I came across the following article, and was so impressed with it that, with having gotten permission, I want to present it here. It primarily deals with what not to say to an overweight person.

START OF QUOTE

“I’ve pretty much been ‘heavy set’ my entire life, although I prefer the term fat!  I mean, really, let’s call it what it is. You can mask it all different ways but it’s all fat!

Fat is the last bastion of legal prejudice. See, people can still use your size to ‘keep you out.’  For example, potential employers can not hire you, saying you are a health risk.

Airlines can charge you for 2 seats.

And lastly, people feel free to just say whatever they want under the ruse of “it’s for your own good.”  So what kinds of things are for your own good?

Let me give you a list of things I’ve found offensive:

• ” You have such a pretty face… “(it means: you COULD             be  really pretty if you matched an ideal!)

• “Have you thought about going on a diet?” (Every fat                person is aware of their size. They don’t need to be                  reminded.  And, guess what?  Sometimes their weight             has nothing to do with diet.

Many kinds of medications have weight gain side effects. Some have other medical conditions that prevent any kind of weight loss.

In other words, what seems obvious may not really be.  Shut up until you know for sure! You’re ‘help’ can set one back in terms of their self confidence.

• ” If you just exercised more, I’m sure you could be                         thinner!” (Again, the obvious isn’t always a fact. You                 have no idea by looking.  So, again, keep it to yourself!)

• “Have you always been ‘heavy?'” (How is this relevant? I           think the thought process behind this is that if you                   weren’t before and now you are, surely, you’d lose the           weight. Rrrriiiiggghhhhttttt!)

• “You’d feel so much better if you lost weight!”(S-o-o-o-o         not true. I’ve been both. I didn’t feel better when I was           thin. I don’t feel bad at my current size.  Either way,                   feeling good is mostly a choice. I CHOOSE to be happy!)

• “I ordered for you off the lite menu…” (this varies: “I                    brought you the low calorie__________ or I made you                  this___________ but I used fat free, low sugar substitutes.)”

Let’s be clear: I am an adult. I don’t need anybody making my decisions. I appreciate the thought process but I will decide for me.

• “You dress well. Is it hard for someone your size to find             clothes? “(We live in a fast paced, ever evolving world.           Take a look around.  EVERY store pretty much has a                  section of larger sizes for both male and female.

EVERYTHING is available on the internet.  Business savvy dictates that specialty stores are needed and big revenue is being produced.  It’s no harder to find larger than it is to find a size 0.

• ” You shouldn’t eat that. It’s not good for you.” (Again, I              decide for me. If I’m happy with my choices, I follow                   them.  And, to be fair, I may be on a diet plan that                       allows me choices that ‘aren’t good for me.’ Don’t                        judge based on what you THINK.)

•  ” Such a shame, you’re so heavy.” (Really? A shame for                whom? You should be aware that I’m not unhappy. I’m            pretty confident in my abilities and yes, in my                                appearance.)

I may be fat, but I put forth a good ‘picture.’ I take pride in how I dress, in my make-up and my hair.

I always put on my best presentation!  AND, by the way, many notice that. That includes men. There are many men who find me attractive.

Confidence is the best outfit that one can wear. It comes in different sizes, but has nothing to do with the size you wear!

My best recommendation is this:

• If someone isn’t asking for your opinion or your help, don’t give it.
• If you think they want it, but won’t ask, just tell them if they need anything you’re available. Don’t assume the way you feel about something is the way everyone feels.
• Look at everyone through an open mind. Many who differ from you, can teach you much!

Thin isn’t always healthy and fat isn’t always unhealthy. I never assume that the thin, beautiful woman is a happy one.

We all have something we want to change, or that we aren’t comfortable with. I don’t assume that the obvious one is that one thing they had in mind.  And you pointing that out can make a situation worse. That isn’t ‘helping.’

Be mindful and thoughtful of the other person. Don’t inflict your ideals on others unless they specifically ask for your opinion/guidance/advice/help.

LISTEN to them to make sure you understand how THEY feel and offer yourself once you fully understand.

The truth is this. We are all alike and we are all different.

It’s a beautiful thing, if you allow it to be. Be open-minded and be kind.  Positive words and thoughts can move mountains.

Discouraging words can destroy someone’s world. A smile can change one’s heart. You have the power to do all three. Pick carefully!”

END OF QUOTE.

If anyone is interested in knowing how I handled my own overweight situation you can go to an article I wrote quite some time ago, or you can simple click on “ My Weight Loss Story “ tab in the menu bar at the top of this web page.

Feel free to leave any comments or observations.

Are you trying to set time aside before or after work for fat burning exercises?  How is that working for you?  If that is a problem here is the good news.  Weight loss at work is possible!

Do you get home and make dinner only to realize that there is just simply no time left in the day for exercise?  If I told you that you could slip extra exercise into your work routine I’m sure you would be interested!

Well here are a few tips you can use in order to burn more fat at work:

1. Leave your car at home! – If you live close enough to work, try walking to work or even cycling.  In fact, walking is one of the easiest and healthiest ways of burning fat.

2. Stand more – because standing burns off more fat than sitting, try looking for opportunities to stand rather than sitting.

You can do this by switching your ‘sitting desk’ to a ‘standing desk’, standing while eating your lunch and also walking to other departments in your company instead of messaging or calling them.

3. Have a fitness break! – Instead of hanging out in the lounge with coffee and snacks at the tea/coffee break time, go for a stroll outside or do some stretching.

This also improves your diet by cutting out  all the sugar that is usually associated with this break time.

4. Use a fitness ball instead of a chair – this might seem odd but is a great way to burn fat, if you can balance, that is.  Also you will be building your core muscles which in turn will help in the fat burning process.

5. Keep hand weights at your desk – Do a couple of arm curls in between meetings. You can even mix it up by keeping other exercise equipment such as stretchy cords that provide resistance when you pull on them.

6. Create a lunchtime walking group – this is great exercise for your lunch break. Get a few work colleagues together and go for a walk!

And on the plus side if you are a very social person you will love this part of your work day while burning fat!

7. Do a couple of ‘walking meetings’ – Instead of meeting or brainstorming at a desk, if it is practical get up and do it on the go. 

Besides if it is new ideas you are looking for, then the extra blood flow will definitely help the creativity juices.

8. Get there faster – if you are lucky enough to have a job that involves a lot of walking, then pick up the pace and you will burn more calories.

Well there you go, as long as you aren’t wasting any time at work, these tips will definitely put you on your weight loss journey.

You probably aren’t going to replace all your ‘after hour exercise’ with these tips, but they will definitely make up what you are missing on the odd occasions and can get you past those few extra stubborn pounds.

Please feel free to leave your comments.

A lot of the world’s population today are looking for answers as to how to loose weight.  To help accomplish that, here are a few weight loss tips and tricks

Everyone wants to look good , especially the young . But more and more people today understand that looking good need not mean they are healthy, and being healthy is more important than just looking good. Of course, the better deal would be to both look good and be healthy.

Many would assume that you can just lose some weight or pockets of unwanted fats here and there in your body; and that constitutes weight loss to good health.  But nothing can be further from the truth.

To lose weight and keep healthy is to burn more calories compared to what you take in.

Your optimal weight is measured by your BMI which relates your height and weight measurements to the amount of fat in your body.

More and more adults and children  are overweight today because they consume more saturated fat or processed foods which may in turn lead to more diseases.

Losing weight can be easy for many, but the challenge is maintaining the weight loss. However, if you adopt a weight loss program on a regular basis, it should not be that hard.

Tips and Tricks

For you weight loss program to work effectively, here are a few tips and tricks

• Have more low nutrition foods, such as fresh fruits and green veggies

These contain less calories and high fiber, which translate to faster weight loss and keeping extra weight at bay. Avoid highly saturated fatty foods, like deep fried foods, as extra fat is always stored as excess fats.

• Part of the weight loss maintenance program calls for a fewer food selection especially snacks.

The fewer choices you have in front of you, the less tempted you are to binge.

• Drinking lots of water or low calorie beverages is an excellent way to keep your weight consistent as you get full with water instead of fats.

• Listen to your mom who always tells you to chew your food.

There is a lot of truth in that advice as it would take you longer to finish your meal, which means you would feel fuller than if you were to gobble you food down quickly.

• It is crucial to stabilize the amount of sugar in your blood to maintain your weight loss.

This can be achieved by eating the right types of food such as whole grains and dried beans which release their glucose slowly into your blood streams.

• Those who love the hot peppers have the advantage of another way to maintain their weight loss by taking on a bit of hot pepper with mustard on their meals.

This easily increases the body metabolism by 25%.

• Changing certain foods and preparations will go a long way.

For example, using low fat and sour cream instead of  full cream. Changing the way you cook your foods or how they are prepared gives you greater control over maintaining your weight loss.

There are so many ways you can work on to lose weight and to maintain it.

Any comments or questions you may have are welcome.

If you need to lose weight, these weight loss tips might help you lose those extra pounds by showing you how to  speed up your metabolism.

These seven quick weight loss tips will likewise assist you, if you are currently in outstanding physical condition, to form your body to an even higher degree.

Any weight reduction tips to help speed up  metabolism will do just that. They assist you only. You still should have your basic fitness and nutrition practices in line with the goals you wish to achieve.

You have to be focused on each component of your strategy. If you prepare for making use of these quick weight decline tips, however, do not work out and then proceed to watching  television while consuming a bag of chips every night.  That will only defeat your purpose.

Are you all set to add these fast weight decreasing tips to your way of life?

To get rid of any quantity of excess weight, you must accelerate your metabolism. Your metabolism is a biochemical action that takes place in your body.

Your metabolism assists to break down nutrients in your blood stream. This supports you by adding more lean muscle, leading to a higher expenditure of energy, suggesting you’ll get rid of more fat.

If you are active, you have billions of cells in your body that can make use of  an enormous amount of enegy. The quick weight reduction tips noted below will assist you to do this.

Nevertheless, if you aren’t active, they will not burn up much at all, suggesting you’ll tend to remain fat.

The good news is, making use of the fast weight-loss tips in a blend with your healthy and active lifestyle  means you can accelerate your metabolism quite significantly.

Quick weight decrease tip: #1.

Take in particular foods.  Some food ingredients, like spices, can assist to accelerate your metabolism by developing a thermodynamic burn that should last for hours after you take them in.

Quick weight decrease tip: #2.

The bulk of your calories ought to be consumed early in the day. Your meals should consist of less total calories as the day goes on.

Quick weight-loss tip: #3.

Make sure you take in enough food. When trying to minimize weight if you do not take in enough, it will be one of the biggest mistakes you can make.

That is because if you do not take in enough calories, you will make your body think that it is in survival mode. That means that your body will conserve energy, and store as much fat as possible.

You need to exercise to burn more calories than you take in. When it comes to calorie intake, small amounts at a time are the secret.

Quick weight-loss tip: #4.

Increase your everyday activities, which will stop fat storage..

These activities need to consist of weightlifting and cardiovascular training. The more calories you burn, the faster you will lower your weight.

It is also a good plan to work out very first thing in the morning.   A research study has indicated that you can significantly increase your weight-loss capability if you work out after the night of fasting,. suggesting just after you wake up.

Quick weight loss tip: #5.

Cardiovascular wok before weightlifting can be beneficial.

In your exercising it is good  to carry out 5 – 10 minutes of cardio before your weight lifting because it will warm up your muscles, and you will thus obtain  the energy in your muscles for weight-lifting.

By the time your weightlifting session is finished, you will have utilized  all your preferred energy sources.  This means that you will be burning fat cells throughout your cardio and weight lifting sessions in an efficient manner.

You also need  the ability to increase your lean muscle, if you choose to lose your excess weight.

Quick weight reduction tip: #6.

Change your exercise routine regularly.   For a lot of reasons, you ought to change some components of your exercise every two to three weeks at a minimum. This can be anything from the variety of partners or sets per workout.   I alternate four different routines every time I work out.

If you do the very same thing week after week, month after month your body will begin to get used to exactly what you’re doing to it and will eventually stop making modifications. You will likewise stop adding  any more lean muscle.

The more muscle you have, the more calories, you will burn even when at rest.

Quick weight-loss tip: #7.

Consider meal mixes.  Routinely take in protein/carbohydrate meals earlier in the day. Take in protein/ fat mix meals (little to no carbs) in the late afternoon and night.

The only exception is if you frequently work out during  the evening. in which case your first meal after your workout ought to consist of protein and carbohydrates.

With these seven quick weight decrease tips, you will accelerate metabolism and burn excess body fat at a much faster rate.

Try these fast weight-loss tips out for a while.  It may take a few weeks but you will see a difference.

Any comments or questions?

We have all had those hectic days when it seems like the to-do list is just never going to come to an end. However, no matter how busy we get in our lives it is  still important, if we are going to lose weight fast, to stick to our long-term goals like losing a bit of weight every day

You see losing weight is much like an airplane taking off – it doesn’t work if it slows down at the end of the runway !

At the same time though, eating healthy for weight loss doesn’t have to be complicated as long as we make sure to plan ahead and anticipate the hectic days in our schedule.

One convenient trick I have always used is to keep convenient healthy snacks with me! This way I never feel the urge to binge on unnecessary excess calories.

Here are 6 tips for healthy meals on busy days:

Family time

Always make sure that you have at least one meal of the day with your family that isn’t rushed. This promotes family bonding and let’s be honest, when you are not rushed to get to your next appointment it is easier to have a healthy meal!

A family meal can be any meal of the day, not necessarily just dinner. Just be sure to be flexible with what time the meal starts as not everyone will have the same schedule every day!

Be prepared

In order to save time, cook ahead. Cook several meals in advance and keep them in the freezer until you need them! For example you can always cook pasta one night and have only a portion of it warm leaving the rest over for the next day as pasta salad.

Keep ingredients that make simple meals.

By keeping it simple when you don’t have time, you won’t have the urge to buy unhealthy junk food from a takeout joint! Here are some ingredients that make simple meals:

• 100 Percent whole-wheat bread (Unless you are gluten intolerant)

• Lean deli meats, salsa

• Canned dried beans

• Low-fat or fat-free yogurt and cheese.

• Whole-wheat pasta

• Fresh and frozen vegetables

• Fresh and canned fruits

Convenience and health

There is such a massive health drive these days, that convenient snacks that used to be packed with calories are now being replaced with healthier alternatives!

For example if you are feeling hungry you can always pick up a protein bar at the shops that doesn’t contain any unhealthful ingredients!

Simplify your life

Save time during meal preparations by keeping pre-cut fruit and veg in the fridge.

Fresh fruit will always be the best option but, canned fruit will work just as well! Just make sure that the canned fruit is not the sugary syrup kind, and wash the fruit before you consume it in order to reduce the sodium content.

Keep a menu of simple meals

These meals should take 20 minutes or less to prepare. This is a really handy idea when you don’t have any time during your hectic busy days!

Loosing weight isn’t something that you do only when you feel like it! It is something that you do every day, whether you feel like it or not! It is simple, set your self up for success by planning ahead and you will be on the correct path to lose that stubborn excess body fat, even within 30 days.

Please contribute your comments or questions to the blog.

The motivation to lose weight can be very hard to find, particularly when you’ve often tried and failed before.  Or when you’ve tried, done it… and then put it all back on again!

There comes a point when you just give up, accept that you are the weight and size you are,  and that you’re stuck with it.

But the truth is that this is the best time to understand why it is that you can’t lose weight, or keep it off when you have.

In this article, we’re going to look at several things that affect your weight and are totally out of your control. These include:

• Hormones
• Anxiety
• Stress
• Medication
• Metabolism

After we’ve looked at the above, we’ll look at how to prepare your body to find the motivation to lose weight.

Hormones and weight loss

When you say “it’s my hormones”, people smile and give you knowing looks. But your hormones have a huge effect on your motivation, metabolism and mood.

If you’re under long term stress at work or at home, your body releases a type of adrenalin called cortisol, a hormone that affects your body shape.

And the problem is abdominal fat tends to stick around even if the original stress has passed.  Why?  Because by that time, your stress is about your body shape, but your hormones can’t tell the difference between the original stress and the stress about weight gain, so it just keeps pumping out the cortisol.

Stress and weight loss

A study of 6,700 nurses published in the International Journal of Obesity by Overgaard et al (2004) indicated that stress and its accompanying hormone changes – due to workload in the case of those nurses – is a major contributor to weight gain, particularly around the abdomen.

Anxiety and weight loss

Anxiety, a close relative of stress, also affects hormones.

Stress and anxiety tend to go together and as a result your body shape changes over time. The more anxious you are, the more it affects your hormones.

Weirdly, anxiety can also result in weight loss. Ever heard the expression “she lives on her nerves” about a very thin woman? That’s the anxiety, and that’s not healthy either.

Medication and weight loss

Sometimes it feels like you just can’t win.

Many people do not understand that when you say “my medication makes me fat”, you are telling the unvarnished truth.

But when you have a life threatening condition like diabetes, auto inflammatory disease, heart disease or epilepsy, your doctor will probably  convince you that it’s important that you keep taking the medications to keep you alive.

Anti depressants, birth control pills and antibiotics are also prescribed for your health in certain circumstances

Unfortunately, those same medications can make you really hungry a lot of  the time.

The reason farmers fill their animals with antibiotics?  It makes them gain weight.  It also makes you gain weight.

And there’s nothing like having a baby to make you gain weight.

Metabolism and weight loss

Some are born with a slow metabolism.

Some have slow metabolism thrust upon them.

Some people just have slower metabolisms than others. They are born that way, which means that the “average” calorie intake for an adult tends to put weight on them.

Alternatively, those who originally had average metabolisms and gained weight, lost it, gained it back again (and more) – known as yoyo dieting – tend to develop slower metabolisms through dieting.

A recent study from the National Institutes of Health on contestants from “The Biggest Loser” program indicated that those who lose a lot of weight are more likely to gain most of it back and can even put on more weight than before they lost it.

Their bodies went into famine mode and never came out again.

What’s the answer?  How to lose weight

The answer lies in preparing your body through addressing your stress, balancing your gut and letting your body know that this is not a famine.

Stress can be reduced through gentle movement or stretching like yoga, Tai Chi or Chi Gung.  Meditation can also help.

You can begin to balance your gut through adding a probiotic to your diet.  Make sure you choose one with many strains, rather than just one.  Care needs to be exercised here because many strains do not work well.  If anyone wants to contact me at fabulou4@fabuloushealthnews.com, I can give you some personal advice on that.

Living food can also help: bio active yoghurt, sauerkraut, kimchi and kefir are some examples of living food.

Add a fresh juice or smoothie to your diet. Not bought from a store, but made at home in your own juicer or blender. Fresh fruit and vegetables are incredibly nourishing. Nourishment tends to reduce hunger.

Do you have questions or observations from your own experience?  We would love to hear from you.

When it comes to burning fat everyone wants to know one thing, what is the best way to do it?  Losing that extra stubborn body fat will help in one of two ways, to either turn your lifestyle around or to prepare your body for the beach this summer.

However, besides just to look good, losing that stubborn body fat also has heart health benefits such as preventing heart disease!

I’ve been there myself and I know what it feels like, it can seem like an impossible task at first, to burn that weight off!  But believe me when I say that you can do it, because there are so many ways in which you can burn fat, like running, swimming and even by lifting weights.

Losing weight boils down to one thing, i.e. burning more calories than you consume.  And yes, some ways are more effective than others, but which is better for losing weight, cardio or weight lifting?

Cardio

There are many forms of cardio out there, but as I’m sure you know the most popular form of cardio is jogging. Jogging is a great way to get the blood pumping as it has the ability to increase your lung capacity and the health of your heart!

On average, a 15 minute jog will burn about 220 calories; however I do realize that it isn’t the most exciting form of exercise out there.

If you are like me and you get bored quickly, the best thing that you can do is mix it up with a bit of interval training.  Interval training is simply mixing standard cardio with short interval of high intensity bursts!  So next time you are out jogging, try adding a few sprints to your routine.

Weight lifting

Now don’t worry, when I say weight lifting, I don’t necessarily mean that you have to be Mr. Muscle in order to burn a few calories!

Weight lifting can be used for many long-term and short-term goals like losing weight.  A weight lifting session can burn about 200 Calories an hour depending on the intensity of your work out.

Of course, if you have access to gym equipment that can also substitute for free weight lifting.

It’s no secret, muscle helps to burn extra body fat! It’s not the only reason, but is why a lot of people fall into a ‘plateau’ because they focus only on their diets and neglect exercise altogether!

The best way to start weight lifting is to start slowly and build your way up to heavier weights.  A good rule of thumb is when you are ready to move on, increase you weights by about 10% at a time!

Conclusions?

So which is better for weight loss, cardio or weight lifting? Here is the answer: the one that you enjoy the most!  After all you aren’t going to see any results if you give up after one week because you didn’t enjoy the activity.

Both cardio and weight lifting burn similar amounts of calories if you are using the most efficient version of each.  Also there is nothing that says you can’t do both!

So if you want to keep your exercise routine exciting, try switching it up by doing both cardio and weight lifting. Just remember to give yourself at least one rest day a week!

Please feel free to share with us what it is that you do, whether you use one or the other, or both.