Weight Loss: It Begins With A Goal And Ends With A Complete Notebook
17.7.2009 / Weight Loss Diet News / Comments (0)
It seems like everywhere you go or anytime you turn on your television set, someone is either talking about, weight, talking about weight loss, talking about exercise or fitness, or you see someone trying to sell you some type of weight loss program or fitness product.
The fact is everyone has the ability to lose weight just as they are. Sure it might be harder on some more so than others. Many factors lead to this. It could be your lifestyle, maybe it is fast paced, a bit more hectic or it could be genetic which requires you to work a bit more harder at what I am about to tell you. There are a variety of reasons why some people can lose weight faster than others, but keep this in mind, you are not trying to lose weight faster than someone else, you are just trying to lose weight period!
The first thing is to buy yourself a one subject, wired rules notebook. You can pick these up anywhere for about a quarter. This will be your lifeline in your weight loss program. In this notebook, as you are about to see, you are going to write down everything. You are going to write down the weight you want to get down to, the weight where you are now, the foods you consume each day and the foods you “were” supposed to consume that day. This notebook will serve as your means of accountability. Only you can write in your notebook. Therefore anything you write in there is of your own doing. For example, if you eat a donut and never put it in there, who are you really fooling? Only yourself.
Now that you have your notebook, keep in mind each page represents a single day. By the time you fill in your notebook completely you will have lose the weight you set out to lose. When you begin your day you mark down the date at the top of the page. Next to the date on the same line, write in your goal weight. By writing your goal weight everyday it keeps reminding you as to where you are trying to get. Next to your goal weight enter in your current weight. Do not get discouraged if your weight fluctuates (goes up and down) on a daily basis. This is very common. So as long as the weight is lower then it was 14 days prior, you are in great shape.
Skip a line and start writing out your meal plan. You will create four columns. In the first column you will write “meal 1”, “meal 2”, “meal 3”, etc. up through “meal 6”. You are now going to consume six meals each and every day. In other words you will eat one meal every two and a half to three hours. In column two you are going to write in the meals you are GOING to eat for that day. I try to write this out seven days in advance. Makes it easier and I can better prepare my meals and shopping list for a week at a time. In the third column is where you are going to write in what you ACTUALLY ate. For example, say breakfast was supposed to be three egg whites with mushrooms and ¼ cup of oatmeal, but instead you had a 3 egg spinach omelet, then you will write into column three the 3 egg spinach omelet.
That is how you will keep track of your meal plan. Skip another line and make notes of physical activity that you have performed for the day. If you work out with weights write it here. If you walk the dog or go for a bike ride, put it in here. Make note of the distance, time or other measurable notation so you know exactly how much you did.
Finally on this page you will write in a notes section underneath your physical activity section. In your notes you can write as to why your meals differ, why you may have missed a meal and so on. What you are trying to do is a keep a journal of information so that you can better prepare yourself for the days ahead. For example, lets say on Tuesdays you always seem to miss the 4th meal due to a meeting a work. Because you have been writing this down, you can refer back to it and plan accordingly. Also write down how you are feeling for that day. Studies have shown that your mood is a reflection of what you eat. You notice on certain days you feel really good, but on others you may feel a bit down, take a look at what you did on those “up” days, and make changes on your “down” days accordingly.
Setting goals for weight loss is a very important step in the weight loss process, but just as important is writing everything down so you have a physical account of what you are doing and what you are about to do. Just remember before you start any type of physical activity, weight loss program or nutritional diet, you consult with your primary care physician to get a complete physical.
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Healthy Eating Diets #19
16.7.2009 / Weight Loss Diet News / Comments (0)
Marinated Roasted Vegetables
Karl and Terry says: Clean out your vegetable bin and serve a gourmet-quality side dish! This one is really a no-brainer and you’ll love the subtle boost in the hearty flavor of these roasted vegetables. I have listed specific vegetables, but use whatever you have, including cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, parsnips, etc. Preparation time includes 2 hours of marinating time. Enjoy!
2¾ hours - 2 hours prep - 6 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, medium-sized, peeled and halved
6 carrots, peeled and cut into thirds
Spicy Diced Vegetables
Karl and Terry says: This yummy vegetarian recipe was give to us by some friends. They have their own restaurant so we knew it would be good. I’m really not sure how long prep time is so I’ve just put in a rough guess.
45 min - 15 min prep - 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
2 carrots
2 potatoes, Large
2 tomatoes
250 g green beans
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
2 onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teasp
Chinese Salad
Karl and Terry says: My version of Chinese salad, fresh and crispy with a nice crunch from the toasted nuts and crispy noodles. A commercial honey-soy dressing gives a great salty/sweet taste that compliments this salad.
15 min - 15 min prep - 2-4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups bean sprouts, fresh
3-4 cups Chinese cabbage, I use sugarloaf
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds, shelled of course
1/4 cup crispy hokkein noodles
2 carrots, julienned
1/4 English cucumber, bite sized chunks
2 green onions, sliced on the diagonal
honey
Fluffy Fruit Salad
Karl and Terry says: SUBMITTED BY:Christine Halandras
PREP TIME:10 Min
READY IN:10 Min
SERVINGS:14 servings
INGREDIENTS
* 1(20 ounce)can unsweetened pineapple tidbits, drained
* 1(16 ounce)can whole berry cranberry sauce
* 1(11 ounce)can mandarin oranges, drained
* 1(8 ounce)carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
* 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
* Lettuce Leaves (optional)
* 1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted
DIRECTIONS
1. In a bowl, combine pineapple, cranberry sauce and oranges. Fold in whipped topping and orange peel. Serve on let
Strawberry Salad with Walnuts & Goat Cheese
Karl and Terry says: This is a wonderful strawberry salad with walnuts and goat cheese added for a delicious twist.
For the pomegranate vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses(available at Middle Eastern groceries)
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon finely minced shallot
salt to taste
For salad:
6 cups mesclun
1 cup strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
3 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled(also known as chevre cheese)
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Whisk a
Posts about Weight Loss Diets as of July 15, 2009
15.7.2009 / Weight Loss Diet News / Comments (0)
Can You Lose Weight By Drinking More Water
12.7.2009 / Weight Loss Diet News / Comments (0)
Yes, if you trust various dietary studies done in this field. Many dietitians would agree that water helps not only in losing weight, but also helps you stay active. One of the prominent reasons for this is that water contains zero calories. By drinking more water during the day, you can surely reduce the intake of calories as water fills your stomach partially, and you tend to eat less food if you drink water before mealtime. Many people complain of feeling lethargic or weak while on dieting. In some cases, lack of energy also occurs due to excessive dehydration. Drinking more water helps you feel fit and active, improves your metabolism, and keeps body muscles supple.
In fact, many people claimed to have lost weight without exercising or dieting by just increasing the intake of water. Isn’t that a good way of controlling weight gain if you don’t have time to exercise or follow a formal weight-loss program? Once you see those extra pounds disappearing from your body, you can go ahead with a customized exercise program to get back into shape faster.
Do you know many people perceive the sign of thirst for hunger? They straightway head to kitchen or food cupboard and grab whatever they can to fill their tummies. So, next time you feel the urge of munching something, try a glass of water! As food also caters to a large proportion of one’s daily fluid requirement, many people mistake thirst for signs of hunger.
Wondering how much water one should drink to lose weight? First, you should know why your body requires water. You need water to run all body functions smoothly, such as removing toxins, supplying energy and carrying out various important chemical reactions. In case you don’t drink much water during the day, the body fulfills its requirements by extracting water from other areas, which may cause many health problems such as constipation, headache, tiredness, and poor concentration. So, drink more water to lose weight and remain healthy and active.
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Helen Miller is a diet control fanatic, who has lost over 70 pounds of body fat. She shares her amazing story of how she did it through her weight and diet control blog.
