If you want to stop cravings, the first step is to give your body the nutrition it needs. Your body is designed to make you seek out the foods it requires for good health. If you starve it of important nutrients it will send you rummaging through the fridge and the cupboards to find them. You will eat almost on autopilot, trying to satisfy a deficit you can’t even name. Even when you are full you will still want to eat more.
When you want to lose weight you must start first by adding in everything your body has been missing. Only then will your poor, nutritionally starving body breathe a sigh of relief and relax its desperate quest.
The first need – and the easiest to satisfy – is thirst. If you crave sweet foods then this is your confused primeval body telling you to eat some fruit so it can have the water stored inside the fruit. This is why a piece of chocolate or spoonful of icecream is so moreish. Your body did not actually want the chocolate, icecream or other sweet thing. It wanted the water it thought would come with it. So the moment your mouth is empty you want more. You can devour a whole chocolate bar or tub of icecream, bite by bite, when you’re not really hungry.
Or you can eat a piece of fruit. Or get your piece of chocolate or scoop of icecream, put it in a bowl and put the rest away, drink a couple of glasses of water and then have your treat. It will be much more satisfying. You can finish by brushing your teeth. You’ll be amazed how much easier it is to resist the rest of the chocolate or icecream.

Many misguided women want to be beautiful. Perfectly, ideally beautiful. Frankly it’s overrated. Real perfect beauty is off-putting. It intimidates both men and women. Women resent it. Men are afraid to approach it, are awkward and tongue-tied in its presence. Unless they are high-status men who see it as the trophy to which they are entitled.
Sadly too many of us look at some one part of ourselves we see as imperfect, awful or even repulsive. “I hate my legs,” we moan, or “Ewww, look at my flabby upper arms. Look at them swing when I wave. Yuck!” “My nose is awful. If only I had a nose like hers. Then I’d be happy.”
We cripple our confidence with our critical evaluations of our features. We think perfection is what it takes to be attractive. But it’s not. Just the opposite. Perfection repels.
What we should each of us aim for is attractiveness. And attractiveness is about joy, vitality and good health.
Good health is luscious hair, glowing skin and clear eyes, a trim body (some muscle tone and a moderate amount of fat to plump out the skin), good teeth and a mild, pleasant scent.
Vitality is a vigorous use of a healthy body, grace and freedom of movement, liveliness, energy and excellent posture.
Joy is a welcoming smile, a positive approach to life, a delight, gratitude and appreciation for all we have.
Imagine a person like that. Imagine you see them across the room at a party. Are you attracted? Would you like to stand next to them, talk to them? Would you like to be their friend? Would you like to get to know them better, wake up to them tomorrow, sit across a breakfast table from them?
Do you feel like wandering over and striking up a conversation? If so, you’ve just been attracted.
Now imagine a perfect-looking person. Fantastic figure, perfect features, immaculately waved hair. Not a flaw to be seen. They could have stepped off a movie screen. Out of a beauty magazine. You can’t help but stare. They are mesmerising. Unreal.
Do you feel like wandering over and striking up a conversation?
Or do you cringe with embarrassment at the very thought?
For how could such a perfect, flawless person need us to be their friend, their lover? How could they need anything when clearly they have it all?
For us to be the successful social animals we are designed to be, we need attractiveness, not perfect beauty. We need to forgive our flaws and forget them. To work to achieve good health, vitality and joy, the sort of beauty that is its own reward.

Convincing my kids to eat a healthy breakfast is nigh impossible, so this weekend, my wife was looking to put together a new muffin recipe, with  a goal of incorporating apple flavor to lure them  in, and sneaking in whole wheat for nutrition.  These delicious apple cinnamon bran muffins were the result.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Quick Oats
• 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 cup Ground Flax
• 1/2 cup All Bran Buds
• 1 cup All Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 TBSP cinnamon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup apple butter
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 3 apples, finely chopped or diced (Granny Smith, or other tart firm variety)

via livefitblog.com
 

10 Natural Metabolism Boosters For Weight Loss

1. Two New Tools To Rev Your Metabolism For Weight Loss – Maybe…
2. How To Boost Metabolism
3. Is A HIIT Workout The Key To Fast Weight Loss?

How To Boost Metabolism – A Daily Guide

The subject of sleep engenders much debate, but sleep experts all agree that from kids to adults, Americans don’t get enough of it.  Reasons range from the availability of evening light sources to general over-commitments in life, none of which are going to change.  But sleep is the lynch-pin if you want to boost your metabolism.  In one study on chronic sleep deprivation, participants experienced metabolic changes akin to advanced aging, with symptoms such as reduced glucose tolerance, an increase in blood cortisol, and alterations in thyroid hormone levels.  Some tips for getting enough sleep include:

• Turning off all electronics 30 minutes before bed
• Avoid consuming alcohol before bed
• Dedicate your bedroom to sleep; no television or games
• Eliminate light sources from the bedroom, especially blue light

Although it seems counter-intuitive, research has shown time and again that eating breakfast leads to greater success with weight loss.  During sleep, the body’s metabolism slows down as your recuperate from the rigors of daily life.  Breaking your nightly fast with a healthy breakfast, ramps up your metabolism and primes the body for the rigors of the upcoming day.  Aim for a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates, both of which take longer to digest than fats and sugars.  In the battle to learn how to resist food cravings, this approach smooths out insulin response and provides a steady supply of fuel to start the day.

The subject of high protein diets conjures images of a high fat diet, but the two need not necessarily go hand in hand.  Unlike fat, protein has the same calorie content per gram carbohydrates, but the complex chemical structure takes longer to digest, which provides a steady fuel supply throughout the day.  Having plenty of protein available for rebuilding muscle after exertion is also key to increasing lean muscle mass; another key in the battle for learning how to boost metabolism.  To be successful, aim to meet between 10-35% of your daily calorie needs from high quality, lean protein.  If you’re looking for alternatives to chicken and salmon, try arctic char, venison, bluegill, or even lamb.  Frequent travelers should look over this list of healthy fast food choices, and plan accordingly when on the road.

When you’re striving for weight loss, its easy to fall into the trap of severely restricting calories.  Unfortunately, depriving the body of the calories necessary to function puts it into preservation mode, thereby slowing metabolism.   To effectively boost metabolism, one must provide a steady stream of nutrition to the body.  Not an excess of calories, but a steady supply of high quality nutrition.  To keep your metabolism operating at peak efficiency, smooths out spikes in insulin, and allay hunger, seek out a calorie counter to estimate your daily caloric requirement allocate those calories over 5-6 small meals each day.

Strength training, whether its with body weight alone, or with weights, offers the potential to burn fat and build muscle simultaneously.  It seems intuitive that younger adults have a faster metabolism than their older counterparts.  Science supports that perception, which is attributed primarily to the loss of lean muscle mass that happens with age.  A degenerative condition known as sarcopenia is responsible for a steady loss in muscle mass, at a rate of 0.5-1% per year.  The condition starts around age 25, and in the absence of intervention, will affect nearly everyone.  By age 50, the process begins accelerating rapidly, eventually leading to muscle wasting.  Fortunately, studies have repeatedly shown that strength training can reverse this condition, so the incorporation of a regular strength training regimen into your workout routine is a key to tackling the problem of boosting your metabolism.  Since muscle burns more calories than fat, building muscle not only helps boost metabolism, it also reduces the risk of of injuries resulting from muscle loss later in life.  To make the most of time at the gym, learn what to eat after a workout to fuel muscle growth.

To speed up your metabolism for weight loss, make a HIIT workout part of your training regimen.  Instead of spending 2-3 hours a day at the gym, break your workouts up into shorter sessions of high intensity.  Studies show that the body continues to run at an elevated pace for several hours after a workout.  By spreading out your workouts over a longer time frame, you’ll allow the your body to consume more calories over the course of the day.

1. Two New Tools To Rev Your Metabolism For Weight Loss – Maybe…
2. Wondering What To Eat After A Workout? Follow These Simple Rules
3. Burn Fat & Build Muscle – Making The Most Of Your Workouts

A Fun Summer Workout With The Kids

What was I thinking?  Relaxing on a floating tube?

I’m absolutely certain there are approximately a million ka jillion steps on the water slides.

Mommy.  If I can swim in 3-feet of water, I can swim in 10-feet of water.  And by the way Mommy — you can swim too.

• Swimming – Moderate Pace, 1 hour — 420 calories
• Climbing Stairs – 20 minutes — 186 calories
• Water Jogging – 1 hour — 544 calories
• Walking – 2 mph — 192 calories
• Standing – 2 hours — +50 calories/hour over sitting (I did a lot of this, so by golly I’m counting it!)

1. Getting A New Local Indoor Pool
2. 4 Ways To Spice Up Your Summer Workouts
3. Workout While Traveling

If you’re out and about and you want a meal fast, sometimes the only option is fast food.

Other times, you just feel lazy and you don’t want to cook. Either way, fast food seems like a good option.

Thing is, eating out too much can really help you screw the pooch when it comes to your diet … there are healthy alternatives mixed in among all the fattening choices. Your best bet is to learn some common sense guidelines about what makes each item unhealthy and choose one of the healthy items.

It’ll also help if you study the menus of some of your favorite fast food restaurants. You’ll most likely be able to look up their nutrition facts online. Do that and you’ll know for sure how many calories are in your favorite fast food meals.

Now here’s your quick guide to eating healthy and keeping the pounds off while eating fast food …

Some Quick Guidelines:

1. Grilled Meats. Grilled meats are a much healthier way of cooking rather than deep fried, breaded meats. If the fast food place you’re visiting has the option of choosing crispy or fried chicken versus a grilled patty, choose the grilled one. If the place is like KFC, and the grilled meat isn’t really grilled, then just eat the deep fried, breaded meats and avoid the side carbs (biscuits, etc).
2. Skip the Fries. (Almost) Always. This one was SO HARD for me to get over because I love the way fries taste. I imagine kicking the heroin habit is easier than this. But I’ve probably had about a handful of fries in the last 1.5-2 years so I’m doing good! Nothing but starchy carbs and trans fats here.
3. Healthier Sides. Some fast food places will offer alternatives to a side of fries. You may be able to opt for some healthy fruit or salad instead. Or you could do the healthiest side option–don’t get any!
4. Don’t Super Size. Less calories = less fat. And they only supersize the fries and the soda! WTF? I want a super sized cheeseburger man!
5. Diet Soda. I used to laugh at the fat guy who orders the big greasy meal and then orders a diet soda, as if it’ll make a difference. Well it does make a difference, but, not if your packing fries into your mouth too! Big sandwich, skip the fries or chips, and a diet soda can go a long way towards filling you up and helping you not eat as much … Water or unsweetened tea is a good choice too …

Examples Of Healthy Meals At Popular Fast Food Joints

Here’s a list of some healthy choices you can make at some of the most popular fast food restaurants:

1. Taco Bell. Taco Bell has come out with a “Fresco Style” menu that allows you to choose popular menu items in a lower calorie style. A menu item ordered fresco style will come back with a special healthier salsa and it’ll also lack cheese. (I personally don’t take this option since the only time I eat Taco Bell is when I’m drunk anyways, but it’s worth noting)
2. McDonalds. They now offer an extended list of “premium salads”. However, it’s still easy to get fooled into thinking something is healthy when it really isn’t. Make sure you use a low fat dressing on your salad (half a pack if you can) and opt for the grilled chicken. If you grab the ranch and crispy chicken, you may as well be ordering a Big Mac! A burger or two with no sides and a diet coke/unsweet tea will fill you up with less calories too.
3. Subway. As healthy as they claim to be, there’s still a crap-load of empty bread carbs here. Try a salad, throw some protein in there with some chicken, avoid the chips, you should be good to go.
4. Wendy’s. My all-time favorite fast food joint. If you order a value meal you can definitely opt out of the fries. You can substitute for a baked potato, mandarin oranges, and more. If you’re fasting, the Triple Baconator is the ultimate one burger per day — 1300 calories of fat and protein goodness. That’ll be it sir!
5. Burger King. Like the rest of the popular fast food chains, Burger King has followed suit and made changes. You can opt for healthier alternatives like salads, chicken, etc. You can also do the one big burger thing with their whoppers if you’re fasting.
6. K.F.C. Has actually got a GREAT menu item — the Double-down sandwich. Low carbs. High protein and only 500 calories. Fills you up and keeps the calories down. I bet you could lose 20lbs on an all Double-Down Diet.
7. Chipotle. Not really fast food, but an AMAZING restaurant and probably the best choice for eating healthy. Some whiny punks complain about oversized portions but if you order the right stuff, it’s good portion sizes of good food. Skip the extra 1500 cals of empty carbs that comes with the tortillas, get a bowl instead, fill it with meats, salsa, fajita peppers, mounds of guacamole and lettuce and you’re kickin’ serious Bootay. Use the Chipotle Fan Nutrition Calculator to see the different macro-nutrient and calorie profiles of your food combos and enjoy!

For all other restaurants, you can make an educated decision about the healthy items from the menu. If you’re unsure, use some common sense guidelines:

• Avoid empty carbs (fries, tortillas, chips, biscuits, etc)
• Layoff the transfats (deep fried foods, fries, etc)
• Avoid the sugar (no sodas, no sweet tea, no ice creams, etc)
• Try not to cram so much of it in your mouth a.k.a. watch your portion sizes

Follow the tips in this short article and you’re sure to lose weight while eating fast food.

about the author

Everyone has seen the food pyramid. It is the tool used to illustrate the proportions of different food types that should be included in a healthy diet. Over the past decade it has undergone some revisions.

The updated version has a change that may startle many: healthy fats and oils now appear in the lowest food level of the pyramid. That’s right, it is as important to have these in your diet as it is to have fruits and vegetables.
Healthy fats and oils are those derived from plants. However they must not be hydrogenated vegetable oils, as those are high in trans fat. Cold pressed vegetable oils are the best quality, and of those, flaxseed oil – containing Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9, is particularly beneficial. For maximum nutritional benefit vegetable oils should not be heated. So if you are taking an oil such as flaxseed for the Omegas, pour a little over a salad, into a smoothie, or use it when making a pesto or tapenade.

Another change is white rice and products made using white flour are as undesirable as sugar and salt in your diet. Wholegrain bread and pasta will not only give you extra nutrients, the fibre will help give you that nice, full feeling. Brown rice takes longer to cook – which is rather a nuisance – but has much more to offer than white.

Harvard: Eat a plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; choose healthy fats, like olive and canola oil; and red meat and unhealthy fats, like saturated and trans fats, sparingly. Most important of all is keeping calories in check, so you can avoid weight gain, which makes exercise a key partner to a healthy diet.

It seems the majority of the population are concerned about their weight. More specifically, they are concerned they have too much of it. And they want to lose some.

The actual weight they want to lose is the excess fat they carry, however a thin layer of subcutaneous fat is a good thing. It plumps up the skin attractively, provides protection from the cold and helps provide us a little cushioning.

It’s when that layer of subcutaneous fat swells beyond a centimeter or two in width that we start to grab and pinch at it accusingly, and purse our lips as our clothes stop fitting so well.

The weight loss equation is a simple one: Use more energy than you absorb through food and drink, and your body will need to burn its resources to keep you going.

Eat less? Exercise more? Reduce it down to basics and yes, that’s all you need to do to lose that fat.

Of course food (and drink) is one of life’s major pleasures. And these days it is for many the easiest and most accessible pleasure. To cut yourself off from that sensory reward is more of a challenge than you’d like to think. Particularly when the pleasure of being the shape you want to be is so distant, and the taste of your favourite food so close…

Adding exercise to use more energy is the other side of that coin, and it will certainly improve your day-to-day lifestyle (chemical balance, ease of motion, stamina) if you can make exercise a part of that lifestyle.

But many shy away from the immediate pain of exercise. The chafing, sweating, burning lungs, aching muscles. And the feeling of incompetency when you start a particular exercise. You’re not skillful at this. So it’s not fun.

It’s difficult to persist when the pleasure of having that great figure is so far away, and the pain of the actual exercise is right here and now.

So if eating less is not for you, and neither is a full-on exercise program, then maybe you’re looking for a quick fix.

Wise up. There is none.

You probably already know this. You’ve probably tried to lose weight before. And you may have succeeded. But has it stayed off?

Yo-yo dieting is very common, and very hard on the body. Lose 10 kilos, gain 12 kilos, lose 5 kilos, gain 6 kilos. Not only is it an emotional roller coaster, it’s expensive in time and in money. Most weight loss programs involve some sort of cost, and fluctuating body size means fluctuating clothing size, which will put an even bigger dent in your wallet.

But here on this site you’ll find a huge number of simple tips, for either reducing your energy intake, or increasing your energy output. Just small, easy changes, for easy weightloss. Try adopting a new one every week. Make it a habit. Make it yours. With enough of these habits in place you’ll start to see those kilos disappear.

Sign up as a member and get a new challenge delivered into your email inbox every week. Just one simple life change per week.

Be gentle and loving with yourself. Ease yourself one easy step at a time, back into the shape you love.