Don't Wait Til January To Lose Weight!

Photo: Liz Navarrete

If you plan to start your new diet or weight loss plan in January, why not start today?!! Why not make today Day 1 of your weight loss journey? Today is December 14, so if you get started today, you will jump start your weight loss more than two weeks early, and it will motivate you to continue in the new year! Weight loss is a long and tedious process, so the sooner you start, the better! There are so many people that make a New Year's Resolution to lose weight, but do you want to be one of the many people that start well but then quickly fall off the bandwagon?

Think about if you had a jump start to quit smoking. Imagine you were hospitalized and unable to smoke for three weeks. By the end of the three weeks, your body was already adjusting to being smoke-free! It would be sooo much easier to then continue your life without smoking.

Being overweight started with unhealthy habits, so losing weight will require forming new habits. Anyone can start a new habit by repeating the desired activity every day for several weeks. So if you start a healthy habit on December 14, your new habit will be almost formed by January 1st! And by the end of January, it will be a solid and natural part of your lifestyle!

Any part of your weight loss that is not changing your unhealthy habits for healthier ones will likely not last. You can make drastic changes to lose large amounts of weight quickly, but if you are not forming long-term healthy habits, you will gain back the weight once your lifestyle reverts back to your old ways. So here is my action plan for you...today!

Step 1. Select your weight loss program, and write it down at the top of the first page of a journal, notebook, or note page on your phone. For example: My Weight Loss Plan: Dec 14, 2017: Weight Watchers. I will begin weight watchers today and complete it for two months.
Step 2. Select your exercise plan, and write it down. Example: I will walk in my neighborhood for twenty minutes per day, 5 days per week, for the next two months.
Step 3. Share your plan with someone who will hold you accountable regularly (every week or even every day).
Step 4. Weigh in. Write down your starting weight. You will not weigh in again for at least 1-2 weeks, if you are consistent with your new eating and exercising habits.
Step 5. Write down your plan for tomorrow that includes your new habits. For example, I will exercise for twenty minutes at 4:00 pm.  I will not drink any Coke. I will not buy any fast food.

Here are some other examples of healthy habits you may want to incorporate:
-I will start a "Subway Diet", which includes a 6-inch sub for every lunch this week (instead of fast food).
-I will replace chips with light popcorn.
-I will decrease my soda intake by 50%.
-I will eliminate sweet tea from my diet and replace it with unsweet tea.
-I will decrease fast food meals from three times daily to one time daily.
-I will pack my lunch for work this week, including healthy and fresh items.
-I will drink 5 glasses of water every day instead of sugary drinks.
-I will go to a Zumba class two days per week.
-I will not buy ice cream to keep at my house.
-I will join Planet Fitness and go there every day on my way home from work.
-I will watch one less hour of TV and replace it with cooking/cleaning.
-I will write down everything I eat tomorrow and share it with my accountability partner.
-I will buy a pedometer or Fit Bit, and take at least 10,000 steps every day.

4 Steps To Lose Weight After Failed Dieting

Photo: R.A. Navarrete

You may have been excited and compliant with your weight loss program, exercise routine or diet a few months ago, but recently you got off track. So how do you return to losing weight again?

First, select the best weight loss program for your individual needs. What have you tried in the past and failed? Choose something different. Or what has worked in the past? Do it again! Don't just try the latest craze or a diet that your best friend swears by.

Second, find accountability. You can't do this alone because it is too hard. You need someone to help you, especially during your moments of temptation. It can be someone you look up to, someone you relate to, or just someone who wants to help. It can also be a support group such as in Weight Watchers. Check in for accountability at least once per week, and be honest about your struggles. Without someone to hold you to your commitment, you could easily give in or give up. Call this person when you need motivation to resist overeating.

Third, exercise! Do not neglect this part of your weight loss program. It is just as important as eating right. Make exercise a habit in your daily routine by planning it into your day. It must become a priority, and that should never change (even once you achieve your weight loss). The cheapeast and easiest form of exercise is a walking or jogging program. Other convenient alternatives are workout videos or exercise equipment. But I don't recommend spending money on equipment or a membership unless you are committed to exercising consistently.

Fourth, remember that changing your lifestyle is permanent; it is not a yo-yo diet. The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to do so at a slow and steady pace. The healthy habits you form during this process should last forever. The same components that help you lose weight will also enable you to maintain your new, healthy weight. For example, if eliminating sodas and desserts has helped you to lose 20 pounds, don't add them back into your diet except on rare or special occasions. It initially takes willpower to say no to junk food or to say yes to workouts, but it will become a habit with time. Remember that on January 1, everyone says no to sweets. Be the person who still says no in June, October, or even December!

Do I Need To Lose Weight? Women, Weight Loss and Skinny America

Photo: Vince Connare

American culture is obsessed with women being skinny; almost every Hollywood actress is super thin. So why should you diet or exercise? Simply to lose weight and to become thin like the girls on TV?

Should You Lose Weight?
There are so many reasons to exercise and eat right other than to get down to your desired dress size. If you are healthy, eat well and exercise regularly, then likely you are maintaining a good weight, regardless of what any book or chart may say. This may mean you are size 16 or size 2. Your weight depends on many factors such as genetics, metabolism, medical issues, activity level, exercise history, muscle mass, and eating habits. You cannot control how God made you, so it is better to accept your body than to fight against it. Before you start a diet, check your motives because you may not even need to lose weight. If you are overweight, simply focus on improving your health through good eating and lots of exercise in order to jump start your weight loss.

How Do Naturally Thin Women Eat?
I rarely see thin people eating salads at McDonald's. The super-thin people I have known eat what they want. They do not overeat; instead, they may forget to eat when they get busy. But when they are hungry, they enjoy a wide variety of tasty foods that may be full of fat, calories and sugar. They do not necessarily exercise, so how do they stay so tiny? Probably everyone in their family is "small-boned." I have known many super-skinny women who are not healthy at all. So don't confuse being healthy with being thin. One thing everyone can learn from naturally super-tiny folks is that they rarely overeat.

Eating Should Be Fun!
My kids love lollipops and ice cream cones simply because they are fun to eat. I don't give them junk food all the time, but if they eat a healthy meal, I allow them a fun dessert sometimes. Moms, please don't go out for ice cream and just watch your kids eat their chocolate cones with sprinkles. Join in with the fun! That does NOT mean to order a large, extra-large or double-dipped cone with 5 toppings. Just order something small that you really love and savor every bite!

Exercise More To Eat More
If you exercise a lot, your appetite will increase. If you truly love to eat and cannot decrease your food volume to lose weight, try exercising more. This will help to increase your metabolism and, of course, burn calories. Another benefit is that exercising will motivate you to eat better, so you may end up replacing your french fries and cookies with blueberries and protein shakes.

What Makes You Beautiful?
First, beauty comes from within, so spend some time today exercising your heart, mind and spirit. The Bible says that beauty is shown by a gentle and quiet spirit. Second, every woman has equal value regardless of how she looks. Third, being thin will not take away all your insecurities. Even the most attractive super models are self-conscious about certain things and may not even like how they look. A lot of girls want to be pretty in order to attract a boyfriend, but remember that being in a relationship does not increase your worth.

Food Addiction
It is interesting that obesity has been increasing throughout this skinnifying of American culture. I believe obesity is so prevalent because of food addiction and sedentary lifestyle. I recently heard: "Anything you cannot live without is an addiction." So if you think you are not addicted to your late night binge, try giving it up for 7 nights.

Weight in Other Cultures
Not every culture has skinny women all over their media. For example, in Latin America, female stars are generally very curvy. Some cultures even revere large women. Remember that each culture's view of beauty changes over time. Being skinny or tan or having a certain hair color may be in fashion now but not 20 years from now.

Overcoming Skinny American Culture
If you feel caught up in wanting to look like a model, spend less time reading magazines and watching TV. The media has more effect on your mind than you may realize. Focus on becoming healthier instead of thinner. Learn to enjoy food but within logical limits. It may sound like an impossible task for most women, but try to accept your body. Then maybe you won't put so much pressure on yourself or those around you.

4 Components of Weight Loss

            It is never too early or late to lose weight if you are overweight or obese. Even if you became obese at a young age, you can change habits now and lose weight! It takes determination, discipline and hard work, but the rewards are countless! One of the biggest benefits of weight loss is having less pain, including back pain. Moreover, it is easier to prevent obesity than to treat it. So if you have found yourself 10 or 20 lbs overweight, start working to reverse the trend. Otherwise that could turn to 50 or 100 excess pounds that you never expected to have.

4 Components of Weight Loss  

1. Change in mindset. Admit that food controls you and recognize why you overeat. Until you know what your problem is, you cannot fix it. 

2. Change in activity level. You must increase your daily amount of activity and exercise in order to lose weight. No pill or diet by itself can replace the benefits of regular exercise. 

3. Change in eating habits. You cannot eat the same amount or kinds of foods that you have been eating and lose weight. Look at your eating habits and start to modify them. 

4. Perseverance over time. There is no easy way to lose a lot of weight, no matter what the ads may say. It takes time and hard work. Do not give up! Keep working at it and you will succeed. Find the help you need, whether it is an exercise partner, a weight loss group, a gym membership or an appointment with a nutritionist or dietitian. 

Most importantly, do not leave out any of these four components or you are less likely to get the weight off and keep it off.  Do not forget to consult your physician about your weight, in case it is related to a medical problem.

Additional reading on WEIGHT LOSS:

http://thinklikeapt.blogspot.com/2012/04/weight-loss-perseverance.html

The Latin American Diet

Photo: State Library and Archives of Florida

I have some firsthand experience with Latin America, but if you are Latin American and have different traditions, please share in the comments section. I do not mean to over-generalize, as I know that no one wants to be stereotyped. Here are some healthy eating habits that I have seen.

1. Lots of fresh fruit and fresh-squeezed fruit juices. You may be surprised at the fresh juices because they include much more than OJ, and they are prepared and served fresh! Some varieties I have loved are cantaloupe, watermelon, blackberry, pineapple, and mango. The juice ingredients are fruit (often including the skin) and maybe a little extra water/ice or occasionally a touch of sugar. Freshly cut fruit of any sort is frequently served with dessert.

2. Rarely serve cooked vegetables but salads instead. Once I brought a green bean casserole and a broccoli casserole to a potluck at church (a Hispanic church), and they were not touched. So my poor husband who does not like broccoli had to eat broccoli casserole the entire next week. And the salads are frequently served without salad dressing! All that is needed for flavor is freshly squeezed lime and a touch of salt/pepper.

3. A variety of beans, served as a side, in a soup or cooked into other foods. Legumes are a perfect source of protein, calcium, fiber and iron. See link below for more health benefits of beans.

4. Uncommon to find creamy/milk-based sauces. Instead, meats are grilled or cooked with fresh vegetables.

5. Freshly prepared hot sauces. All it takes is roasting the peppers, then blending them.

6. Soups made with clear broth rather than cream-based and served with fresh lime. Try adding lime to your next chicken noodle soup and you will never turn back. You may not know that most Mexican restaurants (at least here in the South) serve an amazing chicken soup (usually includes pico de gallo, avocado, rice, chicken breast and lime).

7. Avocado! Frequently it is simply sliced and served with the side dishes. Of course, guacamole with fresh cilantro is the perfect addition to any Tex-Mex dish.


Additional Info:

After-40 Nutrition: The Surprising Health Benefits of Beans, from DoctorOz.com:
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/after-40-nutrition-surprising-health-benefits-beans

I Need To Lose Weight Now!: You Have Abs, You Just Can't See Them!

I Need To Lose Weight Now!: You Have Abs, You Just Can't See Them!: By Craig S Savino The most common mistake that most people continue to make when working on developing six-pack abs, is to con...

How To Improve SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE

Do you ever get annoyed when you are relaxing and you get interrupted? Picture this: you work all day, go to the gym, eat supper, get your children into bed, take a shower, and finally at 10 pm you are ready to relax (or just sleep). The moment you sit down to watch House Hunters, your dog starts scratching the back door. So you grudgingly get off your comfy sofa to let him out. You don't know how long he will be wandering around the backyard, so you go back to the couch and get cozy in the new, fuzzy throw you got for Christmas. After 1 minute, the dog is at the door again, scratching to get back inside since it is freezing out there! So you get up again and tell the dog how annoying he is and how he acts like a child.

So the next time you get interrupted, at least there are some benefits:

1. Burning calories.
2. Stretching out your back.
3. The excuse you needed to run to the bathroom.
4. The opportunity to get a glass of... WATER!
5. A few more steps on your pedometer for the day.
6. The chance to move, since you sat on your behind all day.
7. A friendly reminder that you are addicted to House Hunters and American Idol and ...
8. With DVR, now it's not so bad to get interrupted.
9. A chance to pet your sweet but annoying puppy.

A HEALTHY New Year!

Happy New Year! As you think about your resolutions for this year, I hope they include some healthy ones! Even if you do not need to lose weight, there are other areas of health that you could consider improving. Mine is to run the Cooper River Bridge 10K race in Charleston, SC this year. Some family members told me they were doing it, so of course I jumped on board!

I already exercise several times per week, so I am just going to modify my workouts to train for the race. I typically do the treadmill and/or bike for cardio, machine weights/free weights for strengthening, and a little flexibility at the end of each workout. I can already run 3 miles, so now I will work up to 4, 5 and 6 miles in the next 8-10 weeks. My average pace has been 6.8 mph, so my goal is to increase that to 7.5 mph. If I run at that pace for 6.2 miles, I will finish the race in under 51 minutes (which is my goal).

To make healthy changes in your life, you need specific, realistic goals! Here are some good examples.

1. To lose 1 lb. per week for 10 weeks by joining a weight loss program.
2. To walk my dog 30 minutes/day, 5x/week.
3. To decrease my ice cream intake to 2x/week.
4. To join a gym for 1 month and go there >3x/week.
5. To replace 1 soda per day with water.

The common sense DIET

1. Eat smaller portions. You may be surprised at how little food can fill you up and hold you over until the next meal. Learn to listen to your body to tell you when to eat and when to stop eating.
2. Keep yourself busy. That gives you less time to sit down and munch on junk food. Fill your free time with productive tasks, activities and hobbies. I know that if I am alone for very long and turn on the TV, I then start and continue munching indefinitely.
3. Eat slowly. My husband is naturally good and this, and he usually ends up eating much less volume than the rest of us who eat fast.
4. Replace juice with fresh fruit. 100% juice is ok, but the best choice is the fruit itself. It is packed full of nutrition and fiber!
5. To eat your 5 servings of fruits/vegetables each day, plan them into your meals/snacks. For example, have 1 serving with breakfast, 1 for a morning snack, 2 servings with lunch, 1 with supper and 1 for an evening snack.
6. Cut out soda (even diet soda). Replace it with water!!!

SAMPLE MENU
Breakfast: cereal, skim milk, 1 large banana (counts as 2 fruit servings)
Snack: yogurt
Lunch: Turkey on whole wheat with tomato/lettuce/cucumber
Snack: apple
Supper: grilled chicken, whole wheat pasta with sauteed vegetables and marinara sauce
Snack: almonds

How to LOSE WEIGHT

Losing weight is not easy. If anyone tells you it is, do not believe them or follow their diet. It takes a lot of work and effort. But if you do it right, you will get the weight off and keep it off. Your whole lifestyle and mindset will change for the better. Once you start a healthy lifestyle, it will be easier to maintain. Right now, you may have some good and bad health habits. If you have mostly bad ones, you will likely see more dramatic results of changing them. There are 4 components to lose weight. If you modify one, you might see some results. But if you modify all four at once, you will see some big results! They are:  eating, drinking, exercise, and activity levels.

Healthy eating means modifying everything you eat. Think about your food choices and try to choose a healthier option. There is always a healthier option. You do not always have to choose the healthiest one, but at least take baby steps in the right direction. The more dramatic you are in your choices, the faster and greater the WEIGHT LOSS!!!

Healthy drinking means modifying everything you drink. What do you presently drink? Is there something better, healthier or with less calories? Start cutting out the ones that give you lots of calories with no nutrition. Then start working on the others (or modifying them). DRINK MORE WATER!!!

Healthy exercise means starting or increasing your workouts. This is how a lot of people get hurt, so be wise. Work up to 30 minutes, 5x/week. Then work up to 45 minutes, 5-7x/week. Then work up to 60 minutes, 5-7x/week. Be sure to do both cardio and strength training. Consider interval training. Classes like Zumba and spinning are great tools! Jogging and/or walking (fast) are also great and convenient choices.

Healthy activity level means GETTING OFF THE COUCH! Start standing more and sitting less. Start watching less TV. Stand when you are on your laptop. Look for opportunities to stand up and walk around. See every chance to get up and move as a calorie-burner. Do more housework/yardwork. Walk the dog more. Start a more active hobby. Run around with your kids (and pets) in your backyard. BE MORE ACTIVE!!!

How To LOSE WEIGHT Safely

1. Do not use diet pills.
2. Do not injure yourself by exercising too hard, too fast. An injury will limit your ability to exercise, so do not risk it.
3. Do not starve yourself.
4. Do not eat so little that you are hungry all the time.
5. Find ways to not only burn calories but to boost your metabolism. (See next paragraph)
6. Do not stay on a short-term diet for long. It may help to jump start your weight loss, but you quickly need to transition to a lifestyle of healthy eating that you can stick to!
7. Buy the right shoes for the exercise you will be starting.
8. Be sure to drink enough water before, during, and/or after your workouts.
9. Always warm up and cool down with your workouts.
10. My favorite: drink more water and less of everything else.

Here are some ways to boost your metabolism:
1. Wake up early and eat breakfast early.
2. Exercise early in the day. Exercise multiple times in the day.
3. Do weight training in addition to cardio.
4. Move around a lot! Start having a more active lifestyle. Think of ways to add activity into your routine.
5. Eat small amounts throughout the day (4-6 small meals instead of 3 large ones).

12 Ways To LOSE WEIGHT

1. Drink more water! It is calorie-free and actually burns calories.
2. Eat more fruits/vegetables. Try to eat 5 servings every day.
3. Eat less red meat. Replace it with white meat, fish and/or legumes (pinto beans, kidney beans, lentils, etc).
4. Exercise more! Start a habit of exercise in your daily life. If you presently do not exercise, think of ways to exercise at least 1-2x/week. If you exercise 1-2x/week, work up to 4x/week. If you exercise 4x/week, work up to 6x! Try to do at least 30 minutes of exercise each time.
5. Eat less processed foods. They are full of preservatives and sodium.
6. Squat more! This will build up your leg strength and save your back! Squat whenever you reach down to the floor. Keep your back straight when you do.
7. Stand up straight. It will make you look taller!
8. Start off your morning with a healthy breakfast. Eat it soon after you wake up.
9. Take the stairs.
10. Park in the first parking place you see.
11. Don't lie down if you can sit. Don't sit if you can stand. Don't stand if you can walk. Don't walk if you can run. Some people are paralyzed and wish they could run. So don't take it for granted.
12. Find someone to work out with. You can motivate each other!

How I gained and lost 25 lbs

For those of you trying to lose weight, here is my story.

I have always been slender, and I weighed 125 lbs. when I finished high school. But when I got to college, I started gaining weight. Freshman 15 turned into more for me. My eating, sleeping and snacking habits totally changed. I lived on campus at a small college, so I had free reign of the dining hall and snack bars. At mealtimes, I did not overeat, but between meals and at night I constantly snacked. Our hangout was Perkins, and we usually went around midnight. There was a cafe in the student center, so my friends and I always met there for milkshakes.

So there is no doubt as to why I gained weight. I went from 125 lbs to around 150 lbs (at my highest). I kept exercising as usual because it has always been a hobby for me. But I became much more self-conscious about my body since I was 25 lbs heavier than I had ever been in my life. I got stretch marks, so I even stopped wearing shorts for several years. Another thing that changed was I stayed up much later and woke up much later. I usually woke up around 10 AM and went to bed around 2 AM.

So how did I lose the weight? When I got to graduate school, my sleeping and eating habits returned to normal. I woke up around 6:30 AM and went to bed around 11 PM. I ate 3 meals a day and small, healthy snacks in between. I ate salads and healthy sandwiches daily. At night, my only snack was Icy Pops. I did not keep any other snack foods in the house. I ate tons of fruits and vegetables and always drank water.

So by the time I got married (last year of grad school), I was back down to 125!

Healthier Dessert Options

Keeping your weight down is one of the best ways to prevent pain in your future! It helps to decrease wear and tear on your back and joints. So here are some ideas for tasty desserts that are a little healthier than usual.

1. Serve your favorite berries with some low-fat whipped topping and a graham cracker on the side.
2. Bake your cake mix using applesauce instead of oil. Instead of frosting, mix low-fat whipped topping with pudding mix (pistachio is my flavor of choice) and crushed pineapple. Be sure to fold in the whipped topping last.
3. Oatmeal raisin cookies made with margarine instead of butter.
4. Hot chocolate made with skim milk.
5. Make a parfait with fresh fruit and low-fat yogurt.
6. Top a few animal crackers with peanut butter and some sprinkles.
7. Pudding made with low-fat milk.
8. Cut out some calories from your pies by not eating the crust (I don't like pastry crust much anyways).
9. Make a fruit dip by mixing low-fat cream cheese with a little powdered sugar.
10. Homemade trail mix with dried fruit, granola, nuts, cereal, and/or a few chocolate chips.

Healthy snacks for WEIGHT LOSS and PAIN PREVENTION

One of the best ways to decrease stress on your joints (and therefore decrease PAIN) is to maintain a healthy weight. So here are some healthy snack options to consider. Always remember to check your portion sizes, even with healthy or low-fat foods. A serving size is often much less than you would expect. This is good news for fruit servings but bad news for dessert servings.

1. 1/2 of a large fruit, or 1 small-medium sized fruit. Or eat the whole large fruit and that counts as 2 of your fruit servings for the day!
2. Icy Pops. They are inexpensive, take several minutes to eat, and are very low in calories.
3. Yogurt. This could be a good replacement for ice cream.
4. Jello. It's low calories, sweet, and fun!
5. Nuts or seeds. Check your serving sizes before you begin munching though.
6. Triscuits. They have only 3 ingredients!
7. Hummus. It is full of protein! This is actually my son's favorite food!
8. Raw veggies, such as carrots, celery, cucumbers, etc. If you like to dip them, try hummus or fat-free sour cream (may want to add lemon pepper or another seasoning to the sour cream).
9. Deli meats (a few thin slices rolled up). These are usually high in sodium, so not the best option for those with high blood pressure.
10. Cereal. A serving with low-fat or skim milk might get you through your next sweet tooth.
11. Sauteed vegetables. Whenever I make them, I can't help but munch on them, especially if they are seasoned right (pepper, garlic powder, fresh lime juice, etc)

How to be healthier this Thanksgiving

Here are some ideas about how to not consume 10,000 calories this Thanksgiving...

1. Enjoy just 1 plateful of your favorite Thanksgiving foods. Pass on the 2nd and 3rd rounds.
2. Don't get every food option just because it is there. If you do not like the food that much, don't just eat it. (example don't get turkey and ham if you really prefer turkey).
3. Choose to eat only 1 or 2 starches instead of 4 (is there one that you can live without--maybe bread?).
4. Use low or non-fat creams for cooking or condiments (light sour cream, low fat milk, margarine, fat free whipped toppping).
5. Make one of your veggies outside of a casserole (steamed green beans or corn).
6. Choose only 1 slice of pie or a couple of mini-slices.
7. Save calories by drinking water instead of soda or tea.
8. Go for a walk or play ball outside on Thanksgiving afternoon.
9. Stop eating when you are full. Do not wait an hour and then fill up again. Wait until the next mealtime.
10. Be thankful for your body/health and think of how to improve it!