Dieting Trends

Summer Weight Loss Goals : Survey

What are you weight loss goals for the summer? Or are you one of those lucky genetically blessed few that has never had any problems with your weight ballooning up or of having cravings for the wrong kinds of food, and lots of it, at that? Most of us aren’t, and we have struggled on and off, especially the older we get, since our metabolisms slow down when we start to age, and it seems like the smaller weight gains turn into longer periods of time, and that the foods we eat tend to stick to our problem areas a little more. That’s right, you can’t each cheeseburgers and pizza with no repercussions when you get older, no sir!

Most people I know, women and men, have some sort of weight loss goal when they start to see summer coming on the horizon. Myself included. Shoot, I dropped ten from my winter pounds and I still want to lose another five to ten pounds now that I realize it’s totally doable without torturing myself since I really love some of the healthy foods I’ve now become accustomed to. It’s hard in the summer I’d say to not eat out because you do tend to be out and about more since the weather is nicer, and it’s hard not to do the social eating and alcohol drinking thing, so although most people think it’s easier to stay thinner in the summer, it actually isn’t for a lot of people.

Most of my friends have a mild weight loss goal for the summer time, the common ones being ten pounds, maybe fifteen here and there, and some of the naturally thin ones who haven’t had many weight struggles might say five or so pounds just so they can comfortably fit in some of their summer clothes without feeling like they’re spilling out of them.

What’s your summer weight loss goal, and how do you plant to achieve it? Mine is ten ideally, and I plan to achieve it by limiting my calories to about 1500 per day and exercising a lot, especially jogging down our road since jogging really seems to melt the calories away better than anything else since it’s constant stress on the body and forces the body to burn mega calories. Plus it’s great for burning off fat on the legs and thighs I’ve found.

McDonald’s Double Cheeseburger Without Bun a Good Low Carb Choice?

Once in a while, we will go through McDonalds and get what we consider a “treat” when we’re on the up and up with our diet routines.  It’s considered a treat because we know it’s not low in fat and certainly doesn’t have much nutritional value aside from a lot of protein (and grease), but at least it’s very low in carbs, and it’s an alright choice for when you want to be “bad” without really being bad at night for dinner.  We eat two double cheeseburgers from McDonalds without the bun.  It’s really tasty too!  I love it when the pickles are still hot and there is ample ketchup, mustard and onion to add to the savory flavor.

We always discuss also how there must be some sort of an addictive chemical in their cheese, because the american cheese McDonalds uses tastes so good, unlike other american cheese slices I’ve had.  I don’t know if it’s just because it’s higher in sodium or maybe in fat, but they’ve got the cheese down to a science.  Plus there is some sort of seasoning in their burger patties. I detect a bit of an onion flavor in them.

At any rate, let’s talk about the calorie content in two McDonalds double cheeseburgers without the bun.  There are about 280 calories in a double cheeseburger without the bun.  You save about 120 calories by not having the bun, and a whole lot of carbohydrates as well.  Because you can burn off pure protein better than you can protein combined with a simple carbohydrate (the bun), this makes for an ok meal to have at night.  It will satisfy you, but you may find that you’re somewhat hungry an hour later, although you don’t usually feel an absolute need or desire to eat more food, which is a good thing of course.

What you’re really doing here is eating low carb.  It’s a good idea to do this at night so that you don’t get too tired if you eat this during the day.  Then you also don’t have as long of a time at night to crash from lack of sugars (there are basically no sugars, which is fuel for the body and brain) in his since it’s mostly protein, unless you count the ketchup and other condiments.

We’ve been eating this as a meal about once a week and it allows us to feel like we’re being bad for dinner when in reality it is within our calorie restrictions, and I never gain weight from eating it the morning after, which is good.  In fact, I might even be a pound or two lighter!

Does Love Pack on the Pounds?

Well, love really does seem to be a double edged sword, at least it is when it comes to expanding belts and dress sizes for us ladies and expanding pants sizes for the fellas out there.  I know me myself, a woman in her thirties, had to reel myself back in after becoming so comfortable and happy in my relationship with my long term boyfriend that I packed on twenty pounds and he packed on – well he packed on a lot more than twenty!  Love is a great thing, it really is, but when you become so comfortable that you forget to take care of yourself, that becomes a problem, especially since excess weight can cause major health issues and shorten our lifespan.

Many people don’t realize until it’s too late that they’ve fallen victim to the “fat and happy” lifestyle of coupledom, content to go out and eat and drink wine, and not consider the calories so much because, well, they found their true love in their partner, and they certainly don’t need to try so hard to impress them any more, do they?  Well, this way of thinking can become dangerous for a few reasons.

First off, it could actually damage the relationship by making you resent eachother in the long run.  It could also take away from your sexual attraction to eachother.  Hey, while we’d all like to think we’d love Mr. or Ms. Right any which way they come, we are attuned to, as humans, the idea that fitness and looking healthy are still physical ideals of beauty, and none of us are immune to that sense of animal attraction that makes us fall in love in the first place.

Second, it can make you fal into a pattern that’s very difficult to break out of, especially when children enter the picture.  Once you’ve started cooking a certain way, or have gotten you and the kids used to certain foods that maybe aren’t so good for the “thin you” inside, it’s really hard to break that habit. When it’s two people, sure you can support eachother in your weight loss efforts, but you also may sabotage eachother’s weight loss efforts in the same breath.

How many times have you caught yourself being persuaded to get an ice cream sunday on a nice afternoon by your partner, when you yourself were not really hungry for this at all?  It works both ways, and keeping eachother on track is important if you want to spend a long, productive, happy and healthy life together, so it’s important to value diet and exercise in your relationship – not shallow as some people may have you think.  Health is important, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

Pasta Sales Up In Devastated Economy

Uh-oh, this could spell trouble for America’s waistline!  Pasta sales have picked up quite a bit from the economy being in shambles as of late.  And who can blame people for loading up on this delectable stuff?  I certainly know that if I didn’t want to be consistently over my target weight, I’d eat the stuff every day – loaded with those fattening but yummy sauces that seems to be made of mostly butters and heavy creams.

But, since pasta is very fattening, especially when eaten every day or in large quantities, due to it’s high glycemic index, little to no fiber content, and the large amount of calories and carbs for the teeniest servings, I don’t indulge all that often these days since I’m trying to lose weight and then subsequently keep my weight under control.

Pasta sales which were frequently undermined by the low carb trends and glycemic index awareness (why is most of America still overweight then, I never did quite get that), have shot up about 5% from last year, which is quite impressive considering their relative demise over the past ten or so years.

This has also made the price of wheat, the base ingredient in pastas, to go up.  Yep, it’s the same thing that you find in bread and lots of other products based on grains, so you can expect those prices to be impacted as well unfortunately.  I hope that this doesn’t affect us too much, because a lot of professional financial gurus are saying that with the depressed dollar and all the other financials going on right now we may get hit with ridiculous inflation here coming up soon as well, which is something this economy just does not need right now.  Inflation usually means food prices go up too.

Pasta is such an easy to make product, and you can diversify it a lot, from your typical boxed macaroni and cheese to the more sophisticated uses of pasta, it’s cheap and very easy to make – you just throw it in a boiling pot of water, wait a few minutes, and it’s done.  The simplicity isn’t what’s selling it so much right now in this economic climate though, it’s mostly cost effectiveness.

Curvier Women May Be Better Able to Handle Stress, Compete

Well ladies, you know that fat that we hate which accumulates around our waists when we gain some weight, or even when we get pregnant or may be going through some sort of hormonal changes?  Well, apparently studies have shown that women who have thicker waists are actually better equipped to handle stress and competition, which explains why many women who are successful financially happen to have thicker waistlines.

Studies suggest that the hormone responsible for fat accumulation around the waist also happens to the be the hormone responsible for us coping with stressors in life, and that those with more cushion in this area also happen to be better able to handle competition in the workplace, and may have better problems solving skills as well as stress coping skills, allowing them to have a huge benefit over their skinny waisted counterparts.

Perhaps they may also be seen as more powerful women, while women with tiny waists may be viewed in a different way than those with a little more girth.  I myself don’t have a tiny waist, and I am pretty curvy – admittedly more curvy now than I want to be.  But that may also mean that this excess fat that seems like my enemy right now might also be my savior when it comes to coping with and handling daily job stress and getting the job done that needs to be done.

Fat – my friend?  Who would have ever thought it

Rich Holiday Foods Give Way to Regret, Remorse

You know what I’m talking about too!  There’s already been way too much sinful eating in my house, and I’m starting to feel like my thighs are already the size of a house after just two weeks of sort of pigging out, not even going full tilt every day of the week.  I’m afraid to even step on the scale for fear it will yell at me, what are you doing to yourself!?

There are just two many yummy foods around the holidays that you are bombarded with that it seems like only the strongest willed of us can deny ourselves the pleasures – which are way too ongoing, I’ll acknowledge that myself, of these fattening, buttery, sugary, tasty sweets and treats.  It’s the season of comfort food, if there ever was one, because all of the “traditional” holiday fare is some sort of comfort foods. 

Think of mashed potatoes, turkey with dressing, stuffing, fattening casseroles, soups, cookies, cakes, pies, candies, and that’s not even to include the gifts of food that you get on Christmas day and continue to eat right up until the new year, until invariably, you stop and go, whoah, it’s time for a diet!

I know there are many holiday seasons when the nonstop buffet seems to occur from November until January, and suddenly when I’m ten pounds heavier and nothing fits me, it hits me that I’ve been stuffing my face for two months with foods that I would normally try to avoid except for times of indulgence. 

How do these Hollywood actress types do it around the holidays? Why do they never seem to gain a pound!?  I want to know what the likes of Posh Spice, Gisele Bundchen and other skinny types do around these times, do you think they indulge at all, or do they have the will of a thousand munks? 

Organic and Health Stores Experiencing Losses in Downturn

It really is a shame that one of the first types of grocery stores to feel the pain in an economic downturn period are the very ones that offer the healthiest and most organic choices, although I will say that common grocery stores have stepped up to the plate here in offering better options for health foods, organic foods and low fat and healthier low salt and low calorie options. 

Take for example the whole line of Whole Foods stores such as Wild Oats and the Whole Foods franchise.  Their earnings have suffered greatly despite a huge boon in the market just a few years ago when natural foods, organic eats and wholesome health foods came into fashion.  Now they are down in sales by 30% or worse.  They know that they will make a comeback, however, this is a pretty scary thing for a business that once used to be booming just a few short years ago, on the brink of exploding into a relatively new market. 

And what of their future prospects?  Well, until the economy clears up and perhaps Obama’s plan to create 2.5 million new jobs by planning new roads and infrastructures in the US, people will again start to purchase “luxury” goods and foods that they once scrimped on during hard times, and eat better choices of organic foods and produce. 

We have one natural and organic foods store that is by us that is independently owned and operated, and I hate to say it, but we ourselves have had to forego getting their groceries because of our unique financial situation as of late.  Instead we have been going solely to Giant Eagle, which has daily specials on their Advantage card and who also gives you ten cents in free gas per gallon purchased for every $50 worth of groceries you buy, so it’s a no brainer for someone worried about their finances and looking to save some money.

It’s not that the bigger grocery chains don’t have the organic sections and the natural and healthy foods also, but it’s nice to be able to support a local independently owned business when you can if you have the means.  I think that makes everyone feel a little better, plus it stimulates the local economy, making it appeal more to local business owners and creating jobs for those that live there.

Recovering After a Pig Out Weekend

Let’s face it, no matter how perfect we think we are in our diet (ok, maybe Posh Spice is the exception to this, she never seems to waver in weight whatsoever!), we always tend to pig out more on the weekends, when we tend to drop our guards and indulge in the moment.  Weekends (and holidays for that matter), seem to be the time when we are faced with most temptations. 

Whether it’s because we tend to be going out more around these times and are faced with fattening, tempting dishes as opposed to cooking up our own more healthful dinners, lunches and breakfasts, or because we just want to kick back and take a break from healthy eating and healthy cooking is unclear, it’s probably a little of both for everyone, including myself, but the fact remains that many of us feel we need to clean our act up when it comes to food choices after that Sunday night is over and we’re faced with the scales on Monday morning that give us usually bad news. 

As for me, the last weekend I really pigged out we had company over on Sunday and I put out tons of chips, heavy sour cream dips, pretzels (dipped in heavy dips no less), snickerdoodle cookies, then we had wings (deep fat fried of course, with heavy, oily sauces on them, delicious but really bad for you), and sour kraut balls (deep fried of course). 

And after that, we still felt as though we needed to top out our day of drinking sugary cocktails and eating heavy greasy foods, with Burger King.  At least I got a Whopper Junior instead of a Whopper, but I think I’d already had enough calories to satisfy a bear.  I found myself faced on Monday with a choice.  I could clean up my act and eat drastically less calories, or I could again throw caution to the wind.  I decided to stick to a healthful plan, and decided to take a good natural appetite suppressant to add to my willpower, which has obviously been lacking!

Winter Weight Coming Soon?

We all know what happens when winter comes, especially if we live in diverse temperate climates where winter is really winter and summer is really blistering hot at times, like here in my native Ohio.  One thing I always think of when winter rolls around is the “inevitable” idea that I will gain a few pounds.  Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I pack on twenty pounds every winter, but I do noticeably put more on than I typically do in the summer due to a combination of factors, all within my control although I like to pretend some are not and delude myself.

On of the factors is the fact that it’s cold outside, and you can’t really go outside without coming right back in.  This may limit the exercise option pool for some, especially for those that don’t like to exercise indoors and are really the outdoorsy types who will only do outdoor activities.  Well, I hate to break it to people like that, but either you need to move to a more temperate, even climate or you need to start taking up indoor activities or winter weight gain will always be inevitable for you unless you have the willpower of a model and can consume way less food to make up for the lack of activity.

Another factor in winter weight gain for most is the fact that the holidays turn into months of gorging for many.  Myself included, don’t think I don’t also put myself in that category.  I talk to so many people who feel like although there is really only two holidays between November and December, they find that they somehow are in a three month carte blanche to eat whatever they feel like since there is so much good food around as temptations that they can’t help themselvs. 

I know what this is like, especially working in an office environment where everyone and their brother seems to be bringing in cookies, candies and sweets and other fattening goodies that are way too tempting for a coupld of months in the winter.  You just have to learn how to set the day’s tone by eating a big, healthy breakfast and if you do have one of those naughty indulgences, keep it at one or two and don’t let it make you ruin your whole day of eating as so many of us are guilty of.

Also, it may help if you can have a partner in your eating and exercising “pact” for the winter.  You can encourage one another to eat right and eat less of the junk that packs on the pounds, and you can also go with eachother and/or motivate one another to excercise and pick the best elliptical machine or whatever else tickles your fancy as you indoor exercise regimen.  I prefer the elliptical myself – it’s more fun than a treadmill! 

I’m Using Self Hypnosis for Weight Loss Again – Successfully

So, everyone needs a little subconscious boost in their diet once in a while, right?   A little shot of willpower in the arm, a casual suggestion daily to the powerful subconscious mind that you must eat right and exercise to be the absolute best you that you can be?  Well, that’s exactly what I’ve needed lately and the time came for me to get myself back on track after a weekend of binge and fast food eating due to a power outage we had for a few days. 

We only ate out pretty much for three days and I didn’t exactly make the best choices because I was out of sorts and pretty much had zero willpower.  Amazing how something as little as not having electric power will twist you into thinking you can eat anything you want for a few days, that it won’t hurt.  Problem with that mentality is that it seems to never end after some bad days and you find that twenty pounds later, your “bad day” added up over time. 

With this in mind, and wanting to get back on track to ensure I didn’t put on anything more permanent than a little water weight, I pulled out my hypnotherapy for weight loss cd’s and listened to them daily again for the past few days.  Sure enough, I found that after even the first days of putting myself into a hypnotic, relaxed state and listening to the powerful suggestions, I didn’t actually want crappy, bad for me food, and I actually looked forward to working out instead of dragging myself to the gym at work this week. 

All in all, I’d have to say that either self hypnosis for weight loss works because you really truly believe it works, or there really is something to be said for the power of your deepest mind centers as far as how what you believe controls your life and your destiny. I’d prefer to believe it’s a little of both. 

Regardless of the mechanisms that make self hypnosis work for people for all sorts of things, there is no denying it’s effectiveness on so many in losing weight, quitting smoking and doing so many other things that otherwise would be extremely hard without willpower coupled with true desire.