Slim People in Progress

Tips For Losing Weight For Good

On the surface it seems simple to lose weight eat less and be more active however the number of overweight and obese people continues to rise. People try many strategies in an attempt to lose weight often the latest Hollywood diet or fad. How often do you hear the words I am on a diet or I’ll eat what I want before I start my diet, many times losing weight while on the so called diet only to re-gain it and some when they return to their usual eating habits. This yo yo cycle isn’t healthy for mind or body.

The best approach is to work towards a healthy lifestyle and making long –term changes.

Consider these questions before beginning

Ø How ready am I to change? if you are thinking about it but still not all that motivated brainstorm the health benefits and focus on how much better you would feel

Ø Break down your barriers to change-write a list and work through them, develop good time management and prioritize time for you to cook and be active

Ø Do you eat when hungry or for other reasons such as emotions, habit or boredom. Work towards a regular meal schedule and listen to your bodies cues to eat when hungry

Ø Do you perceive certain foods as good and bad and follow dieting rules? Re-program your mind and have a healthy relationship with food there’s no good or bad foods you just need to get the balance right

Ø Eat slowly – it takes time for the brain to get the message that your full

Ø Develop effective emotional coping strategies try not to use food for comfort, break the cycle of eating when stressed then feeling guilty. Call a friend, take a walk, pray, have a hot bath and try yoga.

Ø Increase physical activity try to find activities that can be worked into your daily life you don’t have to join a gym. Take the stairs, walk on your breaks, try pilates and yoga at home or take a class, get some weights and lift at home, try tennis with friends and family or get a bike, find lots of activities you enjoy and have fun!

 Overtime as you work towards a healthy lifestyle and face each challenge in a positive way you’ll slowly start to feel stronger more in control and enjoy better health. 

Rebecca Subbiah RD, LDN

Jill Knapp Reveals How She Lost 100 pounds

Fabulous After 40 is a great blog dedicated to helping women over 40 look fabulous and live a fabulous live.  Recently they interviewed Jill Knapp, a woman who lost 100 pounds after finding out she had Type 2 Diabetes and then entered a beauty pageant!

If you have a few minutes, take some time to listen to this inspiring interview about how Jill Knapp took her weight off.

Weight Gain may be caused by genetics

Can genetics affect how you gain and lose weight?  Connie Bennett of Sugar Shock Blog looks at a study by the Monell Chemical Senses Institute that discovered a genetic defect in the liver may impair the body's ability to burn fat.

If you're prone to obesity, it may be genetics that's working against you.

How Stress and Your Waistline are Linked

Larina Kase here with my last post as a guest-blogger. If you'd like more of my tips, check out my new book Joining the Thin Club (Random House, 2007) and my complimentary STRENGTH e-course and resources.

Today I'd like to discuss something that we all experience but may not relate to our weight: STRESS.

A 2007 study at the Royal Free and University College London School reported that the more job strain women report, the more likely they are to become obese. Women who reported the most job stress were 73 percent more likely to become obese than those who had stress free jobs, and 61 percent more likely to have a waist larger than 35 inches around.

This study did not address men, but other research has linked job stress with obesity in men as well. Here are some tips to help you reduce stress and inches on your waist!

Why are people with job stress more likely to be overweight?

It may be that people who do not have great coping skills turn to emotional eating and are also unable to manage stress on the job or use positive coping strategies (like requesting assistance, delegating, assertiveness, etc).

Or it may be that people who experience job stress have no time and end up eating out more often. Or it may be that people who experience job stress are overworked and tired and therefore not mindful of their eating, thereby ingesting more calories. My feeling is that it is all of the above, and whatever the cause here are some solutions:

1) Trade stress support with a friend. Select a friend at work and ask her if you can rely on one another as a sounding board and support network when work becomes chaotic or overwhelming. If you don't have someone at work, team up with someone outside of work or hire a stress management coach who's available on call for you.

2) Pack protein and fiber rich snacks to snack on during the day, things like apple slices with peanut butter, a baggie of dried fruit with mixed raw almonds and walnuts, or string cheese and whole wheat crackers. These foods will help even out your blood sugar level which reduces your vulnerability to both anxiety and stress. They also fight hunger and food cravings, helping you lose weight or keep it off.

3) Take a 20-minute exercise break during the work day such as yoga or stretching in your office or a quick walk around the block or your office building. This burns calories but more importantly reduces stress. Stress builds up like a snowball rolling down a hill. If you can stop the build up of stress during the day, you'll be able to stop yourself from hitting the vending machine mid-day.

4) Just say no-- to more work. You will be more successful and less stressed if you practice assertiveness and say no to projects that will push you over the edge. Tell your boss, "I'm on a tight deadline with project x, which I know is our priority. I would be happy to take on project y when x is complete or team up with someone on project y." This will also help you just say no to the devil on your shoulder telling you to cure your work woes with chocolate.

5) Question whether the fit of your job affects the fit of your jeans. Are you stressed out because you're in the wrong job? If so, none of the work you do to reduce stress on your job will payoff. You're in the right job is you're able to use your natural talents and strengths. If not, it may be time to move on.

6) Are you adding additional stress to your job and life? If you find that you're perfectionistic or prone to catastrophizing (seeing the worst case scenario every time), you're inadvertently adding stress and anxiety. Try completeing tasks at 95% perfect instead of 110%. Try imagining the worst case scenario but then asking yourself how you'd handle it in the unlikely event that it did occur?

7) Make the most of your lunch hour- even if it's a lunch 15 minutes. Know your personality and how you best unwind. If you need solo downtime say no to the lunch out with coworkers and take some time alone. If you refuel by being out and socializing, arrange daily or weekly office lunch outings (just don't use the time to complain about work). You'll feel more re-energized and you'll eat better when you know what you need to relax.

8) Refocus your energy on what is going well rather than what's going wrong. Take 5 minutes during your work day and write down all the things you feel good about that day. The list can include a positive comment your boss made, finishing a project on time, or the healthy snack you ate earlier. Review this list later in the day when you start to get stressed and it will boost your confidence and motivation.

9) Give compliments to others. Compliments are contagious. When you give them out, you'll get them back. Your self-esteem and energy will increase, making you less vulnerable to stress and more likely to make smart food choices.

Thanks for reading!

Larina

How Perfectionism and Your Waistline are Linked

If you're perfectionistic, you may struggle with weight loss. I'll share how...

Perfectionism is about excessively high standards. The idea of doing something wrong or imperfectly creates anxiety and fear of negative consequences, such as embarrassment, failure, and letting oneself (of someone else) down.

Sometimes people develop perfectionism as a result of being frequently criticized and told that you’re not good enough. At an extreme, perfectionism is part of obsessive compulsive disorder. Sometimes perfectionism entails competitiveness with others and the drive to get ahead.

Perfectionism creates moving targets since it is never truly possible to do things just right and be the very best. And when it comes to eating and exercise, there is a big cost.

You eat a piece of pizza, think that you are incapable of eating healthy, and lose all motivation.

You miss an exercise session and think you’re totally off track.

You fail to lose a pound one week and conclude that you’ll never lose weight.

Realize that it’s impossible to do everything just right. Without using this idea as an excuse, let yourself off the hook every here and there. Instead of giving 120%, you can give 100% or 90% and achieve the same outcome. Often the outcome is better.

Research has shown that when people deprive themselves of any enjoyable foods, they end up overeating. Work to see food as not good or bad and not to see yourself as good or bad if you eat something that is less than ideal.

Accept your “mistakes” as minor setbacks without thinking in an all or none way and assuming that all is lost. Instead resolve to get back on track.

Thanks for reading and I'll be back with another post or two before Denise returns~ Larina