Jan 12
17
If You Wish To Grow Thinner…
We can all joke about it all day long and wish it could be so easy, (sigh!) but the truth paints a different picture. 
Posted in Weight Control by .
Jan 12
7
7 Steps To Lose Baby Fat Fast
Still Trying To Lose That Stubborn Baby Fat?
It’s the ultimate dream isn’t it?
To get back that pre-pregnancy, hot, firm bikini bod… Even after 1, 2, 3 or more children!
It may sound impossible.
Maybe you’ve tried to get your body back before and failed, so you might be skeptical.
But let me tell you, you must banish that skepticism now, because it’s keeping you from the bikini body of your dreams.
Why believe what I say?
Simply because it’s NOT magic and it’s not rocket science.
Many nutritionists and health ‘gurus’ have made losing fat a scientific, difficult project to reach. It doesn’t have to be. In fact, in spite of all the new research and discoveries supporting the various fat loss methods available, two things remain unchanged: Eat better, and move more.
Speaking of research and fat loss methods…In a recent article, the Science Daily News reported [Endocrine Society, June, 2011] the importance of reduced carbs in our diets for best results when trying to lose body fat and for overall stable blood insulin levels.
Today, I want to share with you 7 basic, ancient steps you can take to start losing that baby fat for good.
Just follow these 7 steps, and you too can have a hot bikini body – no matter how many kids you’ve had…
Why do new year’s resolutions usually fail?
By Tom Venuto
Why do you start with guns blazing on January 1st, but by February, you’re losing motivation, cheating on your diet, skipping workouts, and slipping back into old patterns?
John LaValle, a master trainer of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) suggests that we should take a closer look at the meaning behind the word “Resolution.”
Being derived from the word “re-solve,” it really means “to solve again.”
And isn’t that exactly what happens?
You solve the same problem again and again, year after year?
You know what I’m talking about… That 20 pounds you lost last year, and promptly gained it right back… you are now resolving to take it off again aren’t you?
The very nature of the word resolution implies gaining it back again.
Suggestion: don’t make resolutions. Set SMARTER goals.
Resolutions aren’t real goals. They’re more like wishes, and wishes are wishy-washy.
A wish becomes a goal the moment you put it in writing.
When you write your goals in a certain way, following scientific principles of success psychology, you’ll skyrocket your chances of getting what you want this year… and keeping it.
One of the most tried and true methods for goal achievement is the SMART goals formula. If you searched the net for SMART goals, you would probably find a dozen different variations on the SMART goal acronym.
Here’s my version of SMART goals, along with a little extra to make them even SMART-ER.
1. Specific. Set goals with clarity. Your mind does not respond well to vague generalities. If you say your goal is to lose weight and then you lose one pound, then you’ve reached your goal. Is that what you really wanted? Get clear. Be precise. Be specific.
2. Measurable. Set goals that can be quantified in measurable units such as pounds, body fat percentage, lean body mass, inches and clothing sizes.
Performance goals can include strength (lbs or kilos lifted) and repetitions completed.
Don’t forget to include health goals as well, such as blood pressure and blood lipids.
3. Accountable. Set goals you can be held accountable to. First be accountable to yourself by using a weekly progress chart, a daily nutrition diary and a training journal.
Then double your motivation with external accountability and submit your results and journals to someone else who will hold you to your commitments.
4. Realistic. Set goals that are attainable and maintainable. If you lose two pounds of fat per week, you are doing awesome. 30 pounds in 30 days sounds great in the advertisements…
…But it is not typical, and rapid weight loss is likely to consist of muscle and water, not fat, and is nearly impossible to maintain.
5. Time Bound. Set goals with deadlines. Time limits are highly motivating. With no time limit, there is no urgency for completion.
Set goals for daily workouts and nutrition, weekly weight and body composition and 12 week changes in weight, body fat or measurements.
Set long term goals as well for one year, five years and even beyond. For all time periods, be certain that your deadline is realistic.
Now we add some motivational ooompf for this year by making your goals even SMART-ER!
6. Emotional. Goals give you a direction, but strong emotions are the propulsion system that drives you in that direction.
Build up a burning desire by focusing on the emotional reasons why you want to achieve your goal.
Connect your goals to your values:
- What’s most important to you about reaching your goal?
- If you reach 9% body fat, or whatever is your target, what will that do for you?
- What will your life look like then?
- How will it make you FEEL?
7. Reviewed often. Resolutions fail because they are casually set once at the beginning of the year and easily forgotten. Stay laser-focused by writing and reading your goals every day.
Repetition is one of the keys to re-programming your mental computer for success. Use the goal card technique.
Write your single most important body or fitness goal on a small card, then carry it with you every where you go, reading it several times a day.
S.M.A.R.T.E.R. GOALS is a simple, memorable formula for goal setting and goal getting. It may not be new, but then again, there are no new fundamentals.
Methods and tactics may change, but scientific principles of success never change. And don’t forget to make your goals even smarter this year.
A goal that’s not strongly desired and kept in front of you every day will be forgotten. Stay focused, eat right, train hard and expect success!
“A goal that is casually set and lightly taken will be freely abandoned at the first obstacle.” – Zig Ziglar, Motivational Speaker
To Your Health!
Luz Laureano
Dig into the science of successful weight loss strategies without the hype.
About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, independent nutrition researcher, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: Burn The Fat
Dec 11
27
Slimming Down?-Time To Celebrate!
Time to celebrate! Have a toast to the New You!
Starting a new fitness challenge can be a slow, frustrating process, which makes it seem like reaching your goal will take forever.
Let’s face it
While it’s true that eating better is more than half the battle in your journey to weight loss, the downside is that the time between now and the other half of the journey you’ve got some deprivation, boredom, and sacrifice to look forward to :(
Here’s the bright side of that…
What if you could celebrate something great every single day as you move toward your goal weight? Remember that you are now seeing your body from a total different perspective.
Key Point: Your body is your most precious possession, and what you put in it can either destroy it or nurture it.
How do you maintain that outlook?
By recognizing little victories as you encounter them.
What kind of “little victories”?
Each one of those pounds can make you feel victorious as it melts away.
Celebrate like crazy when you lose a pound
- Jump up and down
- Dance around
- Write it down- dear diary: I lost 2 more pounds this week…YEAH!
- Talk about them with your Facebook friends, twit them, brag, brag, brag
If it feels like you’ve just accomplished something great…Celebrate!
There are plenty of other little victories you can celebrate, too. How about celebrating when you’ve stuck to your promise to drink x number of glasses of water a day?
Here’s my favorite: When I slip into a smaller size of pair of jeans.
How about this: When you start to really enjoy vegetables instead of dreading them? ..OK- that’s a stretch, Ha!
Point is, these “little accomplishments” are actually BIG in significance and they should be celebrated!
It may seem silly to celebrate in such obvious ways, but who cares? Make it fun, make it exciting, make yourself feel really good about your daily accomplishments.
If you don’t pat yourself on the back and cheer yourself on, who else will?
These little celebrations serve as fantastic motivation to keep you moving steadily and quickly toward your goals.
To your health!
LL
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Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Luz Laureano
Dec 11
21
Why I Am Not A Vegetarian
Reasons why I am not a vegetarian:
Yes, I know It’s true…
Vegetables are one of the best foods you can eat if you’re trying to lose weight, or simply improve your health. That’s a fact.
They are great sources of of fiber, minerals, vitamins and nutrients that can help prevent disease.
Eating at least three full servings of vegetables a day would help you lose weight easier and faster, have more energy, and improve your digestive function.
But Only At The Short Term…
…Here’s where my meat-eater logic steps in
My body needs more than complex carbs (plant based foods) and plant based proteins to remain strong and healthy LONG term.
Indeed. At the short term eating mostly or only a vegetarian diet does promote healing and organ detox.
Long term, though it could lead to serious nutritional deficiencies.
Why do I think that?
For starters, I must first mention that I agree with the proponents of vegetarianism regarding the horrors going on within the cattle industry; It’s destructive, cruel and wasteful.
Bad for the animals, the environment and bad for us, (Yes I watched ‘Forks over Knives’ and other similar documentaries)- But that’s another post entirely.
With that said, I think the benefits of vegetarianism, especially the strict vegetarian diet are greatly over-rated.
Let me explain…
My body needs three basic types of nutrients (called macronutrients). They are proteins, fats, and carbohydrates and the three are vital to health.
As a vegetarian, I would get enough carbs from vegetables but NOT enough good quality fats and protein to sustain my health long term.
Here’s why
Fats- We all know that not all fats are created equal and while a plant based diet would provide many good sources of ’good fats’ (Unsaturated) from nuts and certain oils, I would be missing the great benefits of the essential fatty acids- Omega-3- and other good fats from various animal sources.
Proteins- Here’s my main concern: I am a big protein lover…A vegetarian diet wouldn’t provide me with enough of it to keep me healthy long term because I wouldn’t have enough time during the day to eat enough nuts, soy, or spirulina when I could get enough protein from a piece of chicken!
Mostly because unlike animal proteins, plant proteins are not completely digestible.
Here again, all proteins are NOT created equal
Proteins are the tissue builders (building blocks of cells), and my body can not store them; I must get them daily from my diet and in adequate amounts just to maintain my body functioning at normal levels.
For optimal health and faster metabolism, I try to eat a portion of a complete protein with every meal, (meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, fish)…and I gotta tell you, I haven’t been to a doctor for being sick in over 20 years!
This would not be possible on a vegetarian diet (low calorie, med-high carbs, low fat).
Unless, of course I m extremely careful and disciplined to eat enough quantities of the non-complete protein sources…
Even so, I would have to worry about my B-vitamin, Iron and Calcium deficiencies, which are common among many long-term vegetarians.(That too, it’s topic for another post.)
When I do eat my vegetables I have to get creative, less I’d get bored, heh
Here’s some things I do to make eating vegetables more enticing, try them out yourself for variety!
– Pile them on a sandwich.
If you like to eat whole wheat pita sandwiches for lunch, you can add a serving or two of vegetables to them easily.
I like tomatoes and lettuce.
- Stir-fry them.
- Sneak them into other foods.
I get into the habit of including vegetables in as many meals as I can, that way I get used to them and not mind them so much.
So, yeah…While I am not a vegetarian I enjoy and recommend a daily serving of vegetables. Especially the dark colored ones because of their higher vitamin content.
To Your Health!
LL
**Sources for this article: Beyondveggie.com, Protein Power by Michael R. Eades, M.D, Guide to Body Chemistry & Nutrition, Human Physiology-Mechanisms of disease, Guyton-3rd edition.
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One of the best tools for weight loss success you can use each day is a weight loss recipe collection.
This is just what it sounds like; a collection of recipes that focus on healthy eating for weight loss. 
Why is this such a powerful tool?
Because next to not having enough time, one of the reasons why people give up on dieting is because they get bored and uninspired with the food choices.
If you start a weight loss recipe collection, you will arm yourself with endless great choices for delicious meals, snacks, soups, desserts, whole wheat breads, muffins, and so much more.
There are various formats you can use for your recipe collection.
- A good , old recipe box with index cards.
You may remember your mother or grandmother having one of these when you were a kid: a plastic box filled with index cards, upon which were handwritten family recipes.
Well, you can start a brand new one just for healthy recipes!
- A recipe scrapbook.
If you prefer cookbooks to index cards, you can create your own cookbook by using a large scrapbook.
Simply print or type your favorite recipes onto acid-free paper (so it doesn’t disintegrate over time), and stick them onto a page in the scrapbook.
Add photos of the dishes if you like. You can also split up your scrapbook into different sections for main dishes, desserts, salads, soups, etc.
- Become a recipe techie- Create an electronic recipe collection.
You may find it easier and more enjoyable to store your favorite recipes electronically instead of on paper, and there are several good ways to do this:
- Search out good recipes online and simply add them to your browser Favorites
- Copy each one and save it as a document on your computer hard drive
- Download a healthy recipe app for your smartphone that allows you to search tons of healthy recipes and save your favorites.
Just creating this weight loss recipe collection isn’t enough of course – it’s important to actually USE it too!
Each day (or at least a few times a week) pick a new recipe and try it. Over time you’ll find some that you really love, but keep trying new ones too!
They say that variety is the spice of life – but it’s also the key to keeping your weight loss fun and interesting.
For great fat burning strategies that actually work check out Burn The Fat weight loss system here
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Luz Laureano
I’m about to share with you the most important weight loss strategy that will literally make or break your success.
This is the #1 one fat loss tip I could ever give you.
If you don’t get this right, you can kiss your fat loss results goodbye.
This is the ONE absolute requirement for weight loss, and it’s something you’ve probably heard of before.
However, there’s one critical distinction about this familiar advice that you might not have considered…
Posted in Fitness Exercise Health Nutrition Weight Control by .
Nov 11
27
Spinach And Weight Loss
Spinach is like a “wonder food”
When it comes to good health, spinach and weight loss go hand in hand. 
“On the subject of spinach: Divide it into little piles. Rearrange again into new piles. After five or six maneuvers, sit back and say you are full.”
- Delia Ephron -
Do you feel the same way about eating spinach?
Well, you are not the only one. I used to wonder why Popeye ate it at all, because I never fell for the ‘spinach kept our family strong for thousands of years story’, Uhm- uh…
I like it more now though, as long as it’s cooked ( and no sand please!, lol) and seasoned. Also, once I learned that it actually does contain tons of good- for- me minerals and vitamins my whole attitude changed.
Here’s the scoop on spinach, (it might change your attitude too
Posted in Health Nutrition Weight Control by .
How often do you find yourself lying about the reasons you can’t lose weight?
Do you often justify your actions by saying it’s because you have a slow metabolism… after all, you HARDLY eat all day, you never eat candy or potato chips, but you still can’t lose weight?
Besides you might add, it RUNS in the family…I am doomed.
Okay. You’re not actualy lying, just stretching the truth a bit.
Maybe you don’t eat much during the day, but you eat huge portions of food at dinner time?…
…Maybe you don’t eat candy or potato chips, but you can easily finish off a half gallon of ice cream in an evening? :)
But wait…It’s NOT about guilt. It’s more about self-deception (Your brain’s fault)
We rationalize everything.
We are capable of justifying the most ilogical, irrational behavior to suit our needs because we’re programmed that way.
It’s called avoiding Cognitive Dissonance.
Cognitive dissonance happens when we believe or value certain things but we ACT in ways opposite to those beliefs.
See, the brain likes to keep things simple and in an attempt to avoid discomfort it creates a reason for the opposite behavior, ( You did xy because of z)in your case the numerous justifications for not being able to change your eating habits.
When you catch yourself lying like that (to others or just to yourself) it’s probably because you’re not ready to make the changes you need to make in order to reach your goals.
You justify your lack of progress by coming up with an excuse, or many excuses. Soon the guilt piles up and negative, self limiting beliefs undermine your future efforts.
Now that you know why you lie to yourself sometimes, here’s how to keep yourself in check:
Do a quick, self-lie detector test
Write down what you THINK is true about your weight.
Example:
- I don’t have time to eat healthy.
- I eat only one small meal a day.
- I don’t have time to exercise.
- I don’t eat a lot of sugar.
- I eat pretty healthy most of the time.
Now look at your list, which items are not really true?
It may take you some time, months or even years before you’ll be ready to take action for change, but being honest with yourself is enough to make you start taking different actions, even if it’s in small ways.
If you’re still lying about why you can’t lose weight, understanding your brain’s sneaky influence on your behavior might help you stay focused on your goals.
To your health!
LL
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Posted in Body Mind Health Health Nutrition Weight Control by .
Nov 11
23
Sugar and Weight Loss-The Ugly Facts
Sugar and Weight Loss-Bad Combo
Few carbohydrates hinder your weight loss and cause more damage to your
skin and body than sugar.
While this statement is not amazingly earth-shattering, at this time of the year when we are more prone to over indulge, it’s well worth reviewing some basic, ugly facts about sugar.
But first the positives…even sugar has its good side.
Our brain needs sugar
Glucose is a simple sugar and it’s the brain’s source of raw fuel, which is a good thing because without constant levels of glucose your brain wouldn’t function.
In fact, when your glucose levels are very low you feel weak, tired and unable to concentrate.
Being the brain’s main source of energy it needs a LOT of glucose, roughly 20 percent of the total energy our body needs.
But it needs the ‘good’ sources of sugar
Simple sugars, easily digestible carbohydrates, -like the pumpkin pie you love the most- do NOT provide the brain that much needed, constant energy producing glucose because the instant sugar high causes a release in insulin, it’s main job being to regulate blood sugar levels.
The result: Blood sugar levels drop
Because the brain is unable to store glucose -other than a small amount- it must get it from the body via the bloodstream, what happens next is you are craving your quick sugar fix.
The ugly facts- why sugar and weight loss don’t work-
If you are very young and healthy-though if you eat a typical, American modern, over-processed diet, the term ‘young and healthy’ is over rated- your body will be able to control those sugar levels peaks and valleys. For some time.
If you are struggling to lose weight you are probably stuck on this sugar high-low rollercoaster. But the impact on weight gain it’s only one ugly fact about sugar.
- Fact is, as you probably know, simple sugars cause diabetes. When your pancreas becomes insensitive to all that insulin that it’s being released to regulate those sugar ups and downs, the result is diabetes type 2.
- Sugar makes you crave more sugar. Eating even a small amount of a sugary product can immediately make you crave more and more sugar. So you start out with the best intention to have just one small cookie, and before you know it you can’t stop thinking about eating more cookies. -
- It will make you look older. Sugar triggers an inflammatory response that directly affects skin’s cells ability to regenerate resulting in premature wrinkles and loss of elasticity.
So, if you’ve been eating too much sugar, it’s time to make some changes. Here are some ideas:
Eliminating half of the sugar you eat each day.
Replace soda with water; start using a natural sweetener in coffee and tea, like stevia.
Have a bowl of oatmeal instead of a muffin for breakfast,
Break the sugar habit trading one junk meal for a good one every day.
The faster you break the sugar habit, the faster you’ll start to see the weight coming off, the younger you’ll look and the better you’ll feel.
Enjoy a happy and healthy Thanks Giving Day!
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Luz Laureano
Posted in Anti Aging Health Nutrition Weight Control by .
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