Dieting for Your Swimsuit

Be Swimsuit Ready in a Few Hours

1. Do lunges and squats shortly before you bare your swimsuit. This will help to pump blood to your leg muscles and give them a fuller, more firm, and toned appearance. Think of how body builders do exercises before their show to temporarily appear more toned. This is the same concept, but you too can do it at home.
2. Avoid bloat with anti-bloat foods. Unsalted nuts, yogurt, or a simple nut butter sandwich are good choices before heading to the pool. Choose low sodium foods, and nothing too high in fiber (temporarily) to avoid feeling and looking bloated. Drink plenty of water to flush toxins and extra water weight. And avoid carbonated beverages and sodas.
3. Give self tanners a chance. Some think of it as streaky orange goo while others are using self tanner to create a slimmed and toned appearance. Self tanner has come a long way and no longer has such an orange appearance. Airbrush tanning businesses can even create the look of six pack abs.
4. Choose the right swimsuit for your shape. This doesn’t apply to men since there are only a few varieties. Weight Watchers and Fitness Magazine have some good recommendations for different body types.
5. Perfect your posture. This is the most important since posture shows confidence and high self esteem no matter what your weight is. Practice carrying yourself with shoulders back, chest forward, and head up. An added bonus is that good posture can help flatten the abdominals!

Eliminate These to Lose Weight Fast

The best way to stop temptation is to nip it before it even starts—by removing tempting foods from your refrigerator. You don’t need a constant temptation every time you open the refrigerator door, so why not eliminate it.

Try eliminating the following:


Soft drinks –  soda contains on average about 10 teaspoons of sugar. Imagine adding that much sugar to iced tea! Ancestral humans lived just fine with nothing more than water to drink, and so can we. Supplement with herbal teas. Once you eliminate soda's, after a period of time, when you go to drink one again, even a sip, you be able to taste the chemicals

Diet soda –Before you try to readjust your taste buds to diet soda, it’s best to understand what you’re replacing all that sugar with—aspartame (that’s the little blue package). Aspartame leads the pack in complaints registered with the FDA regarding adverse reactions to a food ingredient and one of its metabolites, methanol, has been shown to further metabolize into formaldehyde and formic acid.

Fruit juice – Fruit juices have little real fruit juice and are loaded with sugar, some of it from the actual fruit content, but some of it added for extra “flavor.” When the craving hits, eat the whole fruit and benefit from the added fiber and reduced sugar content.

Salad dressings – They all pretty much have high in sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, and unpronounceable flavor enhancers. Make your own healthy vinaigrette with one part oil to three parts vinegar. Add herbs and spices and even a little mustard.

Jams, jellies and other sweet condiments – Sweet is the operative word here. All of condiments are high in sugar. Other sweet condiments would include ketchup, barbecue sauce, etc.

6. Mayo and other high-fat condiments – Until you reach your target weight, learn to enjoy the flavor of foods without masking it with mayo and other high-fat condiments. This will save you a lot of fat grams, savings you can apply toward healthier fats.

Cheese “products” – if it isn’t real cheese, toss is m(American, Velveeta, Brie and a whole host of other fake cheeses) If you want to eat cheese, stick to hard, aged cheeses and limit yourself to an ounce or two a day.

Milk, Ice Cream, etc. – As an adult, you don’t need dairy beverages. Try drinking your coffee black until you reach your goal weight. Replace heavy cream sauces with reductions and drizzles. Use an immersion blender to puree ingredients in soups to make them creamy.


Pastries, breads and pasta – All those nutrient-free calories are best saved for foods that feed the body as well as the soul. Eliminate breads, pastries and pasta until your goal weight is reached, even then it should be restricted.

In Summary
Now you should have the sense of a fresh start. Once you approach your optimal weight, you can begin to add some of these items back into your diet in moderation. Until that time, replace, substitute and cultivate new tastes. Embrace the change…

Easy Portion Control

You hear it all the time, "watch your portion size when dieting and you are looking to eat healthier and manage weight. It seems so simple, but like most "easy" things, is easier said than done for most. To make portion control work, its best to get to the most elementary level possible. How much more elementary can you get than your hands? My hands you ask? Yes your hands, and this time it really is as easy as it looks.

Check out the hand portion control chart below to learn more. For instance the chart states one "cupped" hand is equivalent to half a cup of cooked vegetables, pastas, ice cream, pudding etc. This tool is not about using your hands as utensils, but it's certainly an easy place to start. It's really all about having a visual in your head of everyday portion sizes so that it becomes second nature. Then you can truly become portion savvy.

Add Pizzazz To Your Diet

Following a diet routine can be a smart way to focus on weight loss.
However, it is easy for the routine to become boring.

Here are a few ways to liven up your food choices so that you can stay satisfied, yet on track with your diet and health goals.
  
Tired of chicken? Try pork tenderloin (if you eat pork) as it is considered a very lean meat that is similar in nutrition to a chicken breast.

       4 oz pork tenderloin = 150 calories, 6 g fat, 23 g protein



Spices and Herbs: Onion powder, garlic powder, lemon pepper, parsley, oregano, basil, cumin, and salt-free blends like Mrs. Dash are great ways to add a punch of flavor without the calories.

Also, try Mrs. Dash brand marinades with are salt-free. Try other seasoning blends, but check the ingredient label for salt so you know how much sodium you are adding to your foods.


Add Some Heat: Red pepper flakes, chili powder, Tabasco, Cholula, and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce can add some kick to your meal.

The chemical called capsaicin found in spicy foods has been shown to help you eat less at that meal and even boost the metabolism slightly. Not only do you get flavor, but you get a weight loss bonus

Key Flavor-packed Ingredients: Minced garlic, shallots, onion flakes, fresh chopped red onion, lemon juice, light vinaigrette's, balsamic vinegar, dried fruit, nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives are staples to keep stocked at home.

These are key ingredients for many recipes. By just adding a few shallots and a splash of balsamic to vegetables, you can have a whole new flavor

Try New Recipes: Don't be afraid to try new recipes to get out of a diet rut. Cook one new meal per week to add excitement for your palate

Burst Training

Here is a video demonstrating burst training that can easily be done at home

Exercise Plans

As everyone is aware, or has been told, dieting (watching what you eat) and exercise go hand in hand.

When most people think of exercise, they think of a gym membership. Gym memberships work for most people however, typically someone will join a gym, go for a short time then it becomes more intermittent. Eventually, they stop going all together and that monthly gym membership fee essentially goes to waste.

Who says you have to join a gym to exercise. In one of my previous post, I included a short video that shows some examples of exercises that can easily be done right at home. That was just one idea. You can find all kinds of exercises that can be done from the comfort of your home.

If you are someone who likes watching video's, for that extra piece of motivation, there are plenty of those too. One of the popular things being talked about now days is the P90x training.

  

I have heard from many that this works and am considering purchasing it myself. I have gotten myself into shape already, however, I think the P90X will help me to get more definition. In reviewing the information on the P90X website, its good for the beginner or the advanced person.

Whatever motivates you, whatever you decide on, it really doesn't matter. The important thing is that you eat right and stay active. The P90X is just one suggestion of how you can stay active and burn some serious calories, which will provide results much quicker. 

Dieting, what is it?

I am all for healthy eating over dieting. However, what if you eat healthily and still put on weight? Then, the only solution is to pay attention to your balance of calories consumed versus calories expended and that, without any waffling, is dieting.

In our house we try to eat a very balanced and healthy diet. At this point I think part my problem is boredom. I think everyone can agree, that boredom leads to "the munchies" which is not friend of anyone who is dieting.

Most things that I claim to hate, like running and doing my taxes, I just hate the thought of. Once I’m into the thick of the activity I always find that I enjoy it despite my initial feelings. Dieting is the opposite. I love the idea of being in control and seeing results on the scale. Once I start however, I hate the whole boring thing.

I hate the amount of mental energy it takes to lose weight.

I hate the fussing over social engagements.

I hate saying, or even thinking, “I can’t eat that”.

However, I know there is no magic solution. The goal of fitting back into my spring wardrobe can only be achieved with a certain amount of sacrifice. My next step then is to find a way to do this hard work with the minimum of resentment and the maximum of joy.

• First step: no gimmicks. That means food from all the food groups and nothing between me and my calories. I just need to be able to think about what I’m eating and how much, how I’m moving and for how long. I know now that I cannot survive on a low carb diet so I won’t try. I also know that I can’t live without healthy oils. I can, however, temporarily do without alcohol and certainly without sugar and refined carbs.

• Second step: rhythm of life. How do I incorporate eating less and moving more into my life without it taking over my life? I don’t mind hard work but I refuse to be obsessional. I’m tentatively hopeful that this Intermittent Low Calorie plan will help me with that. I can work very hard for 3 days per week, moderately hard for 3 days per week,  then chill out a bit for the last day before starting all over again. The average eaten over a week should lead to a pound or so lost but the mental anguish should be fairly minimal.

Dieting Does Not Have to Be Torture

Everyday dieting can  became difficult then it may seem impossible to keep up with your diet, when you do not pay attention to what you eat,  you begin cheating one day and then the next. The next thing you know the diet is all gone.

The first thing that most people think about dieting (or watching what you eat) is that it takes things away from us or removes the foods we like.  Initially this may be the case, but it does not have to be that way. In my personal experience as well as from others it takes a little bit of effort and some creativity. If we plan our meals ahead of time we can eat nutritiously and even lose some weight without suffering to much.

What would you like to eat vs what we should be eating

This is where things get creative,  for some a burger and fries is what they crave while others may think of some yummy chicken cordon bleu with some heavy cream sauce. STOP THERE ! Here is where we get can get creative and let the internet become our friend.

For example I just did a search on low fat burgers and came up with a great link with several different low fat burger recipes 

As far as chicken cordon bleu here is a great low calorie recipe.

As you can see if you want to get creative you can.

Rules that I try to live with to make things simple

First try to plan two or three yummy low fat meals on the weekdays, while keeping the other days simpler,  such as throwing some pork chops in the oven and a simple salad for dinner. Another day broiling some fish with steamed veggies or brown. Then on the weekend once again you can try some new creative new recipes when you have more time.

Drink your breakfast or lunch

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it probably is as it is the one that kick starts your metabolism, I am personally very fond of fruit however I don't find it to be very filling in the morning. A good way to jump start your morning is with a quick breakfast drink. It does not take much time to blend up  a piece of melon an apple and a banana,  add some low fat milk with a little bit of raw oats and honey to give your day a good start.

If drinking your breakfast isn't the best idea for you, try doing it for lunch. Substitute the sandwich or whatever you typically have with a smoothie. 

These are just some simple tips that can help you eat a little better and not think of dieting as being so harsh.

Ninja Blender, a dieter's best friend

Today blog is going to be a little different. Since eating correctly is so important for anyone who is dieting, I am going to talk about an item (Ninja Blender) that has really helped me. 

One day I was bored and channel surfing and saw an infomercial on the Ninja Blender, which I found it to be quite interesting. I am not sure why I decided to watch it since I hardly ever watch infomercials. What intrigued me was the blades, how it mixed/blended and the self adjusting power. I didn't buy it that day since I wasn't sure about it plus it seemed to be a bit costly. A few days later, I was making a smoothie for lunch and got completely frustrated since my regular blender was struggling so badly. So, I decided I would give the  Ninja Blender a try. I went to my computer and I ordered it. Let me just say that it's one of the best things that I have ever ordered because it is awesome. It does everything it says it does.    

For anyone who is dieting, ultimately, you need to break the habit of eating junk food.In trying to eat healthy, for breakfast or lunch (mostly lunch) I will make myself a fruit smoothie. It consists berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries), a banana, some non-fat yogurt, and a little fruit juice (orange or whatever else I may have).  If available, the smoothie may get some grapes and/or kiwi and/or orange, etc. Take all of the ingredients noted above and throw them into a blender, put it on liquify and that's pretty much it.

Although I try to use as much fresh fruit as possible. I typically use mostly frozen fruit, since fresh fruit seems to spoil quickly and is harder to get in the Winter months. Fresh fruit is also a little more expensive in the Winter. 


If I am home alone, I make a smoothie for myself. If my wife and kids are home, I put in alot more ingredients so we can all have one.What I have learned is, the blender can make all the difference in the world. When I initially started making them, I noticed that the blender would struggle. If the ingredients had a lot of frozen fruit, it really struggled. I would constantly have to turn it off, add more juice and then would have to hand stir it. Even then, it would struggle and I could even smell the motor in the blender getting very warm. We had gotten Magic Bullet Blender from a friend for Christmas one year and I put it to good use making the smoothies. At first it worked great however, the motor died relatively quickly because it couldn't handle the load.  So, one thing that caught my attention was that the Ninja Blender would self adapt and apply more horse power when it needed it. I was skeptical at first, however after using it now for a long period of time, I have found that the Ninja Blender lives up to what it says.

This post it mostly talking about the Ninja Blender and how good it is for making smoothies, which is what I use it for most often, since a smoothie is a great way to substitute a meal when dieting. . Its also good at making other things, dough, soup etc., which can also be good for someone who is dieting. If you go to the site, you can see all that this wonderful device does.

I highly recommend this for everyone, its well worth the price.

 

Simple & Great Dieting Tips

Here are some obstacles and their solutions for helping you achieve or even exceed your diet goals.


Problem 1-

Poor planning

Without a plan you are at the mercy of whatever cravings come along and whatever situation you find yourself stuck in. 

The Fix:

Before you go to sleep every night, think through your priorities for the next day. Plan for regular healthy food, some kind of exercise and some rewards to yourself for sticking to your plan. Try to break the habit of rewarding yourself with food. Think of the most powerful thing you could do that day to move you toward more health, then schedule it in.

Problem 2

Using food to feel better.

Ever tell yourself that, “If I eat ice cream I won’t feel so bad” or “I just gotta have …”

The Fix:

Make sure you are already eating plenty of healthy food throughout the day. When you go shopping, don’t buy the junk food, just the health stuff. That way it won’t be there to tempt you.

Problem 3

Skipping Exercise

Ever tell yourself, “I’ll finish my…, then I’ll exercise” or “I’m too sore”

The Fix

Start off gradually, maybe begin by walking a tiny bit every day, if only 5 to 10 minutes. Look at the types that take only a few minutes (such as burst training) or on consider those that are simplest, like taking walks, if physical stress is a problem.

Problem 4

Looking for the next big fat fix.

Telling yourself “as soon as I start my gym membership” or “I heard of this new diet”

The Fix:

Right now ask yourself what you will do today or tomorrow that will most effectively move you toward health. Write it down in your evening planning session. Ask this same question again every evening.

Problem 5

Dreaming/craving about sweet food/junk food.    

            Find something to distract you.

The Fix:

Try chewing gum or try eating a healthy snack. You could snack on some celery with peanut butter, some dark chocolate (in small amount), an avocado, etc. Keep healthful treats nearby to move away from urges, which cause terrible eating choices.

Problem 7

Stuffing food when starving.

Dieting is hard, especially when you are used to eating, anything you want any time of the day. For most this results in looking for the quick fix or over eating when mealtime arrives

The Fix:

Eat slowly, try completely chewing your meals. Then hold out at least 20 minutes prior to eating more. Try eating some quality food well before you get really hungry. Pay attention to your body’s subtler cues to head off major starving and then binging.

Problem 8

Poor food buying habits.

Buying food (sweets, junk food, highly processed) that you know won’t help your diet.

The Fix:

As noted in “The Fix” for Problem 2, don’t buy it. If you don’t buy it, its not there to tempt you. Try staying in the healthy fresh food sections of the grocery store first. Only go to the store after you’ve eaten well. Have plans and recipes for fixing fresh healthy meals and smaller frequent health snacks to keep you happy all day.

Diet Tips & Strategies

People looking for diet tips and strategies will find a boatload of weight loss tricks and tips that may seem impossible to sort through. A quick web search for the term "diet tips" finds well over 30 million results, making searches for diet and diet strategies some of the most common on the Internet. Television is another vast compendium of diet strategies -- commercials for weight loss products, gym memberships, diet foods, and other weight loss strategies are a dime a dozen. So many people are interested in losing weight, advertisers can't help but try to cater to this ever growing population.

According to the CDC, nearly 70% of Americans are overweight to some degree. Some  people are a few pounds heavier than they should be, while  others are best described as "obese". No matter the degree to which a person is overweight, good diet tips and strategies are key to keeping off the excess pounds. Maybe you've tried trendy diets in the past (cabbage soup, cookie diets, Adkins, etc) and found them impossible to stick to or just plain ineffective.The problem with most diet solutions is that they offer you a pill, powder or some other weight loss enhancement device. They may may work in the beginning, however, the results seem to be greatly reduced as the program continues. Additionally, once the trendy diet is over, the pounds seem to creep back on which can be very frustrating.

Keeping the pounds off can be challenging. Whatever diet solution you decide on to get started, the trick to keeping the pounds off is to teach yourself new eating habits. As noted in a previous post, you need to train yourself how to eat correctly. If you don't change your eating habits, the unwanted pounds will more than likely return.

You also need to exercise, in some form. Exercising does not mean that you have join a gym. Many people join a gym and then go the first few times and seldom (if ever) after that. You can exercise at your home or apartment. YouTube.com has quite the selection of video's, where people show exercises that can be done in your home or apartment. Below is a video that provides a good example, of exercises that can easily be done at home.