Collection of Tricks and Easy Ways to Lose Weight

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Lose Weight with Carbs - Resistant Starch

A new research has proved that carbs *can* actually make you lose weight if you know how to cook them and eat them. Great news, I would say. According to Leslie Bonci, author of the American Dietetic Association's Guide to Better Digestion, "Resistant starch has the potential to become the next hot nutrition trend."

Many diets have already qualified potatoes, rice, beans, grains, corn as bad for those who want to lose weight. This new 'discovery' proves that one can lose weight as long as you eat these veggies cold. We are already knew that each of the above reduces your hunger and fills you up quicker than other foods. But the latest news is that it also helps you burn fat faster. This food is rich in fiber and it keep you blood sugar under control - two factors extremely important if you want to lose weight.

You also lose weight because this resistant starch forces your body to stop using the carbs for fuel and, instead, it burns the fat in your body.

How can you obtain this starch? Easy. Cool your food in the fridge before eating it, and eat it cold. Do not rewarm the food because you lose the resistant starch. In other words - salads made from the foods above is the solution.

Since I have lived in Turkey for 3 years, I have also learn to replace flour with starch whenever needed.

One such meal a day should help you burn fat - given that you do not increase the quantity of food intake during the day but only replace a meal with such a dish.

So, let's make a list of foods that, while eaten cold, can help you lose that extra weight:

* corn
* rice and brown rice
* yams
* slightly green bananas
* potatoes
* beans
* starch

Labels: carbs, loss, potatoes, rice, starch, weight

posted by Darquette @ 1:44 PM 1 comments

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

That Extra Something That Helped Me Lose Weight

Exercise. I know many dread what the word implies. There's a catch though: having fun.

Well, I've been walking a lot lately. I've been climbing stairs at work instead of taking the elevator. And last weekend I went out with a few friends to play some volleyball. Started as volleyball for one hour and ended with soccer, for another 30 minutes. I like volleyball but I love soccer. And it's extremely good exercise for your legs if you play lots of high balls. It's almost like running hurdles.

I got home with my muscles sore but feeling great! I've been also doing some exercise for my legs. Stretchings, mostly. Also, my back is a bit sore from a lot of seating and work and then driving, so I needed other exercises - out of which many involve the legs again - to rid myself of my back pains.

Oh - for the past two weeks I did not have crazy sugar cravings, even though I had my period. However, I am a huge fan of forest fruits - wild berries mostly, so I went to the market place and bought half a kilo of them. And I had every night, when I wanted something. I replaced sweets of any kind with this. I've fallen in love again with peaches so I have one every night. Before, I needed some kind of food two hours after dinner. Now I simply have a peach or some berries and I feel great.

I've also returned to an old habit of drinking plenty of yogurt - more than 4 glasses a day. One - it fills you up; two - it's dairy so it helps you shed off those extra pounds.

I feel great. I even feel motivated.

Now I need to reach 110-112 by the end of September and I think it is possible. That little extra exercise, the fruits and the yogurt saved me. And for extra energy - a multivitamin pill or spirulina (with the multivitamins you have to be careful because they increase your appetite).

Labels: exercise, fruits, weight, yogurt

posted by Darquette @ 9:47 PM 5 comments

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Sweets When on a Diet

If you are not on a strict diet, and you are only planning to reduce the number of calories, and you are allowed or you allow yourself to have sweets now and then, you have to know that some sweets are better than others.

Chocolate is a definite 'no'. Even if it based on artificial sweetner, the cocoa found in it is very rich in calories. Also, since it stimulates endorphins, and maybe due to other factors as well, it is addictive. How do you explain that the brain craves most chocolate and not other sweets?

The safest sweets are ice-cream and sweets based on fruits.

Ice-cream is rich in Calcium so, to the negative side, we do have a positive one as well: rich in Calcium, mineral that improves metabolism. What it actually does is it helps transform the fat deposits into energy. If you try the light ice-cream (for example Magnum Light), even better.

Let's talk about the fruits now. There are plenty of sweets that you can create based on fruits, and in many cases you don't even need to add any kind of sugar. For example, you can always bake an apple or cherry strudel. Peaches and apricots are also naturally sweet, and if the dough is thin you can have many for less calories. Any fruits almost can make wonderful tarts or pies or strudels.

Picture: Official Pastry of Texas

Labels: fruits, sweets, weight

posted by Darquette @ 8:57 PM 0 comments

Monday, July 16, 2007

Feels Good to Lose Weight

Yuppers... I've seen two friends that I haven't seen in a while and individually they've told me that I had lost weight.

Obviously, that makes me feel good. Because You cannot always tell, you know? So when people tell you that you feel better. :)

I've started jogging (like stepping in a way) in the house for about 20-30 mins. It makes you lose that extra water. Then I usually have 2 cups of hot tea - usually one cup of green tea and then one of Earl Grey (both without sugar because I never have my tea or coffee with any kind of sugar - in my view, sugar ruins the taste of tea and coffee). The next morning the scale went down one pound, even though I am right before my period and I retain water like crazy, and even though I ate.

Oh, unfortunately I couldn't follow very strictly my diet, but I have used some elements of it now and then. So even though I haven't lost as much as I wanted - since I did not follow the guidelines - I have lost about 2-3 pounds again. Maybe more, but since like I have said I am before my period, I cannot tell. At the moment I am a bit swollen and I will be even more. But I will get to see what really happened after my period is over.

Labels: diet, weight

posted by Darquette @ 10:50 PM 2 comments

Friday, July 13, 2007

Birth Control Pills, Weight Gain, and Water Retention

Yes. Birth control pills can cause you to gain weight and have trouble losing it.

What's responsible for it? Mostly estrogen. Estrogen is the primary female sex hormones. The more estrogen a pill has, the higher of chance to put on weight and retain fluid.

Estrogen increases the insulin level. That means, as Ihave already explained in previous posts, resistance to weight loss.

My best friend started putting on weight the moment she started taking the pills. Well, sometimes it is necessary to take them (regulates periods and other problems women might have), but sometimes it is better not to. If you care about your health and birth control, try the normal condom.

Some people are even allergic to pills: strong headaches, crazy appetite, nausea, dizziness, constipation. The list can go on. The good part is supposed to be related to some cancers.

Now lots of studies show that women do not put on weight because of the birth control pills. However, the case studies on real people among ourselves show the opposite. Besides, the negative aspects of estrogen are always there, and as long as the pills contain estrogen, I don't see how they cannot cause weight gain.

Labels: pills, water_retention, weight

posted by Darquette @ 7:22 PM 3 comments

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Questions and Answers

I am going to reply to some of the questions that I have seen.

Does afternoon nap make you fatter?

It depends. If you eat a lot and then you sleep, yes it does. If you sleep right away or have some fruits before the nap - no, it doesn't. Actually, afternoon nap will keep you looking young. It will also help you lose weight because a fast metabvolism can happen only when you are not 'exhausted'.

How can I lose weight without giving up chocolate?

Well, you don't have to give up chocolate entirely. I suppose you can buy chocolate which uses artificial sweetner, not sugar. Anyway, be careful because: one, artifical sweetner is not healthy; two, chocolate has a lot of calories also due to the high content of cocoa. Cocoa does have a lot of calories.

Can you lose weight without eating any wheat, dairy, or sugar?

I would suggest for a healthy diet less sugar, oil, and wheat. Keep the dairies in. They can actually contribute to weight loss.

Is it bad drinking Dr Pepper when you starve yourself?

Yes, yes, yes!!! I cannot stress that enough. It's bad for your stomach; it's bad because in increases your appetite because of the sugar and the caffeine. One can of Dr Pepper has 160 calories. What is worse? In USA they use high fructose corn syrup, not sugar.

Labels: chocolate, sugar, weight

posted by Darquette @ 7:31 PM 0 comments

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Losing Weight - The Process

For most women, the losing weight proces follows the same steps, at least at the beginning.

During a diet, the first two days hardly something happens on the scale. On the third day, the fat will lose 'density' and becomes softer. Now, depending on how much fat you have on and how 'dense' the fat is when you grab it (see difference between fat on belly and fat on legs and butt to understand what I mean), you will spend a few days on this 'dernsity'.

Next step is when you barely start losing something. You don't see it but you might feel it a little when you put on your pants. Your breasts will stop spilling out of your push-up bra and your tummy (especially that annoying little bit right under your navel) will seem only to decrease in size. Actually you don't understand how much you are losing now because the body tends to lose equally from the upper part so the proportion remains pretty much the same. However, this annoying little fatty part under your navel might look more proeminent because the rest of the fat is melting. Best way to evaluate this is to look in the mirror from the side.

Your waist gains contour.

Your legs and your butt have lost very little by now. They are the last ones to 'shrink'. The best way, and sometimes the only way, to keep them shrinking is through exercise. And you usually lose on your thighs and you start losing from your knees up. You can see the knees becoming bonier.

When there isn't much to lose your body will be able to focus better on your 'problem' areas.

Labels: steps, weight

posted by Darquette @ 8:05 PM 0 comments

Friday, June 29, 2007

I've Lost 3 Pounds in Ten Days

Yeah, I'm on the roll, baby... By the end of the next week I have to lose another two or three. It takes longer at the beginning - about 2-3 days - until your body starts losing weight. No matter what diet you are on, it always happens like this.

What did I do to lose weight? Very little exercise (one hour daily walk though) but I gave up meat and chicken. I have started this about two weeks ago. I am not starving myself in any way. I am having enough food and I am still drinking plenty of water.

I never eat white bread - once a month maybe, when I cannot find rye bread in a place and I need bread, that is the only moment when I have white bread. I haven't had chocolate really, but I did have lots of cereal bars with chocolate from Nestle Fitness. One bar has about 95 calories and it's delicious.

I had lots of fruits - cherries and mango and apples. I have not calculated calories. I ate at 9pm but nothing heavy. I even had one hot chocolate a day.

But not eating meat or chicken helped my digestion.

Labels: diet, fish, loss, vegetarian, weight

posted by Darquette @ 6:24 PM 0 comments

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Can't Lose More Weight?

So your diet has been giving great results. You've worked your ass out every single day. You have 1,000 calories a day. But all of a sudden your body refuses to lose weight anymore.

This is the tricky moment. Your body has built a defence wall around this weight and, no matter what, it will not let you lose those pounds. I kow it because a few years ago my weight was at 108-110 pounds and there was no way whatsoever in which I could get rid of that weight. I was slim but not skinny (between you and me my muscles would never allow me to be skinny, but that's something else).

For me 108 pounds is thr lowest and no matter how slim I get and even though I look slimmer than the previous week when I was still 108, I am still at 108! Obviously.

I had another blockage at 114 or something that I had managed to pass afew times. How do you deblock your system? Gracefully. Carefully. Reducing calories is not the solution. And if you are working out like I was, half the day or even more, then you cannot increase exercise either.

So then how to convince your body to let you get over that 'defence wall'? It's simple. You change the routine. You don't have a routine? You make one first then. Your body is already used to low calories and work-out.

Eat an extra something a day and work out every third day - intensive everyday work-out does NOT work. I swear it doesn't in the long run. I have myself and a few friends as witnesses.

About the eating habits, every third day - preferably the day you work out, skip a meal or replace it with something with less calories. The perfect way to shock your body is to change the routine - and that means that you should have one.

Labels: eating_habits, exercise, tricks, weight

posted by Darquette @ 8:42 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Information on Nutrition: Nutrition Data

You want a very cool site: http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20o6.html.

You can check a bunch of foods here, from calories to fulness factor, the density of essential nutrients.

Labels: nutrition, weight

posted by Darquette @ 10:03 PM 0 comments

Coconut Oil and Losing Weight

Ok, I have read this one also: coconut oil can help patients with thyroid problems solve them. I cannot say yes or not, obviously, and I cannot vouch for that.

But too much of anything can be bad in the end. Honestly, I might try this but not with coconut oil. I will simply buy a coconut and eat it like this. I mean the coconut oil comes from a coconut, right? And before you stuff yourself with coconut like a maniac, you should also know that coconuts are very rich in calories.

One cup of shredded coconut has about 280-300 calories.

Labels: coconut, coconut_oil, weight

posted by Darquette @ 9:52 PM 2 comments

Cortisol and Adrenaline: Hormones Causing Weight Gain

As long as you don't eat when you are stressed, you should be ok - from the weight gain point of view.

According to Dr Pamela Peeke, the bigger your tummy fat the more chances you have to get diabetes or a heart condition. Cortisol kicks in when you are stressed and you get a huge appetite for junk food, anything to calm you down instantly, like chocolate or bad-carbs. Adrenaline makes your body think that you worked out as a maniac, when all you had been doing was to sit down and bite your nails.

There are two ways that can help you here: one is eat only healthy food and follow a schedule and two, learn some relaxing techniques. If you can't control your stress level and you normally don't care, think about disease and weight gain. Probably that would calm you down instantly. You might as well drink less coffee... or Diet Coke or Pepsi Light. Or Dr Pepper. Or Mountain Dew. Should I continue or did you get the point?

Anyway, if your have some great collegues at work, make a few jokes and laugh. It wasn't said for nothing that laughter is great medication.

Labels: adrenaline_rush, coffee, hormones, weight

posted by Darquette @ 9:38 PM 0 comments

The Pounds Are Not Everything

Do you measure how fat you are based on your pounds? Don't do that. Bones can be heavier or lighter, muscles are heavier than fat; your breasts can be large or small. And that can make a difference of a few good pounds.

Instead, try to understand you body fat percentage. If you want a good place where to start, try here: http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/home-body-fat-test-2774-143.html

For women, it is ideal to have about 13% body fat. For men the perfect body fat is about 5%.

If you want to look slim, you pretty much need to find yourself in the white area:

Labels: body_fat, weight

posted by Darquette @ 8:33 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Adrenaline Rush for Weight Loss

Sounds weird, doesn't it? Well, it is true. Adrenaline can help you lose weight. But don't underestimate it, because too much of it can cause stomach problems. And not only.

The funny thing is that while my hubby is not an adrenaline junkie, he has no problem with weight. He never had and I doubt he will ever have. I am an adrenaline junkie - which means that 'stress' is my middle name. I wouldn't have realized it until I read the definition on Wikipedia:

"Adrenaline junkies enjoy engaging in activities that stimulate the adrenal glands, which are responsible for producing a broad spectrum of hormones which cause the stress response, also known as the fight-or-flight response. "

I always wondered why I am so appreciated at work and why I tend to quit so fast. Well, I am addited to adrenaline and I pump it into my blood until I waste myself. I love stress. I cannot live too long with it but I cannot live without it either. I love horror movies and books, and if my life is not spicy I spice it up.

While this can help you with your weight loss, the stress it causes can make you eat.

Do you know one of the enjoyable and not so dangerous ways to start this adrenaline rush? Shopping when you're out of time. Playing a game against the clock. Trust me, any of these are better than sitting on your butt all day long.

Labels: adrenaline_rush, weight

posted by Darquette @ 8:54 PM 2 comments

Monday, June 25, 2007

Stretch Mark Improver from The Body Shop

When you put on too much weight or you lose it, after you give birth, or since each time you have your period your breasts are dubling in size, you get those evil looking stretch marks.

Theoretically, once you get them, you cannot get rid of them anymore.

Well, certain things can improve their appearance and reduce them considerably. Such an example is this cream from The Body Shop. It's cool because it is not sticky - don't you hate sticky creams, especially in summer, when it gets extra hot?

In order to get good results, you should apply two times a day, in the morning and in the evening.

Labels: cellulite, pregnancy, skincare, stretch_marks, weight

posted by Darquette @ 9:25 PM 0 comments

Losing Weight with Cereals - Nestle Fitness

Nestle has this very active campaign - exercise and replace two of your meals with Nestle Fitness cereals and you will lose weight fast.

Well, I think it makes sense. Honestly, if you have one 'portion' (as portion is defined by Nestle) for one meal and then don't abuse your last meal, you should lose weight for a very solid reason: low calorie intake.

From the good point of view - cereals are very good for losing weight if you can eat as much as they suggest you should. Nothing more. They are high in fiber, high in B's; so yes, losing weight makes sense. If you have them with milk or yogurt - again, Calcium, which also helps lose weight.

So if you haven't considered this diet yet, you should. ;)

Labels: diet, food, weight

posted by Darquette @ 9:10 PM 0 comments

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Lose Weight in Your Arms

How are your muscles? Do you have flappy arms? Well, you can always change that. Losing weight on your upper arms and raising your breasts is a lot easier than losing fat off your bum or upper legs.

How doyou do it? Push-ups and crunches help. So does Winsor pilates or swimming. But if you want something very quick and painless, buy dumbbells. I prefer the neoprene dumbbells.

Here is an example found on FitnessGiant.com. I suggest 3 and 5 lb sets.

How to do it?

1. Standing up, let your arms rest near your body, normally, then lift them horizontally, to your side, until they are a continuation of your shoulders. Do as many as you can, until your muscle hurts a bit.
Alternative: bend your torso forward while standing up, looking forward, until your chest is parallel with the ground. Your arms are hanging down holding the weight. Now lift your arms horizontally again, as if you were trying to hug someone.

2. Arms bent at your chest, holding the weights towards you, in front of you neck. Now simulate this: imagine you reach up for a branch and try pulling yourself up. With this image in mind, practice this move with the weights.

3. Punching an imaginary punchbag. Imagine you are a boxer and you are punching someone. Do the moves slowly, one hand at a time. Doing it fast is dangerous for your wrists and for the elbows.

4. Remember the classical move you see in movies when a guy is working out its biceps? Standing up, arm hanging down, the eight in your hand facing opposite of your body. Bend you arm from the elbow, so the weight reaches your shoulder. 15 for each arm is enough. This is good for your breasts as well.

5. Standing up, place your arms in front of you, straight, palms facing each other and holding the dumbbells. Now, imagine something is pushing your palms appart. Bring them slowly back until they become the continuation of your shoulders, horizontally.

5. Let's take care of the back of your arms, the flappy part. Standing up or bending forwards, arms next to your body, palsm with weights towards your body. Bend them completely and unbend them until straight. You should feel the back of you arms being worked out.

How often do I workout? Once every 2-3 days. It's enough.

If you want to keep your muscles and build any new ones, do some of the moves faster. But be extra careful about some of them.

Or try pushups. Fast ones. Or semi-pushups, where you push up only the upper part of your body, lower part remaining on the ground. 30 like this every 2 days should do the trick. However, these moves work out only a part of the muscles in your arms. They are good however for raising your breasts (if you lost the sustaing muscle there) and they are very good as well for your tummy, because it builds lean long mucle.

Labels: arms, exercise, fitness, weight

posted by Darquette @ 4:39 PM 0 comments

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Three Pounds in One Week

I wish I had lost more, honestly. The things is that I want to lose faster since summer is here and I want to go to the seaside. On the other hand, I dislike any kind of diets. I like losing weight in my own way.

So I lost around three pounds, maybe a bit more, but also helped by my period that came and passed. First level in losing weight is losing weight from the tummy, a bit from the whole body and from the breasts, and the least from the legs and butt. Which sux... But, given that I work in front of a computer all day long at work, I am not suprised.

Anyway, I've changed my diet completely since last week - I gave up meat and chicken entirely. I do have fish now and then though, for the proteins. So if at work I had previously ordered mashed potatoes with salad and some chicken, I did not touch the chicken. I had though every day a small glass of milk with chocolate, because my energy was low, but the entire day the number of calories was low enough to cause me to lose weight.

That's the story...

Labels: diet, vegetarian, weight

posted by Darquette @ 9:00 AM 2 comments

Thursday, June 21, 2007

The Right Kind of Exercise to Lose Weight

There are two kinds of exercises: the ones you do to build muscle, and the ones you do to strengthen muscles. The difference? The intensity of your work-out.

When you want to build muscle, you work out slowly and hard. If you want to lose weight and you don't have any muscle built, you should, in addition to the fast-paced one, consider slow exercising. Why? Because muscles burn fat faster and because a body looks better when it has a bit of muscle on.

If you have already built your muscles and you just want to tonify them, make them lean and strong, and also lose weight, then you need a very intense and fast-paced exercise. This also increases your cardio and according to studies, if you work fast, you continue to lose weight even after you have ceased your work-out.

However, any of the above is better and will help you lose weight faster than sitting in bed and being a couch-potato.

If you don't like working out, get yourself a bicycle for the inside and ride every 2-3 days, for 30mins. If you do it slowly, you also decrease the risk of breast cancer, studies show. Increse the pace now and then, paddle backwards, do funny stuff on a bike. Are you getting bored while paddling? Paddle at a slower rate for 30 mins and read a book or a magazine in the meantime. Or watch TV. It works.

Labels: exercise, weight

posted by Darquette @ 8:17 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Diets, Losing Weight, and Stomach Aches

My biggest problem with diets was (and is) vegetables and fruits.

Normally, if you experience stomach aches or you feel bloated or your burp after veggies or fruits, you will have a problem with most of the healthy diets.

I, personally, cannot have a salad without having stomach aches, unless I have something next to the salad.

The best thing to do - boil the veggies. You don't like them boiled? Bake them - they will taste even better.

When you have a salad - for vitamins, if not for other reasons - do not mix too many veggies together. Keep it simple, and use herbs for flavor. For example, I love tomato salads with white cheese and oregano, olive oil, and black olives. I like simple lettuce salads next to my dish, only with lime or lemon juice and olive oil. I like cucumber salads on their own. But be careful - problems can come not only from stomach but also from your gall bladder.

Some veggies with problems for gall bladder are:

cucumbers
green or red pepper
cabbage (cooked or raw)

Yes, there are others too, but these are the ones can cause me trouble.

Labels: diet, food, gall_bladder, stomach, weight

posted by Darquette @ 10:51 PM 0 comments

Meat in Summer is Not a Good Idea

Digesting in summer, when it's very hot, is harder. I think you have realized also that eating consistent food makes you feel more bloated. Your stomach can hurt, you can have problems when digesting food, and so on.

So if you can eliminate meat and chicken and replace it with easier versions (like fish or soya meat) then do it without thinking twice.

According to studies, meat, on its own, can take even more than four hours to digest. If it's hot and and you have already added some bread or sugar on top of it, then that food will sit in your stomach and fermentate for hours. Fermentation ultimately means sugar in your blood, which means that it is harder to lose weight. You don't want to keep food in your stomach, waiting in line for the stomach to finish its work with the meat.

Summer is a season to cleanse your body. So do it. It also means helping you lose weight - just don't rush to the candy store for sweets to replace the meat!

Labels: eating_habits, weight

posted by Darquette @ 10:38 PM 0 comments

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Cellulite Treatments from The Body Shop

I am still using Dove for cellulite and it is working, and I like the fragrance, but I hate the texture: it leaves not a greasy feeling, but it is sticky in a way.

I have tried and am planning to buy as soon as I finish my Dove cream, Body Focus Cellulite Serum from The Body Shop. I love the way it feels on the skin, how fast it is absorbed and the fragrance. I am quite positive that it works because I have not had any TBS products that would not.

It is not really a cream but a gel, rich in caffeine and vitamins that decrease the orange peel appearance of the skin.

My second buy will be Body Focus Sculpting Body Mask.

I am sure that if I combine the two of them with hot and cold showers and some massage I will be able to go swimming this summer without problems. :)

Labels: cellulite, cream, gel, loss, weight

posted by Darquette @ 4:06 PM 0 comments

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Detoxification, Weight Loss and Food

A few good good years ago I was reading this book about the benefits of plants and vegetables on your body.

I remember I got stuck to three things that were of interest to me: pineapples, cherries, and watermelons.

They were recommended for obesity- not really my case at 105lbs, but an obsession to lose weight is an obsession for life. Especially in Romania, where 80% of the girls are slim and caring about their appearance.

Cherries - according to this book you can lose weight if once a week you reserve a day only for cherries - about 1-2 kilos. You can't eat much anyway: your stomach gets full fast. Besides, cherries are very rich in vitamins. We are in June, right? It's still the season for cherries...

Watermelons - it's probably the fruit that swallows your tummy the fastest and has the least calories. It's mostly only water. Pick a sweet and fresh one and have watermelon for a day. It washes your toxins and your kidneys.

Pineapple - this is one of the fruits that was (maybe still is) considered best for losing weight, detoxing, and helping obese people or just people who want to lose weight. It is high in fiber. I am not crazy about the canned one and I would suggest, with all my heart, the fresh one. Two times a week only pineapple and I can assure you that you will lose weight. You can even try having pineapple instead of a meal, during the day. Anyway, I am a pineapple fan. Good that I remembered this tip, because I know what will be on my shopping list tomorrow. :)

Labels: cherries, detoxification, pineapple, watermelon, weight

posted by Darquette @ 4:17 PM 0 comments

Friday, April 20, 2007

Food Allergy and Intolerance: Weight Loss?

Let's talk about food intollerance and allergies.

There are people who suffer from food allergies and this cannot be denied. Allergies to nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, eggs, dairy, and soy are the most common ones. And from this list, fish and nuts are at the top. People with such allergies meet the adverse reaction in a matter of hours or minutes, and they can feel that something is wrong, and others can also see that. Some people can even die eating these foods if they are allergic to them.

However, this new trend of cutting out food just because some crazy dietician or website tells people that one is allergic to it, is wrong.

Go to a normal doctor, get an allergy test or a blood test to test for allergies and only then call yourself allergic to some foood.

Professor Tom Sanders, Department of Nutrition & Dietetics at King's College London says:

"Many women believe they have a food allergy or intolerance but in reality numerous studies have shown that only 1-2% or the population suffer from a food intolerance and only 0.3% suffer from Coeliac disease. Cutting out wheat is almost always an extremely bad idea - at best it will lead to mental and physical underperformance but at its worst this type of fashionable fad will set women on the slippery slope towards an eating disorder. The quality of a diet is all about what you include not what you cut out." (The Flour Advisory Bureau)

This new trend claims indirectly that everyone who is overweight has to suffer from some kind of food intolerance. Therefore, they advice their 'patients' to cut out wheat or fructose or sugar. Of course, the patients lose weight right away. You don't need to be a genius to understand that not eating any kind of bread and any kind of sugar will reduce your weight. But is it healthy?

Their most common claim is that people feel bloated or get headaches after certain foods and this is why we should cut them off. It seems to me that these guys haven't heard of bloating from eating mixed foods. The stomach cannot digest properly if you throw inside everything all mixed - see my previous posts on separating food for better digestion and for losing weight. For me, no matter what I eat, if I mix them too much, I get a headache and I feel bloated. Is that supposed to mean that I am allergic to everything and that I should stop eating? I think it's supposed to mean that I should stop treating my stomach as if it were a trash bin.

Sometimes people are not even allergic to wheat or dairy: they are allergic to all those "E's" added to the food. This is why I am in favor of organic food.

There are people who are lactose intolerant or who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (spastic colon).

If you think you have IBS because you are allergic, think again and look at what can cause (and therefore cure) IBS:

stress
medicines
caffeine
large meals
lack of exercise
wheat
dairy
alcohol
chocolate
too much sugar
not enough veggies

Excess of any of the above can irritate the colon. I have a problem with some of them too so I eat carefully.

Easy exercise (walking, bike, etc) improves digestion. Alcohol and caffeine are known to irritate the colon. Large meals - obviously, since it's hard to digest. Milk and related - it's known to happen to the best of us. This is why they say that milk should be drunk by itself, separately from any other kind of food. Milk IS hard to digest.

Caffeine normally constipates but coffee on an empty stomach can cause diarrhea. Yogurt is good when you are constipated but on an empty stomach it works just like coffee. Bread is better when it's older, not when it's hot and fresh. And rye bread or whole cereals should be preffered to white puffy bread. Lots of sugar can also cause constipation. Haven't you ever had a chocolate bar or something sweet on an empty stomach? I get stomach ache on the spot when I do that.

The colon needs fiber so this is why everyone tells you that you should eat veggies and fruits. And in order to work properly, the colon also needs plenty of water - not coffee or sodas or other pops.

So stop getting paranoid about food intolerance and check your diet first.

Labels: allergy, food, intolerance, loss, weight

posted by Darquette @ 4:36 PM 0 comments

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Stop Water Retention and Lose That Extra Weight

Usually heavier people retain more water than fit people.

Sometimes we retain water because we don't eat properly. But sometimes people just suffer from medical conditions and cannot eliminate the water. In case you have a severe case of water retention, consult your doctor. If nothing is found, you can start thinking about better eating habits, drinking more water, exercising, and maybe reflexology or acupuncture.

First thing you need to know is that water is retained many times if you don't drink enough water; the body cannot rid itself of toxins. And toxins - obviously - are bad for the body.

Second - Sodium is responsible also and mostly for water retention. You wouldn't believe if I told you how much Sodium processed food contained. If you have processed food every day, you are in trouble, because totalling that Sodium passes the normal amount the body can take in one day.

Don't live with the impression that only salty food contains Sodium - salt, called in a more familiar way. Sweets contain a lot too (biscuits). Other foods containing unexpected amounts of Sodium are bread, tomato sauce, or Chinese food (!!!).

Always read the labels! You can have at most 2.3 grams of Sodium a day.

My advice: stick to natural food. Use frozen veggies instead of cans. Eat fresh fruits and not the canned ones. Forget McDonals and any processed food for some time, at least.

Try NOT to take pills, unless prescribed. One of my collegues at work took one, lost about 6 (!) pounds in about 24 hours (!!!) , by peeing non-stop. She took half a pill again in the morning. That did it. What happened was that at work she felt so sick that we had to send her to ER. I am not kidding. Overdoing it can be worse than better.

Labels: food, loss, retention, water, weight

posted by Darquette @ 8:27 PM 0 comments

Is it Easier to Lose Weight During Period (Menstruation)?

What happens it is actually that you retain water and you bloat before your period. Personally, I put up to 3-4 pounds before my period, and I get rid of them after the 3rd or 4th day in my period.

After the second day you should not crave sweets anymore and you should feel already better. Your body has already eliminated most of the toxins so, yes, it looks easier to lose weight then. It works for me. But keep in mind that not feeding yourself properly during this time and cutting down all food can bring down your Calcium and Magnezium (and not only), can make you feel weak and sick, can make you feel sleepy and lacking energy. If this happens, you will most likely slow down your metabolism and your fat burning will also decrease.

So keep yourself hydrated and eat plenty of veggies and good calories. The days right after your period ends are the best, from all points of view, for losing weight and exercising.

Labels: loss, menstruation, period, weight

posted by Darquette @ 8:17 PM 1 comments

Swimming to Help You Lose Weight

Some say it doesn't work, some say it does. For me, swimming has always done miracles. Besides, I love swimming.

Now I can't wait for the outside Olympic Pool to open so I can go swimming.

According to some, you cannot lose weight when swimming if you are not already quite fit. I am quite fit but my resistence is not great: I have a problem completing the length of the pool, and I am a smoker. But one needs to build resistence and for some - like me - one of the most enjoyable ways to do it is by swimming.

When you swim - on your back and front - you use all the muscles in your body and you definetely feel the way swimming exercises your muscles when, after one hour of swimming, you get out and you realize your legs feel very funny. However, you will not feel the pain in the water; you will only feel that you get very tired.

Swimming is an incredible cardio as well.

If you have a problem with your resistence to exercise or are nervous about not being able to complete one length of the pool or are just scared of water or drowning, do what I used to do: always pick the lane close to the side. This way, when you are tired, you can stop and grab the side and then you can continue.

Another way to exercise your legs is by holding the side of the pool and kicking your legs, as if pretending to be swimming. It works.

When you are tired, just float on your back in order to rest.

For some reason, water helps you lose weight. I don't know exactly why, but it does.

If your weight is about 130 lbs, you might be burning around 350 calories in an hour, when swimming slowly, at your own pace. The fatter you are, the more calories you burn. You can reach 550 calories per hour. Backstroke makes you burn in between 470 calories - 700 calories in an hour.

To conclude: if you want to pick a sport and have fun and lose weight or just stay fit and eat more, go for swimming.

Labels: exercise, loss, swimming, weight

posted by Darquette @ 7:07 PM 4 comments

Winsor Pilates

We have already mentioned exercises, but we have never got into details.

My favorite is, by far, Winsor Pilates. A few years ago I had a problem with my knee and I am still not fully recovered. This is one reason why I like pilates so much. Besides, if you check some of the programs, you will see that you don't need any special equipment to lose weight. Use your floor or a bed which is not too soft. As for the results - they are instant.

Even if you are in a good physical condition, the 30-minutes work-out for the lower part of the body or for the abs is fantastic. There is pain - I like pain because I know I lose weight when I my muscle hurts.

Unlike some other exercises, Winsor Pilates helps you build lean supple muscles; you will look fit and good, keeping your 'girlish' look. It is also a perfect cardio.

I know I know... Tae Bo is also good and so is yoga. I like them both and it's only a question of preference. While I like Tae Bo because I used to do karate and I like contact sports, my knee cannot take it anymore.

I say give Pilates a try. If I am right, like in most women, your most problematic area should be from the waist down. So try their program for building a great butt and get rid of that disgusting cellulite once and for all.

Labels: exercise, pilates, weight, winsor

posted by Darquette @ 6:52 PM 0 comments

Friday, March 2, 2007

When to Start Dieting?

This one is for women:

Never start a diet one week before your period. The hormonal imbalances will drive you nuts, will make you frustrated, and the water retained in your body will make appear as if you haven't shed a pound. Actually, you will look as if you took pounds. So spare yourself!

The best moment to start a diet is two days after your period has started, when your cravings subdue and your body starts eliminating the retained water.

It's better not only from a psychological point of view, but also from a physiological one.

Labels: diet, period, weight

posted by Darquette @ 3:01 PM 0 comments

Reduce Food Cravings

Mindell's theory was that we crave food because we lack certain nutritional elements. The other reasons include stress and hormonal factors.

What makes cravings a lot worse? Sugar and salt. Remeber I have told you before about the foods that increase your appetite - like some cereals in the morning and foods high in sugar and bad carbs? Well, keep that in mind.

Dieting is very bad for your body, especially if you are on a restrictive diet that cuts down proteins or carbs completely.

Caffeine is also a poor choice. And artificial sweetners found in Coke, or Pepsi, or Sprite, or any light drink or food are no better. I will write later on why they are so bad.

Have green tea or lemon tea if your stomach can stand it. Mine, for example, cannot handle lemon tea or any other fruit tea. I am ok, however, with tea coming from flowers, like chamomile or jasmine. Or from leaves.

Eat a few times a day and never miss breakfast! The more energy you consume before your first meal, the bigger the craving gets, the bigger the mistake when you buy your meal or the candy bar.

Also, never reduce your calories below 1,000. Honestly, 1,200-1,400 can be a very safe level is you exercise a little bit.

Eat more fiber and less processed food. Take out the white flour and replace it with whole grains and rye or oats. Try to have potatoes instead of bread, or basmati rice.

The key to keeping your weight under control and stopping the cravings is eating all day through, small portions. And try not to get bored and eat without paying attention, like popcorns when watching a movie.

Labels: cravings, sugar, weight

posted by Darquette @ 2:39 PM 1 comments

Which Sugar is Better?

There are two foods - let's say - that should be avoided at any cost: refined white sugar and white flour.

According to Phyllis A. Balch, author of "Prescription for Dietary Wellness, "One in twenty of the world's adult population now has some form of diabetes, a disease associated with obesity, poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle. More than half of American adults are overweight. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relates that the incidence of Type 2 diabetes has risen by 33 percent in the past decade and three out of every 50 American adults currently have this diet-related condition. Complications related to diabetes are the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States."

According to Bruce Fife ND, "Diabetes is all about sugar".

If you must have sugar, then have at least brown sugar. However, the best sugar you can have is found in fruits and is called fructose. Nowadays, many products - especially the diet ones - replaced sugar with fructose. Look at the label before you buy. However, keep in mind that high levels of fructose can be as bad for the body as sugar. Even worse. If you have large quantities of fructose, you will get fat quite fast. The best thing is to normally reduce sweets of any kind. And stop eating the high-fructose corn-syrup (HFCS)!

According to a review by Alan R. Gaby, "HFCS is now used extensively in carbonated beverages and other sweetened drinks, baked goods, candies, canned fruits, jams, jellies, and dairy products. Processed-food manufacturers often prefer HFCS to sucrose because it is inexpensive to produce and mixes well in many foods." Be careful what you buy. And be careful how much you have of any kind of sugar.

Sugar will provide the body the energy it needs NOW, mostly. Fructose, on the other hand, being processed by the liver, will supply energy for a longer amount of time. Some people can be allergic to fructose, so you might want to find out that first. If you never had problems with fruits, you might be fine.

On the other hand, honey is another natural sweetner, containing anti-oxidants. It has been used for a very long time for medical purposes of any kind. It contains fructose.

Reference:

Fraser, J., July, 2005, Sugar, high-fructose corn syrup and type II diabetes, from http://www.newstarget.com/009333.html, retrieved March 2, 2007;

Gaby, A.R., December, 2005, Dietary Fructose - Adverse Effects of Dietary Fructose, in Alternative Medicine Review, Volume 10, Number 4, from http://www.thorne.com/altmedrev/.fulltext/10/4/294.pdf, retrieved March 2, 2007.

Labels: diabetes, fructose, honey, sugar, weight

posted by Darquette @ 2:01 PM 0 comments

Finally Losing Weight

Yes! Finally! My attempts so far have been ruined by Dr Pepper. It's frustrating to eat less, take pills, and put on weight. Or maybe it was just the water that started being retained before my period.

So, girls, did you know that the body retains up to 1 liter of water before and during your period? Keep that in mind next time you are complaining that you cannot lose weight. Personally, I retain even more sometimes.

Anyway, I started this new way of eating. My friend lost 20 pounds almost following it in the US, and if she could do it there, I can do it here!

The basic principles are the ones I have mentioned already. 5-6 meals a day and two or three more substantial. Never eat until you are full, just until you are not hungry anymore. Take out sugar so your insulin is not high and stopping you from losing weight. My daily intake varies from 1,200 calories to 1,500 calories. I don't think that going under this is helpful or healthy.

In the morning I'm having a Diet Cereal Bar and half a glass of yogurt. Two-three hours later I have lunch (for example today I had three small pieces of chicken nuggets and 3 large spoons of eggplants and yogurt salad). Then I had one Diet (with fructose instead of sugar) fruit cheesy yogurt. Then I had dinner - other 3 pieces of nuggets, one egg, and lots of lettuce - and then one more fruity cheesy yogurt. I could have added more, but I feel ok. I am not hungry. I could use some fruits though.

Yesterday I had about 150 grams of chicken (4.5 oz.), 2 spoons Chinese vegetable mix, 3 diet fruit yogurts (300 calories in total), one cereal bar (90 calories), half of glass of yogurt, 2 spoons of eggplant and yogurt salad, and some diet shrimp stuff (90 calories).

Basically, the yogurt will help you lose weight faster because of the linoleic acid and the calcium - go back and read my previous post on the subject. The cereals are healthy, high in fiber, and carbs. And I had my proteins also, plus some vegetables and fruits.

When I reach 55 kilos, I have a feeling I will get stuck, so then I will start exercising. I won't exercise too much now - except for walking - because I want to keep an Ace up my sleeve for the bad days to follow.

Anyway, in two days I lost 400 grams or 1 pound. I think it's going good.

I'm also using the anti-cellulite cream and taking Scottish showers at least every two days.

Labels: diet, weight, yogurt

posted by Darquette @ 1:09 AM 0 comments

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.

Labels: lose, weight

posted by Darquette @ 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.

Labels: CaliVita, pills, Slim, weight

posted by Darquette @ 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.

Labels: cellulite, massage, reflexology, tools, weight

posted by Darquette @ 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.

Labels: cellulite, shower, weight

posted by Darquette @ 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.

Labels: cabbage, celery, juice, lose, pumpkin, weight

posted by Darquette @ 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.

Labels: cocktail, juice, lose, tomato, weight

posted by Darquette @ 3:06 PM 1 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

Place the pan over small fire and add up to 2-3 spoons of olive oil;
Add the onion and the carrot and allow to soften and fry for 5-6 minutes, mixing now and then;
Add the mushrooms and allow them a few minutes to cook;
Add the chicken or the meat and continue mixing until met changed color and becomes white;
Add the bulgur and fry everything for 5 minutes - continue mixing and if necessary add 1 tablespoon of oil;
Add 1/2 cup water and the tomato juice and allow it to cook until bulgur and carrots are soft;
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.
Remove from heat and serve hot.

Labels: bulgur, cook, food, Meditarranean, weight

posted by Darquette @ 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.

Labels: 7pm, dinner, weight

posted by Darquette @ 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.

Labels: calories, foods, weight

posted by Darquette @ 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.

Labels: exercise, TV, weight

posted by Darquette @ 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.

Labels: cholesterol, fiber, foods, healthy, weight

posted by Darquette @ 3:31 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.

Labels: health, laxatives, puking, spitting, weight

posted by Darquette @ 8:35 PM 0 comments

Thursday, February 8, 2007

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!

Labels: acid, linoleic, lose, nutritional_supplement, weight

posted by Darquette @ 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.

Labels: calcium, lose, nutritional_supplement, weight

posted by Darquette @ 10:54 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

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?

Labels: appetite, foods, insulin, lose, satiety, sugar, weight

posted by Darquette @ 6:52 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.

Labels: cellulite, cellulitis, green_tea, health, lose, weight

posted by Darquette @ 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.

Labels: fitness, lose, proteins, weight

posted by Darquette @ 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

Labels: lose, recipe, weight

posted by Darquette @ 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.

Labels: lose, weight

posted by Darquette @ 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.

Labels: carbs, combining, diet, food, lose, proteins, weight

posted by Darquette @ 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.

Labels: lose, metabolism, weight

posted by Darquette @ 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.

Labels: calorie, diet, lose, negative, weight

posted by Darquette @ 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.

Labels: cravings, food, loss, menstruation, pain, period, weight

posted by Darquette @ 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.

Labels: exercise, losing_weight, loss, measuring, weight

posted by Darquette @ 10:06 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

You Can get Rid of Cellulite!

If I told you that movie stars suffer also from cellulite I wouldn't make you feel any better, right?

I am just trying to point out a thing which is obvious to us already: once you get it, it's hard to get rid of it. The more you wait before you take action, the longer it will stay with you.

There are afew things that can facilitate the 'getting rid of cellulite' process. Obviously, exercise is the first thing, and losing weight is the second one. According to other sites, however, neither exercise not fat loss will decrease the cellulite. FALSE. They both do, as many of you already know. If you start exercising a lot, particularly for those areas, you reduce it. I've been there, done that, witnessed it.

If you read websites and articles you will realize that everyone disagrees. And if you make a list with the FALSE ways that help you get rid of the orange peel effect, you will be left with nothing to do. To summarize for you: there's nothing you can do, if diet, exercise, water, massage, laser therapy, etc, do not help.

It's wrong. All women know it, because the moment you take action against cellulite, you see the results.

What is cellulite actually? It is an accumulation of fat, fluid and toxins trapped into a hardened network of elastin and collagen fibres in the deeper levels of your skin.

The causes? Many, including poor diets and hormones.

If you can get rid of it? Yes, you can.

What I started doing and worked, no matter what others say about these techniques?

Exercise: lots of exercise for legs and thighs, especially the ones that build lean muscle. Try yoga or winsor pilates. Why some athletes have cellulites? Unless your exercises focus on those particular areas, you will never get rid of it! Anyway, forget the athletes. Look at some of your skinny or good looking friends who don't have it. Some of them had it but now they don't anymore. Ask them the secret. Exercise they will say.

Losing weight: You will see the difference! Or you think that when you lose weight you don't lose at all from certain areas? You think you can end up with very thin arms and a tight butt and stomach and still have all the kilos on your thighs? I doubt it.

Massage: Whoever told you that it doesn't work, doesn't know what he/she is talking about. Whenever I start my own massage routine or use the electric 'machine' for massage, it helps me. Do it every day, five to ten minutes, even fifteen for one leg.

Creams: They do help, especially combined with massage. Ask the ones who use them regularly! I did so for a month, before summer and I could see the difference! Many of my friends use creams and see the difference. First, in only two weeks, your skin becomes a lot softer, then the orange peel starts disappearing. I have tried Dove Firming Intensive Cellulite Gel-Cream for 10 bucks. There are others too.

Hot and cold showers: They help. Maybe not directly, but the Scottish showers always helped metabolism.

Plastic bags: It sounds weird, doesn't it? Well, a 'tactic' used here, in Romania, by young girls, was to wrap their legs in plastic bags or something similar and then exercise or ride a bike, even sleep. The area perspires thus gets rid of your extra water and the toxins retained in the cellulite tissues. Try it once and see the drops of sweat!

I'm not taking money for this advice, but if I were to take, I would guarantee the results. If you combine all of the above there is no possible way in which you can cheat the fat on your button or legs!

Labels: cellulite, fat, losing_weight, loss, weight

posted by Darquette @ 1:10 PM 0 comments

Start Losing Weight Tomorrow!

Not today. Today it's gone and you want to enjoy your pasta still.

But be ready for tomorrow. Get positive! You will defintely not start a crazy diet to famish yourself! You will simply apply some of the easy tricks I shared with you. You will have fun tomorrow by making a change!

Changes are fun, aren't they? Routine is boring, and all that eating and living in front of the TV became too much. So making a change is like having a small vacation.

When you wake up, imagine the energy you will have! You are full of life, ready to start. Remember: no sweets! Try lots of teas and bubbly water (if you need pops), eat until almost full but only good calories. Do not famish yourself!

You should find 10-15 minutes to exercise a bit, so you can actually feel the adrenaline being released into your body. Force yourself a little, and try to touch those muscles to see how nice they feel when they are like steel. Don't worry - soon you will get there!

Encourage yourself!

Go shopping! Not to the fast food place, but to the super market. Or go shopping for clothes. If you shop for food - which might be a wonderful idea - admire the sweets on the shelves and don't buy! That will give you more confidence! Buy instead any veggies or fruits that you feel like eating. Instead of chocolate, have a fruit yogurt - preferably a diet one. They will definitely make you feel better! Get ham, get white cheese, olives, lemons, limes, chicken breast, or fish. If you buy bread, remember that rye bread is the best, so go for it. Do not have more than two slices a day though! Buy juice without sugar: grapefruit, orange, apple, whatever you like.

When you get home, don't start eating everything. But if you want to try everything however, take one bite from whatever you please (the good things that you've bought, that is). That will calm you down. Remember, your plan today is not to lose 5 pounds, but to change your frame of mind and get yourself used to the new life!

The best way is not to lose tens of pounds a week and then put them all back on. Your goal is to have fun with your new diet and feel the change in you. Your goal is to feel that today you took the step towards losing one extra pound, one step towards building a beautiful body, one step towards feeling your body clean again.

So go for it and stop whining! Boost up your morale tomorrow!

Labels: food, fun, lose, losing_weight, shopping, start_tomorrow, weight

posted by Darquette @ 12:00 AM 0 comments

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Stimulate your Growing Hormones to Lose Weight

This is maybe one of the number one factors why you do not lose weight, if you do eat properly.

Normally, the growing hormone is responsible for growing in children, but once you become an adult, it is produced less and less. The body stops producing it when you are around fifty.

This hormone plays with the fats in such a way so that you remain fit.

So how can you stimulate the production of the growing hormone? There are a few tricks and a few other nutritional supplements. First, it is produced while you sleep, and the maximum quantity is released 90 minutes after you have fallen asleep. Exercise also stimulates the production, even more if you exercise 15 minutes before going to bed.

Aminoacids are the most responsible for stimulating the production of growing hormones. For example, omitine and arginine. These two aminoacids form a very strong connections and they can be found in similar foods: nuts, popcorn, gelatine, chocolate, raisins, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and all the food rich in proteins.

It's funny how all of the above help you both lose weight and put on weight, isn't it?

As a conclusion, if you don't want to risk it, try getting a nutritional supplement that already contains the two aminoacids. Or eat small quantities of nuts, raisins, and seeds. The body needs them anyway and if you are careful and don't overdo it, it's fine.

Labels: arginine, growing_hormone, lose, losing_weight, weight

posted by Darquette @ 6:16 PM 0 comments

Iodine Helps You Lose Weight

First, unless prescribed by your doctor, do not take it on your own. As a nutritional supplement it is not reccomended. Instead, try to get it from food.

Seaweed, any sea food, and onions are very rich in iodine.

There is also salt with iodine but I do not reccomend overdoing it because too much salt is bad for your body. Very bad even! The smallest thing that can happen is to make your body retain too much water. As for the worst things, there are too many, including increasing your blood pressure.

Labels: iodine, lose, losing_weight, nutritional_supplement, weight

posted by Darquette @ 6:08 PM 0 comments

Chromium Helps You Lose Weight

Chromium is said to help people lose weight. It is not completely proved, but I did see a change in my own body while I taking it. I never take as much as the prescription says, but less, so I can always be on the safe side.

To give you an idea, here is a quote from Northwestern University:

Research does not support claims that chromium piccolinate supplements facilitate weight loss, build muscles or decrease body fat. However, chromium supplementation has been found to improve glucose tolerance in elderly adults who have low blood chromium levels. Tissue chromium depletion has been observed with age and may be responsible for abnormalities in glucose metabolism that often develop with age.

If you eat a lot of processed food, you might lack chromium. In any case, chromium does not have any adverse reactions and no chromium toxicity was found.

Chromium deficiency is characterized by insulin resistance, hyperglycemia and lipid abnormalities.

If you don't plan on having it as a nutritional supplement, then try to take it from food. The richest vegetable in chromium is raw onion - and remember I also had my own little post on onion! Another great source is broccoli, then raw tomatoes, turkey legs, grape juice, ham, green beans, potatoes, and beef.

Labels: chromium, lose, nutritional_supplement, weight

posted by Darquette @ 5:45 PM 0 comments

Spirulina - an Incredible Nutritional Supplement

How many of you have heard of "spirulina"?

It's a blue-green algae, a natural extract obtained from Spirulina platensis which grows in some alkaline lakes in Australia. It has been used over the centuries by different civilizations and it is known to contain unusually high amounts of protein. The protein inside is even superior to the ones contained in legumes.

It also contains essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and photosynthetic pigments. In other words it is also rich in anti-oxidants. Its beta-carotene is ten times more concentrated than in carrots and it also is the richest natural source of Vitamin E.

Given the concentration of proteins, it is also highly recommended for vegetarians.

Why buy and take it? Because:

it enhances immunity and helps the body fight even against cancer;
it helps the formation and development of red blood cells;
it decreases the allergic reactions;
it helps fight infections, including HIV;
protects liver against damage;
stimulates diggestion;
inhibits appetite when taken before meals;
helps you stay young and pretty;
helps reproduction;
through its beta-carotene it helps the ocular problems;
it regulates the endocryn system by stimulating hormones like adrenaline, insulin, etc.
it helps you lose weight - which is why I listed it here!

So next time you go shopping, don't forget to check it out! It's worth it!

Labels: help, losing_weight, loss, spirulina, weight

posted by Darquette @ 5:12 PM 1 comments

Monday, January 15, 2007

Liquids to Help You Lose Weight

Not only water will help you lose weight but also tea, if you don't put any sugar in it.

First, water boosts up your metabolism so you burn fat faster.

Second, water cleans your body of toxins. It helps your body fight against cellulite as well.

Try not to drink too much water all at once though because excesses do not help your kidneys. In other words, have a full glass every one hour or so. Eight to ten glasses a day should do the trick.

If you like tea, try the green tea with jasmine. It has a cleansing effect on the body - which you should know if you're a Chinese food fan.

Another trick I've heard and tested is lots of hot cups of tea. If you are on an Atkins diet or if you ate lots of proteins and fats, the hot tea will help you eliminate the fat. I don't know if it is scientifically proved or not, but I know it works. Couple these mugs of tea with a bit of exercise and you are in for a big surprise.

I was at 110 pounds, which is about 50 kilos, and I was exercising all day and not eating a thing. However, I had a little residue left on my belly. No matter how much I exercised that thing wouldn't go away. Then I heard this tip from a lady that was on something similar to an Atkins diet, plus she had hot tea after each meal. She was also doing 3 kinds of exercises every day: 30 semi-push-ups, 50 sit-ups, and a funny exercise with her legs, where she would be lying on her back, feet two palms from the ground and she would spell in the air with her feet brought together the names of her family members. So I thought to myself: 30 push-ups and 50 sit-ups? For God's sake: I am doing 100 at least each day. I don't know what happened, but the thing worked for me and the belly residue was gone. So if you want, try this technique too.

Labels: Atkins, exercise, lose, tea, water, weight

posted by Darquette @ 12:09 AM 0 comments

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Why Do We Put On Weight?

Not everyone puts on weight, though, and that is extremely frustrating. I remember back in highschool and university girls that would eat three sandwiches by lunch, have a big lunch and dinner, and weigh a few kilos/pounds. You wonder why this blessing could not happen to you.

On the other hand, my husband doesn't have a weight problem. If he has a daily intake of 3500 cal. he might put on 3 pounds in two weeks. If I have a daily intake of 3500 cal. I put on 10 pounds in three weeks. Life just isn't fair.

Well, actually it's the metabolism. I bet you've heard of it. It is the one responsible for burning that fat; the faster it is, the smaller the chance to put on weight. The older we get, the slower the metabolism gets, thus the harder it is for us to lose weight.

In other words, for a healthy person, it would be enough to be able to eat all he/she wants if his/her metabolism would work perfectly.

Are you one of those that dieted a lot? Bad news. According to a study, diets that famish you decrease the speed of your metabolism by 45 - 70%. That explains why, once you start eating normally, you put all the weight back on. Besides, it's written in our genes: the body stocks up in winter and after a period when it thinks it didn't have enough food, so in case it happens again, it will be protected against losing too much weight.

The good news is that you can increase the speed of your metabolism by using some tricks:

1. Drink water or tea without sugar. Eight glasses a day should do the trick, summer or winter. Of course, in summer you might need to drink more. Anyway, more on water and why it is good to drink this much will be posted later.

2. Have a couple of small meals a day and never skip breakfast. That way the body understands that it will not be famished again and it will not stock up fat.

3. Don't forget the proteins. Studies show that proteins can boost up your metabolism. So have a bit of it every day. You can find proteins mostly in animal products, but vegetable protein can be found from other sources too.

4. Good 'carbs' help. You can find them in vegetables, fruits, whole-grains, etc. Not only are they good carbs, but they also provide fiber, which is very important for a healthy diet. Again, more on it, since it's a large chapter, later. There is a problem in USA especially when vegetables - some are known to contain hormones that keep them pretty for the buyers. If you can find organic products, try those.

5. Dairy products. Again, America has a problem with diary products - any foreigner can tell you that when he/she moves there. Try to find a good source, try imported cheese if necessary, jogurts, milk, etc.

6. Spices. Many condiments help your metabolism, so don't go easy on black pepper or paprika. I will give you a list of good spices later too.

7. Exercise. Did you know that muscle actually helps you lose weight? Muscles consume a lot of calories only by themselves. However, try to build lean muscle not bulky muscle. Work-out speeds up your metabolism. Also, again, later, I will tell you the story of the growing hormone and why it is good to exercise 15 minutes before going to bed, for like 20-30 minutes. Personally I lost the most weight when I broke up my exercise sessions: I was exercising every 30 minutes - an hour for like 5-10 minutes.

8. Sleep. You think you put onweight when you sleep? Not if you didn't have a large dinner. Metabolism needs to be refreshened, so sleep from 10pm to 7 or 8 am. If you are tired you can bet your metabolism is also tired.

9. Women, careful with PMS. Mine are horrible sometimes. I cannot live without Nurofen or Ibuprofen. I will have a whole post dedicated to this later on, because it is a large subject. I will tell you how I got over my pain and what helps. For now, take it for granted: a bit of exercise and a healthy diet before and during your period can rid you of your pains. If you feel those urges hitting, eat veggies, not chocolate. Sometimes the body creates cravings because it lacks certain vitamins or minerals, so try to understand what your body really needs.

10. Smoke less. And that goes for me too. Drink healthy liquids instead.

While writing this little guide I came to realize that I have so many things to say and not enough time to say them. So each day I will post one more myth or reality about losing weight and healthy living. If I will ever run out of things to say? I doubt it.

Labels: lose, metabolism, tricks, weight

posted by Darquette @ 2:22 PM 1 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.

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