Posts Tagged ‘Oprah thyroid weightloss’

Lose Weight Fast the Healthy Way

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

Across the country, people are having great success in losing weight. Whether they are young or over 40, male or female, they are learning more about their bodies and understanding how to lose weight.

Losing weight is more about lifestyle change, than it is about physical fat. It also depends a lot on your metabolism, heredity, stress levels and eating habits. How you lose weight will also depend on the amount of weight you want to lose which is often determined by genetics. Losing weight fast the healthy way is about understanding your body and your nutritional need.

The best advice is, to follow the plan that is successful for people who do lose the weight they want. Usually they change their eating habits and adopt a new lifestyle. They start exercising regularly combining aerobic exercise, strength training and healthy eating.

Most people know that staying away from most forms of fast food will almost immediately help you lose water weight. When you add more fruits, leafy and other vegetable, eat good protein like fish, poultry and lean meats, the weight will come off easily.

Changing your eating habits doesn’t have to be a big deal but it means that you will need to make better choices. As an example, when you are used to eating chips or drinking lattes every day, you can change your habits easily. Instead of chips try some of the gluten free snacks like pretzels or veggie chips. Instead of drinking a latte, try regular coffee or iced tea. These are changes that are healthier for you and you will see changes in your body.

Another good idea is to watch when you eat. Some nutritionists suggest that you eat your heaviest meal in the middle of the day instead of at the end. For instance, if you are going to eat red meat or food that may be difficult to digest, eat it before 2:00 in the afternoon. This allows your body to have time to digest.

Replace the evening meal that would have been heavy with a salad that includes a little chicken, a few nuts and a little fruit. You will find that this is more filling than some of your other choices.

An interesting fact about weight loss is that many people forget to drink water. This is important but in the past people may only know that this is healthy but not know why. The reason to drink plenty of water is that it takes bloat out of your system.

It is rather weird to think about it but most people retain water at sometime in their life. Since we are mostly made of water, the more you put into your system, the more will be released. The technical reason this works is because you stay hydrated. When you are hydrated your body naturally releases waste.

Water is also good for overall nutrition because it feeds the skin and cells, lubricates the joints and helps your digestion and elimination. You may not think that water is so important but if you increase your daily intake you will see what it does.

To your health,

Kim Duess
You-Be-Slim.com
Your Natural Weight Loss Solution

Why Fad Diets Don’t Work

Sunday, July 27th, 2008

Every week people are doing whatever they can to lose weight. Many try every fad diet that comes out, from eating sauerkraut to drinking mineral water. All these diets are fads and you need to know why fad diets don’t work.

One of the challenges for people today is the fact that we live in such a fast paced society. We want everything quick. We are addicted to drive-thrus, especially where food and ATMs are concerned. We don’t like to take time for surfing the Internet and we don’t like to stand in line!

In the United States millions of people spend billions of dollars on fad diets looking for the best, the fastest and the easiest way to lose weight. They don’t care what it is they just want to try it.

The problem is that there is no quick fix where weight loss is concerned. Fad diets rely on the fact that people will buy almost anything. They can tell you that mud mixed with minerals will help you lose weight quickly and some people will buy it.

The basic reason fad diets don’t work is because losing weight has more to do with lifestyle than it has to do with weight gain or loss. There are too many contributing factors like stress, heredity, emotional well being and medical conditions for it to fix every problem.

Fad diets also are short term solutions and a one size fits all approach. Every person is different and no matter what the situation is there is no way to have one way of dieting fit for all people. Other reasons why fad diets don’t work are because of attitude. Here are some of the attitudes we bring to fad diets:

  • I am tired of this diet — most people feel deprived when they start a diet. For some reason just this word makes them crazy and within a few days, they stop the diet and eat the way they have always eaten.
  • The diet says I don’t have to exercise — well, yeah, it does because it wants you to buy the diet. They tell you that no exercise is required but most people know that anytime you change your eating habit you have to do exercise.
  • Hey, I lost weight and I didn’t do anything but follow the diet! — Although this is true, the first weight you always lose is bloat because you are suddenly eating less.
  • I’m going to eat plenty of (blank) because the diet says it is magic — okay, for this one remember what happened to Jack and the magic beans? Although they were great at first, he had to eventually cut down the Beanstalk. If you are told that cabbage, grapefruit and other magic foods will help you lose weight forget about it. Include them in a nutritional lifestyle change instead.

Any good nutritional program will tell you that if you eat more fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and stay away from bad fats and sugar, your weight will come down easily.

To your health,

Kim Duess
You-Be-Slim.com
Your Natural Weight Loss Solution

Lose Weight Fast with these Super Simple Exercises!

Friday, July 25th, 2008

Everyone wants to lose weight these days and if you are a woman in America today, it seems that this is something that we are always doing. It sometimes seems like a pain to do, but we can do it. Yes, we can find ways to lose weight that are fun and easy exercises.

Of course we have to remember that we have to combine good eating habits with these simple exercises and we know that if we eat right we can stay fit. As you’re eating better, it’s a good idea to know why you want to lose weight and stick to those training exercises that will help you.

Here are a few different ways to exercise that you might try that will help you get the weight off fast:

  • Playing with the kids – believe it or not if you have children around you whether they are yours or someone else’s, playing with them can help you lose weight. Running around and playing a game of hide and seek or just chasing them around the yard has you up and moving.
  • Gardening – gardening will help lose weight because you are up and down pulling weeds or planting seeds. This is a great way to flex muscles and muscle tone.
  • Interval exercises – these are exercises like running up stairs, running around a track or doing a lap around a track. The key is to do it for at least 10-20 minute and change it up. In other words, run up and down the stairs, as quickly as you can, then run in place. This is a great way to start losing weight.
  • Cardiovascular Exercises – these will help you burn calories quickly if you do them 20-30 minutes per day. These can be anything from running to stair climbing to going to a gym that has cardio machines. They also help you boost your metabolism.
  • Get an exercise ball – these are the big bouncy balls that you see on fitness programs. They are inexpensive and come with a video with several great exercises on them. They are versatile and they are fun.
  • Jumping rope, Rowing, Hula Hoop — these are great cardio exercises and if you do those 20-30 minutes you’ll find yourself losing weight in no time. They are some of the most fun too!
  • Great looking Abs– there are all types of Abs exercises that are advertised by all sorts of people. The best way to have great looking abs is to exercise the entire body. A combination of strength training, cardiovascular exercises for the entire body and a healthy diet works very well.Isolating abs won’t do as much as working the body overall. The basic reason is because the Abs are just a small part of your middle section and you would only be working a tiny area. With an overall workout, you work everything in coordination.
  • Squats–you can do squats in front of a mirror during your regular day. These will help strengthen your legs and build your buttock muscles.

If you work any of the exercises we’ve given you here over a period of time, they will begin to tighten areas of your body so that you will look wonderful. Chose those that make you feel good and that you will do without getting bored.

Also, combine the exercise with lots of fruits and vegetables and a good healthy diet. This will help you lose the weight you want in a quick amount of time. If you don’t combine the two, it is more difficult. The key to losing weight fast is to make sure you have fun.

To your health,

Kim Duess
www.You-Be-Slim.com
Your Natural Weight Loss Solution

Study Shows Fast Weight Loss with Soup or Salad before a Meal

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008

Soup or Salad before Your Main Meal will Help You Lose Weight FasterI just came across an article on Reuters.com which talks about a study done that showed eating soup or salad before a meal helps people lose weight faster.

I find that when I have salad or soup it ‘calms’ my appetite and I am less likely to overeat at my main meal. Sometimes I will have only soup and salad for a meal and that really is enough and leaves me feeling satisfied, not overly full.

Make your salads interesting so you look forward to them and ENJOY them! Add a diced chicken breast, some feta cheese, pumpkin seeds, a few diced strawberries and a little of your favorite dressing. Be sure to keep salad ingredients in your fridge all the time so you can whip this up easily.

You can make your own soup (add ingredients to blender, add some spices, water and you are done!) or you can look for organic soups at your local grocery shop. Be sure to check out the sodium content which can be lurking in soup.

To your health,

Kim Duess

You-Be-Slim.com
Your Natural Weight Loss Solution

The South Beach Diet - the Scoop

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008

Although many people consider the South Beach Diet a fad, it actually has some merit that is beyond what most fads offer. Started by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston this diet teaches not only about nutrition but it helps the individual create a better lifestyle.

Dr. Agatston started the South Beach Diet in response to his founding of The Agatston Research Foundation. He was concerned about how Americans ate and wanted to study diet, cardiac and disease prevention. The South Beach Diet works for many people and it has 3 phases:

Phase 1 — for the first two weeks of following this diet you spend eating what he calls nutrient-dense, fiber-rich foods that are designed to satisfy your appetite. The reason you do this is so that your body will get used to good whole foods, instead of sugar and refined starches.

Some of the food choices you get, are lean proteins that include seafood, chicken, lean beef and vegetables that are high in fiber. The diet gives you many recipes for delicious creations and you can even choose snacks from their list of healthy alternatives.

The purpose of Phase 1 is to stop your cravings for sugar and refined starches and balance your blood sugar. This will also help your body come back to a normal healthy state.

Phase 2 – this phase doesn’t give an amount of time because it is geared towards getting you into the swing of the South Beach Diet. You continue to eat the foods from Phase 1 but you also add good carbohydrate foods like whole grain breads, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and peas. They even let you have dark chocolate and other nutritious foods for snack. Once you reach your goal weight you move into Phase 3.

Phase 3 — is the maintenance aspect of the South Beach Diet. You know how to eat better and you understand how to make smarter choices about your food. The nice part about this phase is that the sky is the limit as to what you eat. If you continue eating healthy you will maintain your health and your new weight.

All three phases allow you to eat specific desserts and you learn how to combine a variety of healthy foods that will fill you up instead of make you crave more food.

Many people say that the best part of the South Beach Diet is that it is flexible. It allows you to eat a variety of food and you don’t have to be embarrassed when you go out to eat because there is bound to be something on the menu that you can eat.

One of the challenges to the diet is that most people find it easier to grab fast food or eat in a restaurant because they are on the go, most of the time. The South Beach Diet encourages you to eat at home by creating yummy recipes. This is a diet worth a try because it has been researched thoroughly by a physician who cares.

To your health,

Kim Duess

You-Be-Slim.com
Your Natural Weight Loss Solution

Lose Weight Faster by Reprogramming Your Brain

Monday, July 21st, 2008

Whew…we’ve all been there, done that. Yes, I am talking about us people who are always in a constant endeavor to lose weight. We’ve tried every trick there is to losing weight. From one thing to another, it’s like a relentless pursuit of finding the magic wand that will make us loose weight. But you know what…amidst all my ongoing struggles of losing weight, I realized something. No matter how hard you try, its just too tough to follow a diet. But here’s a formula to success, here’s a diet that needs no exercise nor any will power…yes..its mind power…all you need to do is program your mind. Losing weight successfully must start from within. Yes, you have been programed to gain weight.

There’s been much talk about subliminal messages. What are they and do these help? A subliminal message is one that is communicated below the conscious level of perception, which means that you’re not aware of receiving the message, but your subconscious does receive it. See, basically your subconscious mind has one goal only, your survival. It automatically and completely runs all the systems of your body, and of course the mind to.

So, what your subconscious does is that its always looking out for you and keeps you safe. It also accepts suggestions for things that you’re unaware of. For example, we don’t realize the effects that advertising has on us. Our subconscious mind gets influenced and thus we can act on them. Even if you’re hypnotized, your subconscious will follow the suggestions made to you, unless it has developed beliefs that counter those suggestions.

That brings us to our heavier, weighty issues. In case you’re on the heavier side, your subconscious has been programed to keep you at that weight. Even if you try to lose weight, your subconscious will make you gain weight again. So, what you need to do in order to lose weight is to get your subconscious to cooperate.
If you’re not convinced how to do this, no worries. There are subliminal programs that are available to help you. Both tapes and CD’s are available. In fact there are many such programs that help you lose weight or help you get rid of your bad habits.

What’s more, there’s also subliminal weight loss software available. You can install such software on your computer. As you work on your computer, this program will keep flashing messages at you. The messages are so quick that consciously you’re hardly aware of them. But these same messages do have an effect on your subconscious mind and accepts them

If you spend a lot of time on your computer and want to lose weight, there are high chances of this software working for you. It helps you reprogram your subconscious mind, and you’ll find that losing weight is much easy as compared to before.

To your health,

Kim Duess
You-Be-Slim.com
Your Natural Weight Loss Solution

6 Ways to Avoid Common Diet Mistakes

Thursday, July 17th, 2008

Most people think that they are doing well when it comes to their diet but it could be that they are missing some important facts. If you are not losing as much as you want when you want to, it may be that some of your habits need changing.

In today’s fast paced world you may find that although you are dieting the way your diet says, it may be that you aren’t getting everything into your diet that is necessary. Here are 6 diet mistakes that you might want to avoid:

1. Mistake: Skipping meals — people think that if they skip meals they will lose weight faster. In fact, the body needs more food to help your metabolism burn calories.

Solution: Eat there meals even if they are light snacks. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables in the diet and make sure you have a regular amount of food.

2. Mistake: Exercise — some people don’t get enough exercise or do not put exercise as part of their dieting plan. Exercise is another way to work with your metabolism and make sure that calories are burned properly.

Solution: Find an exercise you enjoy and do it at least three times a week. This will help you burn the calories and you will have fun at the same time.

3. Eating too fast — some people have a tendency to eat very fast because they are on the run. They know they must eat something, so they grab food between meetings or just before they run out of the house.

Solution: Take time to eat and savor your food. You can always make food ahead of when you need it but take the time to sit and eat. This will help your digestion and help the calories burn.

4. Too many high calorie drinks — most people don’t think about it but when you drink lattes, coffee with cream and sugar or high sugar juices or teas, you are adding liquid calories to your diet.

Solution: Look for drinks you can switch to like club soda or some of the vegetable juices. You can also think about the 100% juices that are on the market today. Herbal teas are also good either iced or cold and you can use a little honey to sweeten them to taste.

5. Eating food without thinking – sometimes you can watch TV or read a book and you take a back of snack food with you. Before you know it you’ve eaten the entire bag.

Solution: Pour some of the snack food into a bowl and only eat what is in the bowl. When it’s empty, don’t refill the bowl.

6. Going grocery shopping when you are hungry — this is the best time to find food that you really don’t need because you are so hungry that you just pick up what looks good instead of keeping your head on straight.

Solution: Always eat before you grocery shop and take a list with you. Only buy what is on the list.

To Your Health,

Kim Duess
You-Be-Slim.com
Your Natural Weight Loss Solution

10 Ways to Lose Weight While Spending Less on Food and Exercise

Tuesday, July 15th, 2008

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to go to exercise programs or to buy specialty foods in order to lose weight. All you have to do is be a little more conscious of what you are doing and how you are doing it.

There are a variety of ways that you can save money on your food budget and there is exercise you can do that won’t mean spending a lot of money. Here are 10 tips to get you started:

1. Clip coupons — instead of paying high prices for food, clip coupons. They can save you a couple dollars at the store each time.

2. Purchase store brands — usually the store offers a product that is the same as the name brand but at a few dollars cheaper. This can save you $5 or $10 off your regular food purchases.

3. Eat at home — because most people live in a fast paced world, they eat on the run. It is a good idea to have good in the house that you can eat and sit down with so that you can enjoy the food more.

4. Find videos and DVDs for workouts — if you use the public library you can find many DVDs and videos for workouts. You can also find them on the Internet cheaper than you would in the stores. This can save you money on your workouts.

5. Walk more often — if you have an opportunity to walk down the street to go to the store for a short purchase take it. This is a good way to build cardiovascular health and stay fit at the same time.

6. Prepare your own food – instead of using pre-packed foods. If you prepare fresh fruits and vegetables to eat it is healthier and more cost effective than the pre-packed equivalents

7. Instead of a gym try classes — there are a variety of fitness classes that are offered at local community colleges and recreation centers. Usually they are a lot cheaper for a course of 5 or 10 weeks. You can try many different exercise classes and you won’t be bored over time.

8. De-stress your life
– we live with a lot of stress in most of our lives but if you take a look around you may be able to find a way do take some of the stress out. This is a major way to cut weight because you won’t have the stress hormones running rampant.

9. Check the Internet – you can find a lot of free exercise programs on the Internet that come with personal trainers as well as specific exercises. This is a great way to workout.

10. Be kind to yourself - the best thing you can do is be kind to yourself in every way possible. Learn to love who you are and what you do.

Now you know that there are a lot of brilliant ways to save money and lose weight at the same time. Just go out and try it!

To Your Health,

Kim Duess
You-Be-Slim.com
Your Natural Weight Loss Solution

Weight Loss and Diet Sodas: Why You Should Be Aware

Monday, July 7th, 2008

For many years people have used diet soda thinking that it is better than regular soda. Advertising boasts that it is better for you than regular soda. However, there are studies that are now showing that diet soda may not be as good for you as once stated.

The soda isn’t the problem actually but it is the sweetener that is used. Research is being done at Harvard Medical School that has shown that diet soda can increase blood pressure and increase an individual’s chances for heart disease, especially if you drink more than one soda a day.

Another study done by Purdue University found that rats that consumed food that contained saccharin gained more weight than other rats that ate other foods with sugar in them. This made them doubt the effectiveness of low calorie sweeteners. They also found that this changed the way your brain chemistry works with your metabolism so your body craves more food than it normally would.

Another study within Purdue University found that those people who drank more than one soda a day were prone to weight gain. So, what we have been told for all these years about diet soda just isn’t true.

The researchers doing these studies think that the artificial sweeteners, whether they are saccharine, aspartame or surralose have the ability overtime to change the body’s chemistry to accept sweetness as healthy instead of seeing it as calories.

Although scientists aren’t sure why this happens, they think it may be due to individual lifestyle. They say that people who drink a lot of soda also have a tendency to watch more TV and be more sedentary. They also say that it could be that there is more sodium in diet soda. Whatever the reason, it is a good idea to stay away from diet soda if you want to lose weight.

Over the years many people have depended on diet drinks and thought that by drinking them they were adding to their weight programs. They thought that they could consume more because it says diet which they associated with fewer calories. So your question may be, “Now what?”

There are many healthier drinks that you can use for weight instead of sodas. Here are some alternative suggestions:

  • Water – although many people don’t like the taste of water or find it boring, it is the most natural drink you can find. There are a variety of different kinds of water now so you can experiment with what you like. Also, adding a little lemon or lime juice will make the water taste better.
  • Herbal teas — believe it or not there are a variety of herbal teas that taste very good hot or cold. You can make them up in a batch at home and sip them all day or you can buy some of them unsweetened in the store. You can add a little natural honey for sweetener.
  • Zevia — although this is a name brand, is a diet soda alternative with Stevia instead of other sweeteners. It currently comes in 3 varieties including Zevia Natural Cola, Natural Orange, and Natural Twist.
  • Dry Soda — another name brand, the flavors are very different but it is still a great alternative. The flavors come in Lemongrass, Kumquat, Lavender and Rhubarb and it has fewer calories than other sodas. You can find out more by putting in a search for “dry soda”.

So take heart. You can get rid of your diet soda now and try some of the alternatives to keep losing the weight you want to lose.

To your health,

Kim Duess
www.You-Be-Slim.com
Your Natural Weight Loss Solution

Evaluate a Weight Loss Program in 5 Easy Steps

Sunday, July 6th, 2008

With all the weight loss programs on the market today it may be difficult to decide which ones would be right for you. The best way to make this decision is to think about what you are attempting to accomplish and what they have to offer.

Central to any weight loss program is the reliability of the diet. You want to be sure that it will work and that it has the elements you need for good nutrition. Of course you will need to connect some form of exercise with your diet in order for it to be most effective.

If you have a large amount of weight to lose you will want to look the expense over the span of time it will take you to lose the weight. Most of these programs can give you an estimate about how long it will take.

When you are doing your research there are five questions to ask and research. The answers will help you evaluate any weight loss program:

1. The ratio of food to exercise
Most good weight lose programs will combine food and exercise to give you a well rounded plan. Find out whether the plan encourages exercise and how many calories you will be eating each day.

Answer: if the answer to this question is that you don’t need to exercise, then run. This is probably a scam that will take more of your money than it will eliminate pounds. Most diet programs should encourage you to follow the government’s Nutrition Guide for Americans or other specific nutritional guidelines.

2. Assistance and Customer service
If you decide to join a program like Curves or other weight loss programs that have staff where you will be checking in or working with someone, ask about the staff and what type of assistance you will get. Is there group support? If so, how often.

Answer: When you join a gym or smaller program look for the readiness of the staff to help you with the machines or with questions you have about any aspect of the program. If you go in and it seems like they aren’t available, try somewhere else. You may find that the location is the problem so try many in the same type of program.

3. Healthy Living
Remember that the purpose of any weight loss programs should be to help you become healthier. You want to consume enough calories to keep you healthy. The suggested guidelines are 1200 for women and 1400 for men.

Answer: if the weight loss programs is telling you to eat less than these calories, try something else because they are not a legitimate program. Another good idea in this area is to consult with your doctor.

4. What are the risks involved with the program?
Everything you do in life will have some element of risk or side effects when you are using something that your body hasn’t done before. This applies to weight loss programs too.

Answer: If the tells you there are no risks or side affects ask to see the literature that tells you this information. If they can’t produce it walk away. Check the results of different supplements too. Any program should be able to give you this information.

5. Cost Analysis
Be careful of specials when you go into weight loss programs because they are used to bring you in and may change within a few months. Ask for a written cost break down of all the costs. Do they require you to purchase their food? Can you get the same food in the grocery store for less?

Answer: Good weight loss programs should fit within your budget and not make you have to purchase things that you normally wouldn’t eat. By getting a written cost analysis you won’t be susceptible to the hype from the initial special that brought you in.

www.You-Be-Slim.com
Your Natural Weight Loss Solution