I hope you all had a lovely holiday and are gearing up for a new year tomorrow. I had a very spoiled Christmas, filled to the brim with good food, good company and more gifts than I deserved.

I’m ready for 2012, are you?  It seems there are two sets of people on new years, those that diligently create resolutions and goals, and those that are violently against it. I’m a resolution person, but if you’ve been reading any amount of time, you already knew that. Mostly, I just think it’s fun to create a spread sheet of what I want more of and what I want less of.

Right off the top of my head, I want more contentment in the small things in my life. This past year, I was not content with contentment. I spent the year worrying that if I wasn’t piling on the projects and giving light to all of my ideas that I wasn’t moving forward. I was eager to skip steps and make things happen unnaturally for the sake of making something, anything, happen. That was a huge lesson.

I believe my health suffered because of this. Most notably that I’ve had a cold and now getting over a stomach virus in just two weeks.

As I sit here in my safe and quiet house, I realize how important this stability is to me. What I do is wonderful, I love passion, but I love knowing that I’m doing all that I can to maintain a happy home life for myself and my husband. That I’m doing what I can to keep myself healthy. And in this I find myself retreating, a lot. This year, I see myself saying no and passing on projects. I see myself riding the waves as they come. Taking the long road to my goals, rather than the “Let’s make this happen now!” insanity that I put myself through last year. I see myself going with the flow and trusting that I can grow and move forward just while, and especially so, taking care of my home, health and happiness.

This year, I will be narrowing my projects down to one. business. which is my design/art/creative business. And working on my blogs. Other than that, I will be cooking more and eating more vegetables, and taking time to dance and have fun and most importantly, to just be.

I want more fresh fruit and vegetable juices.  I believe in juicing and how good it makes me feel.

I want  to complain and worry less.

I want more exercise.

I want to take the long road and be okay with the journey.

I want to stop worrying, finally, about what other people think.

I want more sewing, painting and illustrating.

I want less social media.

I want more cooking.

I want less driving.

I want to make realistic and attainable goals.

Happy New Year!

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Stress is an issue for many people living in the fast and furious 21st century. Many people when they are stressed, turn to food as a method of relief. This results in unwanted weight gain. There are techniques to manage and effectively reduce stress. One of stress reduction method that has gained tremendous momentum is meditation. Meditation techniques still the mind and focus it on calm and steady thoughts. As deliberation turns inward, the introversion frees the flow of thoughts, visions and memories aligning the mind and the body in awareness and relaxation.

Purpose

Meditation and mindfulness are routes to reduce stress and regain the equanimity needed for a productive life. Many types of meditation address the importance of breathing while focusing the mind on thinking positive thoughts or visualizing constructive images. Guided meditation is a growing practice for many who desire to relieve stress and enhance the peace, health and composure of their life. With various guidance topics and recordings available, meditation, sometimes termed “centering,” calls the individual to tune into the body and breathe with the energy force of the world.

Benefits

According to Andrew Weil, M.D., “Practicing regular, mindful breathing can be calming and energizing and can even help with stress-related health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders.” This reduction in stress levels often results in creating a positive energy flow through the body that can prove effective in alleviating anxiety and even chronic pain. With relaxation of the muscles and nerves, blood and energy flow more freely to all parts of the body generating an enhanced feeling of well-being.

Proponents of mindfulness and breathing additionally laud “Improvement of body luster and general health” and “improvement in concentration” as benefits of meditation.

Though meditation is essentially a spiritual practice reaching across cultures throughout recorded history, its purpose elaborates as it is embraced. Individuals involved in guided breath meditation often evolve their practice to explore the very nature of themselves as they find success in dealing with problems and issues.

Interviews with people involved in meditation reveal that it can be an antidote for depression, stress and even fear. Offering increased joy, confidence and health, advocates find that meditation and breathing exercises assist them in gaining strength, when combined with yoga, and general health as they make meditation a way of life. Mindful breathing when combined with meditation helps practitioners to expand their horizons of life consciousness.

Process

Process and methods of meditation span a wide range. A simple Zen practice of counting breath exhalations up to five and then repeating is a good place to begin. This simplified technique means that while never counting above the number 5, the breathing meditation can continue for hours.

With guided meditation processes your imagination is exercised as you are piloted through a journey. Often a word of intention is selected as a focus for breathing and meditation that helps with discovery of healing and healthful realizations. Frequently, practitioners of breathing, mindfulness and meditation utilize recordings. This accompaniment of appropriate music or sounds of nature can add depth and texture to the experience. Recordings are readily available in stores and online. Also, you may decide to compose a recording of your own from music, poetry or quotations that you find inspirational.

Many times meditations will begin with concentration on one aspect of the body such as the breath. As you begin a meditation it is necessary to find a comfortable sitting position. Once sitting comfortably with eyes closed, you will be guided to hold your stillness and breathe deeply. Initially you will turn your mind to focus on your breathing, shifting your attention to inhaling and exhaling. As you breathe deeply you will notice your body becoming relaxed. Then there will be guidance to concentrate on other areas of the body moving from the right side to the left side. For instance, focusing on the right shoulder as you breathe noticing the muscles there and imagining those muscles becoming a stream of liquid as you breathe. This will be repeated with the left shoulder and so on moving your focus around the body as lead by the recording or leader of the meditation.

As the meditation progresses, you will transition into listening to words that you have selected. Slowly, you will begin visualizing these words or ideas with your mind’s eye. It is these words that guide you through the meditation giving your subconscious time to flow along with the meditative message or visualizations.

Meditation is such an enjoyable and healthful experience that is sometimes necessary to tear yourself out of the elixir that it manifests. Closing the meditation is like saying goodbye to a pleasant journey though the next journey into mindfulness and peace already beckons.

Relaxation Tips

• Finding a comfortable sitting position is vital to effective meditation and stress reduction.
• Achieving relaxation and breathing requires a comfortable position for reflection. Sitting with head slightly tilted forward and hands folded or placed palm up on the knees is recommended for guided breathing mediation.
• It is frequently the case with daily stress that the tongue is glued to the top of the mouth. If so, relax the tongue to rest at the bottom of the mouth inside the teeth.
• As you progress in your mediation you will often experience distraction, return gently to focus on your selected message and your breathing.
• Finding a regular spot to meditate daily supports guided meditation by giving place to it in your life.

Incorporating meditation in your life, will help you feel better about yourself, reduce stress, help you to stop using food as a crutch…thus leading to weight loss. I think much of our stress is self-imposed and prevents us from reaching goals we set for ourselves (ie: weight loss).

Give meditation a try and come back and share how it’s helped you with your life goals.

Resources on the Meditation Process and Exercises

• The Art and Science of Breathing
• Basic Breath Meditation
• Health and Yoga.com
• Centering Prayer Guidelines [video]
• Guided Meditation Project

General Meditation Resources

• The Chopra Center: Primordial Sound Meditation
• Spirituality and Practice – Explore a Practice
• The Wild Devine: Guided Meditations
• Getting in the Gap

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Zone Diet Plan

The Zone Diet Plan is a popular diet plan among celebrities. People often choose a celebrity endorsed fad diet in order to lose weight. And if a fad diet is used and endorsed by their favorite celebrities, then they would obviously prefer it over other diets.

The Zone Diet is one of those Celebrity endorsed diets with users like Mekhi Phifer from ER, hockey player Brian Leetch, and Brad Pitt.

I will tell you to start that the Zone diet plan is difficult to follow but the carb to protein to fat levels seem to be quite good for any active person.

Now, as a matter of fact, just because a diet works for your favorite celebrity doesn’t mean that it would work for you too. Different people have different body compositions and what works for one doesn’t necessary work for another! Another thing to note is that the Zone diet is said to be miles apart from a strict vegetarian diet. Considering the fact that experts say that vegetarian diet is the best diet for quick weight loss, and that people who thrive on a vegetarian diet usually remain fit and healthy, you maybe curious as to how the Zone diet works.

So what is Zone diet plan all about?

According to the Zone die tplan, your meals must consist of 30% fat content, 40% carb content and 30% protein content. With this combination, your insulin level will be balanced. When your insulin level is balanced, you automatically lose weight (since higher levels of insulin trigger the storage of fatty tissues in our body). As you can see, the Zone diet is particularly useful for those who want to get rid of diabetes or any heart-related ailments.

Barry Sears is the creator of the Zone diet plan. Some people will call the Zone Diet a fad diet, I don’t know if that is true as the Zone Diet and variations of it have been around for quite some time. Considering the fact that the Zone diet is a fad diet, I have found that it is much more flexible than the other diets in the same category.

The problem with this diet, however, is that it is not only hard to follow, but it also comes with a couple disadvantages:

1. The recommended ratio of protein in the Zone diet is a bit high compared to protein and carbs. Experts however contend that the ratio of fat is all right

2. By restricting the intake of certain foods, the Zone diet also restricts the intake of the essential nutrients and vitamins. This can adversely affect your health so supplementing with multivitamins is essential.

So whats the verdict, Is the Zone Diet Plan any good?

I kind of like the Zone diet. As a book it is a great one to have in your bookshelf and try it out for yourself. When you do look around though the Zone diet plan is probably most popular with athletes as the high protein is especially good for people that need the muscle recovery.

How much water to drink

How much water to drink? Water is your most important nutrient. Everyone knows that the majority of our body is water. The single most important nutrient in your diet is water. Here are some facts. babies are 70% water, adults are 50-60% water and in breaking your body down, Blood is made up of 83 percent water, bones are 22 percent water, and muscle is 75 percent water. So water is really important. As you exercise and gain weight with muscle you can see that muscle is mostly water.

Most people do not drink much water if any at all. In fact both Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig both have their customers drink between 8 and 10 glasses of water a day and most people find that they lose 2-10 pounds in the first week on their diet, primarily from the water loss.

How much water to drink

Hydration is a very interesting thing. If you do not drink enough water your body seems to retain it to protect itself, once you start to drink a LOT of water you will find that for the first few days you will be running to the bathroom every hour but your body quickly adapts and you regulate quite well.

When drinking your water you will also find that your concentration gets better and you are more attentive. I have also found a very interesting attitude amongst others around me, when they see you increasing the water in your diet they will in a very condescending tone tell you that yes in fact drinking water is good for you. You are going to see this with many of the new habits that you pick up that people will seem to know these things and sometimes feel guilty to see someone else follow through on them.

One thing you will really find after you discover how much water to drink  is that your energy and concentration will improve by a significant amount as you drink more water on a daily basis.

Finally just one thing that I have found is that I kick start my day by drinking about 3 glasses of my water first thing before I get on my bike to start my day. I think that how much water to drink is up to you and that more is usually better.

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No way, is it really true? Next time you are about to unwrap a chcolate bar or pop open that pop think about this list by Nancy Appleton, a PHD that wrote the book Lick the sugar habit. .I thought I knew why sugar was bad but here are well over 100 reasons why you should avoid it.

146 Reasons Why Sugar Is Bad

Sugar is Bad

1. Sugar can suppress the immune system.
2. Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in the body.
3. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.
4. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
5. Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection (infectious diseases).
6. Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function, the more sugar you eat the more elasticity and function you loose.
7. Sugar reduces high density lipoproteins.
8. Sugar leads to chromium deficiency.
9. Sugar leads to cancer of the ovaries.
10. Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose.
11. Sugar causes copper deficiency.
12. Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
13. Sugar can weaken eyesight.
14. Sugar raises the level of a neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.
15. Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
16. Sugar can produce an acidic digestive tract.
17. Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline levels in children.
18. Sugar malabsorption is frequent in patients with functional bowel disease.
19. Sugar can cause premature aging.
20. Sugar can lead to alcoholism.
21. Sugar can cause tooth decay.
22. Sugar contributes to obesity
23. High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis.
24. Sugar can cause changes frequently found in person with gastric or duodenal ulcers.
25. Sugar can cause arthritis.
26. Sugar can cause asthma.
27. Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections).
28. Sugar can cause gallstones.
29. Sugar can cause heart disease.
30. Sugar can cause appendicitis.
31. Sugar can cause multiple sclerosis.
32. Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.
33. Sugar can cause varicose veins.
34. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users.
35. Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
36. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
37. Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.
38. Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
39. Sugar can lower the amount of Vitamin E (alpha-Tocopherol in the blood.
40. Sugar can decrease growth hormone.
41. Sugar can increase cholesterol.
42. Sugar can increase the systolic blood pressure.
43. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
44. High sugar intake increases advanced glycation end products (AGEs)(Sugar bound non-enzymatically to protein)
45. Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein.
46. Sugar causes food allergies.
47. Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
48. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
49. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.
50. Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.
51. Sugar can impair the structure of DNA
52. Sugar can change the structure of protein.
53. Sugar can make our skin age by changing the structure of collagen.
54. Sugar can cause cataracts.
55. Sugar can cause emphysema.
56. Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.
57. Sugar can promote an elevation of low density lipoproteins (LDL).
58. High sugar intake can impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in the body.
59. Sugar lowers the enzymes ability to function.
60. Sugar intake is higher in people with Parkinsons disease.
61. Sugar can cause a permanent altering the way the proteins act in the body.
62. Sugar can increase the size of the liver by making the liver cells divide.
63. Sugar can increase the amount of liver fat.
64. Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
65. Sugar can damage the pancreas.
66. Sugar can increase the body’s fluid retention.
67. Sugar is enemy #1 of the bowel movement.
68. Sugar can cause myopia (nearsightedness).
69. Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
70. Sugar can make the tendons more brittle.
71. Sugar can cause headaches, including migraine.
72. Sugar plays a role in pancreatic cancer in women.
73. Sugar can adversely affect school children’s grades and cause learning disorders..
74. Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha, and theta brain waves.
75. Sugar can cause depression.
76. Sugar increases the risk of gastric cancer.
77. Sugar and cause dyspepsia (indigestion).
78. Sugar can increase your risk of getting gout.
79. Sugar can increase the levels of glucose in an oral glucose tolerance test over the ingestion of complex carbohydrates.
80. Sugar can increase the insulin responses in humans consuming high-sugar diets compared to low sugar diets.
81 High refined sugar diet reduces learning capacity.
82. Sugar can cause less effective functioning of two blood proteins, albumin, and lipoproteins, which may reduce the body’s ability to handle fat and cholesterol.
83. Sugar can contribute to Alzheimers disease.
84. Sugar can cause platelet adhesiveness.
85. Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance; some hormones become underactive and others become overactive.
86. Sugar can lead to the formation of kidney stones.
87. Sugar can lead to the hypothalamus to become highly sensitive to a large variety of stimuli.
88. Sugar can lead to dizziness.
89. Diets high in sugar can cause free radicals and oxidative stress.
90. High sucrose diets of subjects with peripheral vascular disease significantly increases platelet adhesion.
91. High sugar diet can lead to biliary tract cancer.
92. Sugar feeds cancer.
93. High sugar consumption of pregnant adolescents is associated with a twofold increased risk for delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant.
94. High sugar consumption can lead to substantial decrease in gestation duration among adolescents.
95. Sugar slows food’s travel time through the gastrointestinal tract.
96. Sugar increases the concentration of bile acids in stools and bacterial enzymes in the colon. This can modify bile to produce cancer-causing compounds and colon cancer.
97. Sugar increases estradiol (the most potent form of naturally occurring estrogen) in men.
98. Sugar combines and destroys phosphatase, an enzyme, which makes the process of digestion more difficult.
99. Sugar can be a risk factor of gallbladder cancer.
100. Sugar is an addictive substance.
101. Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.
102. Sugar can exacerbate PMS.
103. Sugar given to premature babies can affect the amount of carbon dioxide they produce.
104. Decrease in sugar intake can increase emotional stability.
105. The body changes sugar into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch.
106. The rapid absorption of sugar promotes excessive food intake in obese subjects.
107. Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
108. Sugar adversely affects urinary electrolyte composition.
109. Sugar can slow down the ability of the adrenal glands to function.
110. Sugar has the potential of inducing abnormal metabolic processes in a normal healthy individual and to promote chronic degenerative diseases.
111.. I.Vs (intravenous feedings) of sugar water can cut off oxygen to the brain.
112. High sucrose intake could be an important risk factor in lung cancer.
113. Sugar increases the risk of polio.
114. High sugar intake can cause epileptic seizures.
115. Sugar causes high blood pressure in obese people.
116. In Intensive Care Units, limiting sugar saves lives.
117. Sugar may induce cell death.
118. Sugar can increase the amount of food that you eat.
119. In juvenile rehabilitation camps, when children were put on a low sugar diet, there was a 44% drop in antisocial behavior.
120. Sugar can lead to prostate cancer.
121. Sugar dehydrates newborns.
122. Sugar increases the estradiol in young men.
123. Sugar can cause low birth weight babies.
124. Greater consumption of refined sugar is associated with a worse outcome of schizophrenia
125. Sugar can raise homocysteine levels in the blood stream.
126. Sweet food items increase the risk of breast cancer.
127. Sugar is a risk factor in cancer of the small intestine.
128. Sugar may cause laryngeal cancer.
129. Sugar induces salt and water retention.
130. Sugar may contribute to mild memory loss.
131. As sugar increases in the diet of 10 years olds, there is a linear decrease in the intake of many essential nutrients.
132. Sugar can increase the total amount of food consumed.
133. Exposing a newborn to sugar results in a heightened preference for sucrose relative to water at 6 months and 2 years of age.
134. Sugar causes constipation.
135. Sugar causes varicous veins.
136. Sugar can cause brain decay in prediabetic and diabetic women.
137. Sugar can increase the risk of stomach cancer.
138. Sugar can cause metabolic syndrome.
139. Sugar ingestion by pregnant women increases neural tube defects in embryos.
140. Sugar can be a factor in asthma.
141. The higher the sugar consumption the more chances of getting irritable bowel syndrome.
142. Sugar could affect central reward systems.
143. Sugar can cause cancer of the rectum.
144. Sugar can cause endometrial cancer.
145. Sugar can cause renal (kidney) cell carcinoma.
146. Sugar can cause liver tumors.

There you have lots of reasons why simple table sugar is bad

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A good weight loss plan is often complicated and expensive to follow. Some fad diets require you to eat only a few food items that are either hard to find or expensive to buy. With a situation like this, it’s difficult for most people to stick to their weight loss program. If you want a program that works, you must find a simple weight loss plan that needs little effort to follow. You will be more likely to stick with an easy-to-follow diet plan until you reach your weight loss goals.

A simple weight loss plan makes it easy to cut calories because all you have to do is follow a meal plan. There’s no need to count calories or worry that you may not be getting all the nutrients you need. When you have a low-calorie menu in place, it’s easy to follow your meal plan and be confident that you will be able to nourish your body while losing weight.

Tips for a Simple Weight Loss Plan

Weight Loss Plan

Before making a weight loss plan, you have to set your goals and decide how much weight you want to lose. Your goal should be realistic. Plan on losing only 1 to 2 pounds per week. This may seem frustrating if you have a lot of weight to lose, but this method will ensure that the weight you lose stays off in the long run.

1. One of the most important parts of a simple weight loss plan is a low-calorie diet menu. For safe and healthy weight loss, women should consume at least 1,200 calories per day while men should eat no less than 1,400 calories a day.

2. Never skip breakfast or any meal for that matter, or else you may overeat on your next meal. For a healthy low-calorie breakfast, have two slices of whole-wheat toast with two tablespoons of peanut butter and a banana.

3. Eat a low calorie lunch. You can have a salad of lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes with a light vinaigrette dressing, a cup of steamed veggies, black beans, and an ounce of cottage cheese. Have a fresh fruit for dessert.

4. Eat a low-calorie dinner as part of a simple weight loss plan. Try half a cup of brown rice, stir-fry vegetables and grilled fish.

5. Include two light snacks in your simple weight loss plan. You can have a small apple, a banana, grapes, or a handful of dry roasted nuts.

6. Drink plenty of water. Although water is an important part of a weight loss diet plan, most people do not drink enough. Drink at least 10 to 12 glasses of water every day. Water helps your body function properly and aids in weight loss.

7. Exercise. You should have at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. To ensure that you will stick to your exercise regimen, find an activity that you enjoy. You can walk on a treadmill, jog, bike, play sports, or join an aerobics class.

Do cardio workouts as well as strength training exercises as part of your weight loss plan.

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It is generally advised that when you begin looking for solutions to your tinnitus problem, you begin with masking. Why? For starters, it provides you with instant relief. It can be difficult to effectively research and investigate other treatment options if you can’t focus. Tinnitus maskers may provide you with the focus you need to find a more permanent solution.

So what are these tinnitus maskers anyway?

Tinnitus Maskers

Most often, they are devices by which very specific sounds are generated. These sounds, if effective, will essentially eclipse the terrible phantom noises in your head. There are a number of different types of sound that can do the trick, and each individual tinnitus sufferer will respond more favorably to some than to others.

Masking devices come in a variety of styles, and in all reality they don’t even need to be officially labeled as â??masking devices.â? There are the popular hearing-aid style maskers and sound generation machines. There are also devices that you can place under your pillow that will play white noise for you as you sleep.

Of course, anything that causes the ringing to stop for you is a great choice. More unofficial types of maskers include house fans, televisions, running water, music through headphones, and even an open car window. If it generates a sound that’s a better alternative to your tinnitus symptoms, then by all means, implement it until something better comes along!

Are Tinnitus Maskers the Be-All, End-All of Tinnitus Relief?

Again, masking your tinnitus is a great place to start, but it’s certainly not something you want to have to rely on for the rest of your life. Of course, if another solution cannot be found, then it’s certainly great to know that this is an option you’ve always got at your disposal. But by no means should you just â??leave it at thatâ? if you don’t have to.

You should always be on the lookout for a course of treatment that turns the ringing way down, if not completely off. Depending upon what’s causing your ears to ring (and the potential causes are many), you may be able to find a complete cure. It has happened on more than one occasion. However, officially, the condition has no known â??cure.â? This may be due, in part, to the fact that tinnitus is actually a symptom, rather than a disease.

A symptom of what? Well, that’s the million-dollar question. Answer it correctly, and your chances of living a tinnitus-free life go up dramatically. In any event, the use of tinnitus maskers can help to reduce the severity of your condition long enough for you to receive a proper diagnosis and hopefully do away with your tinnitus symptoms once and for all.

Naturally, not all cases of tinnitus will be treatable. If you have permanent nerve damage and surgery can’t fix it, then you’re stuck with a pretty miserable reality. But there is still hope for you to enjoy a somewhat normal life without having to be dependent on tinnitus maskers. It’s a coping mechanism that works like masking, but it’s actually your own brain that’s doing the masking!

Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT):

It starts off as assisted masking with a counselor actually guiding you through the process. Through a series of tweaks and a process known as habituation, the goal of TRT is to render the uncomfortable phantom noises you’re currently being plagued by into something you don’t even notice.

It essentially makes your tinnitus symptoms as irrelevant as the sound of a passing car, environmental chatter, or any of the other thousands of sounds we filter out as unimportant each day. No matter if any tinnitus maskers you try are successful at helping you cope with your symptoms, TRT is certainly worth looking into as a viable, long-term treatment option.

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First things first:

Poor kitty. I can’t begin to tell you how much he loves his Christmas sweater. This is a horrible thing to do to your cat, I just couldn’t help myself. It’s too bad he’s so darn cute. I’m turning into a crazy cat lady.

This week went by in a flash. Half of it was spent traveling while the other half has been been tending to sickness. I’m sad because the week started out so strong with exercise and now it’s taking a lot of effort to get off the couch just to make myself some tea.

I’m determined to get stuff done this weekend, the clock is ticking and there’s so much to get done. boo to Christmas sickies! I don’t anticipate much exercise until I feel better, but until then, Christmas cat says hello…

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Many people are skeptical when someone talks about easy ways to lose weight. For most of us, losing extra weight is one of the hardest things to do. It takes a lot of willpower, motivation, and hard work to achieve a trim and toned body. This may be true but there are ways to help you shed pounds painlessly. The secret to a successful weight loss program is to make small lifestyle changes that reduce your caloric intake and increase your physical activity. Here are 10 easy ways to help you lose weight and keep it off permanently

Easy Ways to Lose Weight

Easy Ways to Lose Weight

Eat more fruits and vegetables – Fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrition but low in calories. If you want to lose weight easily, substitute high-calorie foods with fruits and vegetables. Don’t make the mistake of eating fruits or vegetables in addition to what you usually eat. It will only add more calories and make you gain weight. So instead of having a doughnut for your snack, eat an apple or a cup of carrot sticks.

Stop drinking high-calorie beverages – Carbonated drinks, sweetened fruit juices, and alcoholic drinks deliver calories that you may not even be aware of. Even your morning latte can pack a whopping 200 calories. If you’re thirsty, drink water instead.

Keep a food journal – Keep a small notebook where you write down everything you eat for the day. Use the journal to help you control your caloric intake for the day. Studies have shown that people who maintain a food journal are more likely to consume fewer calories than those who don’t.

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Control portion size – Find out the correct portion size for different kinds of foods and don’t eat more than you should. Use a smaller plate to help you control your portions.

Eat more slowly – It takes up to 20 minutes for the brain to recognize that your body is full. If you eat too quickly, your stomach may already be full but you’ll still want to eat. Put your fork down between bites and chew your food properly. This is an easy way to keep you from over-eating so you can lose weight.

Walk every day – Get into the habit of walking every day to help burn calories and reduce body fat. Even a 15-minute or 30-minute walk will help you lose weight over time.

Get active – Just because you’re watching television does not mean you can’t burn more calories. During commercial breaks, try doing crunches, stretching, or lifting dumbbells.

Walk or bike to your destination – Consider biking or walking to your destination instead of driving, especially if it’s only a few blocks away. You’ll save on gas, help protect the environment, and have a healthier body too.

Take the stairs – Instead of the elevator, walk up (or down) the stairs. You can burn a lot of calories this way. Best of all, you’ll improve your cardiovascular health. While you’re at it, complete your tasks while standing or walking instead of sitting all the time.

Do strength training – Strength training is an easy way to lose weight. The muscles you build will allow your body to burn more calories even when you are resting.

These easy ways to lose weight should get you started. Once you are moving well and eating right you will start to pick up even moreeasy ways to lose weight

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Everyone is looking for the Steps to lose weight. It is a well-known fact that diets are not effective for permanent weight loss. Fad diets may help you lose weight initially but when you reach your ideal weight and end your diet, the pounds you lost often come back with a vengeance. Losing weight takes discipline and hard work but it all boils down to how much you eat and how much you exercise.

There are simple steps you can take to lose weight. If you follow these steps to lose weight religiously, you’ll be able to achieve your goal and keep your body trim and toned.

Steps to Lose Weight

Steps to Lose Weight

1. Find time to exercise regularly – If you can, make it a point to workout every day. Walk, jog, bike or swim for at least 30 minutes a day. Get your heart rate going with cardio exercise and burn more calories. Strength training is also necessary to develop muscle mass and tone your body.

2. Be sure to eat a healthy breakfast – Never skip breakfast because it is the most important meal of the day. A good breakfast provides the nutrients and energy you need to get your work done all morning. It also jump starts your metabolism and helps you burn more calories throughout the day. Include protein and some amount of fat in your morning meal. You will feel full longer and avoid over-eating later in the day.

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3. Keep a record of everything you eat – A food journal helps you keep track of how much food you are actually eating. Studies show that people who record their caloric intake consume up to 15% less calories than people who don’t. At the very least, keeping track of your progress will help you stick to your weight loss program.

4. Plan your meals ahead of time – This simple step to lose weight can make or break your weight loss program. Having a meal plan ensures that you are able to consume only the amount of calories allotted for the day. If you have no idea what you’re going to eat for your next meal you’re likely to eat anything you can lay your hands on, and there’s no guarantee that it will be healthy and low-calorie.

5. Control food portions – Make sure you know how much is in one serving of a particular food. By controlling food portions, you will also control the number of calories you consume. This is a simple yet effective step to lose weight.

6. Cut out carbonated drinks and high-calorie beverages – Soft drinks contain a lot of sugar and can make you fat, so eliminate or reduce your intake of carbonated drinks. High-calorie beverages such as sweetened fruit juices, milkshakes, lattes and alcoholic drinks should also be avoided if you want to lose weight quickly.

7. Drink plenty of water – The body needs water for proper metabolism. Drink a glass of water before each meal to help you feel full more quickly and avoid eating too much.

8. Eat wholesome and natural foods – Choose foods that are fresh and as close to their natural state as possible. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, beans, nuts and seeds. Foods that are unprocessed contain more nutrients and fiber to fill you up without adding too many calories to your diet, thus helping you to lose weight.

Following these steps to lose weight will help you to lose weight consistently and easily.

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