsurf in 30 mph winds for 3-4 hours at a time.

He now shares with others what he did to completely regain his health through his health related web sites and newsletter.

To see a list of the topics covered in Andy's newsletter, click on the following link: http://www.ajpip.com/rbopi/ancrb.htm

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

Goals And Goal Setting In Weight Loss and Health Building

OK. OK. I admit it, the reason I have been posting so many weight related articles lately is that I was getting pretty chunky myself and it was time to start focusing in on dropping down to a more healthful weight.

I am in the process of dropping 40 pounds from my December 2006 weight. I was not doing my regular exercises and walking that is normally part of my daily schedule. Let's face it, my work has kept me pretty busy and I sacrificed fitness activities for business growth.

I do not feel bad about this. Sometimes my life does get out of balance and then I need to swing back and forth from time to time.

Overall, I do pretty well at balancing my hectic schedule with my personal physical fitness time. I choose my own schedule and commitments, and sometimes the urgency of business overwhelms the importance of healthful activity.

I never get that far out of shape, but performing more computer time has definitely caused me some grief as far as reduced calorie burning this time. So, it was time to get the old metabolism fired back up and get serious about my fitness goals! LOL!

There are some great articles on Paul Piotrowski's Blog that deal with the mind set needed to succeed with your weight loss goals. The links to the information can be found at the bottom of this post.

Weight Loss Tip: Why You Must Know Exactly What You Want to Look Like

Ok, I’ve got it: you want to lose weight. Yes, you want to “look good naked”.

But do you know exactly what you want to look like?

Maybe, just maybe that’s why most people never arrive at their dream( be it a body or a ‘place’). Their minds don’t know what they really want. They don’t know what they’re aiming for. You want to “lose weight” but you don’t have a clear picture of what you want to look like. Your poor mind does not know what you want.

How can you expect to ever get that body!

Remember This: You are never going to make any real progress towards getting the body you want, unless you tell your mind, your real, inner mind called your unconscious mind, what exactly it is that you want.

You see, everything we achieve in our lives, we achieve because of our minds. In fact, the (overweight or out-of-shape) state that you have arrived at today, is because of your Mind.
Now you may be saying to yourself: “I did not set myself the goal of getting my body to look like it does right now! That statement just can’t be true!”

Ok. Look at it this way.

Our minds are what are known as “goal-seeking servo-mechanisms”. That means, our minds need something to strive for, to work for, to achieve.

And if we don’t set a real goal for our minds, that mind of ours is always striving for goals that others have set for us. And it is always striving for our 'default goals'.

And how did these “default goals” get into our system?

Listen: Somewhere, somehow, in our past (or present) environment, we have learnt certain things, quite unconsciously. We have learnt:

What is ‘True’

What is ‘Important’ to us

What ‘Feels Good’ And these ‘Truths’, ‘Important’ things and things that ‘Feel Good’ set a kind of ‘default goal-set’ in our unconscious minds.

Let me explain with an example that I see happening today, right before my eyes:
I know a family, with a young son. That son is already showing the signs of becoming Big. On more than one occasion, when we went out for pizza with this family, I watched the parents and the son each consume a full pizza.

I could not believe my eyes!

My 3 kids were hard-pressed putting away 2 slices of the same pizza! My wife and I could hardly eat one pizza between us (and I am a bodybuilder who can eat quite a bit, though I draw the line at pizza...). But this family gobbled up 3+ pizzas like there was no tomorrow!

That young boy has unconsciously learnt from his parents the doubtful ‘joy’ (the 'Feel Good') of eating big amounts of food at one sitting. And it shows in his young body.

Unfortunately, it will take quite a bit of work for him to un-learn these lessons, lessons that are being reinforced daily by his family.

You see, you already have what I call ‘default goals’ in your unconscious mind. These default goals have been programmed into your mind from way back when through your immediate family and other influential people (your friends, school, etc).

And even one of those ‘default goals’ could have brought you to your current body shape, where you need to lose weight to live to see your children graduate … from Grade 2!

Remember this: It is your unconscious mind that really guides your body and your life, long-term.

Therefore, it is very important for you, especially if you want to tip yourself in favour of losing weight, to have a clear goal for what you want your body to be.

You see, a Strong, Clear Goal of your New Body, will over-ride your default goals, and set a new direction for you, so that you automatically start out on losing weight.

You have to have a clear picture of yourself, sitting right in front of your mind: "This is what I want to look like with my New Body". If you want to lose weight and get a great body, then you must have this picture constantly in your mind, not only now while you are reading this article.

And once you inform your subconscious about this body that you are targeting, you are going to lose weight until you look like that body. Almost automatically.

So, as part of today’s Weight Loss Tip, let’s set about getting a clear picture for yourself.

Get out all the magazines you have in your cupboard under the stairs. Leaf through the magazines. Tear out large images of the best bodies for display in those magazines. If you like those pictures, they are in the running for what you consider to be a great body.

Make sure that these pictures are very scantily clothed (and your gossip magazines are sure to have many images along those lines). You should be able to see pretty much all of the body (so that you can give your mind a very clear idea of what it must head for.)

Line up your pictures next to each other and then select the 3 best pictures. Remember, you need to be able to see the bodies clearly, so these should be the largest pictures you can find.

Can you find any that are “all-round” views of the same beautiful body? Then that’s the body (and the set of pictures) you choose!

Now stick those pictures up on a board in your private room, in a position that you can see every day.

And from today, for the next 60 days (or until you are sure your mind is “set” in the right direction), look at that collection of pictures for 2 minutes every morning, and 2 minutes each evening before going to bed.

And while you look at those pictures, say to yourself: “That is the body I want for myself. And I am taking action right now, each day, to get myself that body.”

And watch yourself take action to lose weight, and start moving in the direction of your fantastic body!

This weight loss tip alone is worth its weight in gold to you.

Now get cracking! Put this tip into practice, right now!

by Melroy d'Rego

Melroy d’Rego is the author of the book “Why Your Mind Keeps You Fat and How You can Fix It!” as well as the “Fix the Mind that Keeps You Fat” Workbook and dozens of articles (both audio and text) on getting the Mental Attitude + Action mix that can make anyone’s body permanently lean and strong.

Melroy is an award-winning public speaker and a bodybuilder. He loves to teach people to use their mind to Lose Weight and get the great body they deserve.

Visit http://www.winnerology.com/ or call 61-2-9466-7545 to get your copy of “Why Your Mind Keeps You Fat and How You can Fix It!”, the Book that will Help you Lose Weight, and Keep it off, Permanently!

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

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Looking To Get Into Shape Before Summer?

Here is a series of great articles on Paul's blog which really helped me get serious results at the beginning of this year . . .
Getting in Shape Series - Step 1 - No Holds Barred
Getting in Shape Series - Step 2 - The First Few Steps
Getting in Shape Series - Step 3 - The What, The Why and Beliefs
Getting in Shape Series - Step 4 - Getting Leverage
Getting in Shape Series - Step 5 - Shifting Your Identity

I hope you enjoy them. A successful mindset can keep you in the game when all else fails.

The Body's Acid Alkaline Balance And How It Affects Your Energy And Weight Loss

Is Acid Weighing you down?

The body is naturally acidic. This is a true statement. However, the foods we eat add to this acidity and the fat in our body stores the additional acid, which results in overweight problems and an unhealthy body.

There are specific foods that are alkaline and help to flush the acid and fat from the body. These alkaline foods replace the acid and rapid weight loss is inevitable.

Here are some foods from the alkaline food list:

1. Vegetables
2. Wheat Grass
3. Fruit (grapefruit, lemon, lime are good)
4. Nuts (almond)
5. Fish oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil and liver oil
6. Grains – Buckwheat, quinoa, spelt7. Condiments – red chili pepper, sea salt, most herbs and spices
8. Goat milk
9. Beans and legumes
10. Pumpkin seeds and Sesame seeds

In addition to these foods, water is very essential in our daily diet. We can also supplement our food list with products that already contain all these ingredients above. There is a product called Energy Green that has all these alkaline foods as part of its ingredients so there would be no need to consume each item on the food list - there would be everything all in one product.

The body requires more attention to survive longer and remain in good health. Our health is a product of what we eat. Taking back control of our health and weight requires more awareness of our food consumption.

Here are some strong acidic foods to avoid or eat in very low moderation:

1. Dried fruit
2. Mustard
3. White sugar
4. Soy Sauce
5. Cashews and peanuts
6. Barley, corn and rye
7. Beef, organ meat and pork
8. Cottage cheese
9. Ice cream
10. Whey protein powder

The key to taking back our health is education and knowledge about food intake and its effect on the body. Weight loss is the primary goal of most people, but pursuing a weight loss diet will not necessarily meet the long-term goal of keeping the weight off.

Healthy eating and moderate exercise should become a lifestyle. Taking a supplement is also recommended if the foods we eat don’t contain all the right amounts of alkaline to assist in healthy living.

Learn all you can about the effects of alkaline versus acid in the body. Here are some effects that will give you a head start:

1. Acid –can cause overweight problems, indigestion, acid reflux, loss of energy, stores the fat

2. Alkaline- gives more energy, natural and safe weight loss, eliminates chronic digestive problems, regulate blood sugar, strengthen the immune system, gets rid of the acid.

Acid overload drains so much of our energy that the body doesn't have enough energy to fight off viruses and disease. In other words, the immune system is weakened. More so, when the body is overly acid there is more vulnerability to germs, yeast, bacteria, molds and fungi.

Why? Because all these microorganisms thrive in acidity! In an alkaline environment they are weakened and cannot multiply as well. Therefore, by keeping the body alkaline it can prevent colds, the flu, and many other illnesses.

To protect against acid buildup, the body begins to create and store fat. Even if you are on a weight loss diet and you exercise, your body will try to hold on to this fat because it is important for protection against acids.

That is why many people who restore alkalinity in their body find it incredibly easier to lose weight. There are so many weight loss pills available today. Hoodia is a very popular one. However, more pills are not the solution.

The true way to lose weight is to do so naturally and with permanent results and a healthier body.

by Cheryline Lawson

Cheryline Lawson, author and owner of http://www.alkalinedietdetox.com

Managing Weight Loss Motivation Levels To Persist To Your Goal Weight

Staying Motivated While Losing Weight

Anyone who has ever had to lose weight knows first hand just how difficult it can be. And for those people who tell you just stop eating or just cut back, you can rest assure they’ve never had to struggle with weight issues in their lives.

The truth is losing weight is hard work and the more you have to lose the harder it is. But that doesn’t mean it’s not achievable. There are many, many people who have achieved weight loss and are living happier and healthier lives.

One of the biggest struggles of weight loss is staying motivated. Sure most of us start out with great enthusiasm and usually have great results the first week or even two but once the weight loss slows down that’s when our willpower has to work overtime to keep us from reverting back to bad habits.

Here are a few tips to help you stay motivated during your weightloss:

Picture It
– Visualization has been used for years by many and it works. Take 5 minutes out of your day to visualize the pounds melting off, but don’t stop there.

Imagine what your life would be like if you were thinner. Would you have more confidence, would you buy new clothes, start dating again, what would you do? Visualize it and stay motivated.

Journal It
– Start a journal at the beginning of your weight loss journey, write how you’re feeling, what your goals are and what a difference it would make to your life.

Then take a picture and stick it to that page. Depending on how much weight you’d like to lose you can update the journal weekly or monthly (as difficult as it may be, you should probably do it weekly).

Take the time to take a new picture every week and stick it in a new page along with a few notes, if you hit a plateau, look back through your journal and see just how far you’ve come.

Reward It
– Set small goals throughout your weight loss and rewards to go with it. For example 5 pounds can be a nice body lotion, 20 pounds can be a fab new outfit.

Make the rewards whatever you want but try to stay away from food rewards as this is not constructive to your weight loss.

Instead do have little treats here and there throughout your weight loss phase (don’t deny yourself completely) and see these treats as everyday part of life not something to use as a reward, just make sure you eat them in moderation.

Flaunt It
– Why not? You’ve worked hard, share your thoughts with friends and family members. Let them know how proud of yourself you are and bathe in their compliments.

You’re taking steps to change your life and doing something that’s not easy at the best of times, so be proud of yourself and share it with others.

Keep yourself focused on the big picture, the prize at the end of the program, not the process. Managing your motivation properly will be the key to attaining your goals in weight loss. Good luck!

Did You Set 2007 Resolutions Regarding Your Health

I just had a new report come available for setting healthy New Year's Resolutions. It is fairly long and well detailed so prepare to spend some time going over it. There are many extremely useful tips and strategies for making resolutions work long term. So if any of your goals are in this health area, then read on. The link to the whole report is below.

Setting Healthy New Year Resolutions
How to set and stick to your health goals this New Year

Staying Healthy for a Life Time

“This New Year I’m going to go to the gym four times a week”, “My resolution is to quit smoking”, “I will lose 20 pounds and look great for summer”…We’ve all been there at some point or other, the New Year starts and so do our resolutions.

And why not, the New Year is all about new beginnings, hopes and dreams. The problem can be when we’re not realistic with our resolutions or don’t map them out appropriately it can be difficult to accomplish all our goals.

It’s great that you want to get healthy this New Year. By now, we all know the important link the foods we eat play in our health. We also know how smoking, excessive drinking and lack of exercise can affect our health for the worst.

If you’ve been putting off starting your healthy habits because it seems like too much of a daunting task or just haven’t had the motivation this is a great time to get started. This report will give you information on staying healthy and keeping your body in optimum shape, by incorporating small achievable steps into your everyday life.

Continued on site here.

Tips On How To Take That Extra Weight Off And Keep It Off

10 Secrets to Keeping the Weight Off for Good

What’s interesting about weight loss is that many people think that it’s just a process that begins when you make changes to lose weight and ends when you’ve lost all the weight.

However, if you’re not continuing with the changes that you’ve made, you might find yourself back at the original weight that you were. Instead of going up and down on the scale, here are ten secrets that you can use to keep your slim figure.

Weight training works – Studies have shown that people that have more muscle mass will burn more calories, even at rest. Because of this fact, you will want to incorporate some weight training into you maintenance plan so that as you increase your calorie intake, you’re able to burn them off without any gain.

Food journaling- When you write down what you eat, you will be able to control the amount of food that you are eating. Even if you only write down your food intake for a few days a week, keeping an eye on how you’re eating can help alert you of problems before they become pounds.

Daily exercise – When you want to keep the weight off, exercise will need to become a part of your life. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to workout for hours each day. Try to fit in thirty to sixty minutes of exercise each day to keep extra weight at bay.

Allow yourself treats – Life isn’t about deprivation, so neither should your new figure. When you’ve lost weight, you have learned about how much you needed to eat in order to cut back on calories. Once you’ve learned this, you can also learn to have a treat every now and then, enjoying it instead of overindulging in it.

Look at making changes rather than dieting – When you’re looking to lose weight, the ‘sprint’ approach isn’t going to be a long term fix. You need to permanently change your eating habits in order to ensure that your weight stays at its new position.

Learn to make favorite recipes healthier – If you have a favorite cheesecake recipe; why not learn how to make it lower in fat and sugar? This way, you can still enjoy the foods you love.

Get support – You don’t have to join a weight loss club to do this, but telling your friends and family about your goals can help to get everyone into supporting your efforts. When you do this, people will start to recognize that family gatherings should have healthy options as well as not always revolve around food.

Keep the stress away - Many people eat when they are stressed, but when you’ve lost weight, you want to avoid this kind of trigger. Instead, figure out ways that help you deal with stress. What can you do instead of eating to help calm down and relax?

Watch your weight – Studies have shown that those that regularly monitor their weight tend to keep off weight better than those that don’t. You don’t have to get on the scale every day, but weighing in once a week can help alert you to when you might need to rethink that second slice of pie.

Recognize a slip up and forgive yourself – When you start to get angry about mistakes, you can backslide into old eating habits. You will have times when eating right will be more difficult, but you will persevere. Acknowledge that you made a poor eating choice (or several) and then forgive yourself and eat better at the next meal. There’s no need to punish your self.

Keeping the weight off can actually be more difficult than losing it in the first place, but when you’re committed to keeping trim, these tips will make sure that you do.

About the Author:
Lynn VanDyke is a master trainer and fitness nutritionist. Her fitness site, http://www.strength-training-woman.com/ is ranked within the top 1% of all websites. She has authored the wildly popular ebook, Melt the Fat. It is yielded as one of the best fitness and nutrition ebooks available.

Why You Should Say No To Quick Weight Loss

Don't Be A Big Loser - Why You Should Say No To Quick Weight Loss by Tom Venuto

Patience. It’s the one thing you never seem to have when you’ve got a body fat problem. You want the fat gone and you want it gone now! And why not? It seems so do-able. Everywhere you look, you read and hear promises of quick weight loss and you even see people losing weight quickly.

We have reality TV shows that actually encourage people to attempt “extreme” body makeovers or see who can lose weight the fastest, and the winners (or shall we say, the losers), are rewarded generously with fortune, fame and congratulations.

Let’s face it. Everyone wants to get the fat off as quickly as possible - and having that desire is not wrong – it’s simply human nature. However, you must become aware of some serious problems that can occur if you try to force it and lose weight too quickly.

The faster you lose weight, the more muscle you will lose with the fat, and that can really mess up your metabolism. An even bigger problem with fast weight loss is that the loss just won’t last. The faster you lose, the more likely you are to gain it back. Think about it: We don’t have a weight loss problem today, we have a “keeping the weight off” problem. Read Further . . .

Designing a Strength Training Routine for Fat Loss

Designing a Strength Training Routine for Fat Loss
by Lynn VanDyke

Your goal is to lose fat and tone up. I recommend a mix of 5 tools to create and sculpt the body of your dreams.

Those 5 tools are nutrition, hydration, cardio, rest and strength training. Today’s article is all about creating a killer routine that delivers amazing results.

In my many years of experience in the fitness industry I have come across a few timeless myths. One of those myths really gets me piping mad. Have you ever heard, “Lift lighter weights for more repetitions if you want to tone up”? You probably have if you are a woman. I can already feel my blood beginning to boil!

The truth about strength training routines is . . . Continued On RGG Site

Have A Mocha & Fat Loss Too

Have Your Mocha and Fat Loss Too
By Lynn VanDyke, Master Trainer and Fitness Nutritionist

You have made a commitment to lose 10 pounds in the next 2 months. You are eating well and working out regularly. You are committed in every way possible - except one. Your specialty coffee drink of choice. Mochas, frappuccinos, breves and everything in between. You just cannot give up your daily cup of mocha madness.

I don't blame you. In fact I think the moment you begin to deprive yourself of anything you start a vicious cycle. You start craving the one thing you told yourself you cannot have. So what if we stop denying ourselves of our heavenly coffee drinks? Is it possible to still be on a diet and drink mochas?

Yes, it absolutely is. Continued On RGG Site

8 Reasons To Lose Weight

I have been working on a nagging, lagging goal of my own which is losing weight and increasing my energy supply. I got out of the habit late last year after a couple of injuries sidelined my fitness activity.

I never got consistent again, I have been fairly sporadic lately about my eating plans and fitness activities. So, I have been getting chunky with all the hours sitting at the computer, and not enough time spent exercising and/or walking and jogging.

It is time to get consistent in this area and by commiting to it here, I am giving myself one more reason why I must make this a habitual, routine, every day focus until I have developed the habit again. I am a big believer of having enough compelling reasons to keep myself going even when emotions are pulling me in the other direction.

I found this article which gives 8 such reasons and I will post some more when I go through my journal and find others.

8 Reasons To Lose Weight by Mark Kimathi

Obesity is the second leading cause of death after smoking. It is associated with an increased mortality rate of all ages including children. Losing weight though commercialized is still to your benefit if you carry more weight than you should.

Obesity and overweight are term often used interchangeably. However, technically they refer to two different states.

Being overweight technically means excess body mass. This includes all the body tissues. Obesity on the other hand refers explicitly to excess body fat e.g. a professional heavy weight body builder is overweight because of excess muscles but is not obese.

Obesity is what should concern you. Losing weight is no longer an issue you can afford to procrastinate, and probably a good health scare is in order.

Reason #1 to lose weight
Diabetes:- It is well known that 80 -90% of type-two-diabetes patients are overweight. Diabetes is the third leading cause of death in the U.S., as well as the leading cause of adult blindness in the world. One of the direct causes of obesity is eating wrong foods. Some of these wrong foods include high glycemic foods. High glycemic foods are energy dense foods that quickly increase the level of blood glucose in your body after been eaten. This results to the body reserving the unnecessarily high glucose/energy into fat. This makes losing weight very difficult.

Releasing a hormone called insulin does this. Type-Two-diabetes occurs because the body cannot produce enough insulin to remove the excess blood glucose and store it as body fat. This will occur after straining insulin production for some time. And that’s how you end up being fat and diabetic.

Reason #2 to lose weight
Stroke:- Obesity is associated with arteriosclerosis, the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries through out your body. This makes them narrow slowing blood flow and among other things increases risk of the blood clotting. Arteries at risk include those supplying blood to the brain. If clotting occurs due to narrowed artery, it blocks blood supply to an area of the brain resulting to stroke. Losing weight reduces this risk.

Reason #3 to lose weight
Cancer:- The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates between 25% - 33% of cancer world wide are overweight and physical inactivity related. Body fat evidently promotes higher levels of insulin production and excess estoregens, a hormone. Both insulin and estorogens accelerate cell division.

[Probably to create adipose tissue; new fat cells to store fat, in addition to the regular cell division]

As research has indicated, the faster cells duplicate the more they increase chances of a cancerous cell developing. The situation is further complicated as the rapid cell division caused by the excess hormones lead also to rapid cell reproduction of the one cancerous cell, hence cancer starts to develop actively. In addition fat cells tend to keep carcinogenic i.e. cancer-causing agents, trapped in the body which increases chances of developing cancer.
Types of cancers you will be at high risk to get include:

Breast cancer- affecting the breast possibly in both men and women.
Colorectal cancer- affecting colon and rectum.
Prostrate cancer- affecting the prostrate gland in men.
Endometrial cancer- affecting the uterus.
Esophageal cancer- affecting the esophagus.
Renal cell cancer, the cancer of the kidney, etc.

Reason #4 to lose weight
Respiratory problems:- Obesity causes lungs to “become smaller” in size and chest wall become heavier to lift in the process of breathing in. The most common respiratory problem is sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition where by an individual stops breathing for some time while asleep. A soft tissue in the throat collapses around the air way probably due to weight, blocking it. For the severely obese sleep apnea may get more complicated with hypoventilation. Hypoventilation is accumulation of toxic levels of carbon dioxide (the gas we breathe out) in the blood, due to inadequate breathing. Losing weight would be the only permanent safe and healthy solution to sleep apnea.

Reason #5 to lose weight
Urinary Incontinence:- This is involuntary release of urine. Being overweight can contribute to urinary incontinence. A heavy abdomen due to body fat deposit may cause valve of urinary bladder to be weakened. The weight also exerts pressure on the urinary bladder, trying to push urine out. This results to leakage of urine when coughing, sneezing or laughing. This is because of a slight relaxation of the bladder valve that normally will not result to leakage. It can even result to bed wetting at night. This particular problem can be a very effective motivator to lose weight.

Reason #6 to lose weight
Varicose veins:- Also known as Venous Stratis Disease. The leg and thigh muscles assist the heart in blood circulation just like most large muscles in the body. They are involved in pumping blood against gravity back to the heart with the help of valves that close to avoid a backward flow. Pressure as a result of a large abdomen may increase the work load on the valves eventually causing damage. Damaged valves then allow for blood to back up, due to gravity, causing high pressure in these veins leading to swelling, thickening of skin and skin ulcers.

Reason #7 to lose weight
High Blood Pressure:- The BMI (Body Mass Index) and age together are the strongest indicator of risk of hypertension or high blood pressure. At least a third of hypertension is related to obesity.

Reason #8 to lose weight
Other Diseases:- Other diseases which MAY occur as a result of being overweight include;

Gout
Coronary heart disease
Lower back pains
Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Gall stones
Pregnancy disorders such as
Neural tube defect,
Prenatal mortality,
Maternal hypertension,
Gestational diabetes etc.
Impaired immune response
Liver disease
Pancreatitis
Bad body smell
Depression

Research shows that even modest weight loss of even 10 pound for the overweight significantly reduces the risk of developing these diseases. Weight loss is in fact a challenge taken by many every year.

Unfortunately many fail in this healthy endeavor. And all because of one thing; they lack proper information on effective weight loss. Effective weight loss is permanent, and a permanent weight loss depends fundamentally on four factors. These four are what we at Health-eMark call the ‘Top 4 Reasons for Weight Loss Failure’.

This article was authored at Health-eMark.com. Health-eMark.com is a source of weight loss information and its permanent solutions. It uniquely approaches weight loss from the perspective of the 'Top 4 Reason for Weight Loss Failure'.

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

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