Health and Nutrition That Is AboveNBeyond

Ok, there is a huge number of those who are NOT active.  Oh yes, they’ll say, not active?  Hey, I work, I do chores around the house, help the wife/girl friend, I do this, I do that and so fourth.  Well, then why are they loosing the battle of the bulge?  Yes, Weight Watchers does count some of this activity towards your efforts to loosing or managing weight.  So, what’s the problem?  The problem can be attributed to a number of things.  Either one is consuming some of the wrong foods & drinks or the activity is not enough to burn off the calories being consumed or both.

I tell you the truth, if I did not run and exercise and only relied on nutrition and weight management, it would be much harder for me to control my weight.  Having an active life (in addition to your “other stuff”) really takes a bite out of your weight!  So, if you are not active and am having issues controlling your weight, you need to realize what you are doing or not doing about it. If you are active enough and are still having issues, then activity isn’t your problem.

If activity isn’t the problem, then it’s likely that portion control is. Unless you are the type that subscribes to the theory “oh, I don’t haven any problems controlling what I eat, I can eat anytime”. Then that’s the problem. Recently, I have posted more articles on portion control. This is a topic that has a great impact on weight management efforts. Portion control doesn’t only apply to your meals, but, also other items such as drinks, candies, cakes etc.

I’m sure that you seen this, people who seem like they never gain weight. It can drive one nuts to wonder why this is. Well, one issue is metabolism, everyone’s is different. Some suggest smoking as a factor, once they quit, they gain weight. I can’t comment on that but, that’s what I’ve heard. Weight management can be a balancing act to keep it where you want it.

We all usually get the right start in school with having access to a physicall education class, i.e: Gym class. After one gets out of school, fitness becomes less of a reality for some. This is unfortunate since by adding a fitness / active life can really be fun too in addition to it’s impact on ones overall health.

See other articles on – portion control

A side benefit of using Weight Watchers to help with portion control is how it can improve your attitude on what you can eat. You end up realizing and saying “oh, I can have a yogurt now”. When one has been used to eating a certain way, eating another way can be a hard reality to swallow. No weight loss program in the world will work if your head isn’t in the game. Portion control is an important issue because, if you can’t control your portions, then you are just spinning your wheels. Yes, we all love to eat, but, when your eating habits get out of control, so does your weight. Think of it this way, lets say that your workouts are fantastic, you are getting the right amount of nutrition, but, your eating habits are though the roof. Well, because of that one issue, your efforts are stalemated. There is nothing wrong with splurging now and then, but not daily. With portion control you can afford splurging now and then because you realized that you went overboard that one day and you are following a routine and therefore the impact of one time isn’t going to crash your efforts.

I just love Dunkin Donuts Medium Hazelnut Ice’d Lattes and I have at least one whenever I get a chance. By using the Weight Watchers Point system, I know that a 24oz Iced Latte is worth 2 points and that is cheap for what you get. Compare that to a 4 point McDonalds Medium Hazelnut Iced coffee.

Sound like a lot of work? Not at all, once you understand how the point system works, it’s a breeze. So, instead of being hampered you are actually enabled and weight loss actually becomes easier since your portions are under control and you are not stifling your efforts.

If you feel like you don’t want to be a member of Weight Watchers to loose your weight, well, no one ever said you’d have to stay a member forever now did they? Get in, Get Informed, Get It Done!
NO and I mean NO, I am not advertising Weight Watchers here, but, it DOES work.

As I’ve said, I also used Weight Watchers in addition to Herbalife to help with controlling my portions. One of the really neat things about Weight Watchers is that by utilizing their point system, you can really eat anything you want as long as you can live with the impact of how you use the points each day and week. See this Weight Watchers Online commercial.

You don’t have to order anything to have on hand at home or office, you can buy locally and literally eat anything you like. It’s in my opinion a very flexible system and again as long as you can make use of their point system effectively. It’s a great way to conquer the issue of portion control. I really like it and use it as part of my weight management system. A key benefit of Weight Watchers is that even after you stop being a member, you still can make use of their foods and other products as well as their point system. Kind of like the gift that keeps on giving or something like that?

Some people have a problem with counting calories. In this case, you are counting points. For example, one Yoplait White Chocolate Strawberry is worth 2 points. That’s cheap in the point system. On Monday’s and Tuesdays, I am up early and look forward to my 10am snack which usually is some Yorgurt. I can eat it without feeling guilty knowing that lunch time is just around the corner. Let’s say that your daily point limit is 28, and you just had some yogurt. You now have 26 points left for the day. That’s how easy it is. Hey, it works for me……

Now, if anyone is still having an issue with counting points, think of it as a guide to help you with your portions. It’s not so much about counting the points, but, seeing how much of a portion you can eat and still get what you need. This is a whole lot easier than counting calories and it works.

How much of a rebellion are you part of when it comes to weight loss? Are you this bad? — Star Wars Weight Watchers:

In the previous article, I touched on ideas to help you cut the budget to get the weight off. By focusing on those suggestions, you can create your own momentum to loosing weight. It is not written that you need to spend lots of money to loose lots of weight. Though, weight loss companies don’t what you to realize that. Again, Yes, I used Herbalife and loved it and am thankful that I found it. But, when money matters, there are weighs to win the battle of the bulge. You can’t let money be the dictator when it comes to your health. Here are more suggestions:

1. Yogurt – Yoplait is worth about 2 Weight Watchers points, I just love the White Chocolate Strawberry. Yeah, and I never used to like Yogurt too!
2. Progresso soups – Some have the point value right on the can.
3. Zero Calorie Products – While you do have to understand that zero calories doesn’t guarantee that it’s healthy, it does help with your efforts on weight loss, thus not taking in calories.
4. Recipe Changes – Change your recipes using applesauce in place of some oils or butters. You may have to experiment with this to taste.
5. Recipe ideas – There are a variety of books available with weight loss recipes that are quite tasty. Check out Borders, Amazon and other stores.

Sometimes you have to change your menu and way of eating to get the job done. If there is something in your life that you are not controlling, be careful, it may be controlling you. Food that is or what is making you eat more than you need? If you really want to loose weight, you’ll start making the right choices to get there and realizing that it will take time.

Keep your foods colorful and keep it to a minimum with foods that are brown or beige. These types of carbohydrates are high in calories. Such items include pasta, beans and potatoes. Just because something tastes good, does not mean it’s good for you. It’s just good tasting. Now there is no reason to give up all the foods, deserts you eat each day. You want to remember to eat in moderation.

Eating healthy, is not about following a strict diet or trying to stay unreasonably thin, or staying away from the foods you love and look forward to eating. Instead, it’s about getting good nutrition, having more energy and maintaining a healthy balance to have a strong immune system for every day life.
Eating colorful foods (fruits and vegetables) is a good way to get those powerful antioxidants that the body needs to fight off diseases.

Food Myth:

You need to cut out all the fat you eat to loose weight

Food Fact:

Foods that are reduced fat, often have the same amount of calories and at times even more calories than full fat products due to added sugar. You may be tempted to eat more when they say “low fat”.

The doctor says:

Colorful foods are important, because, they provide nutrition from the chemicals called phytonutrients or “plant” nutrients. These nutrients contribute to your healthy-food plan.

There are many forms of addiction, and some are not that bad. In fact, there is one addiction that is actually really good for you. The addiction that I’m talking about is the one that comes from “Getting Active”. Here is a true example and this one is about me:

In 1995, I joined a local gym because of being depressed and needed to get out. It did help a little, but, it wasn’t until I discovered running that the real cure came. I can’t promise that this works for everyone, but, it sure did for me. Running for me had such an effect that it became addictive. In 1997, I started to race in local 5k and 10k races as the addiction grew. Talk about the feeling of being revitalized. Now, over 14 years later, I’m still running and racing and have no intentions of stopping anytime soon.

By getting active, and not necessarily with running, you actually find that your lifestyle starts to change. After a while, I stopped drinking beer and eating all the food that goes along with that sort of thing. With being active and making specific changes, your overall perspective, health, weight starts to change for the better. Now, I am not indicating that you give up all the foods that you like. Now and then I still eat pizza, I just don’t live off it With some foods, like Pizza, you need to start thinking about them as though it’s a treat to have now and then and not all the time. Some really like candy, but, can’t get enough of it. Candy isn’t meant to have every single day, for, it’s a treat to have. I love chocolate, and even consider myself to be a choco-holic, but I don’t have it all the time despite my love for it.

You see, by getting active, changes start happening. You start to get a picture of yourself going in a new direction and you start evolving that way. So, if you realize that you need to make some changes, how about start with getting active. You may just plant a seed that sprouts into something you can’t even imagine now.

Those in need, all want to loose weight, look and feel good about themselves. This reality is true for most people regardless of age. Unfortunately, there are those who go the route of starving themselves to accomplish their goals. The body needs food for a number of things, including weight loss. By starving yourself, eventually the body will start to re bell and you’ll eventually fail anyway. If you think you feel miserable now, think how you will feel by starving yourself. During my efforts, I never once attempted to starve myself and I achieved my goals. So the answer to the question in the title of this post is and always should be YES.

Yes, I understand and see that there are those who really want the weight off yesterday or even 2 months ago and just want the process over with. One has to stop and realize that it took a while to get the weight on. It will take a while to get it off. But, to stop the tide and keep the weight off, one has to change habits. Otherwise, the tide will not stop and you’ll end up being a boomerang and find yourself returning back to where you started from.

In a number of articles, I’ve stressed the importance of “Portion Control”. This is a key component in weight loss. You don’t starve yourself, you control your intake of food and drink to help with your goals. In addition, you also need to increase your activity to burn off those calories. These two factors offer a powerful combination that brings about weight loss. No one said it would be easy, but your commitment will determine your success.

Whether you are just starting out to loosing weight, or you’ve been making progress, over the course of your efforts, you are learning new things about how to get you from where you were, to where you want to be. This is not always an easy road to tread. It doesn’t matter how overweight or underweight you are. Cutting back, controlling your portions and taking vitamins / supplements are only part of the solution.

Unless you are trying to gain weight, you should consider some way to increase your activity. Even if you are working on gaining weight, exercise at some level is always good. By increasing your activity, whether it be running (my favorite), walking, riding bike, or even joining a gym, you’ll be increasing the effort to burn those calories. So, by making this choice, here is what you are doing:

1. Eating right (portion control and watching the types of food you are eating)
2. Taking supplements / vitamins
3. Exercise / increased activity

You’ve now started a brand new way of living, thus, enter a new lifestyle of fitness which will bring about a whole new you. After a while, you’ll begin to look back and say good bye to the old you that you once new. Now the list above, is only the beginning or a good starting point. You can pick and choose later what works best for you as you learn your way in this new lifestyle. Remember, it is a lifestyle and not a “diet”.

No pain no gain

Now, if you are trying to gain weight, there are products/supplements available to help you in this direction. While portion control would not be an issue where, you would still want to be aware of how much you are taking in, especially when you start gaining weight so as not to over shoot your goals.

A brief on Portion Control:
Why is Portion Control so important? Well, for one thing, without it, all your other efforts would be a waist of time. You would be just spinning your wheels which will get you nowhere.

It’s amazing how making simple choices can lead to huge outcomes. If you start making changes now, in a while, those little changes will start a ball rolling that will make a big difference in your life. Nothing good happens over night and without effort. No one said that it had to cost much too! Let’s say that weight loss is your goal. Here are a few choices you could start with:

1. Control your portions: Start limiting your portions to a reasonable size and stop eating excessively.
2. Nutrition Labels: Pay attention to the Nutrition Labels on any food or drink items.
3. Vitamins: Get some, such as a multi-vitamin.
4. Exercise: You don’t have to belong to a gym for this one
5. Research: Get online and learn more!
This is a good starting point to get that ball rolling and your feet moving. After a while, you’ll begin to notice a new you. Be patient, it’l take some time, but you are worth it. Oh, don’t let age keep you from making changes. It was April of 1997 when I became a runner at age 34. Changing your life makes all the difference in the world. A year later, I gave up alcohol (beer) and haven’t looked back since. There were those who said I was crazy for not drinking beer anymore. Well, if they knew what I know now. I’m not complaining. By giving up beer, you also give up certain eating habits that go along with alcohol. I admit, that I completely removed beer and some other items from my life, but you don’t have to do as I did. You can try and limit those items to start with. Then later give them up as you want.
Start making small choices today, and tomorrow, you will start reaping the rewards of those simple choices.