Weight Loss Discipline

All things being equal they’re not and that is probably the reason you are fighting the battle of the bulge. I remember writing somewhere sometime that weight loss is simple and when viewed from the perspective of logic weight loss is basic maths.

If what goes in does not equal what goes out then the difference rests on your fat rear end. That is the formula for weight gain. However for weight loss the formula is that what goes in must be less than what goes out.

And unfortunately for most of us who love ourselves with a passion and therefore find it hard to use the love word “no” in relation to our cravings, weight loss metamorphoses from a simple formula to an uphill struggle of mammoth proportions.

The key word in this little ramble is discipline. If you really loved your self and hated your royal fatness then you would muster up the courage to use the “no” word once in a very blue moon.

So I went out for dinner last night and me being my shinny new svelte self mingling with fat nation I was intent on being at least half good. So I had surf and turf which was really good and also one Sam Summer beer.

Weight Loss Discipline-Eating Out

Now here’s the thing. The surf and turf consisted of three decent sized shrimp grilled to perfection and three good sized steak tips also grilled and lightly seasoned. I estimated the shrimp to be like one point each and the steak tips to be three points each that comes to a total of 12 points.

Plus the plate included some nice vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes. I am sure that the vegetables had something on them so I gave them 2 points and I brought the garlic potatoes home untouched to my donkey sized black lab, he has no self discipline when it comes to food whatsoever.

The Sam Summer 16oz is four points which brings the total meal to 18 points which in any language is a large portion of a daily points allowance, but still manageable if one plans the day around eating out and then chooses wisely from the menu.

A little pointer for the wine lovers, a restaurant poured glass of wine will be anywhere from 3 to 6 points depending on the generosity of the pourer, so beware of the free pour. If possible ask for a mini bottle of wine if they are available, they are approx 185 ml or 1/4 bottle so you know that they have roughly 4 points.

Anyway remember the key to weight loss is:

1. Be Committed.
2. Be Disciplined.
3. And eat your points or calories or whatever.

Weight Loss Discipline-Loose Skin

Even with diet and exercise, pockets of fat and loose skin can often stick around after you’ve lost the weight. Fortunately, cosmetic surgery procedures, like liposuction, tummy tucks and cellulite removal, can help you get rid of those “extra bits”. Visit www.PlasticSurgeryPortal.com to learn more…

Get Rid of Belly Fat

Getting rid of stubborn stomach fat can be hard. If you are eating healthy but the belly bulge refuses to go away try following these three tips to get rid of belly fat.

Get Rid of Belly Fat Tips

• If you are under eating and depriving the body of essential nutrient it will go into reserve mode and conserve its fat resources which is exactly the opposite of what you are trying to achieve. Besides eating healthy it is very important to eat smart healthy. Your daily food intake should include all the nutrients and vitamins that your body needs for your daily activities. It sounds crazy but under eating or in the case of weight watchers not using all of your daily points allocation will have the opposite effect to what you are trying to achieve. To the body the fat you are trying to lose is its rainy day fund. If it feels threatened by starvation it will hang on to its fat supply for all it’s worth and you will not fit into the slinky black number.
• Drink water (normal tap or plain bottled without flavor) often. Proper hydration for whatever reason is a huge factor in fat loss. It speeds up the metabolism and flushes toxins and parasites from the body that may be impeding your weight loss efforts.
• Get moving and if you really want to shed pounds of fat then get moving fast. A lethargic stroll around the block with the dog might seem like exercise to you but it is little better than sitting on the couch eating potatoes. If you are not breathing hard, sweating and challenging your cardio vascular system then you will find it hard to lose your fat supplies.

So get your body in fat burning mode by these three steps that will get rid of belly fat

1. Eat healthy choices that include all the necessary nutrients for your body’s needs including carbs, proteins and fresh vegetables.
2. Drink lots of water.
3. Exercise, but remember to hit it hard.

There is a new weight watchers points calculator at http://PointsCalculator.info

Why Dieters Fail

The current high levels of obesity have made weight control a major health priority throughout North America. At the same time, statistics show that average weight loss for dieters on conventional diets amounts to a mere 5-8 pounds per annum. Why is dieting so difficult? According to a new survey (1), there are three reasons. We don’t have a sufficiently powerful incentive; we let ourselves go hungry; and we don’t deal effectively with “bad days”.

The new weight loss survey asked dieters to identify the three biggest obstacles they faced when following a calorie-controlled eating plan. The most popular replies were:

- Inadequate incentive to lose weight (75 percent)
- Hunger (70 percent)
- Bad days (69 percent)

Let’s look at what causes these diet problems, and how we can overcome them.

Why Is Incentive So Important When Trying To Reduce Weight?

We gain weight either because we consume too many calories, or burn too few, or (most likely, a combination of both). So to lose weight, we need to correct this calorie imbalance by changing our eating and exercise habits. But as we all know, regular habits aren’t easily changed, especially if it means cutting out our favorite food treats. The only way to do it, to to find a strong incentive to help us change.

In a nutshell, we need an answer to the question: How will I benefit from losing weight?

Most dieters can’t answer this question! Those who can, usually reply: “Because I’ll feel better” or “Because my health will improve”. Other dieters may say they are trying to reduce weight to satisfy their doctor, or partner. These general reasons are much too weak to motivate us to change our regular eating and exercise routine. For instance, losing weight to please others rarely works. As a result, as soon as our weight loss diet runs into problems, we quit.

What Type of Incentive Is Best For Weight Loss?

In order to stay motivated to lose weight, we must fix our eyes on something PERSONAL – some kind of selfish, personal benefit – for example, a beach holiday, or a family occasion, or the achievement of a specific fitness goal. Whatever benefit we choose to inspire us to lose weight, it must be specific and have a fixed date.

EXAMPLE
“I want to lose weight and get into shape within 6 months, because I’ve just booked an expensive holiday in Florida. I want some quality male attention – y’unnerstan what I’m saying, girls – so I’m going to drop three dress sizes and lose 50 pounds to make sure I get it.”
Sounds better than losing weight to satisfy your doctor, doesn’t it?

Make up your own diet incentive. Choose anything that makes your weight loss goal REALLY DESIRABLE!

Why Hunger Stops Us Losing Weight

Most dieters still believe that food is their enemy. So they think the less they eat, the quicker they’ll lose weight. NOT TRUE! The truth is, the less we eat, the more hungry we get and the quicker our diet goes up in smoke. Don’t forget, the human body is genetically designed to eat when hungry and no amount of willpower will neutralize this basic urge – at least, not for long. That’s why low-calorie diets are usually followed by eating binges.

How to Avoid Hunger And Lose Weight

Skipping meals during the day is the main cause of hunger. So make CERTAIN you eat regularly throughout the day, and eat a minimum of 1200-1300 calories per day – more if you exercise for 45 minutes. Regular eating reassures your body that food is plentiful, so it burns calories more efficiently. In addition, it maintains steady blood sugar levels thus preventing sudden urges to overeat.

To Lose Weight It’s Better To Eat Too Much Rather Than Too Little

Each of us has days when we feel extra hungry. When this happens, EAT MORE! Might this slow down your weight loss? A little, perhaps, but so what? Needing a few extra days to achieve your weight loss goal is not a problem. The real problem is not eating enough and getting hungry and depressed. Because when this happens, you’ll stop dieting and start bingeing.

How To Cope With Bad Days Without Quitting Your Diet

All dieters experience “bad days.” Unfortunately, most of them insist on perfection. So if they visit a friend and finish up eating 2 containers of ice cream and a box of cookies, they go to pieces. They become overwhelmed by guilt at not being perfect, and quit their diet in disgust. But eating the ice cream and cookies is pretty harmless – you need to eat a very large amount of food (3500+ calories) to gain just one pound of body fat – the real damage is caused by the guilt that follows. So what’s the answer? DON’T TRY TO BE PERFECT! Once you stop seeing yourself as the PERFECT dieter you’ll feel entitled to make occasional mistakes, and you’ll find dieting much easier and much less stressful.

Successful Weight Loss Is Only Possible With Proper Support

FACT: Most dieters fail.
WHY? Because they don’t get help.

The three problems outlined above are just a few of the difficulties we face when trying to lose weight. To overcome them and all the other diet issues that stand in the way of our weight loss goals, we need to get help. This is much more important than choosing the perfect calorie-controlled eating plan, because no diet can motivate you to stay on track. Only other people can help you do this. Weight loss – even for people who have been obese for years – is EASY when we get motivation and encouragement from others. So if you join an online weight loss program, make sure it has an active diet-support forum. Because when we have people behind us, we can do anything – y’unnerstan what I’m saying, girls?

Article written by Anne Collins Weight Loss Program

Is Weight Watchers for You

Weight Watchers has been one of the top of the weight loss program on the market for many years. Weight Watchers has helped countless millions of overweight people reach their goal of losing weight and leading a healthy life. However Weight Watchers might not be the optimum weight loss program for everybody. When it comes to losing weight it is of paramount importance that one carefully examining all of the aspects of the diet or weight-loss program they are considering opting for. Below are listed some factors of Weight Watchers program that should be considered before joining.:

Weight Watchers Pro’s

• Virtually all foods are allowed by the Weight Watchers Program.  The secret or trick of the Weight Watchers program is portion control.  Weight Watchers works on a points system where the calories, fat and fiber in a portion are translated into the points contained in that portion size of a particular food choice. On average 100-120 calories equates to 2 weight watchers points. Based on age, weight and activity level a newcomer to weight watchers is allocated a daily points allowance.
• The leader at the Weight Watchers meetings will usually provide some education on nutrition including healthy and wise choices and some great recipes. In the weight watchers program most raw vegetables are free or have zero point’s value so eat up your carrots. Also get used to skim milk and drink water instead of soda.
• For busy housewife’s and child minders most Weight Watcher’s locations will facilitate children.
• If your ideal diet or weight loss program is one that will enable you to lose 20 lbs in two weeks then Weight Watchers is probably not for you. The whole idea behind Weight Watchers is a healthy lifestyle including healthy food choices with proper portion size control. The reality of Weight Watchers is that if you lose just 1lb a week for a year you will have dropped over 50lbs but more importantly you will have learned how to live and eat properly. This kind of success will usually last a lifetime and is not a yoyo diet scenario.
• Weight Watchers requires that you track the food you eat daily preferably as you eat and record the points value of the food you consume as you consume it. This will help from exceeding your daily points allowance.

Weight Watchers Cons:

• The cost of each meeting is approximately $13 per meeting so over a year that can equal a pretty hefty $676. There is also a sign up fee of $30.
• Weight Watchers may not provide an appropriate atmosphere for private individuals who do not like the group setting of weight watchers meetings; however there is an online variation of the Weight Watchers Program.
• You must weigh in weekly although there is usually a once off get out of jail card given when you join up which allows you to miss one weigh in.
• Other than weekly meetings and weigh in the only structure offered by the Weight Watchers program is the daily point’s allowance. There is no diet as such to stick to you can eat anything you wish as long as you do not exceed the points. This might not suit a person who is looking for a more structured rigid type of weight loss program.

Taking into account the health aspect of weight loss and the medical expenses that can be involved for the clinically overweight person I thought it would be a good idea to look at some aspects of health insurance coverage. This excellent article will help with shoppong for health insurance.

Things to consider while shopping for health insurance

Health insurance is a must for every individual. But with the market flooded with several companies offering such health insurance plans, it is getting more and more difficult making the right choice. However, if you are aware of the ways to shop around and the things to consider while shopping for health care plans, you’ll be able to find a plan that suits you best.

How to shop for health insurance

You must consider the following points while shopping for your insurance:

• Assess your needs – Make sure you know what you require. There are too many options available, but they might not fulfill your requirements. So look for a plan with coverage that suits your individual needs and lifestyle.
• Types of policy – There are different types of policies available in the market. Do some research and find out which one would suit you best.
• Research companies – The market is flooded with different companies making different offers. You must gather proper information about the companies and their credibility. You can also check out the agent and the local company representative.
• Policy coverage – Make sure that are completely aware of all that your policy will pay for and also those that your excludes. You must be aware of the extend of coverage before you buy a policy.
• Determine how you will be reimbursed – You must make sure how you will be reimbursed for your visits and other medical treatments.
• Avoid policies with any pre-existing conditions – Always be careful of policies that exclude pre-existing conditions. If possible at all, avoid them.
  Think before buying supplemental medical insurance – Most of the supplementary policies are not required as the items they pay for are mostly covered under your existing health insurance policy.
  Affordability – While shopping for insurance, make sure that you can afford to pay the premiums regularly. You can compare quotes and also find ways to reduce your premiums if you find a policy beyond your affordability.

If you consider the things mentioned above when shopping health care plans, you’ll be able to buy the right health insurance for yourself. With a little research, you can save yourself huge dollars and secure peace of mind.

Fat in your head

To be fat in the world you must be fat in your head first.

So today would be day 22 if I was still posting but as you have probably noticed I haven’t been posting for a while now.

Anyway just a quick update, so far I have lost 9lb 14 oz which is just a smidgen under 10 lbs in three weeks which although not biggest loser numbers is not a bad weight loss for a loser such as me. This could mean that in under 3 months I could actually lose the 30lbs that was my initial goal.

Anyway I have been keeping to my allocated points mostly except for the not so rare occasion when I fall under the spell of the demon alcohol. A word to the wise, alcohol and weight loss programs don’t mix. Alcohol represents empty points or calories and if you are silly enough to consume one too many then the next day will be a test of wills between you and your constitution which is looking to eat greasy foods to help it recover. You have been warned, as if you didn’t know already.

Like any horse race the answer is to get up when you fall and start running like crazy. In then end your only competition is your self, yes in this epic battle we call life you are actually only competing against your self or rather your own opinion of who you think you are. You are not fat you are merely action out some strange view of who your crazy mind believes you are or should be.

Fat Man Day 7

I am informed that in the US version of weight watchers there are no 1/2 points. Humour me here as my mathematical skills are minimal.

• So 4 slices of weight watchers rye bread are equal to 2 points.
• 2 slices of ham are equal 1 point.
• If one combines the 4 slices of weight watchers bread and the two slices of ham into two sandwiches then we have two sandwiches which equal 3 points.
• So if I only eat one sandwich how many points have I consumed and how many points are in the sandwich that is left on the plate. Sure beats me.

Anyway today I ate the following:

Breakfast:

• 2 ham 1p, tomato and provolone 2p on rye sandwiches ( 4 slices of ww rye bread 2p) Total 8p.

Snack:

• 10 almonds 1p, spoon of honey 1p. Total 2p

Lunch:

• Chili con carne 6p with mashed potatoes 2p, cup of skim milk 2p. Total 10p

Evening:

• Boiled egg 2p with tomato and beetroot on ciabatta bread 1p. Total 3p

Desert:

• Fiber one bare chocolate and oats 2p with glass of skim milk 2p. Total 4p

Snack:

• 1 point popcorn. Total 1p

Total points: 27 points.

The chili was made withhalf ground beef (mince) and half quorn.

A neat trick withthe ground beef is to fry it till all the beef has turned brown. Tilt the pan and move the beef to the high side of the pan and press it firmly with a spatula or whatever to separate it from the fat which should move to the low side of the pan. Remove the fat with a spoon or whatever. This should make regular ground beef almost fat free.

Gotta go to the airport to pick up my son. More tomorrow.

Fat Man Day 6

Hello my beauties, this was a good day all round. First my stick insect wife finished 3rd in her class in the Wompatuck 5k road race. It was here birthday so this was a pretty neat present from her to herself. Keeping in mind that less than a year ago she was more than 50 lbs heavier and could not run from the living room to the kitchen to answer the phone.

Then because we were in the Hanover getting dog and cat food at Wal-Mart I decided to weigh in a day early at GNC and wait for it I was down 5lb 11 oz, yes that’s 5lb 11oz in 6 days just by making smart low calorie, low ww points choices.

Here is my food journal for Fat Man Day 6

Because we were up and out so early for the road race I didn’t have any breakfast but I did have an absolutely superb chocolate chip cookie at the guest center at the road race. I think it was home made and it was better than any store bought one I’ve had.

Breakfast:

1 chocolate chip cookie 3p.

Lunch:

Boiled egg 2p with beetroot and tomato, plus 2 slices of cooked ham 1p. Total 3p.

Desert:

1/2 cup of plain low fat Greek yogurt 2p with one tbs. cherry jelly 1p. Total 3p.

Hanover Mall:

2 Trader Joe Curry sticks (free sample and delicious) 2p, pack of tic tac 1p. Total 3p.

Dinner:

Portobello mushroom baked with sautéed onion 1/2 p, roasted red pepper and sun dried tomato 1p, smothered in provolone low fat cheese 2p plus olive oil and balsamic vinegar 1/2 p, served on 2 oz of toasted ciabatta bread 2p. Total 6p.

2 3oz glasses of Ruffino Il Ducale Toscano (Italian Red Wine). 3p

1 22 oz bottle of lost sailor Berkshire brewing company India pale ale to follow. 6p

The Portobello mushroom dinner might seem complicated but believe me the hardest part of preparing this scrumptious number was collecting the ingredients. It cooked in like 20 mins.

Also the Ruffino which usually retails for $20 is on sale in Curtis Liquors for $10.99, a great deal if you happen to live south of Boston, if you don’t then at least feel happy for us.

For beer aficionados there is no better beer for sale in America than Berkshire Brewing Companies Lost Sailor India Pale Ale. Don’t take my word for it although I should know, have one your self and thank me later.

Here’s to me and here’s to you.

Fat Man Day 5

When I wrote on sales/psychology I had a quote that I liked to use that goes something like this: “A travelling salesman told me once that seeing is believing, trouble is that most people believe what they want and then go ahead and see it”.

Sitting here in my hallowed basement listening to the clothes dryer hum I am amazed at the awe that is life. I have a inner feeling of calm and gratitude with a high zing content but the dichotomy that is me is a two headed coin. For like any shinny dime I too have a flip side.

There’s an A4 sheet pinned to the wall in front of me that I copied from the Universe a few years ago and altered a little to fit in with my particular brain chemistry. This is it:

• Most think that perception works like a flashlight in the dark, illuminating whatever it is aimed at.
• The truth however is that instead of revealing what’s there, it creates it.

This might or might not be true but as you get to be older and wonder why things are the way they are within your being and within yourself as you play out within the world that you seem to be, logic appears to be screaming wake up fool, the writing is on the wall, just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean that it’s not there.

Not long after 911 and the invasion of Iraq a high ranking member of the Presidents staff told a reporter and I quote “We (the administration) speak reality into existence.”

The more aware I become the more I realize  that I have been living in a deluded slumber for most of my adult life, believing what suited me to be truth based reality.

The real truth is that there is no truth, there just is. And within that “isness” resides 6+ billion people all trying to survive, be liked and striving for that elusive happy moment, like a drunk forever searching for the buzz of a first drink.

Don’t waste your time looking for happiness in a job or a partner or even in wealth or success. If you are really serious about finding happiness then I’ll tell you where to find it. It’s waiting patiently for you like a blind date at the center of your being. Happiness is the one at the back table sporting the high zing content.

Anyway enough of this and back to the fat man.

I need a clap on the back, give me atrophy, give me a medal, for I who would be king of diners actually sat and watched as a full breakfast was consumed right before my covetous eyes and all I ordered was a coffee, black, no milk, no sugar, but that’s the way I always drink it.

What did the fat man eat this day; I journeyed out again so once again I packed a lunch, a boring lunch for a boring fat man on a boring mission.

Lunch:

• 3 slices of rye bread 6p, 4 slices fiber one raisin bread, 2 slices of ham 2p, 2 plums 1p. Total 13p. There was only 3 slices of rye bread left in the fridge hence the uneven sandwich.

Dinner:

• 1 cup of pasta (thin spaghetti) 4p, Chicken breast meat 2p. Total 6

Desert:

• Fiber one chocolate mocha bar 2p.

Later:

• 1 slice of weight watchers rye 1/2 p, 1 slice of ham 1/2 p, tomato 0p. Total 1p

The lunch was ham and tomato on rye sandwiches, the rye bread was Arnold real Jewish rye and it is something else (if you like rye). The raisin bread I ate dry but hey it’s raisin bread it’s like cake and at 1p per slice it’s great calorie versus flavor value. And the peaches where hard juicy and tart, just the way I like them. This feast was washed down with tap water.

Dinner was chicken in homemade tomato sauce served on a bed of thin spaghetti. The sauce was a simple blend of zesty Mexican flavored tomatoes, half a small tin of tomato paste, 1 bullion cube, accompanies with summer squash and onion. Summer squash for the non US reader is as explained here. Summer squash is good but so too is zucchini, broccoli or whatever else you fancy that happens to be hanging round waiting to delight.

So my wife brought home some weight watchers rye and at 1/2 point a slice it fits really well into a calorie controlled diet. The flavor was lagging the Arnold variety but beggars can’t be choosers.

So here’s the deal, first I really like myself so over the years I have had the tendency to give myself anything my little tummy desired. Secondly though I may come across as overbearing and rigid the truth is that I’m fat and have a dangerously elevated cholesterol level. Overbearing rigid personalities seldom find themselves in this category.

However I am long enough in the tooth to know that the only way out is out and most people want to stay in so they resist.

Anyway as they have been known to say on Broadway. “Have a nice day now.”

So guys have you ever met anyone who was sort of dead or sort of pregnant. The thing with being dead or pregnant is that it takes commitment.

Commitment means that there is not way back, it’s like the bacon and egg breakfast analogy: the chicken is involved, the pig is committed.

The trouble with most people who are trying to lose weight is that they are sort of on a diet. They would dearly love to see someone they used to know looking back at them from the mirror but when it comes to feeding time all thoughts turn to sweet and greasy.

I occasionally lunch with a guy who is losing 50 lbs for a few years now, nothing has changed in the two years I’ve known him. He can’t eat a bagel without cream cheese, he can’t eat tuna without mayo and to cut a long story short he can’t lose weight either.

Commitment to weight loss is no different to commitment to death. You’re a corpse contemplating rigor mortis, there’s no way back, you have cut your ties with life.

If you want to lose weight you have to cut your ties with the lifestyle that blew you up like a balloon on helium. You have to die to the unhealthy foods and lack of exercise that made you fat and in their place you must become pregnant with a new healthy lifestyle.

You are not dead you are merely pregnant with your new self.

If you cannot kill off the old you then you will not lose weight.

Today I had to be away from home for most of the day so this being my first week I decided that I would not risk coming face to face with temptation or the possibility of getting hungry with only store bought food available so I brought a packed lunch. Sounds boring and it probably was but I have found out this week that hunger is a superb sauce.

Here’s my food journal for fat man day 4

Packed Lunch:

• 2 ham and tomato on rye sandwiches 9 p
• 2 plums 1 p
• 2 slices of fiber one raisin bread 2 p

Total 12 p

Dinner:

• 8 oz Tilapia 5p
• Baked potato 3p
• Baked summer squash, mushroom and onion zero
• Boiled carrot and parsnip 1p

Total 9 p

Desert:

• Fiber one chocolate mocha bar 2p

Total so far today 23 p

Weight loss is really simple, eat small portions of healthy food, and exercise a little. And for Gods sake write down every morsel that passes your lips. Chances are that if you forget to write as you eat, you will forget the you ate it and as they say in Hollywood “Pickers have bigger nickers”.