Month: April 2013

What on earth does water have to do with weight loss?  Actually, a lot more than you previously imagined.

Are you aware that some studies have shown that your brain cannot distinguish between hunger and thirst?  Sometimes when your body is telling you that you are thirsty, your brain may be hearing that you are hungry.  So what do you do?  You put food in your mouth when a glass of water might have been sufficient.  Most food has calories, most water doesn’t.  Simple equation.

By the way, ever wake up in the middle of the night and crave a snack?  Nine times out of ten, a glass of water will do the trick.  I know, I didn’t believe it either until I tried it.  It really works!

Tissue, muscle, cells, even blood are all comprised to a large percent of water.  When your brain starts getting signals that water is needed…well, remember the confusion factor mentioned above?  We eat something instead of giving our body what it really craves and needs!  Your entire body works much better, by the way, when the fluid levels are kept up where they need to be.

So, next time you think you are hungry, but its not time to eat, try water first. Stop confusing the signals and start losing more weight!

Copyright. Donovan Baldwin

There are a lot of people who  are afraid to try to quit smoking cigarettes for the fear of what they think is inevitable weight gain. Almost everyone they know who has successfully quit smoking really packed on the pounds and they don’t want this to happen to them. So, does the connection between quitting cigarettes and weight gain have to do directly with the cigarettes themselves, or are there other, outside reasons why this happens so often to people who “kick the habit”?

Lets take a look at what all of the factors are that cause such weight gain in people who quit smoking. This weight gain may be able to be controlled so it does not have to be a factor when you decide to put the cigarettes down for good.

The fact is you do not have to gain weight when you quit smoking. There are a lot of people who quit smoking who don’t gain any weight at all. On average, people who quit smoking gain only up to 10 pounds. Studies have shown that people who have smoked for 10 to 20 years or more, or who smoked one or more packs of cigarettes a day have a higher tendency to gain weight than short time smokers and those who smoked less than one pack a day.

Nicotine, which is a chemical found in cigarettes, does to a small degree keep your body weight down. When you quit and the nicotine begins to leave your body, you may see a marginal amount of short term weight gain, but usually it will be no more than 3 to 5 pounds, mostly due to water retention.

The major reason why so many people will gain a significant amount of weight however, has more to do with replacing the smoking habit with excessive eating habits. Many will substitute sucking on hard candies all day to replace the cigarettes. Others will begin to simply snack on various foods throughout the day as a replacement for the old habit. The cigarette break at work becomes a snack break. The after lunch cigarette becomes the after lunch snack. It is this new habit, which is done almost unconsciously, that is mostly responsible for excessive weight gain when people quit smoking.

When you quit smoking, keeping aware of what you eat, when you eat, and how much you eat along with some physical activity will keep that weight gain to a minimum and may keep you from gaining any weight at all. You also must consider that even if you do gain 5 to 10 pounds from quitting smoking, the health risks of smoking cigarettes are far greater than a 5 to 10 pound gain in weight.

Smoking is the cause of more than 400,000 deaths every year in the United States. It would take a weight gain of over 100 pounds to equal the health risks of smoking cigarettes. Smoking causes your heart rate to increase, and you have twice as likely to suffer a heart attack than that of a nonsmoker.

You inhale around 4000 chemicals from cigarette smoke and 40 of these chemicals are cancer causing. Men are 22 times more likely to develop lung cancer than nonsmokers, and women are 12 times more likely.  Take it from someone that has lost a loved one to lung cancer, stop smoking now and let your body reverse the effects of cigarette smoking as much as possible.

With a little effort on your part to keep your eating habits in check and incorporate some exercise into your daily routine, weight gain can and will be at least kept down to a minimum when you quit smoking. You will be in better health, feel better, and have a more positive outlook on life when you make the decision to put those cigarettes down for once and for all.

As anyone who has ever been on diet knows, trying to lose weight is hard enough without any added pressures. While having your own personal weight loss coach would certainly help matters, you have to be willing to take that step and move forward.

Never the less, success stories around the world have proven that the most issue regarding successful weight loss is not the type of diet that you undertake, but rather the presence of moral support to help you along the way.

Moral support provides a number of useful benefits while attempting to lose weight. One of the most important of these benefits is motivation. The very act of letting others know that you intend to lose weight automatically makes you more accountable to lose the weight. While you may feel its okay to renege on your goals when it’s only you involved; you will be far less likely to break a promise to others. That in itself can be a strong motivator. In addition, a support network can make the time you spend exercising and dieting more enjoyable and feel less like a chore.

There are a number of ways that you can gain the moral support you need to make your weight loss program a success. One of the easiest ways to do this is to find a weight loss coach. This individual may be someone within your own home or family or someone in your community; however they do not necessarily need to be participating in a weight loss program as long as they support your goals in a healthy manner.

Of course, if they too have been on a weight loss journey, they have more personal knowledge of what it takes to reach a goal. All of our current coaches at WAVES for weight loss have lost 40 lbs. or more! They have stayed dedicated to their new healthier way of life and can help others get there. In addition, they receive special training and continuing education to offer the best coaching possible.

Your coach can support you by going to the gym with you or even accompanying you during a daily walk. In today’s hectic world it can be difficult to find time to catch up and bond with the important people in your life, but this provides an excellent way to spend time with those close to you as well as gain the needed emotional support to succeed at your weight loss goals.

A support partner can also help motivate you by encouraging you to stick with your commitments. Even someone who does not live within your area can help by picking up the telephone to ask how thing’s are going.

Beyond finding a personal weight loss coach, you can take advantage of the benefits offered through moral support by joining a weight loss support group. During the last few years, these groups have become quite popular and boast numerous success stories annually. Some of the most well known programs, combine weight loss support with specific diet regimens. For a specified fee members meet on a regular basis to evaluate progress and support each other.

While many of the most well known weight loss support programs also combine specific diet regimens, not all support programs provide strict dietary guidelines. Some support programs are just about the support. WAVES local and online challenges offers both.

Online diet and weight loss forums also provide important moral support for those engaged in weight loss efforts. Numerous websites have sprung up all over the net for the sole purpose of encouraging dieters to meet up in cyber space to discuss matters related to weight loss. The accountability factor related to weight loss forums may not be quite as strong as a weight loss coach or local weight loss and support program, but it can help dieters to connect with like minded individuals on a host of issues related to diet and weight loss.

Regardless of the type of support system you choose, the important issue at hand is to make sure that you surround yourself with individuals who will motivate and encourage you during an admittedly difficult time. With the right combination of support, nutrition and exercise you can accomplish anything.

The economy of today leaves many people trying to juggle a stack of bills and determine where to put their priorities. Maybe you in this situation and you are wanting to get the excess weight off and improve your health. I am here to tell you that if you feel well, you will perform better at work. If you work improves, so can your income.

However, to get to that point, you may have to choose between a planned meal program and a gym membership. For me, the choice is simple. A planned meal program like My Herbal Plan or the WAVES Take Shape Plan is the best option.

Losing weight is 80% diet and only 20% fitness. So, the food we eat is far more important in the journey. If you have to chose, chose what will help you the most, chose the meal plan.

Making this choice doesn’t mean that you have to give up on fitness all together. There are several ways to get in shape without a gym membership. Taking a walk at the park is free!

You may even be surprised that some churches have gyms facilities and all the community to use it free of charge. In my area for example, the local Methodist Church has a wonderful walking track, a tread mill, exercise bike and weight room. A facility like this is great when there is inclement weather and getting a walk in is still a priority.

Another great option is to get together with friends and complete a DVD workout. If you have all a DVD, you can switch up your workout every other week or every other workout and keep things interesting.

As you can see, there are lots of ways to get fit on a budget. So, no excuses, get those pounds off and become healthy for life! After all, it is your life, why not live it to the fullest.

Everyday it seems, we hear stories about people who joined a weight loss program, lost weight and look great! Before and after photographs provide dramatic proof that yes, these programs do work. But how do you decide which weight loss program is best for you, and make it work?

First, you have to remember that the aim of a weight loss program is to take weight off and KEEP IT OFF. Yo-yo dieting puts stress on your body that can make losing weight harder and harder and packing it back on far too easy. It’s important to choose a diet plan that will help you make changes to your eating habits that will last a lifetime.

If you’re a yo-yo dieter, you probably have a history of swinging between very restrictive diets and then returning to ‘normal’ eating once you’ve lost the weight that you need to lose. You’ve proved that you have willpower now what you need is re-education. Instead of choosing a strict regimen that you’ll abandon when the diet is done, commit to following the recommendations through the transition phase and maintenance phase of one of the WAVES programs, plus add half an hour of exercise to your daily routine five times a week. You’ll establish healthy habits that will take off the pounds – and help you keep them off forever.

Secondly, decide just how much help you need. What motivates you? Are you a private person by nature or do you do best with a lot of social support? Are you a strong-willed person who can decide to do something and ‘just do it’, or will you need help overcoming temptation?

If you thrive on social motivation, joining a weight loss program like the WAVES weight loss challenges might be the best option for you. You’ll have social support, motivational rewards and weekly check-ins to help you stay on track and give you goals to aim for.

Next, do you do best with regimented, strict instructions that tell you exactly what you should do step by step, or are you happiest and more comfortable with a little flexibility?

If you do best when you have strict guidelines to follow and like routines, then look for a diet that gives you daily menus with precise measurements and foods to eat like the WAVES Take Shape Program. While that may feel restrictive to some people, the trick is to do what works for you. Of course, the fast weight loss results the program offers is a huge plus. In fact, once you reach your target weight, you aided through transition and into maintenance with life long support.

If restrictive diets and inflexible menus aren’t for you, then try a diet that gives you the option of mixing and matching your meals within certain parameters. Whether you count carbs, calories or exchanges, a diet like the ones offered by My Herbal Plan give you some flexibility within the prescribed ‘allowed foods’.

Finally, how much weight do you have to lose? How long have you been trying to lose it? Will quick results keep you motivated, or is slow-and-steady progress all you really need?

Aim for a steady 1-2 pounds per week, but if you need an extra boost, drop back to a more restrictive pattern to give your metabolism a little kick. The trick is to use the free coaching support and stick to your chosen plan to keep your metabolism going at full throttle. Steady progress will get you to your goal.

Once you’ve achieved your desired weight, you return to your old eating habits and levels of activity, the weight will return. Plain and simple.  Quick-fix diets face this kind of problem. They don’t offer long-term changes which sometimes cause the downfall of the program.

Stay realistic

Avoid feeling dissatisfaction with what you have accomplished. Enjoy your life and be satisfied with the healthy weight you can achieve. Initially, weight loss is gradual compared to those who return to their previous weight.

Have self-discipline

People who watch their weight show flexibility in their self-control. Most of the time, they make healthy choices but do not avoid eating food. If you want an indulgence, allow yourself one a week, not one a day and not 5 at a special event, just one a week and make it special!

Eat healthily

Learn proper choice, preparation and enjoyment of a balanced diet. Gain skill in cooking a low-fat diet, understanding food labels and being able to judge portion sizes. Eating regular meals, tasting them and planning ahead is also a part of this.

Stay active

Getting regular exercise is one of the factors that determine long-term success. It does not only burn unwanted calories and increase metabolism but also increases self-esteem and fights stress. According to research, walking alone for 30 minutes daily plus some additional activities during the week can be enough.

Have ongoing support

The right kind of support during and after weight loss is vital. It is not an easy task and maintaining them is not easy as well. A well trained weight loss coach like those we have talk to from My Herbal Plan and the WAVES Take Shape program are great.

Learn to deal with stress

Food is a quick and effective method of handling stress for some people. Evaluate the stresses in your life and your response to these stresses. WAVES offers classes to help you conquer your triggers and learn to deal with them in a different manner.

Remember, being healthy is a life-long goal. With proper monitoring and the help of a wellness coach, you CAN achieve your goals and be the healthiest you possible!

 

There are beverages and activities that dehydrate your body quickly so that your essential amount of water intake needs to be increased. Beverages that deplete water from your body include sodas, coffee, tea and alcohol.

So, what should you drink? In order to ensure that you stay properly hydrated, drink one glass of water for every glass of soda or other dehydrating beverage. Also, for every half-hour of sweat-inducing exercise, you should drink at least one cup of water. If you are exercising in a particularly humid environment, you may have to drink more water in order to avoid headaches, illness and overall dehydration.

Water truly can aid your weight-loss process if you are diligent about consuming generous portions of it. Many people find that carrying a water bottle with them everywhere they go is the best way to remain tempted to treat your body right. Just watch for the dehydrators and combat them with proper water intake.

A common remedy recommend to everyone, not just those wanting to lose weight, is a detox program. Many detox programs are harsh and leave you running to the restroom at every turn. Those programs may clean out your body but not really detox it.

The one I like to use is the 21-Day Herbal Cleansing Program manufactured by Herbalife. This gentle program is easy to use. You simply take 2 of the am pills each morning and 2 of the pm pills each night for 21 days. This formula is designed to clean the ville in the intestines to help it better absorb nutrients as they pass through.

I pair this with aloe. I love the mango flavored aloe concentrate. I take 3 capfuls a day. Aloe is a fantastic detoxer. Aloe not only helps coat our digestive system to make elimination more regular and easy, but it also binds to any toxins to help our body eliminate them.

A regular detox is important to everyone’s health. After-all, just because a toxin found its way into our body doesn’t mean we have to keep it! Are you ready to detox?

Losing weight is not rocket science. There is no magic in it, there is work effort and continually moving toward your goal.  Despite this, as well as an ever growing number of diets and weight control plans, obesity continues to grow. And the vast majority of dieters find it almost impossible to lose weight without regaining everything within a matter of months. Why is this? Answer: because we don’t get enough support.

Get Proper Help To Lose Weight

Our greatest need when dieting is encouragement. We need people to cheer our successes and help us overcome our disasters. Amazingly, most online weight loss programs fail to address this need. Instead, they focus on what we should eat, how many calories we should consume, and what exercise we should take. And while this advice is useful, it’s not critical.

Because most of us know this stuff already. What we have difficulty with, is motivation. We know what to do in order to lose weight, but we can’t sustain it. Maybe we lack a strong incentive, or perhaps our family situation interferes with our weight loss plans, or maybe we hate cooking and eat out too often. Whatever difficulty we have, it’s not likely to involve food or exercise. It’s much more likely to be a motivational or lifestyle problem. Yet as I say, most online programs don’t offer motivational or lifestyle support. And even when they do, their advice can often be expensive and quite uninspiring!

Thus, WAVES was born with a free assessment offered to anyone and free ongoing support through the use of any of our recommended programs like My Herbal Plan or the WAVES Take Shape Program. Without support, our participants would have had to struggle on their own.

Survey Of Dieters

The value of proper support was highlighted in a recent survey of members of an online weight loss program. The program includes a 24/7 community forum specializing in motivation and lifestyle support, with several thousand topics and approximately 100,000 posts. Subjects were asked to assess the personal benefit they had obtained from the forum. A total of 1,348 subjects responded, of whom 81 percent rated the program’s community forum as “important” or “very important” in helping them to lose weight, while less than 5 percent said it “made no difference.” While in no way conclusive, the results indicate the practical value of a “community” approach to weight management. WAVES has recently added new forums to make posting and communicating with other members easier.

Weight Loss Meetings

Many people also need a group setting. To combat this, WAVES offers challenges, the challenges are low cost. Meetings are held every other week, but support is offered continually in the form of online chat, text, email, telephone, in person at local locations.

Not Easy To Change Habits

Changing our eating habits is no easy matter. Sure, it helps to know that a cup of fat-free milk contains 40 percent fewer calories and 16 times less fat than whole milk, or that lean ground steak contains half the calories and 4 times less fat than regular cheddar cheese, but how does this help us to say No to a second helping of pizza?

How does it quench our desire for a double cheeseburger and fries? It doesn’t. Because facing down temptation requires a change of attitude, a change of priorities. And in my experience, this takes time and as much encouragement as we can get. We need to hear from people like us who have managed to change their attitude and eating habits, and who can explain how to overcome the problems involved. Above all, we need a safety-net if we fail. We need shoulders to cry on and “tough love” to help us win through. In short, we need the support of a real community.

Join An Online Community Forum

In my experience, dieters who join a good online community forum can expect to lose 400-500 percent more weight than those who go solo. In addition, if they maintain their community membership after achieving their goals, they have an excellent chance of maintaining their weight loss indefinitely.

This is because an online community can provide a number of specific benefits. First, as stated, it offers personal advice and encouragement. Secondly, it offers members the opportunity to help other people – something that typically works wonders for their self-esteem and understanding. Thirdly, most community forums are self-run. Members may progress to become moderators or resident experts. This too is a real confidence booster as well as a great incentive to maintain weight lost. But by far the major benefit is the fact that online forums are in action 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So support and human warmth is available whenever you need it. They are real 24/7 safety nets, especially WAVES forum which has members from all time zones of the world.

Features To Look For

The best forums are active, well-managed and provide quality advice and support. Activity is best judged by checking the number of “active” members, rather than total membership. And the greater the number of recent threads (topics) and posts (messages), the better. Assessing the management and quality of the forum is a bit more difficult.

To do this, open a recent thread, scan the posts and look for the following. First, how quickly do members and/or moderators reply to questions asked? Second, are the questions and answers reasonably serious, or more frivolous? Generally, a well-managed forum will have a higher percentage of serious posts. Other questions to ask yourself include: how “personal” does the forum appear to be? Do you feel a sense of warmth and caring? What age-groups are most active? Take a good look around, and don’t hurry. Finding the right forum for yourself is crucial to your weight loss success.

We hope you find all of the ingredients you are looking for on the WAVES weight loss forums. As well as in our one-on-one support. If you need something you don’t find, then contact us. We are always working on improving our site and services.

Summary: Focus On What Matters

The secret of successful weight loss is to focus on what matters. So don’t waste too much time or money trying to find the “perfect” diet, find a weight loss coach to guide you. What really matters is support – to help you cope with temptation and disruption during your journey. An excellent option is to join an online weight loss forum and be part of a real community. Because when you have tons of friendly people cheering you on, you can move mountains.

The secret to success, according to Biggest Loser is to get moving and these contestants get moving in ways they probably never have before. One contestant even mentioned how she would have never had cause to hit a tire with a sledge hammer in her life.

Yet, there are people that change tires and do similar physical movement everyday. Now, that may not be the activity for you, but search, find and get moving on an activity you like.

It takes regular, daily physical activity to get healthy and stay healthy.I make extra trips to the car, park farther away from the store, use restroom breaks as a reminder to do lunges or squats, and do exercises while watching TV. What have you done to be more active?