Archive for Weight Loss Tips

9 Nutrition Tips for Surviving the Holidays

Posted in Weight Loss Tips | by Susan on December 7th, 2008

(PRWEB) December 6, 2008 — Napa Valley fat loss expert, Jeff Larson, CPT, RKC II, is the founder of Napa & Sonoma Boot Camp, Napa & Sonoma Valley’s premier fitness boot camps for men and women. He has assisted numerous people stay fit during the busy and stressful holiday season. Use his 9 nutrition tips to prevent holiday weight gain and stay fit right through the New Year.

Napa Valley fat loss expert Jeff Larson, CPT, RKC II is the founder of Napa Boot Camp, Napa’s premier fitness boot camp for men and women. He has assisted numerous people prevent the holiday weight gain during this busy and stressful time of year.

Larson claims: “There are several clever damage control nutrition strategies that you should make use of to best prevent yourself from overdoing it at the holiday festivities this season.”

Use the following 9 nutrition tips below to allow yourself to stay social and to be able to indulge in moderation without splitting your pants before the New Year:

1.) Hydrate

Try to drink at least 1-2 glasses of water before you dig in to those holiday meals. You will have a hard time going for that second plate with a belly full of food and water.

2.) Just Say No to Empty Liquid Calories

Let’s do the math, if you consume 500 calories per day from liquid calories such as soda, alcohol or fruit juice for 7 days you have racked up 3,500 extra calories or 1 pound of extra fat just from your drinks!

3.) Do Not Famine before the Feast

You may think that refraining from food before your cheat meal is a good idea but actually it will just lead to overeating foods that are very high in sugar, fat or both.

4.) Don’t Overeat

You need to understand that the holidays are not a free pass to eat as much as you can before they close the buffet down. Enjoy your favorites in moderation and you will feel better about yourself and your eating habits.

5.) Put the Healthy Stuff First

There are always healthy choices at holiday meals; there is a protein like turkey, prime rib or seafood, generally fruit and almost always a vegetable. Eat plenty of these items first and you will have just a little room left for holiday treats.

6.) Prepare Wisely for Your Holiday Events

You will decrease your cravings at the snack table if you consume a high protein, high fiber meal about an hour before your holiday event. My favorite strategy is to drink a protein shake with added fiber and healthy fats then I am satisfied before the holiday party.

7.) Get Back to Normal as Soon as You Can

I know that the holidays roll around once a year and you are going to want to indulge. So do it. Then get right back on the wagon for your next meal.

8.) Portion Control

Try to eat only half of all the servings of unhealthy food that you choose. Half of the portions equal half the calories!

9.) Claim Your Vigorous Workout Before/After Your Big Meal

Ideally you would want to work out before AND after a big meal, but if you can only do one, that will suffice. The best options will be 20 minutes of circuit resistance training or cardio interval training. If nothing else, get out and go for a walk after dinner.

According to Larson, “These small changes can literally save you hundreds, even thousands of calories, and more importantly will prevent your holiday feasts from creating the optimal fat-storing environment that will set you back from achieving your health and fitness goals.”

Jeff Larson Certified Fitness Trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach is a local Napa fitness boot camp instructor and real world fat loss expert. Larson is available for a complimentary fitness presentation “The Lies and Myths of Fitness and Fat Loss” at your local Napa company, club, or organization please contact him by phone at 707-479-0866. For a free 1-week trial to his Napa boot camp to experience the best personal training in the Napa Valley please visit http://www.napabootcamp.com

Walking To Lose Weight

Posted in Health and Fitness, Weight Loss Tips | by Susan on November 3rd, 2008

Did you know that walking to lose weight is one of the simplest ways to shed unwanted pounds?  Walking has so many immediate health benefits that they are almost too numerous to mention.  Almost anyone can walk and it doesn’t take any special equipment other than a good pair of walking shoes.

Those who combine walking with a weight loss program can see much faster weight loss results and are able to keep the weight off for longer periods of time. If you diet without physical exercise you will frequently gain your weight back because exercise is critical to maintaining proper body weight.

Walking increases your metabolism which helps you avoid this weight gain.  It also helps to sustain your muscle mass.  If you are walking to lose weight, it’s more crucial to walk longer than the speed you walk. Walking at a moderate pace most often yields longer walks with less muscle soreness.  This is especially important when you are just beginning your walking program.  Longer distances leads to more miles walked and that means you burn more calories and fat on a regular basis.

Here are a couple of simple ways to keep your weight under control.  You could lose four pounds of body fat annually just taking a three minute walk after every meal.  If you took two flights of stairs a day you could burn off one pound of body fat in a year.  How many of us could at least do that?  It doesn’t take a huge amount of effort just getting used to better habits.  It’s everyday habits like this that define your weight and body makeup.

If you want to get in even better shape, you could step up your walking with higher intensity.   You can do this by increasing your speed or by walking up inclines.  This will not only increase your metabolism faster but can also accelerate your weight loss.  Ideal weight loss is losing one pound per week.  Losing pounds at this rate is the best way to keep your weight off much longer.

If you are looking for a healthy way to take off unwanted pounds and keep your weight under control walking to lose weight may be the perfect solution for you.

The High Fiber Foods Weight Loss Secret

Posted in Weight Loss Tips | by Susan on October 26th, 2008

High fiber foods are one of the greatest kept secrets of losing weight and successfully keeping that weight off. That’s right, something as simple as increasing your daily fiber intake can really make a difference in how much weight you can lose.  There are many other health benefits that foods high in fiber also provide but most people don’t consider how well it works for weight loss.

A report published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association discovered the main difference between “normal-weight” adults and their overweight counterparts was the amount of fiber they took in in their day-to-day diet.  The two groups had the same amounts of sugar, bread, dairy products and vegetables. The difference was the normal-weight subjects ate 33 % more dietary fiber and 43 % more complex carbohydrates daily (per 1,000 calories) than those who were overweight.

Why high fiber foods work for weight loss

Most high fiber foods are frequently low in fat and calories and it just makes sense to eat these foods for any weight loss program.  Another reason it works so well is the body can’t break down fiber so it speeds through your digestive tract never having an opportunity to become body fat.  But the greatest advantage of foods high in fiber is it swells up in your stomach and actually makes you feel full.  Once you experience that full feeling, you’re less likely to eat or even snack.

High fiber food also helps stabilize blood sugar levels which prevents the high and low levels that can signal you are hungry.  Fiber also helps your digestive system and studies even show it helps to lower your cholesterol.   Another health benefit of fiber rich foods like fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains is they offer you a healthy amount of disease-fighting antioxidants.

Here is a list of high fiber foods that will help you get more fiber into your daily diet.

  • Apples
  • Bananas
  • Beans, preferably baked beans, black beans, great northern beans, kidney beans, garbanzos, pinto beans or white beans
  • Berries, highest are: blackberries or raspberries
  • Bran Cereals, highest are: All-Bran, Bran Buds, 100% Bran, Raisin Bran
  • Bread, highest are: whole wheat, pumpernickel or seven-grain
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Carrots
  • Corn
  • Dried Figs
  • Fruit, highest are: apples and pears
  • Green Beans, highest are: broad beans, pole beans, snap beans
  • Greens, highest are: beet greens, collards, kale, spinach or turnip greens
  • Lentils
  • Lima Beans
  • Pears
  • Peas, highest are: black-eyed peas, green peas
  • Potatoes, highest are: medium baked Idaho or sweet potato
  • Sweet Corn

    The best way to increase your daily fiber intake is to start putting these foods into your daily diet.  An adult should be consuming 25-30 grams of fiber a day but the reality is most of us only eat about half of that amount.  If you are looking for a healthy, natural weight loss solution, eating high fiber foods may be something you want to consider.

  • Healthy Food List

    Posted in Weight Loss Tips | by Susan on October 7th, 2008

    Want a healthy food list along with all of the health benefits they offer you?  This list of exceptional foods below are loaded with vitamins and provide excellent health benefits.

    The most important healthy eating tip is to remember to choose foods closest to their natural state.  Less processed foods offer far more health benefits than processed foods. This is a list of healthy foods to include in your daily diet and are ideal for maintaining good health.

    Fruits

    Most fruit is good, healthy food but some are exceptionally good for you.

    Apricots
    Apricots are very healthy because they are high in beta-carotene which helps to keep some kinds of cancers away. They are also high in fiber and vitamins.

    Avocados
    Avocados contain an unsaturated fat called Oleic acid, which helps to lower your overall cholesterol and raise levels of HDL or good cholesterol.

    Mangos
    Mangos are lodaded with antioxidants to keep your immune system healthy. One medium mango has a whopping 57 MG of vitamin C, which is almost your entire daily recommended dose and ranks high for healthy foods to eat.

    Raspberries
    Raspberries are high in fiber and are packed with vitamin C. Raspberries contain Ellagic acid, which is known to help slow cancer cell growth.

    Cantaloupe
    Cantaloupe has a large amount of vitamin C and beta-carotene antioxidants that help protect your body’s cells as well as helps to lower your blood pressure. Half a melon contains 853 MG of potassium, which is nearly twice as much as a banana,

    Tomatoes
    Tomatoes contain one of the strongest antioxidants known to man called Lycopene. Lycopene can help cut the risk of bladder, stomach, and colon cancers in half if you eat just one tomato daily.

    Vegetables

    Onions
    Onion have a powerful antioxidant called Quercetin, which can help to protect against many types of cancer. They are also very high in fiber.

    Broccoli
    Broccoli has Indole-3-carbinol and sulforaphane, which helps protect against breast cancer. It is also high in beta-carotene and is loaded with vitamin C.

    Spinach
    Spinach contains carotenoids that can help fend off macular degeneration, which is a major cause of blindness in older people.

    Beans and Nuts

    Peanuts
    Peanuts as well as many other nuts like almonds and walnuts contain mostly unsaturated or good fat and can lower your risk of heart disease by as much as 20 percent. Nuts make excellent healthy snacks.

    Pinto Beans
    One half cup of pinto beans has more than 25 percent of your daily folate requirement, which protects you against heart disease. Beans contain very high fiber which gives you that full feeling.

    Dairy Products

    Skim Milk
    Skim milk offers vitamin B2, which is important for good vision and along with Vitamin A that could improve your immunity to allergies. Skim milk is also high in calcium and vitamin D as well.

    Yogurt
    The bacteria in active-culture yogurt can help prevent yeast infections and the calcium strengthens your bones. It’s more healthy to get plain yogurt and mix in your own fruit to keep the calories and sugar content low.

    Seafood

    Cold Water Fish
    Cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna are excellent sources of omega 3 fatty acids. Another health benefit of omega 3 fatty acids is they help to reduce the risk of cardiac disease.

    Crab
    Crab is a great source of vitamin B12 and zinc which boosts your overall immunity.

    Olive Oil

    Olive Oil
    Olive Oil has many antioxidants that can protect you against heart disease by controlling LDL, which is bad cholesterol levels and raises your HDL, or good cholesterol. Olive oil has so many health benefits that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows olive oil producers to put a heart-healthy claim on their labels.

    Eat as many of these foods on this healthy food list for maximum health benefits.

    Lose Belly Fat With These 5 Foods

    Posted in Weight Loss Tips | by Susan on October 3rd, 2008

    Did you know that there are foods that not only help you lose belly fat but can also improve your health?  According to new research, certain foods high in monounsaturated fatty acids can protect you from chronic disease as well as keep fat from accumulating around your stomach.

    We will focus on five of those foods that are loaded with monounsaturated fatty acids that specifically help you melt body fat around your waistline.  You may even be a little surprised because even though these flat belly diet foods have many health benefits some may be hard to resist.

    Nuts

    Most nuts contain a high amount of monounsaturated fatty acids or good fat and eating nuts regularly can lower your risk of heart disease by as much as 20 percent.  Eating 2 tablespoons of nuts at every meal can help reduce the collection of belly fat.

    Nuts and seeds like almonds, Brazil nuts, dry-roasted cashews, dry-roasted peanuts, dry-roasted sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, roasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and walnuts are perfect examples of the right kind of nuts to eat to keep belly fat away.

    Oils

    Oils highest in monounsaturated fatty acids are canola oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil, peanut oil, pesto sauce, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil and walnut oil.  Use 1 tablespoon of these oils in cooking, salad dressings, in a sandwich spread or mix it with pasta.

    Olives

    Olives are not only rich with antioxidants but are loaded with monounsaturated fatty acids that work very well to help you to lose belly fat.  10 large black or green olives can be eaten as healthy snacks or you can top salads, sandwiches and cooked meats with them.

    Avocados

    Avocados are not only high in fiber but contain a fat called Oleic acid, which helps to lower your overall cholesterol and raise your levels of HDL or good cholesterol.  Smash up some avocados to make guacamole or garnish a sandwich or a salad with a few slices.

    Dark Chocolate

    We have saved the best for last.  Who hasn’t heard about the health benefits of dark chocolate lately?  As long as you don’t eat too much dark chocolate and keep your serving at 1/4 cup per day, it is another perfect food rich in monounsaturated fatty acids.  Who would have ever thought that something like dark chocolate could actually help you lose belly fat?

    Green Tea Weight Loss Tips

    Posted in Weight Loss Tips | by Susan on September 26th, 2008

    Could these green tea weight loss tips be the missing link in your weight loss success? The obesity epidemic we are currently experiencing is a direct result of the sedentary lifestyle of today. And that’s the truth. But the best way to lose weight fast seems to be open to public debate.

    While everyone has a different idea of easy ways to lose weight (like these diets all fruits, no meat, all carbs, no carbs, no fat, etc.), our bodies are unique and work in completely unique ways. A lot of people are very lucky in how their body metabolizes everything they eat. What stimulates one person may not affect the next.

    What Really Constitutes An Easy Weight Loss Diet Plan

    Converting stored fat into energy is one of the main functions of the liver. Keeping your liver in good shape is vital to help keep your weight in check. Helping the kidneys do their job if they get dehydrated is another service of the liver. Want to know how to keep you liver working on fat conversion? Drink more water! To help keep your body working efficiently, drinking plenty of water is critical. To wrap it up: drink lots of water each day and cut down on drinks that dehydrate you (coffee, alcohol, sodas etc). Green tea tastes great which is a very refreshing drink and also has a lot of health benefits to offer – no surprise then that green tea weight loss tips are sprouting up all over the place, and quite right too.

    Your body works by burning calories for energy. Regardless of how many calories we use up in a twenty-four hour day, we constantly need to be re-supplied. But you already knew that. Not as well known, however, is that how much lean muscle you have governs your normal metabolic rate. So a higher metabolic rate is ideal. To increase your metabolic rate you need to gain lean muscle, even the tiniest amount, and you’ll burn off a lot more calories every hour of the day.

    To profit from increasing your metabolism, you don’t need to pump iron for several hours a day. Not a lot of people have the time or inclination for that, and you probably don’t fancy the idea either.

    The best way to gain a little muscle and shed a few extra pounds, don’t rush it, and do some very simple exercises like sit ups, lunges and arm raises. Start by doing 5 of each exercise every day – more if you can manage, but don’t push too hard. You don’t need to go to a gym to do these exercises so no costly gym membership is needed. Are you worried that you’ll need an expensive gym membership if you want to do more than these simple exercises? Quite simply, a pair of rocks will do the trick – there’s no need for big weights to reach this objective.

    Keep your entire body building muscle tone, even just in tiny amounts, and your muscle tone will improve dramatically. As your stamina increases, include exercises for all the muscle groups: chest, legs, upper and lower back, arms, shoulders and stomach. You don’t need to perform marathon training sessions at the gym everyday to work all your muscles. Squats and push ups, and a few variations on the style, are all you need. Exercise every muscle in your body with just those two exercises (if time allows you to focus on individual muscles, so much the better).

    Equally important, don’t forget about the last but very important factor of any weight loss program: the diet. If you’re eating way more calories than you can burn off, your weight loss program probably isn’t going to succeed in spite of all the good work you’re doing with exercising.

    Quick Weight Loss Programs

    So how do you determine which diet will be the right one for your body? Start by working out the total calories you need on a daily basis. Make sure your calorie count is the proper amount for your current body weight. Next, thirty minutes after you eat, examine how you feel emotionally and physically. Are you lethargic? In need of “pushing up some zzzzzz’s”? On the other hand, can you feel an extra boost of energy? This is probably not something new to you because your body will inform you exactly how it feels after consuming a meal.

    To quickly summarize what we just learned, easy weight loss tips like light exercise programs, drinking plenty of water, and a balanced and healthy diet that makes your body feel energetic and alive is the best way to lose weight. Integrate the green tea weight loss tips along with the above, and you will be well on your way to living a far superior lifestyle, and you’ll lose lots of weight along the way!

    The Facts On Weight Loss Hypnosis

    Posted in Weight Loss Tips | by Bruce Stevens on September 5th, 2008

    Here are some interesting facts on weight loss hypnosis. Many traditional weight loss programs leave us feeling frustrated and depressed. It is known that this is the pattern of weight loss but that slowing down of the weight coming off makes the whole process seem more arduous. The weight isn’t dropping off as fast as it was.

    Appetite Suppression Hypnosis can be hard. It doesn’t matter if you just need to lose a couple of pounds for a special occasion or if you need to lose a lot of weight to improve your general health. Sometimes, it can seem downright impossible to get on track. It sometimes seems one is an addict to Emotional Compulsive Eating it seems.

    Lose Weight With Hypnosis can be effective if you give it the chance to retrain your mind. Mind control will help you to know when you are hungry and when your stomach is full. lose weight hypnosis and weight loss audio and video give you positive messages and mantras to repeat about your goals in life while you are in an almost sleep-like state. Thus, you lose weight without any effort

    Most people have irrational fears about being a subject of lose weight with hypnosis. This is understandable because of the natural fear of the unknown and besides, these irrational fears are further reinforced into people’s mind by Glitzy movies and TV cartoons showing evil hypnotists putting the heroes into a zombie like state and under the full control of the evil hypnotist. This is not only nonsense, it is also impossible.

    You may start off with the best intentions and you may even lose some weight along the way. But, for many of us, this initial good start doesn’t go any further. The fact is that you’ll hit a pinnacle at some point here and then it’s hard to keep going. You may be exercising and you may be eating right but the weight just won’t go at the rate you want it to. So, the easiest thing to do is to simply reach for the junk food and just resign yourself to NOT losing weight because you start to believe that you can’t do it.

    This is where weight loss hypnosis comes to the rescue. over eat compulsively treatment for weight loss is a therapy program which changes your habits and behaviors in relation to food choices and your cravings for food. During a typical hypnosis session, a qualified weight loss hypnosis therapist will guide you through changing your subconscious thoughts to eliminate food cravings, change and reinforce how you make food choices, instills motivation thoughts to help you enjoy exercise and overcome self-sabotage. All these factors cannot be achieved by simple motivation alone, and truly assist one to suppress your appetite.

    7 Tips To Curb Your Appetite

    Posted in Weight Loss Tips | by Susan on August 17th, 2008

    There are foods that stimulate appetite while there are other foods that suppress appetite. If you are looking for ways to control appetite for weight loss, these 7 tips to curb your appetite should help you stay on track so you can reach your weight loss goals.

    1. High Fiber Foods
    Eating high-fiber, low-calorie foods are excellent for appetite control because you get full quick and the full effect has staying power. Some good examples of foods high in protein are most vegetables, oat bran, beans, high-fiber cereals, pumpernickel bread and cabbage.

    2. Eat Low Fat Protein Foods
    The amino acids in protein prompt a signal in your brain that tells it you’re getting full. Fish, low fat white meat, and soy based protein foods and light string cheeseare great examples of low fat protein foods. You may want to consider pulling the skin from poultry because it can instantly trim 100 calories. Just pell the skin after baking or broiling to keep the poultry moist.

    3. Eat Flaxseeds
    Flcakseeds are very high in fiber and foods high in protein eaten at any meal or snack, slows the rise in your blood sugar, helping to keep your appetite in control. Flaxseeds are great salad toppers or are good just sprinkled over your vegetables.

    4. Eat More Soup
    One of the best kept secrets to appetite control and successful weight loss is to eat more soup. Research at Pennsylvania State University shows that people who consumed two servings of low-calorie soup daily lost 50 percent more weight than those consuming the exact same number of calories.

    The combination of high water and low calories in soup is the key. Just stay clear of the creamy soups made with cream bases and choose vegetable soups or broth types of soups.

    5. Eat Pine Nuts
    Pine nuts have the most protein of any nut or seed, and they contain pinolenic acid which stimulates two powerful appetite suppressing hormones. Sprinkle pine nuts on salads or eat them as a healthy snack. Pine nuts are also good to blend in with your smoothies.

    6. Eat 100 calorie snacks
    100 calorie snack packs have become so popular you can find almost any variety of food you like. These work great for portion control as long as you limit it to just one package. Don’t make these a habit because there are more healthy snacks you can eat.

    7. Eat Healthy Snacks
    Healthy snacks like light string cheese, apples, popcorn, peanut butter with celery, berries, low fat yogurt and cantaloupe help to keep you from binging and is a good way to control your appetite so by meal time you are not starving.

    In order to be successful with your weight goals appetite control is critical. The next time you get hungry use these 7 tips to curb your appetite so you can make the right food decisions to achieve weight loss success.

    Easy Weight Loss Tips

    Posted in Weight Loss Tips | by Susan on July 27th, 2008

    Looking for easy weight loss tips that can help boost your metabolism so you can see better results? If you want to get to your ideal weight and stay there sometimes the solution can be hiding right in front of you.

    Here are some simple tips that can really help to keep you losing those stubborn pounds.

    Healthy Appetizers
    Have a healthy appetizer before your meal. Appetizers that contain a lot of water like soup or fiber like salad help you to eat less because it fills you up sooner. Considering it takes your brain about 20 minutes to register that your stomach is full, this one tip could work well to keep you eating less and feeling full.

    Eat Vegetables
    Here’s a healthy weight loss tip. If you balance every meal with a serving of vegetables, the high fiber fills you up so you don’t need to eat as much. If you make this a habit your fat will disappear and your energy level will increase.

    Downsizing Plates and Bowls
    Another weight loss tip that many people swear by is downsizing your plates and bowls. If you eat on smaller dishes it often helps you consume less food. As simple as this sounds, there was a study done to prove that it really works.

    Researchers from Cornell University researched this by serving snack mix in two different size bowls. A large one and a smaller one. The study showed that subjects took 53 percent more snack mix from the larger bowl.

    In a second study at the University of Illinois at Urbana, juice was served in two different size glasses. One was short and wide and the other tall and skinny. Both glasses held the same amount of juice but the subjects who drank from the tall and skinny ones (which looked larger) poured themselves less juice.

    Easy weight loss tips like this can help you adjust your portion sizes and it makes it easier to eat less. Try this with your next meal and you’ll see how well this works.