Common Sense Living

Posts Tagged ‘Lose Weight’

As a matter of fact, its because of you that I’ve been so embroiled in this project. Yep, I heard you loud and clear.

For years I’ve been trying to get you all to eat healthy. I’ve written all kinds of articles, given you recipes, and nagged you to death. But every time I put up an article about losing weight… those everyone flocks to. OK, I get the message. All you want is to be skinny.

Your wish has been granted.

Today, I’m introducing the Skinny Living Handbook.

Do you want an energetic, thin, fit, body ?

P.S.  Kindle version will be available early next week. Of course, you can’t get all the bonuses with the kindle version 

Image via Wikipedia

If you plan to try to lose weight this year, there are 10 things that can derail your results. Avoiding these mistakes will help you lose weight safely, and keep it off for life.

1. The number one mistake is Dieting. Believing that you need some magic diet, plan, pill, or weird foods to lose weight. Starving yourself, depriving yourself – none of that works. You can lose weight easily when you learn how to eat right.

2. Falling for dangerous fad diets that cause sometimes long term health problems, or relying on “diet” foods that are full of corn syrup. Read those labels!

3. Not eating enough. Many people pride themselves on not eating a day, and then stuffing themselves silly at the evening meal because – ‘they haven’t eaten all day.’ First, your body has a natural protection mechanism to keep from starving. If enough food is not coming in, this defense mechanism kicks in building up fat for you to live on. The second problem is taking in all of your calories when you are least likely to do much to burn them off. You need to eat 3 meals, and 2 snacks a day to keep your metabolism burning.

4. Not taking enough time to relax, which results in stress eating. Stress also affects how your body works.

5. Not drinking enough water to keep your system flushed, and organs and skin hydrated. Think of a dry sponge. It doesn’t work very well. That’s what you’re doing to your body when you don’t drink enough water.

6. Not eating enough protein to build muscle instead of fat.

7. Not eating at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day to give your body the super powers it needs to make you look and feel great. Even if you change nothing else about the way you eat, and just add more fruits and vegetables, you will see improvement in the way you look and feel – and you will lose a couple of pounds.

8. Not getting enough sleep to let your body repair itself. What happens when you’re tired? Your body craves more sugar for energy.

9. Not getting enough exercise to keep all those joints and muscles working smoothly (heart and lungs are muscles too) and keep your metabolism burning.

10. Filling up on foods with no vitamins. You’ll always be tired and hungry until you give your body what it’s asking for. Eat some fresh fruits or vegetables with every meal and you’ll cut your cravings.

“Study of Skinny People Reveals the Secrets to Fast & Natural Weight Loss”
 

Image by masahiko via Flickr

This strategy works especially well if you have small kids who haven’t developed bad habits yet.

You see, we are born with a healthy metabolism, and healthy cravings. It’s only after constant exposure to bad stuff that our tastes change. Think about Scotch for example. You have to learn to like it, right? It’s really nasty stuff until you develop a taste for it.

So, if you make a commitment to feed your kids healthy foods, they will eat them – and so will you unless you want to make 2 dinners every night.

Our commitment to our kids can make us stop doing a lot of bad things. I stopped drinking when I realized that taking care of my daughter while drunk was not a real good idea.

We ate unbreaded, seasoned chicken tenders, raw broccoli and carrots, and applesauce more times than I care to remember. That’s what she liked. And yes, I thought she was a weird kid too, until I realized that my niece was the same way even to this day. The chicken didn’t need to be breaded and deep-fried. They just like chicken – period. Kids don’t like their vegetables cooked – but they’ll eat them raw. The only packaged thing they absolutely loved was Kraft Mac & Cheese. No other kind.

When my daughter was 5 & 6, she would have a bunch of kids over playing. I could put a bowl of raw broccoli on the table when the kids were playing and it would disappear. I didn’t have to make them eat it or even put out dip. I was amazed.

I have a good friend who has adopted a couple of foster children. The first one, who is now grown and moved out – was horrible. Years later, the second one was looking like she wasn’t going to be any better. I was finally able to convince my friend that behavior problems are largely tied to diet. I think at this point she was desperate enough to try anything – so she started feeding her more fruits and vegetables, and less McDonalds and Hamburger Helper.

And what does she like to eat? Chicken, fruits, and raw vegetables. (and the mac & cheese of course)

The difference in this child’s behavior is incredible. And my friend is losing a lot of weight as a result.

So go ahead – Use your kids to lose weight. Make a commitment to feed them healthy and you’ll have no choice but to get healthy yourself.

How the heck do you do that? Click here for help

“Study of Skinny People Reveals the Secrets to Fast & Natural Weight Loss”

Image by ralphbijker via Flickr

Since losing weight is a big resolution on many peoples list, year after year… I’m going to spend some time giviing you some easy to apply tips that will help you be thinner and healthier this year.

If you truly want to be thinner, healthier, happier, and full of energy this year – you are going to have to change some habits.

Sorry, there is no way around this – no matter what the latest greatest new TV ad is trying to sell you.

But many times habits are formed by a wrong perspective. Here’s an example –

Many people will grab an “instant” dinner.

You cook the meat and drain it.
You add water and the magic ingredients.
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Lower heat, cover and simmer.
Come back, uncover, stir and let sit until it coagulates – ooops, I mean – thickens.
Eat
Feel drained

Now you might think that’s easy.

You might even think it tastes good (if the chemicals have killed off your tastebuds)

I’m surprised at how many people won’t even make a salad or a vegetable to go with these ‘meals’. They’re happy to eat a concoction of corn syrup, chemicals, sodium, and fats without a bit of nutrition. And then – those are the people complaining

They’re fat
Their joints hurt
They have high blood pressure
They have asthma
They have no motivation
And on, and on, and on…

Now to me – making those ‘meals’ is a pain in the butt.

It tastes bad.

It makes me feel bad.

In the same amount of time, I can put together a delicious fresh meal that will taste good, keep me young and healthy, and give me energy to live the other part of my life. You know – the hours after work when most people are too drained to do anything.

You can take 5 minutes to cut up some vegetables, or mix a chemical concoction. Same time, different choice, different outcome.

Just a different perspective.

I choose to eat foods that will keep me healthy, and I’ve found easy ways to do that.

Others choose to eat things that they perceive are easy to make, choosing to eat foods that most likely will give them heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Oh, I know – no one consciously thinks, “Oh, I think I’ll eat foods that will give me heart disease or cancer today.” But that’s the outcome.

If you could just make that one little change in your perspective – you’ll be halfway there. It’s really as simple as that.

Instead of making a resolution to lose weight, like you have every year – make an affirmation –

I choose to eat fresh foods that taste great and will keep me thinner, healthier, happier, and full of energy to live my life to the fullest.

Feel the difference?

After a couple of weeks – you really will feel the difference

“Study of Skinny People Reveals the Secrets to Fast & Natural Weight Loss”.

Image by nayrb7 via Flickr

A friend of mine said she was finally convinced to open a Facebook account – and there, staring her in the face was yet another Oprah endorsed diet plan.

We laughed at how the biggest diet failure could possibly be a credible endorsement for any diet plan.

My friend said, those poor women who will try plan after plan – thinking it’s going to work because Oprah’s name is attached.

Now please don’t get me wrong. We Love Oprah. I have incredible respect for this woman and what she has accomplished – except when it comes to weight loss.

Hey Oprah, I live in the Chicago area. Just contact me and I’ll show you how to finally get the weight off, and keep it off for good.

Hey, I might just be a single mom – not some big TV Doctor, but I know what I’m talking about, and I’ll prove it!

“Study of Skinny People Reveals the Secrets to Fast & Natural Weight Loss”