Lose Weight

So you want lose weight quickly? Being fat is no fun, and it's bad for your heath too. With this article, we'll look at five quick and easy weight loss tips.

You likely know why you're overweight: perhaps you have developed bad habits. Changing those bad habits starts when you become aware of what they are and decide that you need to do something about it.

When you follow these five tips, you'll understand how your weight crept on, and you can make subtle changes which will not only help you to lose weight, but will also to keep it off.

1. Start a Food Journal -- if you eat it then write it down.

When something becomes a habit, you lose awareness of it. It's completely automatic. You regain awareness when you keep a food journal. Keep your food journal for a week, without changing your diet in any way. When you do this, you can see the habits which have caused you to put on weight in black and white. Write down everything you eat and drink, and the hours at which you ate.

2. Move It! Get moving every day.

To stay healthy, you have to move. This doesn't mean that you need to spend an hour at the gym every day. Start becoming aware of how much you sit down, and stand up more. At work, stand up when you answer the phone. Take the stairs. Walk to someone's office rather than sending them an instant message.

3. Shop Wisely - eliminate killer white foods.

Become aware of heavily processed foods -- those containing white flour, sugar and fat -- and work to eliminate them from your diet. Buy whole-grain bread. Eat fruit rather than a cookie or other processed snack.

4. Get a Diet Buddy -- become responsible.

It's difficult to lose weight alone. Unless you have someone to check in with, you may fall back into your bad food habits. Get a diet buddy, someone who has just as much weight to lose as you do, and who's eager to drop pounds. Weigh yourself once a week. Your diet buddy does the same. When you know you'll have to share the weight you've gained with your diet buddy next week, you'll forego that creamy dessert when you eat out.

5. Use Your Head -- your imagination is powerful.

Here's a tip which really works: use your imagination to see yourself slim. Daydream about that tiny bikini you'll fit into, and how great it will be to buy the clothes you really want. Your imagination is keeping you fat: you imagine how great a certain food will taste. Use your imagination to imagine how great you'll feel when you look slim and can do all the things you want to do. Weight loss will come.

Marg Roukens
202-657-5874
SKYPE: marg_roukens
Tri Power Team

---

Tags: diet, health, lose weight, weight loss

Losing weight can be a difficult task, and when you have reached your weight loss goal, how do you continue your success and keep those extra pounds off for good? Here are some suggestions.

Eating Habits
The first thing you can do is to make sure that you continue the diet lifestyle that you used previously to lose weight. In order to have considerable success in your weight loss program, you have made certain changes in what you eat. Now is the time to permanently implant those habits into your lifestyle. If you get back to your old eating habits, you will definitely pack on the extra pounds again, and this time, due to the metabolic and chemical changes that occurred in your body during the initial dieting, is will be harder to lose them the second time around.

Correct Mindset
You need to condition your thinking patterns into believing that you will keep that weight off after a successful goal has been achieved. Those thoughts will assist you to develop healthy eating habits that will help you maintain a trim and healthy body. Self affirmation; visualizations and reflection can help you to get into the right frame of mind to achieve this end. By adopting the right mindset, you can keep yourself from reaching out to grab that next temptation.

Exercise
This is a crucial step in any program to lose weight. Without proper exercise, you can never achieve long term success in your efforts to lose weight. Select the right exercise that you can enjoy, have loads of fun doing it and get a great workout at the same time. There are plenty of exercises you can select from but do talk to your physician before starting any rigorous physical activity.

Support Group
Sometimes what you need is that extra measure of incentive to keep you going on your weight loss program. A public proclamation isn't always necessary, but putting your integrity and your pride at stake by sharing your goals with a few of your close friends or family members can help keep you focused on your lose weight program. Remember to choose wisely, and do not share them with those who have a negative attitude and who will most likely dampen your efforts to lose weight.

Losing weight can be an stimulating process, if you know the right way to do it and have fun in the process. Remember, you will always be drawn towards things that bring you pleasure, and if you want to make your success last, make the program fun and rewarding and take the necessary steps to include these four tips we shared into your lifestyle.

Marg Roukens
202-657-5874
SKYPE: marg_roukens
Tri Power Team

---

Tags: diet, health, lose weight, weight loss

If there is one food people are emotional about its chocolate. We love it, want it, crave it, and fear it. Thoughts of chocolate stir up tender feelings of comfort and self-pampering. We connect chocolate with happy times and consider it a must-have pick-me-up in times of stress and anxiety. When Valentine’s Day comes around the store shelves are loaded with the so called guilty pleasure. Can we eat it and still lose weight though? Let’s take a look at the facts about chocolate.

Chocolate comes from roasted cacao beans, which are mashed into a thick paste, heated to liquid state and then tempered before being shaped into bars. Sugar and vanilla are added during the mashing phase. The result of this process is cocoa butter, chocolate liquor or cocoa.

The cocoa butter in chocolate is a saturated fat. According to recent studies the body is able to turn the cocoa butter fat into monounsaturated fat in a process similar to pressing olive oil. In addition it contains strong antioxidant activity, equivalent to that of red wine and green tea. Antioxidants have been shown to give some protection against cancer. In fact, cocoa has more flavanoids, an important antioxidant, than green tea does. It's probably the richest source of flavanoids in our diet. This seems promising for an occasional treat while losing weight.

From a health perspective for the best choice is high-quality, plain, dark chocolate. The first ingredient on a bar of high-quality chocolate should be chocolate (also called chocolate liquor, cacao or cocoa. It should never be sugar. Is this free rein to indulge in chocolate? Probably not. Most experts agree chocolate will never help you lose weight. While chocolate may be high in nutrients, it is also high in calories. Even a new sugar-free chocolate doesn't give people a free pass to go overboard. I don’t think it can help us lose weight but, a small bite of dark chocolate sure does pick up the spirits. That’s a good thing when we want to reward our selves for reaching our goals successfully.

Marg Roukens
202-657-5874
SKYPE: marg_roukens
Tri Power Team

---

Tags: diet, health, lose weight

Those delicious puddings and those crunchy, sweet, absolutely delicious chocolate cookies and chewy colorful squares maybe beckoning you to reach out and grab a handful but if you are on a loose weight trek that is exactly the thing you don't want to do!

One little cookie won't do much damage, eh? Well, did you realize that one little cookie a day for a month can add an extra pound to your weight? Well, the temptation of those mouth-watering treats and sumptuous dinners can be a little overwhelming at times, and here's how you can keep yourself glued to your goals during the holiday season.

Never Skip Meals
This is the best formula to get you grouchy, feeling tired and hungry all the time. If you think skipping a few meals can make up for your intentions to splurge on those tasty holiday meals, you are dead wrong! What will be more likely to happen is it will turn you into a voracious eating monster during the festive season and end up feeling bloated and with a lot more calories than you could have do without if you weren't so hungry. The better idea, eat smaller meals but more often. You'll feel full all the time.

Eat Before the Party
It is a good idea to snack before the party, and select a high fiber meal. A diet high in fiber can make you feel satiated and so there is less chance of binging on those delicacies during the holiday season. Wow good news, I feel safe already!

Just stay as far Away as Possible from the Buffet Table
Resisting those tasty looking dishes can be a real challenge and you don't want to stimulate your senses in a negative way that may cause your willpower to be threatened unnecessarily!

Choose a healthy helping of those foods you need-the salads the fruits and a snack or two and again, move away from the table as fast as you can! Get involved in a good engaging conversation, and soon you'll get your mind off food to be able to survive through those threatening times (overindulging) and sail through the party with flying colors!

Drink Lots of Water
Water is a great lubricant and helps you keep dehydration away while loosing weight. Drink plenty of them during the party to avoid feelings of hunger-they do a good job of filling your tummy instead of binging on the food. Water will also help to fire up your metabolic rate and helps flush fats away and loose weight.

Plenty of Exercise
Getting a lot of exercise is crucial to keep your metabolism geared up and the adrenalin going so that you won't need to resort to food to get you feeling good. Choose an exercise that is fun and makes you feel good about yourself. The holiday season is simply not an excuse not to exercise! Loose weight and feel great.

Marg Roukens
202-657-5874
SKYPE: marg_roukens
Tri Power Team

---

Tags: diet, health

You should be aware of all the triggers that cause you to stray from your weight loss plan and eat when you're not even hungry? Discover how to fight the simple cues that cause you to lose willpower and beeline to the refrigerator. Find some guilt free tips below that will help you lose weight quickly.

- Studying Tedium always sets in while studying and it's natural to think of something pleasurable such as eating. However instead of fighting the urge, plan ahead. You can plan 2 or 3 servings of your favorite low fat snacks. For example, fat free potato chips, fruits, low fat cheese and crackers, light microwave popcorn ( 1/3 bag ) or sliced veggies with low fat dressing and a glass of always about.

- Boredom Boredom is the #1 reason for snacking. Find enjoyable activities during your free time such as surfing the Internet or reading my blog. (hehe) Never have snacks visible, even in the refrigerator. Once seen, your subconscious will trigger a pleasure response. Next thing you know, you're eating!

- Procrastination Procrastination is a big culprit to snacking. This type of snacking cushions the pain of beginning a difficult task. Food is soothing and hard work is painful.

- Anger or Depression Acknowledgment is the best defense from overeating when angry or depressed. Evaluate your emotional state. If it's not good, be prepared for a sudden urge to eat. Eat only at your regular meal time and plan good between meal snacks. Carefully control food portion. Emotional imbalance will cause you to want more food on your plate. Avoid long periods between meals. For quick weight loss, eat more! Eat small, nutritious snacks every few hours between meals; this will keep you full and reduces those trips to the fridge. If you don't, you set yourself up to overeat because when we are really hungry we eat more.

Marg Roukens
202-657-5874
SKYPE: marg_roukens
Tri Power Team

---

Tags: lose weight, weight loss

When you're angry or depressed, food may become an easy source of comfort. Perhaps you may start with a light snack which later turns into a 2000 calorie binge. Your best plan to lose weight quickly goes out the door. Anger, depression and anxiety can play turmoil with our eating habits because life revolves around food. Eating healthy can be difficult because we love to eat candy and desserts since childhood. We celebrate by eating fatty foods at birthdays, weddings and other special events. Why do we do that anyway?

We subconsciously use food as a reward or to pacify the pains of life. We naturally turn to food for comfort when things go wrong. That's why we must always be aware of our daily emotions to prevent emotional eating. Examine your feelings everyday. Are you feeling anxious, depressed or angry? Eating healthy becomes easier when you rationalize why you feel this way.

Don't give up if you blow your diet for the day. Tomorrow is a new day for eating healthy foods. The worst thing you can do is punish yourself after overeating or bingeing, and you're most vulnerable when anxious or depressed.

To lose weight quickly plan the time, portion and content of your meals each day and stick to it. Keep records of your eating habits. If you eat when you're not hungry, you may be trying to derive comfort from food. Learn to eat when you're hungry and plan to eat four to six times a day. Cut down on portion but eat more often. This will keep the hunger at bay.

Help prevent emotional eating by identifying issues that will cause you to overeat. Find supportive friends to talk with when you feel the urge to overeat. Weight Watchers is a good support and accountability organization for weight management. Regular exercise and good friendship help fight depression and anxiety.

Try these tips to help you fight the battle of emotional eating:
. Determine your mood especially before eating – wait a bit until your mood changes before you eat.
. Develop interesting hobbies that take your mind off food – usually working at something. with you hands helps, ex. dishes or vacuuming.
. Plan your meals each day use a weekly menu.
. Walk regularly through the week; this will also pick up your spirits as well.
. Strive to develop closer friendships
. Develop better spiritual health
. Monitor your emotions. Be prepared for the urge to overeat when emotionally upset.
. Drink 8 cups of water per day.
. Replace junk food with fruits or low fat treats. This helps me, hope it will help you as well.

Marg Roukens
202-657-5874
SKYPE: marg_roukens
Tri Power Team

---

Tags: diet, health, lose weight