Posts Tagged ‘diet’
10 Reasons why you’re STILL overweight…
1) You think “Fat Free” or “Sugar Free” means that it is “Healthy”
Marketing campaigns know that we are all trying to be healthier, and they are doing everything they can to sell you their product in an angle that makes you think their product makes the cut. They aren’t trying to make their products healthier. What does this all boil down to? The companies just want to make money, and the only way to make money is if you buy their product –whether it’s good for you or not.
Read the labels and ingredients and start learning how to understand what they really mean. It’s almost guaranteed that if something it marketed as “Fat Free” or “Sugar Free”, they are using dangerous replacements which usually end up being worse for you than the actual fat or sugar.
Most people still buy into this marketing scam – don’t let it be you.
2) You don’t get enough sleep
Sleep is underrated – by far. You should get the recommended 8 hours each night, and you will notice some very positive effects from this. Your body will feel rested and better through out the day. You will be more likely to exercise (you have the energy to make it happen), and you have a better chance of overcoming any junk food cravings you may have during the day. When you are more tired, you are more likely to “give in” to temptations. A lack of sleep negatively effects your immune system, which can make you sick. When you are sick, the chances of you keeping up (or wanting to) your work out routine is unlikely. You should consider sleep as being mandatory.
3) You like to try new “Diets”
I have already said in previous posts why I don’t like to “Diet”, but I will briefly say it again here. “Diets” tend to be short term! Make your healthy eating habits a Life style change, and you will see lasting results, which is what you want anyways? No one wants to just gain it all back again and again…so don’t! Lose it and keep it off for good.
4) You think having the occasional treat doesn’t really add up
This one almost makes me laugh, but it’s a reality check for most of us. Just one Oreo cookie is about 60 calories. 
And let’s be honest…who only has one Oreo cookie? In my not-so-healthy days, I remember easily eating 10 Oreo cookies (or more), which is half of my daily calorie count. What’s worst is that I find myself still craving more cookies, and I am still hungry!
Check the calories. If your little treat is high in calories and you won’t be able to stop at just one, move on. Find something that will satisfy your hunger. A great alternative is finding a Fruit or veggie that you love and won’t resent when it becomes snack time.
5) You think you are “Naturally this Big” or “Big Boned”
That’s what happened to me too. I thought I was naturally a size 10 or 12. According to all the “medical” and “scientific” charts out there that tell you what your healthy weight range is for your age and height, I was supposed to be around 170 pounds. I don’t know who made up that bull, but if I were 170 pounds, I would not be close to healthy unless I was some body builder. As we all know, most of us aren’t body builders, so I consider those little “healthy weight charts” a piece of trash.
Once I started to get my act together and start taking my health more seriously, and listening to my body’s needs, I got down to 130 pounds and fit nicely into my size 2 jeans. Find your true healthy weight.
6) You think Skinny people don’t need to exercise
This one gets me every time. I hate how I will mention that I went to the gym and someone has to make the statement “You’re skinny, you don’t need to go to the gym”. Yes, someone really did say that to me, and No, I did not listen to them!
Just because you are Skinny, doesn’t mean you are privileged and somehow don’t need to exercise. I don’t care what size you are – Skinny or Overweight, you can benefit from exercising on a regular basis, and quite frankly, your body needs it.
For those who think Skinny people don’t need to exercise: How do you think thin people got to be thin in the first place? The answer is that the thin people exercise and eat healthy regularly. I didn’t become a size 2 by accident and neither did they.
7) You are (still!) skipping Breakfast
Ok, so this one I still don’t get. We have all been told how Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, and people are still skipping it! It may be for many reasons. You are “too busy”. Not a good enough excuse people! I wake up at 4:00 AM to go work out, make a healthy breakfast and lunch, work for 8 hours or more, make dinner, clean up, work some more, etc.
We all live a crazy and busy schedule. That’s life, and I get that. But there just isn’t an excuse anymore for skipping breakfast.
Be sure to eat something healthy – anything with processed sugar should be completely avoided.
8 ) You think you will reach your Goal Weight in 30 days or less
Guess what? You didn’t gain your weight overnight, and you won’t lose it all overnight either! Just because you aren’t seeing huge results your first month, doesn’t mean you should give up and say exercising and eating healthy doesn’t work. Just like you were consistently unhealthy and gained weight, you now need to work on consistently being healthy and exercising.
You will eventually lose the weight, and before you know it, you will be able to fit back into those skinny jeans!
9) You drink Energy Drinks and Sodas that are “0 Calorie” 
and think it’s a Healthy choice
Zero calories do not mean that the drink is Healthy. Energy Drinks and Sodas with Zero calories are another marketing tool to make these drinks seem “healthier” or “not as bad” for you. Reality is this: Energy Drinks and Sodas have zero nutrition, and there is absolutely nothing good in there for you. Nothing! Doesn’t matter if it has 300 or no calories, it’s just not good for you, regardless of the number of calories it says on the back. Your best bet is to just drink water.
10) You keep saying you are “Fat”
The way you feel about yourself plays a huge role in whether or not you will succeed with your weight loss and overall health goals. Ever heard of the popular Movie “The Secret”? Well, the Law of Attraction is real. Your mind is very advanced and sophisticated, and if you keep telling yourself that you are “fat” and “overweight”, then your brain keeps telling you to do things that will keep you in that state of being.
Start thinking “healthy” and “thin”, and your brain will start programming your thoughts and actions to lead you to a lifestyle that will help you become healthier.
It’s not all about wishful thinking, because action is involved. You need to do your part. Bottom line: Believe you will succeed and continue to exercise and eat healthy. Know that you will get there!
Good luck with your Health goals!
♥,
Twinkie
Tags: Artificial, Artificial Sweeteners, big, big boned, Breakfast, cravings, diet, energy drinks, exercise, fat, fat free, goal weight, health goals, Healthy, healthy breakfast, healthy choice, high calories, junk food, Law of Attraction, Lose Weight, marketing scams, muscle, Nutrition, oreo, oreo cookies, over weight, rest, size 2, Skinny, sleep, soda, sugar free, The Secret, thin, treat, Twinkie, work out, zero calories
Use the Law of Attraction to be Healthy!
What is the Law of Attraction?
The Law of Attraction is a Universal Law, where you create your Universe, or your Reality, with your Thoughts. Your thoughts and beliefs ultimately lead to your actions. You are a creator of your life, and you can control what happens in your life. You are attracting things into your life by your thoughts.
How can I apply the Law of Attraction for Health or Weight Loss?
There is so much hype about the Law of Attraction! It just seems that it is mostly being used for attracting Money and Wealth into your life. That is fine and dandy, but can we use the Law of Attraction to help us with our Health or even Weight Loss goals?
My answer is absolutely “YES!”
So many people keep saying to themselves comments like:
“I am fat”
“I am sick and tired”
“I have a bad back”
ETC…
These are all creation statements. Stop telling yourself that you are “fat” or “unhealthy”! You are talking negatively about yourself, and creating more of what you do not want. “I am” is a very powerful statement. You will see more of it in your life, whether you consciously want it or not. Your brain is very powerful, like a super computer, and if you keep telling yourself that you are “fat” or “unhealthy, you will stay that way.
Start creating more of what you want….and this is something that you can start Now. Tell yourself positive affirmations daily. You can say positive things that you want to become, such as:
“I am healthy and strong”
“I am in great shape”
“I am happy”
“I have control of what I eat”
“I eat healthy, and I am happy about it”
“I like to exercise”
When you hear yourself say these things, it might be hard to believe it at first. That’s OK. Focus on being healthy (tell yourself that you are!), believe it to be possible, you will start to create Healthy habits and make them part of your daily life and routines. It is a life style, and with time it will become natural for you to be Healthy.
Stay Healthy Long-Term
I like to focus more on being HEALTHY, rather than obtaining a particular size. I don’t necessarily feel like you have to tell yourself, “I am a size ___”, because once you reach your goal size, many tend to slip back into old (bad) habits. Just because you are a size 2 (for example), doesn’t mean you don’t have to work out or eat healthy anymore. You still will need to feed your body the nutrients that it needs. Drink plenty of water. Exercise on a regular basis. Remember, you aren’t on a “diet”, this is just how you eat! You aren’t just working out to lose weight, you are doing this to give yourself a caridovascular exercise, keep your muscles strong and healthy. It’s a lifestyle, not a fad.
Why do diets and exercise programs fail?
There can be a number of reasons diets and exercise programs fail.
With diets, people tend to become extremely strict, and expect to make a huge lifestyle change overnight. Because of this, they just quit because they feel like “It’s too hard”. With exercise programs, people sometimes work out way too much because they want to see results here and now. It takes time. You didn’t gain those 10 pounds overnight, and you won’t lose them overnight (or with one workout) either. Because people don’t see results as fast as they had hoped for, they give up feeling like it is hopeless.
What hurts you the most when you are on any healthy diet or exercise program? The two things I mentioned above are part of it, but a huge part of failing at your Health goals is just not believing in it, or not believing you can succeed. Many people while dieting and exercising tell themselves “I’m fat” and other negative and harsh words. Stop that now! You have to maintain a positive outlook on what you are doing, and keep telling yourself that you are Healthy, etc. and everything else will fall into place. Yes, it will probably not happen overnight, but that’s OK because this is long-term, remember? Not something you are doing just right before bikini season. You need to be healthy year-round, and it is a year-round effort.
It’s OK to Smile…
Tell yourself that you are “Healthy and fit”. Tell yourself that you are “Beautiful”, “Exercising is enjoyable”, “I eat Healthy foods that are good for my own body”. Tell yourself something positive! You are meant to be happy, including being happy about your own body.
Remember that it all starts with your thoughts, which leads to your actions. If you made bad choices in the past, it’s OK. It is in the past. You can make the decision NOW to be who you want to be, and focus on the end result. You ARE Healthy. Believe it. Feel it. Make it happen. Stay consistent.
Before you know it, you will be able to see the results you have been focusing on from the beginning. It’s OK to smile…you deserve it.
If you are interested in learning more about the Law of Attraction, click here to check out Carol Tuttle’s website, or you can click on the picture below:
♥, Twinkie
Tags: Achieve weight loss goals, Carol Tuttle, diet, exercise program, Health, Healthy, I am happy, I am Healthy, I am healthy and strong, I am in great shape, I am skinny, I am strong, I like to exercise, Law of Attraction, skinny twinkie, success, Weight Loss, you are healthy
I hate “Diets”
I hate “Diets” because it just seems to imply that someone is only exercising or eating healthy for a short period of time. Once they lose weight and reach their goal, they go back to their old habits!
This type of thinking only turns “diets” into “yo-yo dieting”, which means after all that effort and time you too to lose weight and learn great eating and exercise habits, you just gained back all your weight…and then some.
If you know what I am talking about first hand, I am sure you hate dieting too. You are in luck though, because I have some good news and…depending on how you look at it, maybe some bad news too.
Bad news first
I don’t think that it’s bad news, but for some it might be just that. The bad news is this: There is no magic diet pill or spell that will make your magically thin and healthy. Crazy, right? I feel like I might have just told someone that Candy Land doesn’t exist! hehe
You have to think of your eating habits and exercise routines as a part of your life. If what you are currently doing isn’t getting you to where you want to go, a temporary and short term fix won’t solve the problem for good. Maybe temporarily, but you don’t want a temporary fix because you will constantly have to worry about fixing a problem. You want to have a permanent fix. This involved a complete lifestyle adjustment and for some…and pretty big change in your life.
It may be a bit slower of a process to finally get to where you want to be. It may take time to find the healthy foods that you love to replace the old foods that didn’t do your body any good. It may take time to find and start a realistic workout routine you can keep up with and stay with (not the same machine, but the routine). By doing it this way, a lifestyle change, you will see long term results, which in the end, it’s something we are all after.
The Good news!
Your body will feel great! It’s amazing how much happier people seem to be when their body’s are functioning at their best because they are receiving the nutrients and exercise they need.
It’s not always about looking skinny/fit/slim…it’s all about being healthy and feeling good!
As always…it will be worth it. I’m here to cheer you on. You ready for this?
♥,
Twinkie
Tags: diet, dieting, eat right, exercise, fit, Fitness, Healthy, Nutrition, Skinny, SkinnyTwinkie, slim, Twinkie, Weight Loss, yo-yo diet, yo-yo dieting
Salad: Diet Friend or Foe?
When people first try to start a diet, they seem to run to the grocery store and plan on eating the healthiest thing they can think of. A Salad. Though a Salad can be quite healthy and nutritious, we are getting drenched in Calories and Fat by all of the things we are adding to the Salad- which in turn makes our Healthy intentions for Lunch and Dinner…well…not so healthy after all. So if you are going to eat a salad to be Healthy, do it the right way!
The Salad Trap
A lot of people will add on one thing after another to their salad for added color, flavor, or texture, and I will go over exactly what that meanswhen it comes to calories in your Salad bowl.
Bacon Bits – serving size is about 1 tablespoon, and it is anywhere from 25-35 calories per serving. 
Craisins – serving size is 1/3 cup, and the calories is about 140 calories. Not only is this high in calories, but high in Sugar which is not a healthy thing!
Croutons – The average serving size is about 0.5 oz, and the Calories is about 50 Calories
Cheese – If you go with 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese, you are looking at 240 calories. If you are trying to maintain a low calorie diet, Cheese is something you might want to try and avoid all together.
Salad Dressing – The average serving size is 1 tablespoon, and the calorie count is an average of 50 Calories. If you think about it, most people use way more than 1 tablespoon of dressing! Can you imagine how much you actually use, and how many calories you are putting on top of your Salad? It all adds up pretty quickly.
Healthy and Low Calorie Salad toppers
Carrots – 1/2 cup chopped carrots is 26 calories
Peas - 1/2 cup of peas is 56 calories
Tomatoes – 1 cup cherry tomatoes is 27 calories
Cucumbers – 1 slice ( about 7 g) is 1 calorie
Mushrooms – 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms is 22 calories
So next time you are headed over to the Salad Bar, be sure to watch out for the Salad Traps, and think about what you are adding to your Salad Bowl.
Tags: bacon bits, carrots, cheese, craisins, croutons, cucmbers, diet, Health, Healthy, high calorie, low calorie, mushrooms, peas, salad, salad dressing, tomatoes
Don’t buy Temptations!
There is a reason why you are healthy or unhealthy. Duh, right? Well…if it were all so easy, then everyone would be healthy and fit. Reality is most Americans are not healthy. Here are some tips on how you can make sure you are making the healthiest decisions while you are shopping at your local grocery store.
Plan Ahead
Be sure that you come up with a complete meal plan-even one with a little wiggle room! I have noticed that I am the healthiest when I come up with a plan- healthy snacks and all- before I head to the grocery store. Be sure to come up with a grocery list based on your eating habits for the upcoming week, and stick to it!
Buy Yummy foods!
Be sure you enjoy what you are eating! If you aren’t going to look forward to your lunch or your 3:00 snack…what makes you think you are going to stick to your healthy meal plan rather than hitting the vending machines to splurge on your latest craving? If you treat yourself with healthy foods that you love, you are more likely to stick to your planned food.
I love Strawberries. To me, they are a wonderful treat. A dessert! So when I know it’s going to be a tough day sticking to my healthy eating habits, I am sure to include a nice bowl of fresh strawberries in the mix. I have delicious food to look forward to; comes with everything healthy and won’t leave me with any type of regret when putting on my skinny jeans! Moral of the story? Just because you are on a “diet”, doesn’t mean you can’t be happy when it comes to what options you have to eat.
Don’t buy your biggest Temptation!
Be sure to set yourself up for success! When you are at the grocery store, be sure to only buy healthy foods that you will enjoy eating. If you buy chocolate, candy, cakes, cookies, etc and you may think “it’s just a little bit” or “it’s just one”, but you are setting yourself up for failure (aka “weight gain”). You may think your not chowing down on a lot of goodies, but more often than not, you are chowing down on more calories (the fat and sugar kind) than you realize, and they will add up faster than you can say “Skinny Twinkie”. If it’s not in your house, it’s not likely you will run to the store at 10:00 PM to pick up your craving food. If it is already available in your house, there is a good chance you will just eat it as you watch “The Biggest Loser”, which of course causes regret and unhappiness. Do yourself a favor. Don’t buy anything you know you can’t control yourself with.
Up, Up, and Away!
Are your jeans getting tighter and tighter every week? Don’t give in to the horrible temptation of going up a size. Ok, if
you are in the 6th grade going through a growth spurt, that doesn’t count. But if you are a grown woman gaining weight that is just “fat” due to poor eating habits and lack of exercise…don’t just go up a size and forget the weight gain ever happened. If you go up a size…you will more likely go up another size…and another size… Do you see where this is going? One day you go to the Mall to just go home and realize you are a size 16 when you used to be a size 8. Ever heard of “letting yourself go”? This is how it happens. One French Fry at a time. Good news, there is hope! Don’t take that route again. Let’s start eating healthy NOW! Don’t wait until after the holidays…after your Birthday…or after this or that. Start an Exercise program NOW, or as soon as you speak with your Personal Trainer on what exercises you can begin with.
The choice starts now. Make the right one, please.
♥, Twinkie
Tags: craving, diet, exercise, failure, Fitness, gain weight, Healthy, Lose Weight, personal trainer, plan ahead, snack, strawberries, success, temptation, win