Collection of Tricks and Easy Ways to Lose Weight



Saturday, February 24, 2007
Trying to Lose Weight
I have reached my endurance limit in terms of weight. Being able to wear only one pair of pants is not fun. So I started taking action a few days ago, with not very good results, and that is mostly because I have been sitting on my butt from morning till night working on my dissertation.

The days I get to walk can be seen the next day on my pants. Every morning I wake up and make the plan for the day - today I WILL exercise. I don't. Or not enough, anyway. So yesterday I said "Enough of this shit. Let's start losing weight for good."

I sat my butt in front of the TV and for forty minutes I used the massage tool. Then I massaged some more using the anti-cellulite cream. I added all this to seven or eight hours of walking in the cold and a hot shower.

Today I will use the massage thing again and get back to pilates or yoga. One of them. I'm not sure which one I will do. Anyway, smoking is a big impediment. It makes you lazier.

My goal will be of at least one kilo in the following week. It's no big deal and it can be done.

I need to take out sweets completely - including Dr Pepper. And I will also take out bread for now, and have rice instead. For me it helps. I am sure I can do it. I just need to be patient.

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posted by Andreea @ 10:51 AM   0 comments
Monday, February 19, 2007
Pills for Losing Weight

I don't know about all the pills on the market, but I know about CaliVita.
I know two friends I had in highschool who lost 15-20 pounds with it.

These guys have three products I know of:
  • Slim Formula
  • Advanced Fat Burners
  • Fat Absorber
Some of them tend to constipate you if you don't drink enough liquid, and some tend to give you a soft stool. One is taken if you tend to eat more proteins, the other if you tend to eat more bread, while Slim Formula is for everything. If you plan on buying, I suggest you talk to a sales rep first.

Here is the website for CaliVita, the Weight Control page. I think you can order online. If you are in Romania, you can find the Romanian site online as well.

I also got you an article (PDF file) about losing weight and more information on Slim Formula as well, the ingredients of the product, and how they help you.

I have bought Slim Formula and I plan on trying it starting today. I am sure it will work, combined with proper food and no sweets.

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posted by Andreea @ 11:50 AM   0 comments
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Reflexology, Massage, and Weight Loss
If you're out of ideas, you can try reflexology and massage for weight loss.

Reflexology can help with your pituitary glands and the thyroid. It can also help with water retention, by stimulating the kidneys. In any case, you will also need to control your diet during reflexology sessions.

My friend tried reflexology for three weeks. She said it kind of helped, but it wasn't an amazing help. She was also dieting. Probably you should find a very good reflexologist if you want it to work. Doing it by yourself is not the same. However, if you want to try your hand at it, buy this book I've gotten for myself: "Reflexology - A Step-by-Step Guide", by Nicola Hall. I bought it for 8 dollars a few years ago.

As for massage - it works pretty much the same as reflexology, but it has more advantages by rubbing your skin and helping your muscles. Honestly, I would opt for this choice. I have my own electrical massage tool, with different speeds, and I used it for two weeks at some point, 10 minutes on each leg. If you combine it with cellulite cream, after a shower, and before bed, it really works! You will wake up at night with sweaty legs. Trust me! I was changing pants two times till morning.

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posted by Andreea @ 12:37 PM   0 comments
Hot Water, Shower Massage, and Weight Loss
Showers can help you burn fat faster. Scottish showers are the most successful ones. They alternate 1 minute of hot water with 30 seconds of cold water and they shock your body very nicely.

Hot water increases your body temperature and thus increases metabolism temporarily, but I don't suggest you use very hot water because it is also responsible for causing skin and blood vessel damages.

If you do want a very good massage though, for your cellulite, use your shower on maximum pressure - to the point of hurting - and keep in on your problem areas for 5 minutes. It's massage and massage is needed when you try to get rid of cellulite. As a matter of fact, next to weight loss, massage is the one that will help you most in treating and preventing cellulite.

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posted by Andreea @ 12:20 PM   0 comments
Friday, February 16, 2007
Juices and Vegetables - Lose Weight Faster
Cabbage is number one. You do remember the cabbage soup, don't you? Well, I hate cabbage soup not matter water, so I'd rather have cabbage juice instead.

Cabbage is extremely important when you try to lose weight. Make a fresh portion every day for the juice loses its qualities if you store it for more than 24 hours.

How you make cabbage juice? You put the cabbage in the blender, add some warm water (distilled water) and transform it into paste. Have 1-3 glasses a day, one hour before meals.

Celery juice can boost up metabolism. However, you shouldn't have too much of it. Instead, why don't you make a wonderul celery salad? Cut the celery in small pieces (half-rings they become), add the juice or one lime or of one lemon, add salt, and enjoy it. It's delicious!

If you are over-weight or really obese, try having pumpkin: either make juice of it or roast it in the oven. It has a wonderful sweet taste.

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posted by Andreea @ 3:24 PM   0 comments
Tomato Juice Can Help You Lose Weight

I don't remember where I read this, but I practiced it for a long time and the effects were positive.

Note: when you buy tomato juice always make sure that it does not contain ANY sugar. It's supposed to have tomato juice and salt.

Some time ago I was drinking two large glasses a day. If you have one glass ten to twenty minutes before you eat, you reduce your appetite. It really works! And I am happy I remembered this trick because I will buy some tomato juice on my next shopping trip.

What can the tomato juice do for you? It stops the fermentation and rotting in intestines. Do you know what that means? Through fermentation, alcohol and sugar is produced and it leads to you putting on more weight. You stop the process, you lose more weight!

There is also another cocktail that you can have a few hours after the previous meal and like an hour before the next one - if you have a processer, use a mixture of tomatoes, apple, pumpkin, and lemon to make a nice juice.

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posted by Andreea @ 3:06 PM   0 comments
Thursday, February 15, 2007
My First Day of Dieting
Well, I call it dieting for your sake, not for mine. For me, this is not dieting. "Diet" is a bad word that makes you nervous. For me, it's just breaking thr routine.

So... my exercise yesterday came from two or three hours of walking and running to get things done.

I ate out, at McDonalds, but I I only ordered six Nuggets and a bottle of water. In other words, I separated the food - only proteins. I thought about having some tea, but I don't like the teas these guys have: it's either fruit flavored or black tea. So I chose water.

I didn't get to eat anything else until six or seven at night when I prepared for both me and my husband bulgur (brown fine bulgur from Lebanon - Organic whole wheat) and a delicious avocado dish that Anna had on her blog, Free Weight Watchers Recipes. We both loved it. So, Anna, thanks a lot! :)

I wll give you the recipe for the bulgur dish. It does have calories, but if you don't pass 1500 calories a day you'll be just fine. Actually, if you exercise and you are an active person you can have even 2000 calories.

Bulgur - Side Dish


1 cup bulgur
olive oil
1 tomato (roughly cut)
3 spoons chopped champignon
1 medium onion
1-2 cups tomato juice (not paste)
1/2 -1 cup frozen green beans
1 chopped carrot (small cubes because they cok faster)
1-2 (up to you) boneless chicken breasts or pork meat (quantity up to you again), cut into long strips
salt
grounded black pepper

  1. Place the pan over small fire and add up to 2-3 spoons of olive oil;
  2. Add the onion and the carrot and allow to soften and fry for 5-6 minutes, mixing now and then;
  3. Add the mushrooms and allow them a few minutes to cook;
  4. Add the chicken or the meat and continue mixing until met changed color and becomes white;
  5. Add the bulgur and fry everything for 5 minutes - continue mixing and if necessary add 1 tablespoon of oil;
  6. Add 1/2 cup water and the tomato juice and allow it to cook until bulgur and carrots are soft;
  7. Then add the green beans and the tomato, the salt and the pepper and leave it on the fire 5-10 minutes more, until the the beans and the tomatoes are almost cooked.
  8. Remove from heat and serve hot.
Copyright: Andreea Haktanir

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posted by Andreea @ 8:32 PM   0 comments
Eating Habits
There's a saying that goes: "Have breakfast by yourself, share lunch with your friend, and give dinner to the poor." Or something similar, anyway...

The idea that stands behind this is that you should eat most of your food in the morning. It's logical, given that you have a whole day to burn the calories you've just had.

However, if you eat your most substantial meal at 8pm, you go to bed at 10pm and in between you are a couch potato, you will put on all the fat brought by your dinner.

If you have an organized schedule, the last meal should be at 7pm. If you eat a lot at night, right before bed, your digestion will be bad as well, and your sleep wil be agitated. The stomach is not supposed to digest food during sleep.

I've never had late night cravings when I went to bed at 11pm, for example, but there are people who do have. The good part is that it is just a matter of self-control: you form your eating habits and the body answers to them. For example, if you teach your body to ask for food in the morning and you stop eating after 7pm, then it will stop asking for food at night. It takes one week to change the habit.

If you get hungry after 7pm, drink water or juice without sugar, or drink plenty of tea.

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posted by Andreea @ 1:11 PM   0 comments
Monday, February 12, 2007
Counting Calories
Once upon a time I was counting them. I knew how much each food had. I was eating only according to calories. I was measuring everything, then calculating some more. Two years later I was so sick of it I didn't want to hear about counting anymore.

When you count stuff - points or calories - you feel your life is all too planned. You have no freedom anymore.

I am not saying be ignorant about what each food contains. I am saying: don't count like a maniac. You will eventually get bored of counting calories and that's when bad things start to happen. Instead, learn what you should eat and what you shouldn't. Learn to aproximate the value of each food.

For example, you should know:
  • 3 oz. chicken breast, only meat, boiled or roaster- 140 calories; fried - 220 calories.
  • 3 oz. chicken leg, only meat, boiled or roasted - 180;
  • 3 oz. pork - in between 140 and 360 calories;
  • 3 oz veal - 80 - 300 calories;
  • 3 oz fish - min. 60;
  • 1 boiled egg - about 75 calories;
  • 1 oz cheese - 70 - 200 calories;
  • and so on.
You should keep in mind though:
  • lean meat or chicken is better than the fat one => go for the breast or the loin or tenderloin;
  • white cheese is better than processed cheese;
  • roasted and boiled is better than fried;
  • yogurt can replace heavy cream or cream;
  • dry beans and peas have more calories than the green ones;
  • rye bread is the best kind of bread to eat;
  • vanilla ice-cream has less calories than chocolate ice-cream;
  • chocolate for diabetics is still rich in calories because of its cocoa content : 3 oz of unsweetend cocoa powder has in between 200 and 400 calories;
  • dry fruits have a lot more calories than fresh fruits.
Don't replace the sugar with artificial sweeteners because they are not healthy. Learn to drink your tea without sugar: in one week you will learn to appreciate the flavor of the tea, not the sweetness.

If you like your coffee sweet, start reducing the sugar you use little by little. You will like it better in the end. If you use sugar, use the brown sugar not the white one, for the brown sugar has more minerals and it's healthier.

However, do not get stuck with counting calories - try to separate food, as I said before. It helps.

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posted by Andreea @ 11:49 PM   0 comments
Watch TV and Lose Weight
You actually think it is not possible?

Well, actually, there is a catch -

- you watch the series or the movie or the show, standing, and performing a stair-stepping exercise. There are no stairs but you pretend there are. Trust me, a couple of minutes into the show you will forget that you aren't sitting; besides, you get to exercise and watch something fun.

The second trick, for the back of you legs: if you have a table in the middle of the house or something similar, lean over and place your elbows on it. Then continue stepping and watching TV. You will feel the muscles in the back of your legs strech. 30 minutes to one hour a day is better than nothing.

Besides, everyone knows that the main cause of obesity is lack of exercise. And that's also one of the causes of putting on weight.

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posted by Andreea @ 10:59 PM   0 comments
Fiber: An Easy Way to Lose Weight
Everyone knows that you need to eat fiber; it keeps your body healthy and it helps you get rid of fat and indirectly, it reduces cellulite.

Before eating lots of fiber I have to warn you about... farting. Sounds funny? Well, everything comes with a cost. You want to stay pretty and healthy, you also need to fart. Ok, I'm half kidding. If you start your high-fiber diet slowly, you won't have surprises.

What can fiber do for you?

It can make you feel full a lot faster. Also, it takes calories to burn food that contain high fiber. On its way out, it drags some of the fat after it. It lowers cholesterol.

You should increase your intake from 14g of fiber to 30g. Middle Eastern countries and African countries eat even 50g a day.

Foods that contain high fiber are:
  • bran cereal - I would also suggest you be careful not to exagerate with them and to start putting on weight instead of losing! Therefore, read my previous post on separating food - Food Combining to Lose Weight;
  • beans, peas;
  • spinach;
  • cabbage;
  • whole green beans;
  • brussels sprouts;
  • carrots;
  • potatoes;
  • apples;
  • oranges;
  • rice;
  • pear;
  • raw celery;
  • cauliflower;
  • melons, etc.
All vegetables have fiber to some extent. So do fruits. So have plenty of them and stay healthy and fit. Even lose weight.

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posted by Andreea @ 3:31 PM   0 comments
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Turkish Recipe: Yogurt and Eggpland Salad
This is another Turkish recipe that I fell in love with this summer during my holiday in Turkey.

Why it won't make you put on weight? Because you will have by itself or with chicken. No potatoes, no rice, no other stuff.

Let me talk to you about this eggplant first. Normally eggplants are not sour when raw, but when they get old or if they come from certain countries, they are. So cook your eggplant as you normaly do.

Yogurt and Eggplant Salad
  • 2 eggplants
  • 1-2 cups sour jogurt
  • 1/2 lime juice (if needed)
  • 2-3 green Charleston peppers
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • garlic (if you like) - chopped
  • salt
  • grounded red hot pepper on top
  • grounded white pepper
1. Cut the eggplants, without peeling, into cubes.
2. On small fire, fry the cubes into a pan with 2-3 spoons of olive oil (or more if needed). Mix now and then to make sure all the eggplant cubes get the same treatment.
3. Taste to check if the eggplant is soft; if not soft, cook more.
4. Add salt and white pepper. Mix.
5. Remove from pan into a serving dish.
6. Separatelty mix the yogurt with the lime juice (and the chopped garlic, if you chose to add it).
7. Pour the yogurt mixture on top of the eggplant. Add red hot pepper and 1-2 spoons olive oil.
8. In the pot, fry the Charleston pepper (or use a grill) then add it on top of the dish.
9. Cover, refrigerate, and serve cold.

Copyright: Andreea Haktanir

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posted by Andreea @ 10:23 PM   0 comments
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Things NOT to Do to Lose Weight
The less pounds or kilos you need to lose, the harder you lose them.

Why?

Obviously, because when you have little to lose, if you are a healthy person, you are already having a lower number of calories per day. When you reduce, you don't reduce from 4000 calories a day to 2000, but you reduce from 2500, let's say, to 1800.

If your scale gets stuck and won't budge from 120 pounds when you want it to reach 110 pounds and you really want to lose those 10 pounds, move your ass from the couch and start exercising. Use the tips I gave you until now and don't, oh please don't do stupid things.

What am I talking about?
  • laxatives - they not only irritate your colon, but rid you of vitamins and minerals and water. Unless constipated, don't resort to this methos. I will post one of these days my advice to solving the constipation problem. It sounds disgusting, but it's something that many people have problems with.
  • puking - If you like to puke after you eat, please ask for help. When I was 15-17 I would have done it myself if I could - honestly - but I am glad I didn't. It's dangerous and it's a sign that you need help. Puking will make you lose weight now, but it is also the equivalent of a low calorie diet. The moment you stop puking, you put on weight like crazy. So go with a balanced diet to keep you slim, and exercise. If my words don't scare you, you should read a bit online about the unhappy cases. That might change your mind about losing weight through puking.
  • spitting - Oh no you don't. First, the moment you put something in your mouth, the brain starts sending messages to your glands about the kind of action to take to deal with that kind of food. You are messing up your system if you do this. Besides, chewing and spitting will not solve your weight problem. Why? Because people who like food don't care about tasting only, but about swallowing that food. You don't believe me? Try to see if you feel any better if you only chew the chocolate and spit it? Of course not. You feel the compulsion to swallow it - the normal thing to do. Chewing and spitting will make you frustrated. Don't do it.
  • fasting - Unless you do it for religious purposes, don't prolonge this habbit. It's unhealthy. One day a week is ok. But 7 out of is not. If you think of fasting and eating only vegetables and fruits, that is ok. But keep in mind the protein problem. Have Spirulina.
I hope I exhausted the not-to-do list.

If you think of any other problems, please leave me a comment.

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posted by Andreea @ 8:35 PM   0 comments
Determine you Correct Bra Size
What does it have to do with weight loss? It has a lot. It also has to do with taking weight.

Those 12 extra pounds meant for me moving from cup B to C. Or did you think that when you put on weight or lose weight it happens everywhere but on your breasts?

Here is a way to find your perfect bra, according to The Pocket Stylist, by Kendall Farr:

Use a tape measure, in centimeters!

First, measure your chest right under your breasts, where the band would be, then divide by 2.5. If you get an odd number, add 5. If the number is even, add 6. If the number if over 33, add 3. Write this number down. This is the number of the band.

To measure cup, use the tape measure over the fullest part of your breasts and divide the number you get by 2.5. Then do - cup size minus band size, and write down the result.

If the result is "n", cup size is "x":
  • 0 = AA
  • 1 = A
  • 2 = B
  • 3 = C
  • 4 = D
  • 5 = DD
  • 6 = DDD
Using the European measures it works like a charm. At least for me and my friends it did!

It also depends on the bra however, so you might have 34B for one kind of bra and 36A for another. Try a few. Finding the perfect bra is fun.

Some bras however, no matter what number you buy, are not made for you. Forget them. It happens to us all.

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posted by Andreea @ 7:57 PM   0 comments
Lose Weight the Next Day
So you had too much food to eat yesterday and you feel guilty. You had a party and you couldn't stop eating those cakes and puddings and steaks.

Don't worry, there is a solution!

As you know, the food you eat doesn't transform into fat on the spot but it takes time. The same it happens when you go on a diet and you don't lose any weight for a few days and then you start losing fast all of a sudden.

The truth is, it takes a while for the body to process what you ate and therefore the results of your little 'food adventure' show up only the next day.

So, today is a new day and you have a chance to stop the food from transforming into fat.

First thing on your list today: no sugar. Absolutely no sugar. Take out bread and anything that could increase the level of sugar in your blood. See my previous post on Foods that Increase Appetite. And have at least 8 glasses of water or tea (without sugar). Take out fruits as well. Reduce the number of calories and try to have some vegetables (lettuce, cucumbers, eggplant, avocado, green beans, etc) and proteins (yogurts, cheese, meat, chicken, fish, etc.).

You do this, you wash away the food from yesterday, you decrease the sugar in your blood, and you don't put on weight.

But do yourself a favor and don't exagerate with this 'solution'. If you do this three times a week it will not work.

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posted by Andreea @ 7:31 PM   0 comments
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Recipe for Losing Weight: White Cheese and Tomato Salad
It's one of my favorite recipes, and it applies the combination of Calcium and linoleic acid for weight loss.



White Cheese and Tomato Recipe
Mix the following together:
  • 3-4 medium sized tomatoes, cut in cubes;
  • white cheese (not feta thought; if uncertain, try the Eastern European white cheese cut in small cubes (Romanian, Bulgarian) or the Turkish one)
  • 2 spoons sunflower oil
  • black light olives (the ones with less salt and fat, usually found in cans)
  • dry oregano
  • dry basil
  • a dash of grounded white pepper
  • salt, if necessary
I am not giving the exact quantities of cheese and olives because it is a matter of taste.
It makes 2-3 servings. You don't need an additional dish, you can have this salad by itself, for dinner.
I bet you will love the recipe. I sometimes even use other kinds of cheese if I don't have the white one.

Copyright: Andreea Haktanir

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posted by Andreea @ 11:56 PM   0 comments
Linoleic Acid To Help You Lose Weight
As I have mentioned in my previous article, a combination of Calcium and linoleic acid can help people lose weight.

Linoleic acid has a couple of benefits (list from Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) Supplements May Speed Weight Loss):


  • increases metabolic rate
  • decreases abdominal fat
  • enhances muscle growth
  • lowers cholesterol and triglycerides
  • lowers insulin resistance
  • reduces food-induced allergic reactions
  • enhances immune system

Natural sources for linoleic acid are vegetable oils (from soya, corn, sunflower, evening primrose, pumpkin), soya, nuts, sunflower seeds, nuts, avocado, some fruits and vegetables.

Note: Too much linoleic acid can actually cause you to put on weight, which is actually what happened to me once upon a time. So be careful how much you have of them!

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posted by Andreea @ 11:41 PM   0 comments
Calcium to Help Lose Weight
These studies are not new: Calcium does help you lose weight.

Natural dietary supplements combined with linoleic acid reduce body fat. The study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition had investigated people for two years and showed that the individuals who ate more dietary products lost weight faster than those who didn't.

According to Dr. Michael Pariza from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, "what [linoleic acid] rather does is keep a little fat cell from getting big."

I am not going to suggest you take Calcium supplements by themselves, unless prescribed. Why? Because taking too much of a mineral of any kind reduces the quantity of other minerals in your body. The idea that works best is to take multivitamins and multiminerals already combined.

Or, you can try getting your calcium from:

  • sardines with bones;
  • yogurt;
  • milk;
  • cheese;
  • salmon;
  • nuts and peanuts;
  • dry beans;
  • broccoli;
  • cauliflower;
  • oranges.

If you want to have some healthy cheese, try white cheese - cow and goat. Goat cheese has a particular lovely taste.

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posted by Andreea @ 10:54 PM   0 comments
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Yogurt Soup - Turkish Recipe
Turkish recipes are delicious, like any other Middle Eastern dishes.

Yesterday I missed the Yogurt Soup (Yayla Corbasi) I used to have there, so I prepared it. This soup is an instant hit with any foreigner! It's tasty and refreshing.

Yayla Corbasi

8 1/2 cups beef stock (or 8 1/2 glasses of water and the required amount of beef stock concentrate - cubes) - where 8 1/2 glasses equal about 2 liters
1/2 glass rice
1 egg
1 spoon all-purpose flour
2 cups yogurt
2 spoons olive oil
2 small spoons dried minced peppermint
red hot pepper (paprika) and salt

1. Wash the rice in lots of water, ten times if necessary, to remove all starch.
2. In a pot add stock and rice and bring to boil on medium fire. Cover if necessary. It takes about 20 minutes for the rice to cook, but make sure your rice is very well cooked.
3. Separately beat the egg and add flour. Make sure you blend your flour properly or else those flour balls will turn your soup into a big failure. Add 1/2 cup water and the yogurt.
4. Add to the boiling mixture, reduce fire to minimum, and continue cooking and mixing. Add salt if necessary.
5. When the mixture is ready to boil, take away from stove.
6. Separately fry some hot pepper in olive oil. Mix it with the soup.
7. Serve soup with peppermint on top.

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posted by Andreea @ 7:22 PM   0 comments
Foods that Increase Appetite
There are certain foods that will make you hungry even after you eat them.

Some foods have a high glycemic "index" that causes a high increase in blood sugar, which causes the body to produce insulin, leading to drop in blood sugar. And that's when you feel hungry again.

As an example, take a chocolate bar, eat it, and a bit later you will not only need something to help you get rid of hunger, but also something sweet again. It's a vicious circle. So, if you want to lose weight and not feel hungry, try to start your mornings with good food that won't increase your hunger. However, do not skip breakfast!

Examples of foods with high glycemic "index" are white bread, cereals, white rice, bananas, baked potatoes, etc. They release glucose fast in your blood. On the other hand, beans, lentils, and whole-grains will do it slower.

On the other hand, you have to look at the satiety level after eating. Some food makes you feel full so you won't want to eat again in two hours. Potatoes are one of these foods. Even though they increase the blood sugar, the feeling of fullness they give will stop you from eating again too soon. Other similar foods are those having high fiber and nutrients:
  • baked potatoes;
  • corn flour;
  • brown rice;
  • whole grain cereals;
  • who grains;
  • fruits;
  • vegetables.
To give you an example: don't you feel fuller after a very large salad than after rice and meat?

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posted by Andreea @ 6:52 PM   0 comments
Firming Creams and Cellulite
I decided to make a list of some firming creams that can help get rid of the cellulite on your tummy, legs, and butt. Make sure however to compare customers review before buying.

1. Body Firming Cream from Clarins
2. Cellulite Rx LipoLift Firming Cream - Beauty.com - Price: $48
3. Dove Intense Firming Cream (tried it and it was good) - Price: about $15-20
4. Avon Super Shape Anti-Cellulite and Strech Mark Cream - Price: $8-17
5. Avon ANEW Clinical Lift and Tuck - Price: $15-18
6. Neutrogena Anti-Cellulite Treatment - Price: $16 - 19. (I also thought Neutrogena was a good brand)
7. Shiseido Body Creator Aromatic Sculpting Gel - Anti-Cellulite - Price: $50
8. Lancome Aroma Fit Anti-Cellulite Sculpting Concentrate - Price: $33 - 40
9. L'Oreal Dermo Expertise - Sublim Slim Day (there is also one for Night)
10. Nivea Body Good-bye Cellulite

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posted by Andreea @ 6:26 PM   0 comments
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Green Tea to Lose Weight and Stay Healthy
Green tea has been consumed for more than a thousand years in India and China. However, the western society started discovering its benefits only much later.

While some say that two glasses a day are enough to keep you healthy, others suggest that ten cups a day would be the correct number. Anything in between is good. The only side-affects that green tea might bring is insomnia, due to the fact that it contains caffeine. It would be recommended to decrease the amount of coffee and have green tea instead.

>>>Image (C)Setsuko Yoshizuka

What green tea can do for you?

Well, first, through its components, it reduces the risk of cancer by being a very powerful anti-oxidant. Cancer rates tend to be low in countries that consume large quantities of green tea, such as Japan. Green tea prevents bladder cancer, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, colorectal and lung cancer, pancreatic, skin, and prostate cancer, and stomach cancer.

It also helps digestion, bowl movement, and it helps cure and prevent liver disease, by protecting the liver against toxic substances like against alcohol. It prevents atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, and reduces the total cholesterol levels in your blood and it increases the good cholesterol (HDL). Asians also believe it improves mental processes. They also use it against infections and to boost up immunity.

Green tea controls the blood sugar in the body, so it's highly recommended for diabetes and those who are prone to diabetes. Let us not forget that the blood sugar in the body is also responsible to being hungry and eating more and for losing less weight.

Studies show that green tea is extremely helpful when it comes to losing weight. It boosts up metabolism, stimulating the body to burn calories faster. Actually, a 1999 study of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that men who had green tea and caffeine burned calories much faster that those who didn't have them.

So, ladies and gentlemen, go buy your green tea now! Not the one with sugar that you find as juice in supermarkets, but the real tea that you would brew at home! Oh - and don't add sugar!

Green tea might not contribute directly to getting rid of cellulite but it does help indirectly by recuding your weight and eliminating toxins.

Note:
cellulite (definition) is a condition featuring dimpling of the skin. It's not a disease.
and
cellulitis (definition) is a skin infection caused by a bacteria and appears mostly on the face or lower legs.

The two have nothing in common.

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posted by Andreea @ 3:08 PM   0 comments
Monday, February 5, 2007
Proteins Essential to Build Muscle and Lose Weight
First of all, like I said, diets that are low in proteins will cause you to lose muscle. Losing muscle causes you to lose pounds on the scale but also to burn less fat.

There is a direct relation between proteins and muscles. If you exercise but you're on a diet that uses little protein, there is no wonder you cannot build muscle. Because protein is essential to develop and maintain healthy muscle. Protein is broken down to amino acids which are turned back into proteins.

So, if you want that fat to disappear and nice lean muscles to appear, eat proteins! You can find proteins in milk, eggs, tuna, cheese, yogurt, beans.

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posted by Andreea @ 2:56 PM   0 comments
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Oven vs. Stove
The food baked in the oven is not only healthier and tastier, but it also has less calories than the one prepared on the stove.

When I was slimmer I was mostly using the oven. Of course that some Chinese dishes for example need the stove and the wok, but when you go for veggies, try the oven!

Here is one recipe that will not make you put on weight if you eat it by itself, without bread or potatoes or rice. I made it yesterday, but I did have a bit of rice with it. I used both the oven and the stove though. ;)

You are free to republish it as long as you keep my copywrite.


Turkish Chicken with Veggies
(aprox. 4 servings)

2-4 chicken breasts (cut into strips) or 300-400 pork (cubes or strips)
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow or orange bell pepper
2 small marrows or zucchini
2.5 ounces stuffed green olives stuffed with red pepper
1 medium-sized onion
olive oil
paprika
white pepper
salt

1. You cut the chicken breast (or the pork) into strips (or cubes), pepper it and salt it. Put it aside for now.
2. Cut into strips the red and yellow bell peppers. Peel the marrows or zucchini and cut them into small cubes so they cook easier. Cut the olives in half. Chop the onion.
3. In a pan or wok oiled with two spoons of olive oil (or eyeball the quantity) fry the onion on small fire until tender, then add all the chopped veggies. Let them cook until zucchini or marrows are somewhat softer - can be in between 10-20 minutes. Careful not to burn the mixture. If necessary, cover to prevent the juices from evaporating.
4. Before pulling everything aside, add some white pepper and paprika. I usually use sweet paprika so I can make use of both flavors without making the dish too hot. Add the salt also. Mix and let everything cook for a few more minutes.
5. In a slightly greased bakeware, place one layer of chicken or pork, then one layer of veggies, then one more layer of chicken or pork and then finish with the veggies.
6. Place in the oven for aproximately one hour at 180C (350F).

You might not have to leave it for an hour. The meat or chicken is done fast, it's just a matter of how fast the marrow or the zucchini cooks. Make sure it won't burn. If necessary reduce the heat.

Serve with yogurt instead of rice, if you want.

Copywrite: AndreeaHaktanir

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posted by Andreea @ 10:07 PM   0 comments
How I Took 15 Pounds
In April 2004 I moved together with my hubby back from Ankara, Turkey, to Romania. I was abount 110-112 pounds. I will tell you what I did wrong so you can draw the conclusions for yourself.

Sometimes I would put 5-6 pounds on but in 2003-2004 I was quite stable. The moment I felt the extra fat building, I would watch my sweets and bread, I would combine them nicely and ride my bike a little and the fat would melt away.

Then I moved to Romania and I got a job in a bank. In six months I put on 12 pounds! I was shocked! I wasn't eating really, but that was the problem. Going to work at 8,30am, working like a maniac until 8,30pm at times, without a lunch break... If I wasn't working until 8,30pm I would just finish at a normal 6pm and rush to get to the masters, which kept me in school until 9pm.

Now and then I would have a yogurt or something similar for lunch, but no breakfast, just dinner. Sometimes, when I was out of energy, I would buy a small hot chocolate to boost up my energy. The stress levels? I can't measure them. It was horrible. People were actually going nuts in this bank - one of the biggest in Romania. The company was chewing its employees alive and then spitting them out. Actually, it's not that people were spat out, but they would just get sick of this life and leave by themselves.

I was promoted quite fast: I started as a front-office employee working with corporate clients, six months later I became a credit officer, and three months later I was already the manager of a small agency. The work is beyond something that you can imagine, for money that you wouldn't imagine either (in the negative sense).

I was getting fatter and fatter, from lack of exercise, from being all day long on high heels, for not eating properly, for I was stressed beyond words. At night I would grab something fast from the fridge, watch tv for one hour, and go to bed.

My knees were hurting from the high heels, my back was hurting, my head. I was a broken toy by the time I was done with this bank. I got a very strong allergy due to stress, and it took my body four weeks to get rid of the red patches. Each time I was getting nervous, my chest and my neck, my arms, would become full of those patches. I looked like someone who had God knows what disease. I was ashamed to talk to people! (A few months later one of my collegues got the same crap from being overly excited at work.) Two months after this passed - on its own, of course, without medicine or anything - I started having fever and puking. I stayed home one week with the doctors bouncing me in all directions and saying that according to all tests I am healthy, but the weird syndromes could be related to too much work and stress. One month later I quit. I loved my job but I hated the company. A company whose policy is "no person is unreplaceble" is not for me. After studying business ethics and human resources and international trade you get to understand that nothing is possible unless you care about employees.

I ended up with 129 pounds! Now only two pairs of pants fit me and the others hurt if I zip or button them. So it's time to take action.

Which I did right after a nice round of clothes shopping in Austria. I had lost 4 pounds and I was exercising, when a flu or something got me again. So two weeks later, after having taken pills of all sorts, including antibiotics, I am back to 129 or maybe even more since I am scared to have a chat with my scale.

I've never been here before. Never at 130. So I am so so freaked out. I am scared that I will never be able to lose weight again.

But here is my resolution: today it's the first day when I won't give a crap about fever and I will start carrying about my weight again. I simply can't take myself anymore.

Others things that might have led to my weight increase: for a year I haven't taken any multivitamins or anti-oxidants, I haven't exercised because I was too exhausted, I was stressed, and I didn't eat properly.

The less calories you eat, the slower your metabolism gets, the more pounds you put on.

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posted by Andreea @ 11:33 AM   2 comments
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Food Combining to Lose Weight
I know it works, no matter what some say. I know it works because I tried it and it was the only thing that didn't make me hungry. I know people who lost a great deal because they separated food.

The idea beyond this diet is that certain combinations, like carbohydrates and proteins create, in the end, body fat. If you eat food from the same 'group', you will not put on weight. And even if this food is in the same categorie, do not combine more than three of them together once.

If you want to change the group you have to wait a certain amount of time for the food to leave your stomach or to move to another level. Meat usually takes at least 4 hours to digest, so don't have meat and then, right away, an apple. The apple would wait in your stomach 4 hours for its turn, would ferment and, after a long and nice process, it would produce fat.

Everything can be divided as follows:
  • non-starchy and green veggies (celery, cucumber, lettuce, eggplant, turnip, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, etc.)
  • proteins (cheese, eggs, olives, nuts, seeds, etc.)
  • proteins with starch (beans, peas, lentils, chestnuts, coconuts, etc.)
  • starch (potatoes, sweet potatoes, parssnips, yams, corn, etc.)
  • mildly starch (carrots, water chestnuts, pumpkin, beets, rutabaga, etc.)
  • sweet fruits (bananas, dried fruit, sweet grapes, etc.)
  • acid fruits (citrus, pineapple, sour grapes, sour cherries, sour apples, strawberries, etc.)
  • sub-acid fruits (sweet apples, papayas, mangos, apricots, blueberries, raspberries, sweet peaches, sweet cherries, etc.)

You should only combine:
  • non-starchy or green veggies only with protein or with starch;
  • nuts with citrus;
  • lettuce and salary with fruit;
  • avocados with salad;
  • sub-acid fruits with one of the other two fruit categories;
  • tomatoes - with green and non-starchy and with protein;
  • melons - always alone;
  • meat with green vegetable;
  • sweet fruit with sour milk;
  • eggs with green veggies;
  • cheese with green veggies;
  • milk alone;
  • grains with green veggies;
  • legumes, beans, and peas with green veggies.
Never have proteins with starches, acid fruits with sweet fruits, no fruits (except forthe ones approved before) with proteins, starches, or vegetables.

Wait at least four hours in between meals. Do not use more than three things in a combination and do not have more than one concentrated protein or starch at a meal.

Actually, if you look closer, you will see that the ideas above can be found in the low carb diets or in the Atkins diet, or in many other diets that group food.

I will write later on about this diet. I remember Demis Roussos lost weight with it.

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posted by Andreea @ 8:16 PM   3 comments
Slow Metabolism or Too Much Food?
It seems that metabolism could be measured in one step. When you wake up, your rest underarmpit temperature should be 97.8F or 36.5C. Anything lower shows a slow metabolism.

Anything that raises your body temperature increases your metabolism - including exercise, obviously. Scottish showers help as well.

Some herbs can do that too, but only for a short time. But given the benefic effect of spices of any kind, even 50 calories minus per day would be good. Even if they don't boost up your metabolism to high levels, these herbs have other benefits - they help your body digest better, cut or increase appetite, change the taste of a blend dish.

The body needs a small shock here and there to burn faster. Sprinting, showers, one day of liquids/week are all interesting measures.

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posted by Andreea @ 7:59 PM   0 comments
About the Negative Calorie Diet
It might not be as famous as Atkins diet, but it is popular.

The diet promotes the idea that certain food will burn more calories than others, bringing you to a 'minus', thus causing your to lose weight. All in all it's pretty and it sounds promising. On the down side, like in all diets, you have to eat certain food only.

These guys are also the ones that came up with the Cabbage Soup recipe. If you are the unhappy owner of a few extra pounds and you want to lose a lot, then you have to start by eating cabbage soup every day. I think I tried it once, when I was much younger, and I hated it. Some people do love cabbage soup, however. Good for them! And most probably you can improve the taste with condiments. But still, having mostly cabbage soup ruins an appetite.

I do like the way 'negative calorie' sounds. And maybe you can try adding some of these special 'ingredients' to your everyday menu, at least for fun.

Some key food found (that should not be cooked) found on their list:
  • Asparagus
  • Papaya
  • Watermelon
  • Pineapple
  • Grape Fruit
  • Apples
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Lettuce
  • Lemons
  • Pears
  • Oranges
Of course, there are more, but I can't list them all.

The pros of the diet are that it speeds up your metabolism and that it promotes food reach in vitamins and minerals. Nothing bad can come out of it.

The bad thing would be that it is more theoretical than practical, that you can get sick of cabbage soup quite fast, and that, if you have a little problem with your stomach or cholecyst, you might not tolerate easily large quantities of fruits and of veggies that are not cooked.

It's up to you to try it.

Personally, I am not found of any diet. I am using my own methods and each time I am serious about them, they work.

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posted by Andreea @ 7:10 PM   0 comments
Friday, February 2, 2007
Cravings, Pain, and Menstruation
It's hard not to eat junk food when you know the period will hit you. Your body asks for sweets and weird stuff. You bloat like a melon. Your tummy hurts, your head hurts, and only if killing people was allowed... Well, you know the symptoms.

How can you control pain? Funny enough, there are ways. I thought there weren't - since I could live only with Ibuprofen - but there are. I used Earl Mindell's "Vitamin Bible" and I am extremely pleased with it!

First of all, you need to help your body digest the food easier and also help intestinal transit, so don't give it food that makes you burp!

Exercises ease pain during periods. Easy exercise, not heavy exercise, because heavy exercise can cause hemorrhages. It is also good to rub your tummy a little but do not take hot baths.

And about food (which can help you ease the pain a lot) - you should have:
  • bananas - Potassium reduces the bleeding. I always have at least one banana a day during these days;
  • strawberries, potatoes, tomatoes, parsley, watermelon, peanuts, sunflower seeds, figs, peaches - they all contain Potassium or help your body digest food easier, thus reducing cramps and pain.
What you should avoid at all costs:
  • salt and salty food - aren't you retaining enough water already?
  • cold drinks and food, since they intensify cramps;
  • any kind of caffeine - coffee, Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, etc. (Note: caffeine increases your need for sweets!);
  • black tea;
  • alcohol;
  • spinach.
These should definitely help you. They helped me and I thought I was a lost case.

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posted by Andreea @ 10:13 PM   0 comments
Thursday, February 1, 2007
A Few Notes on Measuring Weight Loss
Well, like many others, I am obsessed with what the scale shows.

But today we will play with your mind. We will program it to motivate you in your weight loss.

The best moment to get on the scale is the day you start your weight loss program. Why? Because what you see on the scale will freak you out and will determine you to take action. If you have a scale with 'memory', save your current weight.

The next thing to do is to put on one of your pair of pants that is still fitting you, but barely. Something you can wear but is so tight on your legs that you cannot move. Watch the buttons or the zipper ready to explode on your tummy. Take a few steps around dressed like this. You did put some weight on, didn't you? Now that you know how you feel and look in this pair of pants, take it off and put it aside.

You have two standars of measurement now. They are better than normal measuring and watching the inches drop, at least for now.

Grab a bit of your inner thighs between your fingers and see how much of fat there is. Do the same for your tummy. Good. Feel that fat! Don't worry, it will start melting once you want it to go away!

I asked you to measure yourself against pants for two reasons: scales are highly sensitive and might not record your little weight loss during the first 4-5 days and even if they do, the difference is small and not encouraging. Two - I bet you want to fit in those pants more than you want to lose 3 pounds without fitting.

Fat melts slowly. If you go on strict diets - which I do not recommend - you will lose water and the scale will show the difference. But it's water that goes, not fat. Fat is extremely light and shows less on the scale at the beginning. Muscles weigh a lot, however, and if you do exercise, at the beginning the scale will not show as if you lost weight, because you built muscle. But trust me, you did lose fat! Also, right after intense exercise, the muscle tends to swell and retain the milky substance that creates the muscle. That is a good sign however, because when the situation goes away, your newly built muscles will start eating a lot of fat from your body.

Also, I made you feel the fat because the first thing that happens when you lose weight is that the fat becomes less dense. On your inner thighs for example, where you can feel it better, the fat will start disappearing, but to your eye it will look the same. Only grabbing and feeling its density at the beginning will make you understand that you *did* lose weight.

About the pants: try them on again in a week - don't do the mistake of trying them on every day - and feel the difference around your legs and tummy. Also, don't start with a pair of pants that don't fit you at all, because you cannot measure yourself weekly against them. After the pants fit you perfectly, grab another pair that is very tight on you. Follow the same routine with this new pair. Go also in shops and try clothes on. Try your old measure and your new measure. Now, doesn't THAT feel good?

As for the scale, you can get on it again in a few days, but don't bring yourself down if there is no significant loss. You want to look good for others and yourself, not for the scale, right?

Anyway, start exercising now. Start with fun exercises like winsor pilates or yoga. Download them online if you can't find them otherwise. Personally, I hate routine exercise and I hate aerobics and fitness. But pilates is fun. Same is yoga.

Good luck with your losing weight program.

If you have any questions, let me know. Post a comment and I'll answer for sure.

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posted by Andreea @ 10:06 AM   0 comments
Losing weight and staying healthy is easy, when you care. Forget famishing yourself: there are other ways.

Since I was 15 I've been obsessed with healthy diets, losing weight, sports, and everything included. I read books after books and I collected articles on staying fit and healthy. Even now, 12 years later, I am still reading everything I find on the subject.

I will share with you, step by step, everything I know. Free advice.
About Me
Name: Andreea
Home: Bucharest, Romania
About Me: Post graduate student, happily married, who has found the perfect job in a perfect company. :)
See my complete profile
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