Weight Loss Tips

Most people simply don’t pay attention to what they eat. They choose food solely on the basis of taste (or worse, packaging). While everyone agrees that food should certainly taste good, there is also a need for our food to be nutritionally sound. If you are not accustomed to evaluating your food choices, grab a package of you favorite food with a nutrition label on it and let’s get started!

When evaluating a nutrition label, pay attention first to the serving size. A particular food, for instance ice cream, may only have 150 calories per serving, but if the serving size is

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With the holiday quickly approaching, I’d like to give you 7 quick tips on getting through the feasting without sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

1) Eat as much vegetables and pumpkin as possible…*before* the turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Pumpkins, onions, celery, sweet potatoes, yams, squash, green beans, and fruits such as cranberries and apples are high in fiber and tend to make you fuller faster. The presence of these foods in your gut will also decrease fat absorption from the other more fatty foods, such as the meats and cheeses, so prioritize consumption of these foods, and get them on your plate before the others.

2) Eat slow. Eating slowly allows you to feel full *before* you’ve eaten more than you actually need. By taking smaller bites, enjoying the conversation around you, and focusing on the meal as just a small spart of the celebration, you’ll be more likely to spend 20 minutes on one plate, rather than starting on thirds inside of 15 minutes (you’ll thank me when you don’t have the post-meal stomach-ache this year!).

3) Choose your pie wisely. You will literally save hundreds of calories by choosing a fiber-rich, lower sugar pumpkin pie over rich, buttery apple, or even worse, pecan pie. The pumpkin pie takes up just as much room in your stomach, which will still satisfy your appetite.

4) Take a walk. The post-meal physical activity will boost your metabolism, and keep those fatty acids circulating in the bloodstream so that they’re less likely to get deposited as fat on the waistline, butt and thighs (note: save the backyard football for *before* the meal - you don’t want to get tackled with a belly full of turkey).

5) Snack beforehand. Don’t fast all day because you know you’ll be eating a big meal later on. The last thing your body needs is to be in starvation, fat-storage mode when the feast arrives. Instead, eat a healthy, complex breakfast (like a bowl of oatmeal with fresh fruit), and snack throughout the day on 100-250 calorie meals, like a piece of raw fruit, a handful of nuts, or a small salad. You’ll be less likely to overeat at any big meal if you practice this habit.

6) Don’t overdo exercise. I know those Thanksgiving day exercise classes and early morning workouts feel great and make you feel less guilty, but just don’t overdo it. A 3 hour marathon of lifting, cycling, and running is only going to increase stress on your body and raise the level of fat storage hormones, just before the food goes in. Follow this rule: don’t exercise any more than you would on a typical day.

7) Have fun! For those of you on a strict diet-exercise regimen, this is one of those times of year to really enjoy yourself. Everybody needs a break once in a while, and one piece of pumpkin pie, or a tablespoon of gravy, is not going to sabotage your routine and make you fat. As a matter of fact, occasionally indulging yourself is a great way to feel mentally and physically excited about getting back into your routine. So try to follow the simple rules in this article, and at the same time, break loose and have fun!

Happy holidays everybody!

Head trainer Ben Greenfield runs the online training website Pacific Elite Fitness, and holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Sport Science and Exercise Physiology, as well as certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Personal Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Coach (NSCA-CPT & CSCS). For over 6 years, Ben has coached and trained professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes, and helped hundreds of individuals achieve their personal fitness goals. For more information on online personal training and fitness, contact Ben at elite@pacificfit.net.

www.pacificfit.net

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To start off with, an exercise! Sadly one that won’t burn any calories, but an exercise none the less.

I want you to answer the question below, quickly and without thinking, and in approximately 5 words.

Ok are you ready? Here we go. “How would you describe yourself, heath and fitness wise?”

Did you do it? Nice and quickly without thinking too much about it? Did you limit yourself to about 5 words? (It would be so easy to go on and on!). Write it down before you forget. So what did you get?

I got: “Fat and unfit.” Eek! That is NOT GOOD.

Well, the bad news is that what you have written down is your health and fitness identity, and this “identity” has a powerful effect and control on your attempts to get fit and live a healthy life. The good news however is that you can control your identity, and even decide on what identity you want!

What is identity? Here is another exercise for you.

Get into a relaxed state and say the following phrases. Leave a gap between saying each one. When you have said the phrase notice how you feel. Okay? Ready? Here we go.

Phrase One: “I am a wimp.” Phrase Two: “I am powerful.” Phrase Three: “I am stupid.” Phrase Four: “I am a genius.” Phrase Five: “I am ill.” Phrase Six: “I am healthy.”

Have you done it? What did you notice?

If you are like me you would have noticed the following. When you said the negative statements you felt low, tired, and weak. One the other hand when you said the positive statements you felt strong, energetic, and confident.

What happened? When you said the statement you were giving yourself an identity, and you body, mind and emotions were automatically and powerfully adjusting to fall in line with your identity. You started to become stupid, ill and a wimp. On the other hand you started to become a powerful, healthy genius. Didn’t the latter feel so much better than the former?

We all have an identity for ourselves, and actually have several, “I am a mom,” “I am a manager,” and “I am a boyfriend.” Each identity immediately brings with it a set of mental and physical programmes. These help to automatically fulfil our identity. We go on autopilot toward our identity’s goal.

Is your identity positive or negative? Now isn’t “I am a fit, healthy, and energetic marathon runner” better than “I am fat and unfit?” Try it repeat the identities. Doesn’t the former feel SO MUCH BETTER? If you are like me you can almost feel yourself triumphantly crossing that finish line!

Our identities govern every area of our lives. If my identity was “I am fat.” Dieting would be hopeless, as I would just be battling against the inevitable. My choices not to eat certain unhealthy foods would be temporary, as I would always gravitate to those fattening foods. If on the other hand I was to say that my identity was that I was “Thin” then my choices to eat certain food would be governed by what a thin person eats. This empowers me to say no to the fatty unhealthy foods. I would also feel better about myself, and have a positive self image. I would also see weight loss down to my ideal weight as natural and expected.

So what identity are you associating with yourself? Have you carefully chosen this or just adopted it unconsciously? Choose your identity NOW, and don’t leave such a powerful influence in your life to chance! You can’t afford that! Chose a positive health and fitness identity now and see how it boosts your life, and helps you attain your ideal weight.

I run a free weekly ezine article with a difference. The ezine is devoted to weight loss and increasing overall health and fitness. The difference? In my ezine you won’t find any new diets or exercise regimes. What you will find however is instantly useable, easy and free personal development techniques tailored to the pursuit of weight loss, and achieving the body and health that you want.

Have a look at http://www.dlmiles.co.uk/ feel free to sign up (it’s free and you can cancel at any time).

If you sign up you’ll get the ezine every Sunday, and included in each edition are the links to all the back issues.

Learn Techniques Like:
Using positive language.
Laughing your way to health and fitness.
Keeping a Fitness Diary.
Picturing Yourself Thin, Fit and Healthy.
Setting an Inspiring Health and Fitness Goal.

Who is Damian? I am just an average person, just like you, who has a passion for personal development techniques and have used them to live my health and fitness dreams. If I have done it so can you! Check out my ezine at http://www.dlmiles.co.uk/ now!

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