How Small Changes can Help You Lose a Lot of Weight in 2012

Every year, losing weight tops lists of New Year’s resolutions, and dieters everywhere decide to completely overhaul the way they eat to lose weight fast. After a few weeks, or even a few months, many of these plans fail as dieters are unable to live up to the unrealistic expectations they create for themselves. For more long-term weight-loss success, making small changes in diet to create a lifestyle change is key. Here are some small changes that you can make to your diet to lose a lot of weight over the long term:

Drink More Water

Soda is a bad habit for many — one that can add hundreds or even thousands of calories to your diet every day. Fruit juices and sports drinks are equally high in calories and sugar that can pack on the pounds. A simple change is to simply trade out sodas and other sugary drinks  and substitute with water instead. Over time, this one change can help you to lose a lot of weight. If you don’t enjoy the taste of water, you can add some flavor by dropping in a strawberry or a splash of lemon or lime juice. Avoid mix-ins that contain artificial sweeteners or caffeine.

Control Portions

Do you like to eat a bag full of chips while you sit in front of the TV each night? It can be hard to eat just one. However, this kind of mindless snacking can add up to hundreds and thousands of calories. Working on controlling your portions can help you to lose a significant amount of weight. Instead of sitting down with an open bag of chips, grab a handful and put them in a bowl. Put the bag away and don’t go back for seconds. Often, we tend to eat what we see, or what we put on our plates. Simply putting food out of sight or filling up a smaller plate can help us to eat less.

Cut One Bad Habit at a Time

Do you have a sweet tooth? Or maybe you have a weakness for chili cheese dogs? Instead of calling off all your vices at once, just work on them one at a time. If sweets are your problem, start phasing them out slowly. Once you have become accustomed to eating less sweets or none at all, start working on your chili cheese dog problem. Over time, you will clean up your diet and will slowly change your eating habits for long-term success.

Eat More Protein

Protein digests much more slowly, helping to stabilize your blood sugar and making you feel full longer. Eating protein at every meal and snack will also help you to feel satisfied and full more quickly. In contrast, eating meals and snacks that consist mostly of simple carbohydrates will trigger cravings for more high-sugar, high-fat foods.

Make Healthy Swaps

Instead of trying to cut out all the foods you love, try to find ways to enjoy them in healthier versions. For example, instead of cutting out pasta, try whole-wheat pasta with a low-fat marinara sauce. Instead of cutting out cheese, try low-fat versions. Instead of cutting out fried chicken, try a heart-healthy baked version. In general, choosing whole wheat over white flour and low-fat or low-sugar versions over their whole counterparts can help you cut calories while still enjoying the foods you like.

Add Fruits and Vegetables

An easy way to make your diet healthier is to add more nutritious foods to it instead of focusing on what you have to take out of it. Eating more fruits and vegetables helps you get many of the nutrients you need, while also adding fiber to your diet. Eating more fiber helps to make you feel full faster, leaving less room (and less desire) to eat other high-fat, unhealthy foods. It also promotes digestive health, which can encourage your weight loss.

Add Exercise

Diet is only one part of weight loss; exercising more is critical to overall health and to long-term weight-loss success. Like your diet, you shouldn’t try to make drastic changes to your exercise routine. If you’ve been a couch potato for years, don’t expect to run a marathon this year. Start by making small changes. If you’re not used to exercising, start by walking a few times a week. When you get used to this routine, walk for longer distances or more days of the week. Slowly add in more intense exercise — like running or cycling — as well as strength training. Over time, you will make lasting changes to your physical fitness routine.

Though the excitement of New Year’s resolutions can make us eager to make big changes in our lives quickly, attempting to do so can actually set us up for failure. To successfully change habits in the long term, small steps must be taken. Making some of these small steps to your diet and fitness routine can help you lose a lot of weight in the long term. When you’re able to keep off the weight, you won’t have to make the same resolutions again next year!

 

About the author:

Amanda Tradwick is a grant researcher and writer for CollegeGrants.org. She has a Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Delaware, and has recently finished research on <a href=”www.collegegrant.net/cosmetology/”>grants for cosmetology school</a> and <a href=”www.collegegrant.net/college-grants-for-adults/”>grants for adults returning to college</a>.

 

 

This entry was written by scrawford, posted on January 16, 2012 at 9:39 am, filed under Fitness, Food, Life is Fitness, Lifestyle and Spa, Nutrition, Santa Barbara and tagged , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Tips for Winter Running Safety

 

The cold, dark days of winter usually bring on a hibernation instinct in most of us, encouraging us to indulge in warm treats and cozy up under a mound of blankets. However, maintaining health and fitness requires that we continue to get regular exercise, no matter how much we’d rather be huddled up inside. If you’re a runner, or if you’re considering adding running to your fitness routine, the winter months can present special challenges. However, making a few adjustments will ensure that you can stay safe while enjoying this fantastic cardiovascular exercise no matter where you live. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Dress in Layers

The most important consideration for winter running is to stay warm. However, you can’t just pile on a bunch of sweaters and expect that to be sufficient. No matter how cold you may feel when you start your run, your body will heat up and sweat, leading to clothes that are wet and cold. Your base layer should always be made of a moisture-wicking fabric that will draw sweat away from the body. Shirts and pants made of these fabrics are available at any running or exercise store. It is also recommended that you wear an insulating layer to keep you warm and a protective outer layer that is windproof and waterproof.

It is also important to protect your extremities while running. Be sure to wear gloves to protect your hands and moisture-wicking socks to keep your feet dry. Most importantly, remember to wear a warm hat. A lot of body heat escapes through your head, so wearing a cap or stocking will help keep your whole body warm.

Protect Your Lungs

Contrary to popular belief, running in cold weather is not bad for your lungs. You will not freeze your lungs or irritate them. However, if you find it harder to breathe in the colder months (attributable to your base level of fitness), simply cover your mouth with a scarf or ski mask. If you have a cold or some other chest or throat infection, cold air will aggravate these conditions. In such cases, it is better to stay inside until you are feeling better.

Watch Your Footing

Depending on where you live, the colder months are often accompanied by ice and snow, which can make for dangerous road conditions. You don’t need to buy special gear or running shoes to avoid these dangers. Simply watch your footing when you run, making sure that your path is well-lit and stable. Opt for cleared sidewalks, paved paths, and trails.

See and Be Seen

The winter months are often marked by a shorter days, meaning that you are more likely to be running in dim or dark conditions. Be sure to stay off the road when you are running, especially since cars will require a longer braking distance in the slippery conditions. Even when you are running on sidewalks or marked trails, be sure to wear reflective clothing and perhaps a headlamp to light your path.

Protect Your Skin

Finally, even though the days may be dreary and overcast, UV rays from the sun can still cause trouble for your skin. Wear a good sunscreen when you go out, as well as a lip balm with UV protection. You will protect your skin against harmful rays, as well as common winter skin problems such as drying and chapping.

Don’t let the dark, cold days of winter send you inside and neglecting your fitness routine. Making these adjustments for comfort and safety can allow you to enjoy exercise throughout even the most frigid months. After you’ve indulged in all the holiday treats, you’ll be happy you didn’t skimp on those weekly runs!

 

Bio:

Born and raised in North Carolina, Heather Green has worked as a fashion and beauty consultant as well as freelancing for various wedding, fashion, and health publications. She currently acts as the resident blogger for Online Nursing Degrees where she’s been researching online rn to msn programs as well as rn to bsn online.

 

This entry was written by scrawford, posted on November 11, 2011 at 8:54 pm, filed under Fitness, Life is Fitness, Santa Barbara and tagged , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Lose it! Keep it Off!

I recently read this article in Berkeley Wellness letter about losing weight and keeping it off (stopping the yo yo dieting) and it truly sounded like the workout ‘regime’  I’ve been following with my trainer- Scott Crawford – for over a year. It’s encouraging and exciting to think I will be able to maintain the great results I’ve had – just by continuing to do what I’ve been doing and staying focused. I’ve lost body fat  – and at an accelerated rate when I combined a more structured diet plan with my workouts. We tracked  heart rate, body fat measurements and food journal with Teri Tom, MS, RD – and I dropped from 22% body fat to 16.8% in a month and a half! And the best part about it – I feel great!

The National Weight Control Registry has been looking into information on over 5000 people who maintained a weight loss of at least 30 pounds for more than 5 years.  Here are the successful strategies that these maintainers had for losing the weight and keeping it off:

1. Eat a high carbohydrate, low fat diet. Most calories (55-60%) should come from ‘good complex’ carbs – like whole grains, veggies, fruit and high fiber foods – NOT high sugar foods. 24% of calories come from fat and the rest (16-21%) from protein.

2. Be aware of calories consumed – total calories count – no matter what you eat.

3. Eat breakfast

4. Monitor and watch yourself – weigh yourself once a week and keep a food journal of what you eat

5. Exercise – A LOT – 60-90 minutes a day. Carve out time every day and plan to do something. Look for ways to keep active during the day and walk. Walking is the #1 activity.

And one more point about protein. Most Americans consume way more protein than they need -and you don’t need more protein if you exercise. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for adults is .8 grams/day for each kilogram (2.2 lbs) of weight. That would be 64 grams for a 175# man and 47 grams for a 130# woman. (1 ounce of chicken  or 1 cup milk = 8 grams) …so it adds up quickly.

By Bonnie Crouse

This entry was written by bcrouse, posted on February 24, 2010 at 9:24 am, filed under Experiences, Food, Life is Fitness, Lifestyle and Spa, Nutrition and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

ANGELENO MAGAZINE, Feb 2010

ANGELENO MAGAZINE FEB 2010

This entry was written by scrawford, posted on February 6, 2010 at 6:11 pm, filed under Experiences, Fitness, Hiking, Lifestyle and Spa, Los Angeles, Outdoors, Press, Retreats, Santa Barbara and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

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