The Publishers League

December 6, 2010

Fat Burning Foods for the Holidays

Filed under: Weight Loss — Tags: , , — damon @ 5:29 pm

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire should be the least of your worries for the typical holiday season.  December is a naturally gloomy month, in many parts of the world it is the month with the least amount of daylight, there are cold, cold days, and other inclement weather woes!  To combat the gloominess many different cultures and religions have put some of the biggest celebrations and festivals in the middle of winter, which for us means lots of extra goodies and calories.  However, there are some great fat burning foods you can try to incorporate in your festivities, or if you are not home for the holidays there will be plenty of healthy fare available at other people’s tables, it is just a matter of knowing what to put on your plate.

For me, I have always let Christmas day be my “eat anything” day.  Even on my monthly “free” days, I don’t eat to excess.  Christmas is the one day of the year I will truly eat anything I want.  However, it is in that 24 hours and those hours only!  Every other holiday I enjoy sensibly.  Try to pick your favorite holiday and do the same.

Unless you or your family are vegetarians, there will likely be a meat of some sort at your party.  Many people will serve salad and a variety of appetizers at their parties.  Before the main event, fill up on the salad and veggie platter.  Even have a piece of cheese and crackers (be sure not to overindulge here).  For the main course, choose lean, white meat if you are eating a bird, and trim the fat if you are eating a dark meat.  Also put a fist sized portion of a starch on your plate if there is a whole or brown option and a half sized portion if the only options available are white or refined.  Then get the vegetables, beans and other low glycemic index foods are the best here.  Protein and complex carbohydrates will help you fill up to resist the dessert later!  For dessert, have some Jello, or any other light option.  Sometimes, there is just nothing “friendly” available, so be sure to enjoy some weight loss tea, or coffee (without the sugar and creamer).

Just because we are in the holiday season does not mean you should give up on your diet.  Enjoy things moderately and you will come through just fine, and without the guilt that makes for the typical new year’s resolution!

November 22, 2010

Lose Weight and Keep it Off!

Filed under: Weight Loss — Tags: , — damon @ 7:04 am

When looking for the quickest and easiest way to lose weight many people begin to contemplate whether one of the newest weight loss gimmicks is right for them. There are plenty of fad diets, or weight loss products which guarantee almost instantaneous results. However, we all know the best way to lose belly fat does not involve some new highly restrictive diet or weight loss program.

The best way to take off pounds and inches is by following the results that research has continually supported and that is by taking in fewer calories than our body uses on a given day. This is a simplistic formula to be sure, but when our body burns more fuel than we supply it, the natural result is it needs to turn somewhere for more fuel – that means it begins to burn fat. But, with some of the highly restrictive diets or extremely low-calorie diets, this extra fuel may actually come from muscle.

When losing weight, the last thing you want to do is start to lose muscle. There are two very good reasons, the first is, and muscle is not fat. If you are trying to lose weight, then what you are looking to lose is fat. Losing muscle does nothing for those unsightly fat deposits. The second important factor when it comes to losing muscle over fat is the fact that muscle actually keeps your metabolism burning additional calories. In fact, it takes more calories to maintain muscle than fat, so even when sleeping or resting, the more muscle you have, the more calories are being burned – while you’re doing absolutely nothing! Why would you want to lose this natural fat burner?

A healthy diet consisting of lean proteins, low-fat dairy and whole-grain foods together with plenty of fruits and vegetables will help with fast weight loss and will set up a lifestyle that will keep the weight off once you have reached your goal.

Add some extra physical activity and build strength, muscle and burn calories and you will soon be feeling and looking better than you ever imagined possible.

October 11, 2010

Frustrations in Weight Loss

Filed under: Weight Loss — Tags: , , — PublishersLeagueAdmin @ 6:50 pm
September 15 - 21, 2010
Creative Commons License photo credit: osseous

Many people try to lose weight can get discouraged. This can be because of various things. Some of these are lack of weight loss, you’ve lost a lot now you’ve reached a plateau and another is not being able to eat the food you want to eat. The first issue of lack of weight loss may be something that is very simple. You are going to have to make a through analysis of this. You may not even be following your diet to a T or need to. You would fix it by getting back on the diet exactly as it was intended. The other factor is exercise.

You must exercise continuously to get weight loss. So, you’ve reached a plateau. This is one of the most discouraging things to happen to anyone. You have been continuously losing weight and then all of a sudden you stop losing. You are stuck at a certain point and can’t move further. Here are several things you can do. First, change up your workout routine. Next, change up your eating habits. You may want to add in more healthy snacks or break up your 3 meals to 6 small meals a day. Another frustrating point is that you have been so good dieting and now you want to eat whatever you want. Don’t do it. This is a bad idea.

You will gain all of that weight back if you go bonkers and eat anything. The best thing to do is to treat yourself with a small amount of the food you are eating. When you do that you will be satisfied and won’t go nuts because you can’t have what you want. Change up your exercise routine and meals if you reach a plateau. Also, add in some tasty foods that you have been lacking, but don’t over do it.

For more info about these topics, please read about how to lose love handles fast and how to lose 100 lbs.

August 14, 2010

3 Nutrition Tips To Help You Lose Weight Fast

Filed under: Health & Fitness,Weight Loss — damon @ 1:30 pm
100_PANA-P1000570_P1000570
Creative Commons License photo credit: mcaretaker

There are many things that you can try in order to lose weight fast, but they won’t all work.  You can buy the latest fad diet book on the market, buy a fancy sports watch to lose weight or you can try that crazy workout contraption that you see on the late night infomercials.  Unfortunately, those things alone won’t work, but there is something that does work.  Nutrition and exercises are the key components of any fast weight loss system.  While they are both equally important, I am going to focus on 3 different nutritional concepts that will help you to be able to lose weight quicker.  By implementing these tips, you’ll be able to take bigger strides in your weight loss journey.

  1. Stay away from bad foods.  While this should be obvious, many people just want to have some sweet and delicious, but one leads to two, and two to three, and then soon enough, you are back where you started.  Make healthier choices at each and every meal, and every time that you reach for a snack.  Don’t even buy foods that are higher in fat and higher in calories so that you won’t be tempted to eat them when you’re vulnerable and craving them.
  2. Stock up on fruits and vegetables.  While they may not be your favorite foods, fruits and vegetables are great for getting the nutrients that you need.  Another benefit is that you’ll feel more full if you include them in your meals, or eat them as snacks.  Since they are significantly lower in calories than other types of snacks and side dishes, they will fill you up without the huge calorie hit.
  3. Drink more water.  Too many people are dehydrated and they don’t even know it.  By drinking more water (not coffee or soda), you will be replenishing your body, helping it to run at an optimum level.  If things like metabolism, which burns fat, are able to run more efficiently, then you’ll be able to naturally burn more calories and fat.  Water helps your body to do this.

Powered by WordPress