Sigh, Blogger. You've made my life a wee bit more miserable.. well done.
Good heavens....
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Bone To Pick..
Don't get me started. Moments after I published my previous post, my whole blog crashed. My just-completed makeover wouldn't even load, despite my numerous efforts to republish the blog. And then, what happens? My online prince came to my rescue, hahahah. He reloaded an earlier version of my template.. and at least restored half the pink to my blog. So I spent my past hour inserting the ads and the miscellaneous stuff. Finally, it's up and running again...
Sigh, Blogger. You've made my life a wee bit more miserable.. well done.
Good heavens....
Sigh, Blogger. You've made my life a wee bit more miserable.. well done.
Good heavens....
Pink Makeover
Blogger is acting up again.. just when I was in the midst of giving my blog a fresh makeover.
From the soothing, almost dull-like green template to this current bright sweet girlish pinkish patch that is staring boldly at you in the face now. Actually, this color is so not me.. I'm hardly what you would call sweet and girly. In fact, I remembered thinking twice and hesitating when I decided to wear a light sweetish pink top out just a couple of days back. In the end, I went ahead with it.. and now, few days later, I've done the same thing again.. not with myself though, but with my blog.
Actually I would have taken 30 hours and still not be able to complete it had it not been for a wonderfully nice online friend who helped me modify my template the way my fussy character demands it. And guess what, we have never even met! Ahhh, what a wonderful world... and did I tell you I was a complete idiot with html before he came to my rescue?...
From the soothing, almost dull-like green template to this current bright sweet girlish pinkish patch that is staring boldly at you in the face now. Actually, this color is so not me.. I'm hardly what you would call sweet and girly. In fact, I remembered thinking twice and hesitating when I decided to wear a light sweetish pink top out just a couple of days back. In the end, I went ahead with it.. and now, few days later, I've done the same thing again.. not with myself though, but with my blog.
Actually I would have taken 30 hours and still not be able to complete it had it not been for a wonderfully nice online friend who helped me modify my template the way my fussy character demands it. And guess what, we have never even met! Ahhh, what a wonderful world... and did I tell you I was a complete idiot with html before he came to my rescue?...
Sunday, April 23, 2006
The South Beach Diet
I simply cannot resist from posting yet another article about dieting and losing weight.. especially this one talking about the South Beach Diet. In the past two weeks, the words "South Beach Diet" has popped up several times from the mouths of several of my friends during our conversations that when I came across this article that specifically discusses this particular method of dieting, I found this coincidence to be kinda warped.
The questions my friends had regarding the South Beach Diet were the usual ones.. "How does it work?", "What's the big deal about it?", "Is it difficult to adhere to?", etc... Well, I'm not into dieting and I have no special answers to this common questions.. but I think this article would definitely prove to be useful and provide a greater insight to friends who are curious to find out more about the South Beach Diet.
******************
How The South Beach Diet Can Help You Lose Weight And Keep The Fat Off
By: Patricia Zelkovsky
Originally developed by an American cardiologist for his patients, the South Beach Diet is known to many dieters as an effective way of losing weight and keeping the fat off.
The basic principle behind the South Beach Diet is that while most diets concentrate on taking away fats or carbohydrates, the South Beach Diet proposes that some carbohydrates and fats are actually good for you and that the ones that do not add nutrients or energy to your diet should be eliminated and the consumption of good carbohydrates and fats should be encouraged.
The South Beach Diet is divided into stages. Each stage is designed to help the body to adjust to new changes in lifestyle with new eating habits.
Stage 1
During the first stage of the diet which lasts for two weeks, it is important to find foods that do not have saturated fats in them or carbohydrates that may not be healthy like bread, potatoes, sugar, candy, cereals and grains, fruits, baked goods and other types of sugar containing foods. The idea here is that once you cut these foods out for two weeks, your body should be able to balance itself with the nutrients that it needs.
Stage 2
After two weeks the second stage begins and it is in this stage that you can then begin re-introducing, in small quantities, some of the foods that were initially eliminated in stage one. During this time, you will need to figure out how much you need to eat as well as how much weight you want to lose. This will help you to determine how much of each food you can safely put back into your diet in order to stay balanced.
Stage 3
After the dieter reaches the desired weight that he or she wanted to achieve, stage three of the diet begins. In stage three the diet expands to include three servings of fruit a day and three servings of whole-grain a day. The third stage of the South Beach diet is particularly important because it is in stage 3 that the dieter learns to maintain the body weight that he has achieved, while continuing to eat a nutritious and a balanced diet.
Overall, the South Beach diet will provide information on what kinds of foods to eat. This includes seafood, lighter types of meat like chicken, vegetables, eggs, cheese and nuts and salads which are important parts of the South Beach diet. These types of food are not only known to carry several nutrients in them, but also allow for you to go without being hungry or needing more than three meals a day.
By moving to the South Beach Diet, you will learn to find a balance in your nutrition and in your diet and to allow for you to change your lifestyle so that you can begin to feel healthy and take whatever measures necessary in order to lose weight and keep the fat off.
Article Source: http://www.advicelibrary.com
Patricia has been interested in diets and weight loss since the early 70s and knows how to separate hype from fact. South Beach Diet
The questions my friends had regarding the South Beach Diet were the usual ones.. "How does it work?", "What's the big deal about it?", "Is it difficult to adhere to?", etc... Well, I'm not into dieting and I have no special answers to this common questions.. but I think this article would definitely prove to be useful and provide a greater insight to friends who are curious to find out more about the South Beach Diet.
******************
How The South Beach Diet Can Help You Lose Weight And Keep The Fat Off
In recent times the South Beach diet has become a popular weight loss program because of the emphasis it places on nutrition and eating habits that helps dieters find the right balance between nutrition and dieting.
Originally developed by an American cardiologist for his patients, the South Beach Diet is known to many dieters as an effective way of losing weight and keeping the fat off.
The basic principle behind the South Beach Diet is that while most diets concentrate on taking away fats or carbohydrates, the South Beach Diet proposes that some carbohydrates and fats are actually good for you and that the ones that do not add nutrients or energy to your diet should be eliminated and the consumption of good carbohydrates and fats should be encouraged.
The South Beach Diet is divided into stages. Each stage is designed to help the body to adjust to new changes in lifestyle with new eating habits.
Stage 1
During the first stage of the diet which lasts for two weeks, it is important to find foods that do not have saturated fats in them or carbohydrates that may not be healthy like bread, potatoes, sugar, candy, cereals and grains, fruits, baked goods and other types of sugar containing foods. The idea here is that once you cut these foods out for two weeks, your body should be able to balance itself with the nutrients that it needs.
Stage 2
After two weeks the second stage begins and it is in this stage that you can then begin re-introducing, in small quantities, some of the foods that were initially eliminated in stage one. During this time, you will need to figure out how much you need to eat as well as how much weight you want to lose. This will help you to determine how much of each food you can safely put back into your diet in order to stay balanced.
Stage 3
After the dieter reaches the desired weight that he or she wanted to achieve, stage three of the diet begins. In stage three the diet expands to include three servings of fruit a day and three servings of whole-grain a day. The third stage of the South Beach diet is particularly important because it is in stage 3 that the dieter learns to maintain the body weight that he has achieved, while continuing to eat a nutritious and a balanced diet.
Overall, the South Beach diet will provide information on what kinds of foods to eat. This includes seafood, lighter types of meat like chicken, vegetables, eggs, cheese and nuts and salads which are important parts of the South Beach diet. These types of food are not only known to carry several nutrients in them, but also allow for you to go without being hungry or needing more than three meals a day.
By moving to the South Beach Diet, you will learn to find a balance in your nutrition and in your diet and to allow for you to change your lifestyle so that you can begin to feel healthy and take whatever measures necessary in order to lose weight and keep the fat off.
Article Source: http://www.advicelibrary.com
Patricia has been interested in diets and weight loss since the early 70s and knows how to separate hype from fact. South Beach Diet
tags : south beach diet | weight loss | diet | nutrition | dieting | weight loss program | food | carbohydrates |
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
An Impulse Posting...
I shouldn't be writing.. least of all, my blog now. I'm supposed to be muggin' away for my coming exam. To tell the truth, I'm still only at my 1st chapter.. way way lagging far behind my revision schedule. So, I really shouldn't be here.. typing so many words on why I shouldn't be here and where I should be instead. Hahahah.. did I tell you I can be very long-winded?
I can't help it. I was checking my emails.. yet another thing I shouldn't be doing as well.. and I came across this email from DailyOM. I've subscribed to their daily emails ever since I told you guys I came across this article from them that I previously mentioned in my earlier blog posting (but it actually seems like I'm receiving more than one email per day from them).. and so there's always an article of wisdom of sorts sitting in my inbox, compliments from them.
Anyway, yet another article from them caught my eye today. It's titled "The Dance of Intimacy".. beautiful title.. and talks about the dynamics of a long-term relationship. You will be reading this article below 'cos it's really the main reason why I'm still typing away and still doing what I'm not supposed to do.. (hahah, but let's not go back there again).
My best friend is kind of in a terrible rut now in her marriage.. and things are not improving. Hubby and her are doing the cordial act.. talking about the weather and exchanging mere civilities. There are obvious issues between them that they should iron out.. but both are either in denial mode or no one has the energy to lift up the couch and turn out the dust and dirt. In a nutshell, both of them were in my mind when I was reading the article earlier.. and I've already decided to email them a copy.. hoping, just hoping it might help.
Actually, nothing in the article is new.. not to me, and I assume, not to any of you folks as well. But as all-too-intelligent forgetful mortal beings, ever so often, we all tend not to see the obvious.. and many of us have the tendency to go round in circles and complicate matters as well. And then, many a times, certain stuff have to be repeated to us over and over in order to get the message across and implanted in our heads and hearts. And to me, this article seems to be doing just all these.
To my best friend and her hubby... and sigh, back to my books. My boring life.
*********************
The Dance Of Intimacy
Coming Back To Center In A Relationship
Anyone in a long-term relationship knows that the dance of intimacy involves coming together and moving apart. Early in a relationship, intense periods of closeness are important in order to establish the ground of a new union. Just as a sapling needs a lot more attention than a full-grown tree, budding relationships demand time and attention if they are to fully take root. Once they become more established, the individuals in the union begin to turn their attention outward again, to the other parts of their lives that matter, such as work, family, and friendships. This is natural and healthy. Yet, if a long-term relationship is to last, turning towards one another recurrently, with the same curiosity, attention, and nurturance of earlier times, is essential.
I can't help it. I was checking my emails.. yet another thing I shouldn't be doing as well.. and I came across this email from DailyOM. I've subscribed to their daily emails ever since I told you guys I came across this article from them that I previously mentioned in my earlier blog posting (but it actually seems like I'm receiving more than one email per day from them).. and so there's always an article of wisdom of sorts sitting in my inbox, compliments from them.
Anyway, yet another article from them caught my eye today. It's titled "The Dance of Intimacy".. beautiful title.. and talks about the dynamics of a long-term relationship. You will be reading this article below 'cos it's really the main reason why I'm still typing away and still doing what I'm not supposed to do.. (hahah, but let's not go back there again).
My best friend is kind of in a terrible rut now in her marriage.. and things are not improving. Hubby and her are doing the cordial act.. talking about the weather and exchanging mere civilities. There are obvious issues between them that they should iron out.. but both are either in denial mode or no one has the energy to lift up the couch and turn out the dust and dirt. In a nutshell, both of them were in my mind when I was reading the article earlier.. and I've already decided to email them a copy.. hoping, just hoping it might help.
Actually, nothing in the article is new.. not to me, and I assume, not to any of you folks as well. But as all-too-intelligent forgetful mortal beings, ever so often, we all tend not to see the obvious.. and many of us have the tendency to go round in circles and complicate matters as well. And then, many a times, certain stuff have to be repeated to us over and over in order to get the message across and implanted in our heads and hearts. And to me, this article seems to be doing just all these.
To my best friend and her hubby... and sigh, back to my books. My boring life.
*********************
The Dance Of Intimacy
Coming Back To Center In A Relationship
Anyone in a long-term relationship knows that the dance of intimacy involves coming together and moving apart. Early in a relationship, intense periods of closeness are important in order to establish the ground of a new union. Just as a sapling needs a lot more attention than a full-grown tree, budding relationships demand time and attention if they are to fully take root. Once they become more established, the individuals in the union begin to turn their attention outward again, to the other parts of their lives that matter, such as work, family, and friendships. This is natural and healthy. Yet, if a long-term relationship is to last, turning towards one another recurrently, with the same curiosity, attention, and nurturance of earlier times, is essential.
In a busy and demanding world full of obligations and opportunities, we sometimes lose track of our primary relationships, thinking they will tend to themselves. We may have the best intentions when we think about how nice it would be to surprise our partner with a gift or establish a weekly date night. Yet somehow, life gets in the way. We may think that our love is strong enough to survive without attention. Yet even mature trees need water and care if they are to thrive.
One of the best ways to nourish a relationship is through communication. If you feel that a distance has grown between you and your partner, you may be able to bridge the gap by sharing how you feel. Do your best to avoid blame and regret. Focus instead on the positive, which is the fact that you want to grow closer together. Sometimes, just acknowledging that there is distance between you has the effect of bringing the relationship into balance. In other cases, more intense effort and attention may be required. You may want to set aside time to talk and come up with solutions together. Remember to have compassion for each other. You're in the same boat together and trying to maintain the right balance of space and togetherness to keep your relationship healthy and thriving. Express faith and confidence in each other, and enjoy the slow dance of intimacy that can resume between the two of you.
(Article from DailyOM)
tags : exam | article | dailyom | marriage | relationship | communication | balance | positive |
Friday, April 14, 2006
Supper!
This is an article to myself.. 'cos I'm almost always guilty of it. So wrong, but feels so right!.. lol..
*******************
How to Curb Food Cravings at Night to Lose Weight Naturally
By: Jamie Clark Wanna lose weight naturally and more quickly? Then you've got to control your nighttime food cravings! All food cravings are diet-killers, but the ones that hit you late at night seem to be the toughest to overcome. What's worse, late-night eating has been shown to be a leading cause of weight gain. Your body has much less need for calories at night, so anything you eat is more likely to be stored as fat.
According to a recent USDA study, overweight adults tend to eat significantly more calories at night than normal-weight adults, but they eat only slightly more calories at other times of the day. Another recent study from the University of Texas showed that it's much easier to overeat at night, mainly because late-night snacking seems less satisfying than snacking earlier in the day. Other studies have found that many people eat close to 50% of their daily calories at night!
1. Eat breakfast -- It's been proven that people who skip breakfast have a much harder time losing weight. By eating a big, healthy breakfast in the morning you'll give your body the energy it needs and dramatically reduce hunger and cravings later in the day.
2. Eat several small, healthy snacks and meals throughout the day -- People who eat small meals and snacks every few hours, earlier in the day, tend to feel better and have more energy. They also tend to eat fewer overall calories, especially at night. Keeping yourself from getting hungry may be the best craving-stopping technique out there!
3. Eat a "healthy-sized" dinner -- Don't make the mistake of eating too small of a dinner. You might think you're saving calories but you're just setting yourself up for hunger and food cravings later in the evening. Eat a good, medium-sized dinner that includes lots of high-fiber foods (like veggies, salads, and whole-grain breads, pastas, etc.). It's best to eat more protein and less fat and carbs at this meal because it's less likely to be stored as fat.
4. Keep your mind occupied at night -- Many people have a bad habit of eating when they're bored. They get home at night and "zone out" in front of the TV, often with a bag of chips or cookies at their side. It's called "mindless snacking" and it's a huge cause of weight gain, especially in America. Avoid the TV all together and replace it with something more interesting, like reading a good book, writing letters to friends, or doing a favorite hobby.
5. If you need to snack at night, choose healthy options -- It is possible to snack late at night without piling on the calories (and the fat). Fresh veggies and fruit are good, great-tasting options. So is low-fat, low-sugar yogurt and cheese. If you need something a little more "satisfying" have a piece of whole-grain toast with a small amount of natural peanut butter on top, a handful of mixed nuts, or a bowl of whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk. Finally, some people find that a cup of decaffeinated herbal tea really helps take their mind off food altogether.
*******************
How to Curb Food Cravings at Night to Lose Weight Naturally
According to a recent USDA study, overweight adults tend to eat significantly more calories at night than normal-weight adults, but they eat only slightly more calories at other times of the day. Another recent study from the University of Texas showed that it's much easier to overeat at night, mainly because late-night snacking seems less satisfying than snacking earlier in the day. Other studies have found that many people eat close to 50% of their daily calories at night!
1. Eat breakfast -- It's been proven that people who skip breakfast have a much harder time losing weight. By eating a big, healthy breakfast in the morning you'll give your body the energy it needs and dramatically reduce hunger and cravings later in the day.
2. Eat several small, healthy snacks and meals throughout the day -- People who eat small meals and snacks every few hours, earlier in the day, tend to feel better and have more energy. They also tend to eat fewer overall calories, especially at night. Keeping yourself from getting hungry may be the best craving-stopping technique out there!
3. Eat a "healthy-sized" dinner -- Don't make the mistake of eating too small of a dinner. You might think you're saving calories but you're just setting yourself up for hunger and food cravings later in the evening. Eat a good, medium-sized dinner that includes lots of high-fiber foods (like veggies, salads, and whole-grain breads, pastas, etc.). It's best to eat more protein and less fat and carbs at this meal because it's less likely to be stored as fat.
4. Keep your mind occupied at night -- Many people have a bad habit of eating when they're bored. They get home at night and "zone out" in front of the TV, often with a bag of chips or cookies at their side. It's called "mindless snacking" and it's a huge cause of weight gain, especially in America. Avoid the TV all together and replace it with something more interesting, like reading a good book, writing letters to friends, or doing a favorite hobby.
5. If you need to snack at night, choose healthy options -- It is possible to snack late at night without piling on the calories (and the fat). Fresh veggies and fruit are good, great-tasting options. So is low-fat, low-sugar yogurt and cheese. If you need something a little more "satisfying" have a piece of whole-grain toast with a small amount of natural peanut butter on top, a handful of mixed nuts, or a bowl of whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk. Finally, some people find that a cup of decaffeinated herbal tea really helps take their mind off food altogether.
Article Source: http://www.advicelibrary.com
Jamie Clark is a health researcher and writer. He is a co-editor of FreshHealthyUseful.com. Learn more about natural weight loss at www.freshhealthyuseful.com/main/natural-weight-loss-guide/.
tags : supper | eating | food | craving | weight loss | late-night snacking | healthy | calories | dinner | fat |
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Dieting At Your Workplace
I came across this article on weight-loss once again, and found it to be pretty unconventional. The ideas suggested are worth a try.. :)
*****************
Weight Loss At Work: Non-Food Rewards
By: Virginia Bola
The e-mail comes out at noon. "To celebrate your hard work this week, there is cake and ice cream in the big kitchen at 3 today. Be there!"
The universal reward for hard work always seems to be food: cake and ice cream, a catered lunch for in-service training sessions, pizza for the overtime crew, bagels and cream cheese to brighten up a bleak Monday morning.
Food seems to be the perennial favorite for any kind of work reward because it is universally accepted. Some of us (we hard core dieters) may pass on the sweet stuff but usually find something allowable. In a world where two thirds of us are overweight or obese, is there nothing else available as a gift that cuts across all individual interests?
Recently, we had a whole week at my company devoted to employee appreciation. The primary rewards were, of course, food but other things were added: a company baseball cap, a hiking water container, a lunch bag, and a handwritten note of thanks to every employee from their supervisor. The cap was a bust for those of us with any modicum of fashion sense; the insulated flask and bag were food related, and the handwritten notes were superfluous - good supervisors show their appreciation of hard work constantly while a handwritten note from a harsh supervisor, no matter the "thanks" stated, means diddly squat to a resentful employee.
There HAS to be something else, doesn't there? We human beings have few things totally in common and eating is the primary universal. Other common bodily activities such as urination and defecation are not easily translatable into some kind of reward system. We are all involved in physical activity, to some degree, but that is often more a chore than a delight.
When it comes to our other senses, we all differ so much that one person's pleasure is another person's pain: music, perfume, pictures, or massages are differential tastes rather than general givens.
Money is almost always acceptable but the small amounts that would be individually generated to replace a free dessert or snack would be so minimal that their reward value would be insignificant.
So what can those of us on a permanent diet, and alarmed about our coworkers' increased girth, suggest?
How about plants? Small individual pots or a larger department shrub would save our waistlines while adding to the health and esthetics of our environment. I calculate, just within my call center, that if a plant had been given to each department, instead of an edible goodie, for celebrations over the past 5 years, that I would now be working in a lush rain forest of exotic plants where the stale re-processed air conditioned air would be purer, more humid, and a thousand times fresher. Morale booster and health benefits in one fell swoop!
How about the gift of time? In our overly busy pressured lives, who would not be immensely grateful for a free hour here or there. Rotate it through each department, letting one or two people leave early on a Friday afternoon. That would means something and would carry no cost so upper management should be ecstatic.
How about free "Get out of jail" cards for every line worker? Each person gets one free card and additional cards can be given by supervisors for outstanding work, ensuring that the better workers have more cards. The cards can then be used as excuses for small transgressions - coming in a little late, leaving early, making minor mistakes. With the use of the card, a worker avoids verbal coaching, warnings, or being put on report. And let employees use their cards for coworkers who may need them - think of the teambuilding that would accomplish!
Flexibility of hours, assignments, and days, is another area where workers will universally respond: not to money, or food, but to accommodation of individual needs. Give each employee a wish card and then allow them to use it to get something they need.
What does all of this accomplish? It allows for employee rewards without fats and carbohydrates. Now isn't that worthwhile?
P. S. I'm recommending this to my company. I'll let you know if they buy it!
Article Source: http://www.advicelibrary.com
Dr. Bola is a psychologist and an admitted diet fanatic, specializing in therapeutic reframing and the effects of attitudes and motivation on individual goals. She is the author of a psychology-based workbook for permanent weight control. Reach her at: www.DietWithAnAttitude.com/index2.html
*****************
Weight Loss At Work: Non-Food Rewards
By: Virginia Bola
The e-mail comes out at noon. "To celebrate your hard work this week, there is cake and ice cream in the big kitchen at 3 today. Be there!"
The universal reward for hard work always seems to be food: cake and ice cream, a catered lunch for in-service training sessions, pizza for the overtime crew, bagels and cream cheese to brighten up a bleak Monday morning.
Food seems to be the perennial favorite for any kind of work reward because it is universally accepted. Some of us (we hard core dieters) may pass on the sweet stuff but usually find something allowable. In a world where two thirds of us are overweight or obese, is there nothing else available as a gift that cuts across all individual interests?
Recently, we had a whole week at my company devoted to employee appreciation. The primary rewards were, of course, food but other things were added: a company baseball cap, a hiking water container, a lunch bag, and a handwritten note of thanks to every employee from their supervisor. The cap was a bust for those of us with any modicum of fashion sense; the insulated flask and bag were food related, and the handwritten notes were superfluous - good supervisors show their appreciation of hard work constantly while a handwritten note from a harsh supervisor, no matter the "thanks" stated, means diddly squat to a resentful employee.
There HAS to be something else, doesn't there? We human beings have few things totally in common and eating is the primary universal. Other common bodily activities such as urination and defecation are not easily translatable into some kind of reward system. We are all involved in physical activity, to some degree, but that is often more a chore than a delight.
When it comes to our other senses, we all differ so much that one person's pleasure is another person's pain: music, perfume, pictures, or massages are differential tastes rather than general givens.
Money is almost always acceptable but the small amounts that would be individually generated to replace a free dessert or snack would be so minimal that their reward value would be insignificant.
So what can those of us on a permanent diet, and alarmed about our coworkers' increased girth, suggest?
How about plants? Small individual pots or a larger department shrub would save our waistlines while adding to the health and esthetics of our environment. I calculate, just within my call center, that if a plant had been given to each department, instead of an edible goodie, for celebrations over the past 5 years, that I would now be working in a lush rain forest of exotic plants where the stale re-processed air conditioned air would be purer, more humid, and a thousand times fresher. Morale booster and health benefits in one fell swoop!
How about the gift of time? In our overly busy pressured lives, who would not be immensely grateful for a free hour here or there. Rotate it through each department, letting one or two people leave early on a Friday afternoon. That would means something and would carry no cost so upper management should be ecstatic.
How about free "Get out of jail" cards for every line worker? Each person gets one free card and additional cards can be given by supervisors for outstanding work, ensuring that the better workers have more cards. The cards can then be used as excuses for small transgressions - coming in a little late, leaving early, making minor mistakes. With the use of the card, a worker avoids verbal coaching, warnings, or being put on report. And let employees use their cards for coworkers who may need them - think of the teambuilding that would accomplish!
Flexibility of hours, assignments, and days, is another area where workers will universally respond: not to money, or food, but to accommodation of individual needs. Give each employee a wish card and then allow them to use it to get something they need.
What does all of this accomplish? It allows for employee rewards without fats and carbohydrates. Now isn't that worthwhile?
P. S. I'm recommending this to my company. I'll let you know if they buy it!
Article Source: http://www.advicelibrary.com
Dr. Bola is a psychologist and an admitted diet fanatic, specializing in therapeutic reframing and the effects of attitudes and motivation on individual goals. She is the author of a psychology-based workbook for permanent weight control. Reach her at: www.DietWithAnAttitude.com/index2.html
tags : dieting | overweight | catered lunch | employee rewards | gift | workplace |
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Can't Beat 'Em? Join Them!
I can't help it. I'm now hooked on reading up weight-loss articles. I'm not on diet, really.. but these articles are interesting, and so sensible. Anyway, here we go... :)
*****************
Top 10 Health Tips For Easy Weight Loss
By: Tracie Johanson
*****************
Top 10 Health Tips For Easy Weight Loss
By: Tracie Johanson
At any given moment, millions of people in this country are on a diet. From Weight Watchers to the South Beach Diet to the newest diet pill, folks are trying anything and everything in an effort to write their own weight loss success story. Unfortunately for those seeking fast weight loss, the vast majority of weight loss programs on the market today simply do not work.
Diet plans and diet products that offer quick weight loss without exercise are especially prone to failure. "In fact, nearly 95 percent of those who go on low calorie diets regain their lost weight, plus some, within five years. Not a resounding endorsement for low calorie dieting" (Source: Performance Press; April 2006).
That's not to say that all the weight loss tips and diet tips are without merit, however. Tips on losing weight can have a powerful effect when they're combined with regular exercise. That's why we've created this list of the top 10 health tips for easy weight loss.
Is weight loss easy? Not usually, and the reason is that most people try to make huge changes all at once. Pumped up with commitment and willpower, they jump into the latest weight loss product or diet program with both feet. They make too many changes in too short a time period. Drastic lifestyle modifications are rarely sustainable, and all too often lead to failure. If you've been living on junk food for years, trying to switch to a healthy diet overnight will only make you feel frustrated and deprived.
A much better approach is to make small changes that you can stick with for life. So check out the sound advice you'll find in our top ten list, and you'll get the weight loss information you need for success.
** 1) Our first bit of health advice is to skip the super size option. In this tip we’ve assumed that you visit McDonald’s once per week. That may a low average for some of you, so keep in mind that if you’re eating fast food more than once per week the results you’ll achieve by following this tip will be even greater than the example shows. We’re not asking you to give up fast food completely (small, sustainable changes, remember?). Instead, we’re asking you to say no to the SuperSize portion. Just by ordering a ‘regular’ McDonald’s meal instead of the SuperSize option, you will lose almost 6 pounds of fat this year! Want even more good news? This example only factors in the french fries. Add in the calorie savings you’ll get by drinking a regular soda vs. a SuperSize soda and the results are truly amazing.
** 2) The second recommendation in this fitness advice guide is to eat 5 – 6 smaller meals per day. “Eating small meals causes a lower blood sugar response than large meals. A high blood sugar response provides you with quick energy, but it is associated with a large insulin release that tends to cause a blood sugar ‘crash’ soon thereafter. Many small meals taken throughout the day will normalize blood sugar and insulin levels, providing a sustained and consistent energy supply to the cells. A meal every three hours or so is recommended.” (source: Fitness, The Complete Guide; 2001; page 8.4)
A note of caution here, however: This health tip does not mean that you eat 6 big meals per day. Instead, you should take the amount of food you'd normally consume and spread it out over six meals instead of the usual three. For someone on a 2,000 calorie per day diet, that would translate into 333 calories per meal x 6 meals.
** 3) The next tidbit of expert advice is to know the numbers. Everyone on a weight loss plan should know, at a minimum, how many calories they should be consuming every day. This number is known as your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), also commonly referred to as the Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) or simply the Burn Rate. Although your doctor can help you calculate your BMR most accurately, there are some resources that can assist you in estimating your number.
Your BMR is your ‘calorie target’, assuming that you wish to maintain your current size and weight. For the best fat loss results, cut calorie consumption moderately…..say, 500 below your caloric target.
If you're seeking fat loss, then it's important to also understand that body fat percentage is one of the most important measurements of fitness. All the medical advice agrees that reaching your ideal body weight is best achieved through permanent fat loss (as opposed to muscle loss). With this in mind, this health tip for easy weight loss is to know your BMR and your body fat percentage, along with the corresponding goals.
** 4) It's good advice to know the difference between cheat food and junk food. Cheat foods are those foods that don’t belong in your everyday diet, but still have some redeeming qualities. Junk foods are those foods that don’t belong in your diet at all, ever.
This tip is really a critical one: Understand the difference between ‘cheat’ foods and ‘junk’ foods. Cheat foods have some nutritional value, so although we shouldn’t eat them every day it’s not the end of the world if we enjoy them from time to time. Junk foods, on the other hand, give us absolutely no benefit whatsoever. Again, we want you to make small changes that you can stick with for life. You don’t have to give up the occasional ‘cheat food’ treat – just try to eliminate all the ‘junk food’.
For example, compare a slice of Pizza Hut pepperoni pizza with a Hershey's chocolate bar. Neither are what you'd consider healthy, and both have roughly the same number of calories. But with the pizza, at least you’re getting some nutritional value because that delicious slice contains 11 grams of protein compared to just 3 grams in the candy bar. Cheat foods are not health foods, but at least they’re not junk foods. Choose wisely.
** 5) When you're trying to lose weight fast, some sound advice is to chart your progress. What gets measured gets done, so charting your fat loss progress is a simple step that will help you get motivated and stay motivated. Create a chart for each challenge you face, whether it be working out or dietary habits. The important thing to remember is that there is no right or wrong way to chart your progress – what works for you may not work for anyone else. So come up with your own system, create a tracking chart, and post it where you will see it several times each day.
** 6) Do not decrease your caloric intake far below what is required of your BMR, or you risk forcing your body into starvation mode. “Do not under-eat by too much. If you consistently eat way too little, your body will start to think it’s in a starvation state and for the initial period, weight loss and fat loss may become harder than anticipated. After a while of severe underfeeding, instead of preferentially burning fat for energy, your hard-earned muscle will be burned for energy” (source: Fitness Rx; February 2004; page 93). So if healthy weight loss is your goal, and you only want to burn fat while you preserve your valuable muscle, then take great care to not starve yourself.
** 7) Don’t shop when you’re hungry. Shopping when you’re hungry is asking for double-trouble, and eliminating this bad habit will help you lose fat by removing temptation from your home. Shopping while full greatly reduces your chances of impulsively buying sweets and treats. This allows you to shop with your brain and not your stomach. Skipping all the extra fattening foods will make one thing fatter, however…..your wallet.
** 8) Take (at least) 20 minutes to eat. Once you start eating, it takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain that you’re full. The problem is, many of us eat so quickly that by the time our stomach has had the chance to send that message we’ve already put down more calories than we needed.
Here are a few ways to solve this problem:
a) Drink a large (8 or 12 oz.) glass of water 20 minutes before each meal.
b) Physically put your fork down between each bite.
c) Enjoy your family. Have a discussion that stretches out the length of the meal.
d) Serve the meal in courses, starting with a large salad.
** 9) Have a treat once a week. If you deprive yourself of all treats, then you’re just setting yourself up for failure. “Being too stringent on a diet can beget a downfall. To prevent this, once a week, for one meal, have your favorite foods” (source: Fitness Rx; February 2004; page 96).
One of the major reasons people fail in their fat loss efforts is that they adopt the all-or-none mentality. When the attempts to stay away from all treats fail, it’s easy to think ‘Oh well, I’ve already blown my diet. Might as well eat another slice’. Planning a weekly treat will help curb those cravings, making a binge less likely.
** 10) Be inefficient. Make extra work for yourself. Take two trips to bring in all the groceries from the car, even if you can do it in one. When running errands, park as far away from each business as possible. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, even if you’re carrying something. In short, be inefficient. “Being inefficient in this way can easily double your activity level and you’ll be burning calories without even trying” (source: Fitness Rx; February 2004; page 96).
Remember that walking burns about 108 calories in 30 minutes. Small walks count too. Even if you don’t have time to walk 30 minutes in one session each day, shorter walks that add up to 30 minutes will still burn that same 108 calories.
If you're looking for the best weight loss program available, give these health tips a try. With a little effort, you may just put that weight issue to rest once and for all.
Article Source: http://www.advicelibrary.com
Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit www.letspickupthepace.com/ for more information.
tags : weight watchers | south beach diet | weight loss | exercise | meals | mcdonald's | calories |
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Dieting: Always In (Unfortunately)
My dear friend read my previous posting and liked it.. so I found another one, to her and all! :)
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The Top Ten Nourishing Foods For Dieters
By: Patricia Zelkovsky
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The Top Ten Nourishing Foods For Dieters
By: Patricia Zelkovsky
When you are on a calorie restricted diet, it is more important then ever to choose foods that are as jam packed with as many nutritional elements as possible. This is particularly true if you are taking Hoodia.
Hoodia supplementation can reduce your caloric intake as much as 1000 calories a day. This means you need to avoid eating empty calories from foods that lack vitamins and nutrients and stick to foods that give you the most maximum value in terms of nutrition.
Here is a list of the Top Ten Nourishing Foods for Dieters.
1. Beans - Also known as legumes, beans are inexpensive, low in fat, and rich in protein, iron, folic acid, and fiber. Choose from a large variety including garbanzo, pinto, black, navy and kidney beans. Lentils and chickpeas also fall into this group of healthy foods. Eat them as a side dish or snack, in a tortilla with salsa, or in a soup.
2. Cantaloupe - Only one quarter of this delicious melon supplies almost as much vitamin A and C as most people need in an entire day.
3. Spinach, Kale, Collard Greens - These load with vitamin C, carotenoids, fiber and calcium that your body can easily absorb.
4. Sweet Potatoes - These starchy and satisfying vegetables are loaded with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
5. Pineapple - Contains plenty of Vitamin A, fiber and an enzyme called bromelain that breaks down foods efficiently for digestion.
6. Broccoli - This inexpensive vegetable contains lots of vitamin C, carotenoids, and folic acid (which is needed to metabolize iron)
7. Fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1% but not 2%) milk - Milk is an excellent source of calcium, vitamins and protein with little or no artery-clogging saturated fat and cholesterol. Soy milk can have just as many nutrients but it is often a dollar or two more expensive. Only buy soy milk if you are lactose intolerant.
8. Oranges - This familiar fruit is rich in vitamin C, folic acid, and fiber.
9. Salmon - The omega-3 fats in fish, especially fatty fresh fish like salmon, swordfish, and rainbow trout, can help reduce the risk of sudden-death heart attacks.
10. 100% Whole-Grain Bread - It's higher in fiber and about a dozen vitamins and minerals than enriched while bread or "wheat" bread. Look for whole-grain crackers that have the word "whole" in the first ingredient on the nutrition label.
Notice that many of these foods are inexpensive to buy and in the long run much cheaper than investing in expensive vitamin and mineral supplements.
Article Source: http://www.advicelibrary.com
Patricia has been researching health and weight loss information since the early 70's and knows how to seperate fact from hype. Weight Loss Products that work
tags : diet | calories | hoodia | nourishing | food | vitamins | supplements | weight-loss | fat-free |
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
How Not To Binge When Stressed
This is dedicated to a dear friend who's facing tremendous stress at work recently and is eating and eating kinda non-stop as a means to relieve the stress.
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How To Lose Weight Even If You Can’t Stick To Any Weight Loss Program
Maybe you’re like me and can’t stick with a diet for any length of time. I don’t know how much time and money I spent looking for something that works.
I either couldn’t get going with the diet or I spoiled a good run with a binge, usually more than one because I felt guilty about my failure.
Supplements didn’t work because they either were supposed to reduce my appetite but I ate even if I wasn’t hungry. Or they were supposed to increase my metabolism but I would have had to be burn like a jet engine to get rid of the extra food I kept eating.
Was I weak, undisciplined, or lazy? At times I thought so (why else would I have a problem), but that’s not the way the world saw me. I was a work horse, pushing myself hard through illness or fatigue. I was the reliable rock at work. I could negotiate multi-million dollar deals. I was considered courageous in the face of adversity. And I was a regular gym member.
Yet for a long while, food and body issues ruled my life. I now know it’s because I needed the plunge into food, to deal with stress and emotional tension of any kind. My irresistible food cravings were a well-worn survival pattern that couldn’t be reversed with either willpower, or rational insights about my “issues”.
Then I started studying bio-energetics, how we have energy systems that govern our chemistry, and therefore our emotions.
That explained why even therapy couldn’t make a dent in my behavior. Having insights about why I overate, didn’t dissolve the long-established “energy imprint” that pushed me to hide from stress and tension in food.
So if diets didn’t work and a heavy workout schedule wasn’t enough to compensate for my overeating, what was the solution?
Since I couldn’t fight my food cravings, I had to eliminate them.
I had to learn how to dissolve my tension, both the emotion itself and the energy pattern behind it. How? I use a combination of tools including EFT and Releasing. If you don’t know these, you can get results by just being more aware of the tension, and focussing on your intent to let it go.
Life happens and stress is building as the world is accelerating. We can’t isolate ourselves from it. But we can become masters at defusing its effects.
I also needed to change my belief that I was doomed to either overeat or be miserable fighting the urges to indulge. And that’s something else that couldn’t be done on a rational thought level.
Maybe some people can just wish away their unproductive beliefs; I couldn’t. I had to use a particular form of guided visualization. And I had to do it after I had dissolved the “energy knots” that were choking me, or the message didn’t sink in.
Then weight loss came as a natural consequence of healthy behavior. And I didn’t need to be afraid of food anymore. Life is too precious to waste on stale Twinkies.
Article Source: http://www.advicelibrary.com
Helene Desruisseaux is a success trainer and co-founder of MakingPeaceWithFood a weight loss program designed to eliminate food cravings. Get from their website a free report on "The top 5 mistakes people make when they try to lose weight."
**********************
How To Lose Weight Even If You Can’t Stick To Any Weight Loss Program
Maybe you’re like me and can’t stick with a diet for any length of time. I don’t know how much time and money I spent looking for something that works.
I either couldn’t get going with the diet or I spoiled a good run with a binge, usually more than one because I felt guilty about my failure.
Supplements didn’t work because they either were supposed to reduce my appetite but I ate even if I wasn’t hungry. Or they were supposed to increase my metabolism but I would have had to be burn like a jet engine to get rid of the extra food I kept eating.
Was I weak, undisciplined, or lazy? At times I thought so (why else would I have a problem), but that’s not the way the world saw me. I was a work horse, pushing myself hard through illness or fatigue. I was the reliable rock at work. I could negotiate multi-million dollar deals. I was considered courageous in the face of adversity. And I was a regular gym member.
Yet for a long while, food and body issues ruled my life. I now know it’s because I needed the plunge into food, to deal with stress and emotional tension of any kind. My irresistible food cravings were a well-worn survival pattern that couldn’t be reversed with either willpower, or rational insights about my “issues”.
Then I started studying bio-energetics, how we have energy systems that govern our chemistry, and therefore our emotions.
That explained why even therapy couldn’t make a dent in my behavior. Having insights about why I overate, didn’t dissolve the long-established “energy imprint” that pushed me to hide from stress and tension in food.
So if diets didn’t work and a heavy workout schedule wasn’t enough to compensate for my overeating, what was the solution?
Since I couldn’t fight my food cravings, I had to eliminate them.
I had to learn how to dissolve my tension, both the emotion itself and the energy pattern behind it. How? I use a combination of tools including EFT and Releasing. If you don’t know these, you can get results by just being more aware of the tension, and focussing on your intent to let it go.
Life happens and stress is building as the world is accelerating. We can’t isolate ourselves from it. But we can become masters at defusing its effects.
I also needed to change my belief that I was doomed to either overeat or be miserable fighting the urges to indulge. And that’s something else that couldn’t be done on a rational thought level.
Maybe some people can just wish away their unproductive beliefs; I couldn’t. I had to use a particular form of guided visualization. And I had to do it after I had dissolved the “energy knots” that were choking me, or the message didn’t sink in.
Then weight loss came as a natural consequence of healthy behavior. And I didn’t need to be afraid of food anymore. Life is too precious to waste on stale Twinkies.
Article Source: http://www.advicelibrary.com
Helene Desruisseaux is a success trainer and co-founder of MakingPeaceWithFood a weight loss program designed to eliminate food cravings. Get from their website a free report on "The top 5 mistakes people make when they try to lose weight."
tags : stress | food cravings | diet | metabolism | binge | weight-loss |
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