Weight Loss Nuggets

10 Tips To Reduce Stress And Burn Belly Fat

No matter what your age or circumstances, stress is an inevitable part of everyone’s life and ongoing stress actually contributes to weight gain. Long term stress increases the level of the hormone cortisol in our bodies, causing the body to store excess fat. Most of this extra fat is stored in your belly and hips [...]

No matter what your age or circumstances, stress is an inevitable part of everyone’s life and ongoing stress actually contributes to weight gain.

Long term stress increases the level of the hormone cortisol in our bodies, causing the body to store excess fat. Most of this extra fat is stored in your belly and hips – exactly where you don’t want it.

Here are 10 simple ways to de-stress for maximum physical and emotional fitness:

1. Eat at least 4-6 small, well-balanced meals each day to properly maintain the sugar levels in your body and ensure you are getting all the essential vitamins and minerals you need.
2. Drink at least six to eight glasses of water every day to flush the toxins out of your system.
3. Exercise for twenty to thirty minutes three to five times each week. Choose a physical activity you enjoy, such as biking, weight lifting or walking, because getting pleasure from your exercise routine will also help minimize stress.
4. Avoid foods with sugar and caffeine that offer a false sense of energy.
5. Avoid alcohol, which has an impact on the sugar levels in your body.
6. Get plenty of sleep every night because when you are tired, you tend to feel more hungry.
7. Engage in activities designed to help you relax, such as yoga or meditation.
8. Watch less television – statistics show that up to ninety percent of people who watch television an hour or more each day fail at their weight loss goals.
9. Avoid crash diets which could increase your stress level and actually cause the production of additional cortisol, alleviating any potential weight loss you may have been able to experience.
10. When you feel really hungry, choose whole-grain, high-fiber foods, like oatmeal and fruit, which keep insulin levels even to control blood sugar and your hunger.

By reducing the stress in your life, you can get rid of excess fat and emotional baggage at the same time!

Meal Budgeting For Weight Loss

What is meal budgeting and how will it help you lose weight? When you plan your finances, you put together a basic budget based on your income versus your expenditures. Dieting works the same way as your finances because what you take in equals calories and the energy you expend burns them. When you want [...]

What is meal budgeting and how will it help you lose weight?

When you plan your finances, you put together a basic budget based on your income versus your expenditures. Dieting works the same way as your finances because what you take in equals calories and the energy you expend burns them.

When you want to take control of your money, you put together a spreadsheet to track your expenses and available cash. To get a handle on your weight, consider keeping a food journal so you know how many calories you are consuming daily and what you are doing to burn them.

Your food journal should include:

1. The number of meals you eat with the calories
2. The time of day you eat
3. A daily tally of calories consumed
4. The number of calories you burn from exercising

Just like getting your finances in order, you can get a handle on your weight loss goals by keeping track of your daily habits.

Once you know the total calories you consume and the total calories you burn, you can determine the bottom line to minimize your daily calories, monitor times during the day when you eat the most and make sure you include fitness in your everyday routine.

Foods That Burn Belly Fat

If you have belly fat, did you know certain foods can help you get rid of it? According to a study published in the Diabetes Care journal, eating a diet that is high in MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids) can actually reduce that unwanted belly fat from building up. Foods that contain MUFAs include: Peanut butter [...]

If you have belly fat, did you know certain foods can help you get rid of it?

According to a study published in the Diabetes Care journal, eating a diet that is high in MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids) can actually reduce that unwanted belly fat from building up.

Foods that contain MUFAs include:

Peanut butter – satisfying and offers magnesium, potassium and Vitamin E
Sunflower seeds – portable snacks with Vitamins B and E
Macadamia nuts – contains antioxidant selenium and is a source of fiber
Avocado – helps reduce cholesterol with beta stosterol
Semi-sweet and dark chocolate – irresistible and contains antioxidants
Almonds – adds flavor, protein, fiber and Vitamin E
Flaxseed oil – gives you Omega-3s like fish to boost brain and heart health
Olive oil – fights bad cholesterol and contains antioxidants.

All these great foods actually help minimize body fat over time. Coupled with a simple daily fitness routine and you will look and feel better in just a few months.

5 Dieting Mistakes to Avoid

You are already on your way to losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle because you have cut back on sugar, fat and salt and added more fiber, protein, fruit and vegetables to your daily diet. While you are well on the road to dieting success, make sure you avoid the following 5 mistakes: 1. [...]

You are already on your way to losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle because you have cut back on sugar, fat and salt and added more fiber, protein, fruit and vegetables to your daily diet.

While you are well on the road to dieting success, make sure you avoid the following 5 mistakes:

1. Don’t eat too much, even if it’s fruits and vegetables. Even too much of a good thing is simply too much and can pack on extra unwanted calories.

2. Don’t forget to write everything down. When you keep a food journal, you have an accurate understanding of exactly what you are eating and how to improve your habits.

3. Don’t be tempted to eat just “one”. Sweet, salty snacks can be trigger foods that bring on binge eating so avoid temptation.

4. Don’t speculate about portion size. Measure your portions so you know you are eating the right amount of food.

5. Don’t skip meals. Develop meal plans and stick to them to avoid hunger and possible binge eating.

By avoiding common dieting mistakes, you will be fit and trim sooner than you think!

Preventing Obesity in Children with Sleep

Recent research conducted by the University of Michigan revealed that when children get more sleep, it may lower their risk of becoming obese. The Benefits of Sleep The bottom line is that researchers discovered that every additional hour of sleep that a 3rd grader enjoys will reduce the child’s chance of becoming obese by the [...]

Recent research conducted by the University of Michigan revealed that when children get more sleep, it may lower their risk of becoming obese.

The Benefits of Sleep

The bottom line is that researchers discovered that every additional hour of sleep that a 3rd grader enjoys will reduce the child’s chance of becoming obese by the 6th grade by a significant 40 percent.

According to Dr. Julie Lumeng, leader of the University of Michigan research, no matter what the child’s weight was in the 3rd grade, the less sleep they got the more likely they would be obese by the 6th grade. Children in the 3rd grade should get at least 9 hours and 45 minutes of sleep or more every night.

Endocrinologist Eve Van Cauter of the University of Chicago found that a lack of sleep plays havoc with the two hormones that are the “yin and yang of appetite regulation”. VanCaulter found that sleep-deprived adults produce more ghrelin, the hormone that promotes hunger, and less leptin, which is the hormone that let you know you are full.

Clearly following the old-fashioned rules of a healthy diet and plenty of sleep should start when we are children and we should continue these positive behavior patterns through adulthood for maximum weight control.