5 Common Mistakes We Make Trying To Lose Weight

I don't know about you, but I am guilty of all committing all 5 of the following mistakes. I didn't list "Eating Breakfast" because I am tired of seeing that one. Haha. I try to remember to eat breakfast, but not always successful.

Here's My List of 5 common mistakes we make trying to lose weight:

1. Not including exercise in your regime

Far too many people simply cut down on their calorie intake when they go on a diet, without adding exercise to their regime, according to medical researchers.But exercise will boost your metabolism meaning your body will burn calories faster. 

Also, for each pound of muscle you add to your body you need an extra 75 calories to maintain it, so toning up your muscles will also help you lose weight - and look more honed. Many people think going to aerobics once a week is all the exercise they need, but the best way to keep your metabolism going is by exercising for around 20 to 30 minutes a day. Break your exercise up into smaller chunks of time if you need to.

Tips include getting off your bus or train a stop early on the way to work to walk for 30 minutes, gardening and cycling. Even getting up to change over the TV channel rather than using a remote control will, on average, burn 200 calories a week.

2. Forgetting drinks contain calories too

You may be eating a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner and avoiding snacking throughout the day. But researchers find that many dieters can't lose weight because of the hidden calories in their drinks. If you have a standard cappuccino on the way to work you will be boosting your intake by 120 calories - and 8 grams of fat, she says. If you really want a cappuccino choose a skinny one with cinnamon on the top instead of chocolate. These contain just 60 calories and hardly any fat. 

Alcohol and fizzy drinks are other big calorie traps. Alcohol contains as many calories as fat and, according to a study at the Mayo clinic in Minnesota, America, also boosts appetite. In tests subjects who had alcohol with a meal ate 350 calories more than those who did not. 

Dieticians say you should try to limit your drinking to one or two nights a week at most and to stick to spirits with low calorie mixers and wine. Other tips include alternating alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks and drinking a small glass of white wine with fizzy water to make a spritzer instead of drinking a large glass of wine.

3. Weighing yourself too often

There's nothing more encouraging than seeing the proof of all your hard work reflected on the scales. But dieticians warn that weighing yourself too often can actually make weight loss more difficult. For most of us our weight fluctuates throughout the month for a variety of reasons. Because of this they may worry that they have put on weight at certain times of the month when they haven't. 

Weight loss on a successful diet is usually slow and steady and if you are toning up the scales can be misleading because muscle is heavier than fat. Catherine Collins recommends dieters should weigh themselves once a week at most and at the same time of the day - first thing in the morning. You should also remember how significant each 1lb is that you lose. In fact 1lb in weight is the equivalent to 3,500 calories - meaning you have eaten 500 calories less a day than normal over a week.

4. ‘All or nothing’ 

This approach is the downfall of many — don’t make the mistake of thinking you should never have a treat. A pizza is okay, there is nothing wrong with having a pizza — just make sure that you don’t follow it with a large helping of chocolate fudge cake and ice cream!

5. Buying foods such as chips and chocolate for the kids 

For most of us, these are our "comfort" foods, but having these types of foods in the house can be a temptation; you are more likely to reach for the chocolate if it is to hand, whereas if you had to make the effort to go to the shops — you probably wouldn’t bother!

Let me know what you would add to my list.

5 Tips For Losing Weight

1. Use the Restaurant Rule of Two

Order any entrée you want when eating out, but stick to having only two other items total for the evening. For example, in addition to your entrée you could choose to have a soda and a slice of bread or a glass of wine and dessert, but you can’t have them all. Researchers have found that after people have been doing this for a while they just naturally start to make better choices.

2. Risk Public Embarrassment

Tell everyone what you’re doing, and you’ll be less likely to slip up. Your pride will get the better of you and you’ll be encouraged to keep pursuing your goal.

3. Know When You’re at Your Weakest

Determine when you’re most likely to give in to temptation, then use the knowledge to your advantage. We all carry smartphones these days. Anecdotal research tells us that setting your phone to send you a message during your most vulnerable time of day with a reminder not to snack. Sending yourself an electronic reminder, or enlisting the aid of a family member or friend to call at the same time each day can help you stay on track.

4. Trick Yourself Into Eating Less

Extensive studies on the effects of smell and taste on emotion have found that certain aromas—specifically banana, green apple, and peppermint—cause us to eat less by inducing sensory-specific satiety. Basically, your brain tells you to stop eating because the scent causes you to feel satisfied. Other strategies that have been shown to reduce your intake of food: Hang a mirror opposite where you eat to create more body awareness, and eat from a blue plate, which makes food look less appealing.

5.  Avoid Multitasking During Meals

Stay mindful of every bite and sip and cognizant of your level of fullness and satisfaction, according to health experts. Lose focus on your meal and you risk overeating. That means no talking on the phone, no watching TV, and no eating at the kitchen counter while cleaning up.

Brief History of Fasting

The history of fasting is as old as history, itself. From the dawn of creation, there is evidence of fasting.

Fasting The early great philosophers, thinkers, and healers used fasting for health and as healing therapy. Hippocrates, Plato, Socrates, Aristotle and Galen all praised the benefits of fasting. Paracelsus, one of the three fathers of Western medicine, is quoted as saying, "Fasting is the greatest remedy--the physician within." Early healing arts recognized the revitalizing and rejuvenating power fasting promoted.

Early religious and spiritual groups used fasting as a part of ceremonies and rites--most often during spring and fall equinoxes. Today, every major religion practices fasting for various spiritual benefit.

Christianity (Catholics & Protestants, alike), Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, South and North American Indian traditions--all utilize fasting in one form or another, whether for purification, spiritual vision, penance, mourning or sacrifice. Many faiths prescribe regular fasting to prevent or break the habits of gluttony. In the U.S., the groups most noted for continuing fasting traditions are Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, Lutherans , and Jews.

Yogic practices, including that of fasting, date back thousands of years. Paramahansa Yogananda said simply, "Fasting is a natural method of healing." To this day, the ancient healing practice of Ayurveda includes fasting as therapy; its most distinguishing method uses kitchari, a dish of rice and beans.

If you are a pet owner, then you know yourself that even animals will fast during times of stress or illness, and sometimes even at the slightest uneasiness. It is a natural tendency for any organism, whether human or animal, to seek rest, balance, and to conserve energy at critical times.

What Is Fasting?

Because the subject of fasting is so broad, this will be the first in a series of posts on the topic. Here are the topics I intend to cover in this series:

1. What is Fasting
2. History of Fasting
3. 5 Types of Fasting
4. 5 Benefits of Fasting
5. 7 Tips to Fasting for Weight Loss
6. The Do's & Don'ts Of Fasting
7. Fasting Resources

Fasting is the of willing abstinence or reduction from certain or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. Fasting may be on an intermittent basis, for example, fasting on Wednesdays for six weeks.

Fasting is not only the abstinence from food or drink. Fasting practices may preclude intercourse and other activities.

We’ve all been told to fast the night before blood work is to be done, so in a physiological context, fasting refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight. Fasting in this sense aids medical personnel in obtaining accurate blood work-ups for diagnostic testing.

The series of posts in this blog will focus primarily of the fasting or abstinence from food and drink. 

Fitness & Nutritional Fact Check

Have you ever notice the dates stamped on products you buy in the grocery store? There is an expiration date which is the latest date you should eat this food product. There is sell-by date, which means the food product cannot be sold past this date. Did you know that the date stamped on a box of cereal is not its expiration date? This date is telling the consumer the cereal is best if eaten before this date, but most dieticians find dry cereal to have a much longer shelf life, as much as six months.

Did you know that if you are not a regular exerciser that by the time you are 65, it’s very likely you will have an 80% decrease in muscle strength?

Here’s a short quiz for you to test your fitness and nutritional knowledge. The answers can be found at the end of the post. Good Luck!

1.   What percentage of your brain is water?

a. 48%

b. 73%

c. 63%

d. 79%

2. Starchy foods...

a. are usually high in calories

b. provide energy

c. may cause heart disease

3. Adding                    to your cardio can speed up fat loss.

a. Yoga

b. Pilates

c. Weight training

d. all of the above

4. Foods in the Fats, Oils and Sweets group give us a lot of...

a. vitamins

b. calories

c. minerals

5. _______________ will help you to lose weight.

a. Eating low fat foods

b. Eating smaller portions

c. Regular exercise

d. All of the above

6. It is best to lose:

a. 10 pounds each week

b. 1/2 to 1 pound a week

c. 5 pounds a week

7. How many calories do you need to lose to lose one pound?

a. 25

b. 250

c. 3500

8. Which of the following counts as 1 serving from the bread group?

a. 1 slice of bread

b. 1 cup of cooked pasta

c. 3 ounces of dry cereal

9. Which of the following does NOT count as 1 serving from the meat group?

a. 1 1/2 cups of cooked kidney beans

b. 2 tablespoons of peanut butter

c. 8 ounces of roast beef

10. Sue is 30 years old. She works in an office, and does not usually exercise. Today she ate 6 servings from the bread group, 2 servings from the vegetable group, 2 servings from the fruit group, 2 servings from the milk group, and 2 servings from the meat group. Sue did not eat enough servings of what group?

a. the meat group

b. the fruit group

c. the vegetable group

11. Which of the following counts as 2 servings from the vegetable group?

a. 1 cup of tossed salad

b. 1/2 cup of mashed potato

c. 1 cup of mashed potato

12. Orange juice gives us.....

a. sugar, vitamins and minerals

b. empty calories

c. no sugar, but plenty of vitamins

13. Eating too many sugary foods may cause. . .

a. diabetes

b. hypertension

c. tooth decay

14. Protein

a. builds strong muscles and healthy organs

b. has 9 calories in each gram

c. is the body's main source of energy

2. Which of the following foods is a complete source of protein?

a. bread

b. fish

c. dried beans

15. Wheat bread and ___________ combine to make a complete protein.

a. jelly

b. peanut butter

c. margarine

Answers:

1. B
2. B
3. C
4. B
5. D
6. B
7. C
8. A
9. C
10. C
11. C
12. A
13. C
14. A
15. B

Walk At Home With Leslie Sansone

Have any of your readers tried Leslie Sansone's Walk at Home program? I bought two of her DVD's a few months back and I believe I'm ready to give it a serious test run.

I haven't done a lot of research on Mrs. Sansone or her programs, but from what I have read, it's been more positive than negative.

Let me know what you think if you've tried her program. I previewed one DVD earlier today while I was finishing up another project, and it really looks like you get a pretty decent workout without ever leaving your living room.

I'll do more extensive research and keep you posted on my progress. Here are the two DVD's I purchased. You can find her products here.

7 Steps For Creating Healthy Habits – How & Why

I keep talking about changing my eating and exercise habits, but it seems like this is all I’ve been doing – just talking about change. So, I turned off my TV and got my mind quiet and focused on how to move from the talking phase to the doing phase. One thing I have to do is take baby steps, and stop striving for perfection (I cover this more in step #7).

Anyway, here is my list of 7 things I am going to start doing today. It’s not a dramatic change and some readers may think it’s less than challenging, but for those of us who just get overwhelmed with the amount of weight we want to lose, it’s really a good start. I previously wrote about how to create new habits, and I realize now that seeking to make major changes can be daunting and even unrealistic, for me anyway. I’ll make these few small adjustments and after I am comfortable with the change, then I can re-write my goals.

1.    Eat breakfast every day. This may sound elementary, but it really is something I have a problem doing. I believe the experts when they say that eating a healthy breakfast is key to maintaining sugar levels throughout the day. If my use of the term healthy scared any of you, I simply mean something other than cookies or donuts. I love oatmeal and cereal. I enjoy eggs. I’m not going to commit to cooking a huge breakfast, because this would set me up for failure. For someone who rarely eats breakfast, a bowl of cereal or 2 scrambled eggs is more than sufficient.

2.   Exercise for 30 minutes every day. I’m using 30 minutes because that’s what my doctor says I need to keep healthy. However, I am not going to commit to one 30 minute block, because again, I don’t want to set myself up for failure. I can easily do 10 minutes at a time. Get creative with your exercise here. 10 minutes of vacuuming or mopping will count, as long as you keep moving for 10 minutes. I watch the news every day, so I can easily walk in place for 10 minutes. The same for getting supper ready. It takes 20 minutes to cook rice, so there’s another 10 minutes. Instead of watching TV until it’s done, I’ll walk in place for 10 minutes. These are only a few ideas. If you can think of more, please share them with me.

3.  Stop buying so much junk food. Now I don’t have small children or teenagers any more, but I do have a husband with a sweet tooth. So, while I can’t commit to banning all junk food, I will only get a few things he enjoys – snacks that I don’t really care for anyway. I’ll replace my usual snacks with something healthier than chocolate or the vinegar and salt chips I love. I’m not sure what that will be, but maybe flavored popcorn.

4.  Stop eating while I watch TV. Because our children are grown and it’s just my husband and I, we usually eat our meals watching TV, and then the snacks come out. It is so easy to finish off a bag of chips when you are mindlessly reaching in while watching NCIS. This may actually turn out to be my toughest challenge, but I’m up for it.

5.  Drink 8 glasses of water every day. Sounds simplistic, but this is also something I struggle to get done. I’m not sure why, but I do. I read somewhere a good while back that we should all drink a glass of water upon rising every morning and a glass before bed. Okay, that’s 2 right there. My problem really is just remembering to drink water. I drink coffee a lot instead, so I have decided to set an alarm on my phone to go off every 3 hours during the day to remind me to have a glass of water.

6.  Journal about these specific 7 things each night. I journal most every night. I am just going to include in it my “report” of how well my day went following these 7 steps.

7.  Accept myself and stop trying to be perfect. I have always struggled with perfection. Not that I believe I am perfect, but my mindset has always been that your project or whatever your working on is a failure if you make a mistake or go off track. This is what I am going to change here – just accept that things aren’t always going to go according to plan, but that doesn’t mean I have failed. It just means I’m human and just get back on track. I am not going to keep putting off until tomorrow or next week what I need to do simply because I slipped up today.

I hope my list helps a few of you who are in the same boat as I am at this time of my life. I would love to hear your opinions and what you think.