Month: December 2012

Categories
Weight Loss Exercise

How Can I Lose Weight For Christmas?


Christmas is just around the corner and I always have people asking about losing weight for this holiday or that and now people are wondering, how can I lose weight for Christmas?

Well truth is this is the worst time of year for most people to lose or even to maintain weight. We have lots of temptations and not a lot of support.


Temptations? Let me count the Christmas eating extravaganza that this season has in store for us. Christmas parties with lots of food and booze, cookie exchanges, Christmas baking in the office, holiday get together, eating food at the mall while shopping, Costco hotdogs. In fact this time of year is so busy that some people do not cook a meal between December 1st and December 24th.

And then the lack of support and motivation. Have you had anyone say, “Just one cookie, you are looking so good a cookie can’t hurt”. This is not the only chance for someone to stop you from making good choices, there are all the opportunities above to make sure that you have an excuse to blow off the gym for eggnog (double whammy) or just to sneak out for a bit of shopping. Even the best laid plans can be threatened by people that we tend to lean on for support.

So what’s a person to do? Gain 10 pounds of holiday fat? Maybe just be healthy for 11 months of the year and have a cheat month? There is some ways to make some good choices and makes the most of the month of December.


How Can I Lose Weight for Christmas

How Can I lose Weight for Christmas

How Can I lose Weight for Christmas

Make a schedule. I am bad for scheduling time until I get down to a crunch time and surely this is that time. All you need to really do is sit down and look at your social schedule, your work schedule, and your shopping schedule, and your family schedule…you get the point, look and see what you need to do and then fit in where the workouts can go. Most months our workouts will just happen on schedule but in a month like December that can be difficult so you just need to find the right times

Eat the Best Possible Foods. You will eat some bad food but the real problem this time of year is indulging in way too many white carbs and fats. What you need to do is control your breakfast and other meals as well as you can. You do have lots of control over at least breakfast but really you can control almost all meals.

We will get a lot of other foods that are terrible for us and if we keep control over all, or almost all of our meals and make sure that we are eating all those healthy fruits an veggies that will fuel our bodies and minimize all those crappy processed carbs and fats.

In fact if you don’t do this already I think it is great. Looks at the food you are about to put in your mouth and decide – is this fuel? or is this crap?

Social Events with bad eating and drinking. OK so I think that you kind of have the eating and exercise taken care of if you are planning your schedule and eat planning now there are those other times. The times out at the mall or at a party or other get together

First off I have to say don’t use fitness as a crutch not to be social there are lots of options when going out. You are out to socialize and there are lots of good things that come out of that, like having a life and stuff.

So eating can be a problem. I have found that there are always choices and whether you are at the mall or if you are at a Christmas party you can still find the meats, fruits, vegetables that will fuel you. Just try not to eat too many of the fried foods and cookies and keep a level head.

Don’t stay out too late. we all know that later in the evening our decision making abilities become hazy and sleep is a very important part of healthy lifestyle.

Drink in moderation. I tend to drink too quickly so my best hint here is to make sure to pace myself. I will have a beer and then have a big glass of water. Water is really good and the alcohol flows a little too freely in the Christmas season.

OK, I gotta say I always feel like a party pooper with a list of tips like these but really the fact is that most of us don’t have any willpower and that’s why most people gain so much weight in the month of December. It all comes down to planning, healthy eating, exercise, and willpower.

What are your thoughts? Do you have any great tips for how to lose weight by Christmas?



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Categories
Weight Loss Exercise

How to Cure Constipation


I got this article from Dr Charles and Lori and the Fat Loss Factor and usually wouldn’t bother publishing it but it is actually a really good article of four easy tips to get rid of constipation. I can vouch for these as they help me as well to stay “regular”

A case of constipation usually means that you’ve had one or fewer bowel-movements in a typical day. This might happen because you’ve just changed your diet from bad food to good food. Your body has to adjust to the different food, so you have to give your body time to get used to it.


Another common cause for constipation is dehydration. If you don’t take in the proper amount of water every day, you will have trouble with your colon being unable to push waste out.

What is so bad about being constipated is all that awful stuff that your body naturally gets rid of stays in side you. This causes discomfort, fatigue, and even weight retention. This condition is like a buildup of poison inside of you: it can cause problems if you let it go too long. So what can you do when you’re constipated to correct the situation? I have some natural and healthy suggestions for this.

Drink more water. You should be taking in about half your body’s weight in fluid ounces of water. This means that if you weigh 230 lbs, you should be drinking 115 ounces of water daily.


Use flaxseed as an additive to your meals. You can mix a tablespoon of it into your food to give you more fiber ( to help get you moving) and Omega 3s as well.

Raw food is important. This means you should eat one piece of fresh fruit or raw veggies. Your system will benefit from the natural ingredients in raw foods that are usually lost when they are cooked.

Begin your day with a tablespoon of lemon juice. Mix it in water and add some Cayenne. This mixture will stimulate your system and help clear out your colon.



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Weight Loss Exercise

How to Choose Milk


Got milk? Yes! Confusingly many different kinds, in fact, from organic to omega-3-fortified.

Though we’re drinking less milk than 30 years ago — women down about 19 gallons per year, mostly in cereal — it’s still an ideal way to get your calcium: One glass packs a quarter of the daily 1,000-milligram requirement (you should get 1,200 if you’re 51 or older).


Federal dietary guidelines suggest sticking to skim and low-fat milk to keep saturated fat levels down. OK, but how do you choose from there? We got the scoop on the new cartons in the dairy case.

Organic Milk

How to choose Milk

How to choose Milk

Must-know info: This milk comes from cows raised organically, meaning they eat feed grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Some experts advocate for organic milk because they believe that the synthetic growth hormone given to many conventionally raised cattle can cause health problems, from early puberty to cancer.

Still, a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found no significant difference in the level of hormones in organic and conventional milk.


“I don’t think there’s enough conclusive evidence that shows organic milk is healthier or safer than conventional, and both are packed with key nutrients,” says Elisa Zied, author of “Nutrition at Your Fingertips.”

Should you buy it? Sure, if eating (and drinking!) an organic diet is important to you. The jury’s out on its nutritional perks, though. True — research has shown that organic milk can be higher than the regular kind in omega-3 fatty acids, beta-carotene, vitamin E, and conjugated linoleic acid (a type of fat that may help lower cholesterol levels and boost bone formation).

But whether that’s true of the white stuff in your glass depends on such factors as where the cows who provided that milk were grazing. Plus, skim and low-fat milks are low in all kinds of fats — including heart-healthy omega-3s.

Ultra-pasteurized Milk

Must-know info: Designed to keep dairy products fresh for longer, ultra-pasteurized milk is heated to a higher temperature than regular, pasteurized milk (280 degrees Fahrenheit versus the usual 161), says Cary P. Frye, vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs for the International Dairy Foods Association. That means your milk can safely stay unopened in the fridge for up to 60 days (instead of 21).

Organic milk is often ultra-pasteurized, since it typically travels greater distances to stores; some non-organic brands also choose to pasteurize milk this way.

When it’s packaged in specially sterilized containers, then sealed to block light and air, you get shelf-stable milk (like Parmalat, or Borden’s shelf-stable line); it can sit unopened in your pantry for up to a year. Once opened, both kinds should be refrigerated and used within 7 to 12 days — a day or two longer than pasteurized milk.

Should you buy it? Milk that’s ultra-pasteurized isn’t any safer or more nutritious, but it could be a good pick if you’re slow to start a carton or like to buy in bulk. The shelf-stable kind is an excellent pantry staple (though some find it has a slightly burnt taste).

Fortified Milk

Must-know info: These “value-added” milks pack extra nutrients beyond the usual vitamins A and D, such as vitamin C, omega-3s, and fiber. Skim “plus” or “deluxe” milk contains milk powder, which adds calcium and protein (and more calories per glass), as well as whiteners or stabilizers to make it look and taste more like whole.

Should you buy it? Though it’s better to get nutrients from the source (say, fish for omega-3s), these milks can help fill the void. Fortified skim milk is a smart pick if you don’t like low-fat milk but want to avoid the fat and calories in whole.

Lactose-free Milk

Must-know info: Lactose-free milk is a godsend for those who can’t digest the sugar (lactose) in dairy. As many as 6% of Americans have some degree of lactose intolerance, meaning they may feel gassy, crampy, or nauseated, or have diarrhea, if they eat or drink dairy products.

Should you buy it? If you’re lactose-intolerant, this milk can help you get the calcium and vitamin D you need without gastric distress.

Alterna milks made simple

Rice, soy, and other nondairy milk is more common than ever, giving vegans, the lactose intolerant, and those with no special dietary needs an alternate pour for their cereal.

If you’re swapping one in for regular milk, make sure it’s fortified with calcium and vitamin D (unless it’s soy milk, which has the same amount of both nutrients as cow’s milk).

If you’re vegan, look for B12, too. Shoot for milks that say “unsweetened” — even plain varieties may contain extra sugar. Here, serving suggestions from Dreena Burton, author of “Let Them Eat Vegan”:

• Soy milk is a bit higher in healthy unsaturated fats than other nondairy milks, so it has a richer flavor ideal for creamy, savory sauces.

• Rice milk has a natural sweetness perfect for baked goods. (Tip: Use flavored rice milk and reduce the recipe’s sugar.)

• Coconut milk boasts a clean, fresh flavor that perks up plain old oatmeal, and it contains a special type of saturated fat that, studies suggest, raises your “good” (HDL) cholesterol, but not the “bad” (LDL) kind.

• Almond milk gives smoothies a nutty taste. One serving has half your daily requirement of vitamin E.

• Oat milk adds a light, milky creaminess (and filling, heart-healthy soluble fiber) to mashed potatoes.



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