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Thanksgiving and Christmas have come and gone this year. So have the parties, get togethers, lunches, brunches, dinners, gifts, candies, cakes, carbs and artery clogging foods. New Year’s is just around the corner….

So, ask yourself, is it time to lose weight? It is common for people to put on 10-15 lbs. during the holiday season, so if you put on extra weight, you are not alone.

So, now ask yourself, was it worth it? Are you ready to get those extra pounds off? If you are, contact WAVES and get a personalized plan to fit your life and reach your goals!

As the old year comes to a close and everyone begins to look forward to the beginning of a New Year, many people are also anticipating the beginning of their New Year’s resolutions. For numerous individuals, New Year’s resolutions will involve vows to cut back on their food intake, get on a diet and exercise regimen and drop at least a few pounds. The question that hangs in the air for those who are anticipating the start of a new diet lies in exactly which diet might happen to be right for them and which diet holds the key to helping them lose the most weight.

Certainly, there are numerous diets available and it seems like every few months a new diet or eating plan has emerged to become the new successful diet rage. Is it possible that all the ‘popular’ diets can help you lose weight or are there certain diets that can help you lose more weight than others?

This is the question that a group of researchers set out to answer recently. Over a period of two months, 160 individuals were monitored closely as they followed a supervised program. The varying factor among all 160 program participants was that they were allowed to choose whichever diet suited their fancy. Researchers waited and watched in anticipation to learn which diet or diets would prove to be most successful.

What they learned at the conclusion of the study proved to be quite interesting. The data they collected not only helped them to learn more about which diet programs tend to be more successful in terms of total weight loss but also which diet programs more individuals were more likely to stick with for long term weight loss and maintenance.

While the study participants were allowed to choose their favorite diet plan, most participants opted for one of the following: Atkins, Weight Loss, Ornish and the Zone. Even though initial data was conducted after just two months, researchers continued to study the remaining participants. They discovered that after a period of time more than half of those participants who opted for diet plans that focused on low carbs and high fat, such as the Atkins plan, dropped out. Additionally, approximately the same percentage of individuals who chose the Ornish plan, which focuses on low fat and high carb vegetarian foods, also quit their diets. Weight Watchers participants fared moderately better, with about two-thirds of that group’s participants sticking with it. The Zone participants showed similar results.

So, which diet plans performed best overall in terms of total weight loss? Surprisingly, they all performed about the same. If you want to really increase your chances of success, make sure you find a program with a personal wellness coach. The support from a personal coach increases your chances of success 10 times over! That is why I am so happy to help support WAVES for Weight Loss and their efforts to combat obesity.

The programs they recommend: The WAVES Take Shape Plan and My Herbal Plan, both offer excellent coaching services from wellness professionals that have personally lost weight and know what it takes to reach a goal and stay there. In fact, every one of their employees has been down the road of weight loss and learning to live a healthy lifestyle.

If you’re planning to resolve to lose weight in the New Year, your best strategy is still the same regardless of which diet plan you ultimately choose: find a wellness coach to help you every step of the way, stick to the program to get the weight off, transition off the diet with supervision and then be healthy with a sensible maintenance program. In the end, you will live a healthier, happier life!

There are 5 Key Steps that you need to follow in order to take advantage of your own reservoirs of power, drive, and confidence.

Self Acceptance

In order for ANY of this to work, you will want to either have or develop of certain level of self acceptance for your body and all of its great points as well as its weaknesses. This doesn’t mean that you have to be satisfied with yourself when you may be out of shape. What is DOES mean, however, is that you have to be “ok” with having YOUR “best body”—not someone else’s.

Find the Keys to Your Own Motivation

Different things work for different people. While there may be 4 or 5 body types, there are even more different personality types.  You may want to try several different types of motivational tools to see which one you respond to best for the results you want.  Here are a few ideas of things to try:

• Having a workout/diet buddy (or buddies)
• Motivational books and tapes
• Imagining how you will look and feel when you reach YOUR personal best
• Thinking of the quality of life benefits of being healthy and fit

And there are tons more.

Setting Attainable Goals after You’ve Gotten #1 and #2 Firmly Under Your Belt

Most people try to simply pull random goals out of the sky. This can often lead to first failure then disappointment when issues with self acceptance are combined with a lack of understanding what motivates you.

Drown Yourself in Those Things that Motivate You

Once you’ve figured out what works for you, DROWN yourself in it! If it works, then work IT. Take full advantage of the #1 factor in successfully achieving weight loss and maintaining physical fitness.

Maintain Your Progress by Making Fitness a Lifestyle

As many of you know by now, I am NOT a fan of traditional diets. They simply do not work. More than anything else, it is your day-to-day lifestyle that will determine what results you get, and your psychological outlook is what either drives you to or pulls you away from the activities that form that lifestyle.

There is simply no reason on earth that you cannot be one of the “Successful” people when it comes to weight loss and fitness.

Educate yourself on your body’s strengths and weaknesses, then develop a winning attitude by provided your psyche with effective motivation that it will respond to. That’s the hardest part. And its very doable with the right information and coaching, contact WAVES and get the support you need.

I am a great proponent of permanent and safe weight loss by changing the mental picture you have of yourself. If you change the way you view yourself and the way your mind sees you and talks to you, you can then easily change your weight successfully.

That being said, you can help yourself along greatly by making small and simple changes to your diet. Eating healthier foods is a great way to add to your program.

First, drink more water. Add at least one more glass a day to what you already drink. And, at the same time, make it fun. Try these:

1. Seltzer
Add a lemon or lime for a nice “punch.”

Bored with lemon and lime slices? Then try something more adventurous like a wedge of orange, a slice of pineapple, or a few cut up strawberries, even a slice of cucumber. All will add a little flavor.

2. Herbal Tea
Put an herbal teabag into a bottle of water and let it sit in your fridge for a while. It flavors the water. Strong flavored teas work best. Stay away from the ones that contain caffeine.

If its cold outside drink hot herbal tea. You’ll enjoy the refreshing pause in your day.

3. Flavored Syrups
Raspberry, peach, cherry or your favorites add splash to a glass of water. Just a splash will work so it does not add calories. Sugar free syrups don’t add calories but are full of chemicals, so be careful in your choices.

4. Soup

Broth and bouillon are great choices. If you like the creamy soups be wary of the extra fat in them and use these only occasionally.

As daunting as it seems to drink those 6 to 8 glasses of water a day, all evidence has shown that drinking enough water helps weight loss, improves skin, and is just plain good for you. Studies have shown that people sometimes eat when they are in fact dehydrated. So drink up and enjoy trying some of these methods.

In the age of information, many of the principles of health and fitness have become all but common knowledge. Nevertheless, there still is a very clear divide between those people who become successful at losing weight and/or staying fit and those who do not.

Why is that?  And what can you do to improve your chances of being in the successful minority as opposed to the unsuccessful majority? When it comes to the world of weight loss and being fit, there are generally two areas that help to determine what you can expect for your efforts.

1. Genetic Factors
2. Psychological Factors

Most of the information out there is geared around the Genetic factors and how to compensate for any natural shortcomings with a certain amount of physical activity and dieting. One of the most popular topics along the lines of genetics is that of Body Type.

Anatomical body type is generally broken down into 3 basic groups: Ectomorphic, Mesomorphic, and Endomorphic.

Ectomorphic types are characterized as people with thin, up and down body frames who have the easiest time keeping their weight under control. Basketball players and runway models will often fit into this category.

Mesomorphic body types are characterized as people with athletic frames and generally muscular, well-proportioned bodies. Bodybuilders and dancers will often fit in here.

Endomorphic body types tend to be generally round figures and will often have the most trouble in keeping unwanted weight off of their bodies.

Most of us are combinations of two or more of these types with one being more dominant than the others.

One important note about these anatomical types is that while they may give some insight to how you look on the outside, they can deceive us as to how healthy you are internally. Many people who may be “thin” are literally decaying inside due to bad habits (poor diet, smoking, lack of exercise).

By contrast, there are many people who are not stereotypically thin, but are pictures of healthy due to healthy lifestyles (proper nutrition, physical activity).

The general role of knowing your body type is to get an explanation of how your body will tend to respond to your diet and lifestyle in terms of how easy or challenging it may be for you to “hold it together” in certain areas. Another way of classifying your body is by which of your hormone-producing glands dominates the way you process nutrients in the food you eat.

These Glandular (“metabolic”) types will fall into one of 4 categories: Adrenal, Thyroidal, Pituitary, or Gonadal.  The explanation of each is very similar to that of the anatomical body types above. The adrenal type tends to correspond with the mesomorphic anatomical type. The thyroidal is similar to the ectomorphic, and the pituitary to the endomorphic.

The gonadal type is a women-only classification that is a hybrid of being slender on the top but somewhat larger below the waist with a greater amount of body fat. The gonadal body type among women is more commonly referred to as being “pear shaped”.

This brings me to a major point of clarity in this article:

As valuable as all of the body type information may be to learning your body, it is not the “end all” that it is often marketed to be.

You are neither “guaranteed” to look and feel great nor “doomed” to be overweight and unhealthy simply based on your genetics and body classification. Body types should only be used to give you insight on what advantages or challenges that you may have in your quest for life-long fitness—not a life or death sentence that limits what you can achieve.

In reality, the Psychological factors related to how you look and feel are really where the rubber meets the road in weight loss and staying healthy and fit.

It is here that you will find the tools to overcome whatever physical challenges that you are faced with. Therefore, it is here where you absolutely focus the MAJORITY of your energy if you are become and stay successful with your health and fitness goals. One thing that many people do not consider is how the knowledge of their “body type” and what that means affects their psychological outlook in the first place.

Many “fit” people who look great because they eat right and exercise do so because they already believe that they’ve “got something” that is valuable and maintained. Therefore, their healthy lifestyle is just a matter of course. The importance of the effect that your outlook on your results cannot be ignored. To put it plainly, your outLOOK directly affects your outPUT.

If you don’t happen to be one of those people who seem to “naturally” have it together when it comes to your body (or you have been before but have since lost the “magic”), then what you will need to do is simply tap into the strength of your own psyche to push you toward success. Tune in next week to learn 5 keys to keep you going.

It’s calorie-free, inexpensive and easily obtained. Most people drink when they are thirsty, but usually not enough and certainly not when trying to lose weight.

Drinking fluids, particularly, water, during exercise reduces cardiovascular stress and improves performance. After a strenuous workout, you have to replace the fluids you have lost. Otherwise, you will suffer chronic dehydration. Drink water before, during and after exercising, and remember that water reduces body temperature thus making the whole exercise process safer. It can help you exercise longer and more efficiently and this alone would be enough to help you lose weight but water does more – much more.

The Liver

The function of your kidneys is to filter your blood (which is mostly water). And one of the functions of your liver is to metabolize fat. If you don’t consume enough water, your kidneys can’t function properly, so your liver starts to help perform kidney functions. So, if your liver is busy helping your ailing kidneys, you can’t burn as much fat. Let me repeat that: No matter how much you exercise, if you don’t drink enough water, your liver will not metabolize fat for you, because it is trying to help your kidneys.

Too Much Water?

Being hyper-hydrated (consuming too much water) is not in any way harmful , and actually helps your body metabolize fat. The greatest ill effect of excess water consumption is that you will visit the washroom more often. Consider it a chance to fit in a little more exercise into your daily routine.
There have been a few cases of long distance runners who have died from drinking water to toxic levels, but this is extremely rare, and their situation is very unique, so it is nothing for a normal person to worry about.

Retaining Water

You may have a medical condition that causes you to retain water, probably because of excess salt (sodium) in your system. The solution is simple: drink more water. Your body retains water for the same reason it retains fat: your body thinks that it’s hard to come by. If you teach your body that food is abundant, it will stop storing it. If you teach your body that water is abundant by drinking more of it, your body will stop storing it.

Other Benefits

The more water you drink the healthier your skin becomes, because it has to be moisturized from the inside and out It also contributes to joint lubrication, reducing the risk of injury in any activity Water is the best cure for constipation, and should be your first choice, even before increasing fiber or taking laxatives.

When you are active, you should drink even more water, especially on hot days, to replace what you lose in sweat. Do not wait until you’re thirsty, because that is your body telling you that it is already under-hydrated. Try to keep yourself over-hydrated for best health.

Do Water Alternatives Work?

Juice will fill you up, and contains sugar which you should try to minimize in your diet. So, it’s really not a substitute for simple, clear water. And even though coffee is made with mostly water, it does not count since it is a diuretic and actually strips water from your system. Colas are also full of that diuretic caffeine, besides their ultra-high sugar content, so soft drinks should be the first item to stop consuming if you’re trying to lose weight. Replace those “alternatives” with a glass of water, and you’ll feel better and start losing pounds and inches.

Who should drink water?

All of us of course, but pregnant women, nursing mothers, people wanting to lose weight and athletes should be especially careful to drink a sufficient amount. When it is hot or humid, upping water intake is also wise.

Water can be especially helpful for people with a history of kidney stones because it dissolves calcium in the urine, reducing the risk of stone formation. Among physicians, urologists are probably most likely to extol the virtues of water. And it has been documented that drinking water mostly before 6 P.M. can reduce the likelihood of nocturnal bathroom visits.

It is interesting to note also that water helps prevent urinary tract infections, both for men and for women. Dark-colored urine often suggests you are not drinking enough water.

Here’s how to start drinking more water every day. Get into the habit by starting with a glass of water with every meal, preferably with a glass during your meal and then add a glass between meals.

It’s that time again. Yep, it’s measure time! Grab that tape measure and see how many inches have disappeared.

If this is your first time measuring your progress in inches lost, then please check out our previous article on How to Measure. It is important to be consistent with how and where we measure to get accurate results. Record your progress and note the changes you see.

When you are done, take a moment to reflect on the progress you have made and share with us!

It is a common misconception that aerobic exercise tones and firms muscles. Actually it accomplishes very little toning and firming. Resistance exercise (weight training) is where real toning and firming of muscles occurs.

Doing both aerobics and weight training is the optimal way to lose more fat and gain more muscle. If you are trying to lose weight, studies show that weight loss increases by 56 percent with aerobic and strength exercises combined.

Muscle may weigh more, but when you increase your muscle composition, the body is able to burn more fat, even when you are resting, because your metabolism is higher. A pound of muscle will use 350 to 500 calories per week to survive, while a pound of fat only needs about 14 calories per week. New studies have shown that building muscle helps your body fight disease better, too.

Strength training benefits everyone, no matter what age or sex, and is becoming recognized as an important component of fitness. Research is indicating that the muscle loss found in elderly people doesn’t come from age, but lack of activity. Even a young person who doesn’t get enough exercise can lose muscle mass and strength. Strength training, such as lifting weights or performing weight-resistance exercises, as little as twice a week can help maintain or increase muscle mass.

Strength training involving several sets of multiple repetitions using moderate weights will not result in huge muscles. Instead it builds bone mass and increases the metabolism, as well as toning and firming the muscles, giving a leaner look.

It is very important to do both aerobics and strength exercises. The aerobic exercises help your heart and lungs get stronger and help your body utilize oxygen more efficiently, which in turn helps with strength training and overall fitness. The strength exercise helps develop muscle, reduce body fat and maintain bone mass.

Aerobic Exercise is a type of exercise that elevates the heart rate and breathing for a continuous sustained period. This overloads the heart and lungs and causes them to work harder than at rest.

There are many options to choose from today. Bicycling, aerobic dance, swimming, walking, and stepping are all examples of aerobic exercise. Which ones to chose depends on your physical condition, your history, your interests and your goals. Many experts believe it is better to alternate between 2 or more types, to get a better workout.

There are two main types of aerobics- high impact and low impact. It is better to alternate between high impact aerobics (which are harder on the body and may cause more damage) and low impact aerobics, such as walking and swimming. This is called cross-training, and helps reduce the chance or injury and overuse of certain muscles.

You will want to perform aerobic exercises at least 20 minutes a day for at least 3 to 4 days a week. If you are trying to lose body fat, or your physical condition is very good, then you may want to work longer at it. Try exercising up to 40 to 60 minutes 5 to 6 days a week.

Remember there is no real need to go overboard. Moderate intensity is almost always better, and is more enjoyable. Low to moderate intensity is an especially good idea when starting out after a layoff or recovery from illness or injury, or if you are significantly overweight.

Warm-up and cool down is important to reduce discomfort and the chance of injury. Warm up by starting slow and gradually build up to your top speed. Then slow down again at the end of your workout.

The whole idea behind aerobic exercise is to get up and get moving! Find something you enjoy doing that keeps your heart rate elevated for a continuous time period and get moving to a healthier life.

Everyone agrees on the importance of eating more fruits and vegetables, but not enough people are following this important advice. Dietary experts recommend that every person should eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables is one of the easiest changes you can make to increase your level of health, lose weight and gain fitness.

The latest food guidelines recommend that adults eat from five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day.  While that may seem like a lot, it is an important goal to strive for, and a very reachable one.

A serving of a fruit or vegetable is equal to:

1. 1 medium sized vegetable or fruit (such as an apple, orange or banana)
2. 2 small fruits (such as kiwi fruit or plums)
3. ½ cup of fresh, frozen or canned fruits or vegetables
4. ½ cup of 100% fruit juice
5. ¼ cup of dried fruit
6. 1 cup of green salad

Study after study has shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of certain cancers, heart disease and other chronic diseases and conditions. One reason for the recommendation that everyone increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables is that many of these foods have been shown to have strong antioxidant qualities.

Many fruits and vegetables have high amounts of many antioxidant vitamins, including vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin C. In addition to their importance as source of vitamins and minerals, fruits and vegetables also provide essential dietary fiber.

Many people do not realize, that in addition to vitamin C, oranges, grapefruits and other citrus fruits also contain significant amounts of fiber. Fiber plays an important role in digestion, and it is thought to have protective qualities against heart disease and some forms of cancer.  In addition, fiber is thought to have the ability to lower high levels of cholesterol in the blood.

Another great feature of fruits and vegetables, especially to those watching their weight, is the high nutrition, low fat, and low calorie nature of these foods.  Fruits and vegetables contain very low levels of fats, and a diet low in fat can be quite effective for long-term weight loss. In addition, fruits and vegetables contain no cholesterol, and they are lower in calories than many other types of foods.

Fruits and vegetables have a lot of advantages besides just their nutritional importance.  For one thing, they taste great and add a great deal of variety to everyday meals.  Fruits and vegetables come in such a wide variety of colors, textures and flavors that they can be used in virtually every meal.  Those seeking to maximize their consumption of fruits and vegetables should get into the habit of using fruits in salads, as toppings and as garnishes.

No matter what your reason for following a healthy diet, we believe you will find that eating more fruits and vegetables is a delicious, as well as a nutritious, way to get the vitamins and minerals you need every day. In fact, try making fruits and vegetables 1/2 of our plate at every meal. This way, you will get in your servings and have a balanced diet!