How to Find Working Medifast Coupons

April 25, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

2011 has caught up with us quickly and now it is time we start preparing ourselves for a brand new year. 2011 is going to be the decade of change so why not get involved with it. Make changes to your life and improve your health in 2011 with Medifast Diet behind you every step of the way.

When you take part in the Medifast Diet you are going to be structuring your life and health right from the beginning. Instead of stressing out about what you are going to eat next, this meal replacement diet does all the thinking for you. Now dieting is not only easy, but stress free too. Alongside losing the weight you want, the Medifast Diet will also teach you how to keep the weight off with proper portions and meal plans that you can continue using after you’ve stopped using their diet program.

Get involved with a diet you know you won’t have to stay with forever, but will want too because it is so great! Use Medifast Diet Coupons to save with Medifast Diet.

Thousands of people each year get involved with Medifast and love the results. If you want to lose weight without having to make drastic changes to your lifestyle then you’ll like Medifast. All you need to do is eat the Medifast Meals and exercise a little each day. If you stick to the guidelines behind Medifast then you’ll see the results.

Dieting is something no one truly enjoys because many feel overwhelmed and that they are not getting the progress they were promised. This is something you will avoid with Medifast. The diet plans are designed so that they can easily work into any lifestyle, even the busiest of lifestyles. Medifast is as easy as sitting in the drive thru waiting for unhealthy, high calorie meals that do no good for your health or weight.

If you sat down and worked out how much you pay for all the drive thru meals you eat each and every month you’d be disgusted. You could spend much less on healthy meals from Medifast and feel great as well. Saving money while losing weight, could make anyone happy!

For those that have been affected by the economic declines you’ll be pleased to know we offer Medifast Coupons Codes which will give you a discounted price on your Medifast Meals. There will be many Medifast Coupon Codes for 2011 being offered so don’t feel like you’ll only be able to use them occasionally.

There is always some sort of Medifast Coupon available to help you get a discounted price on your Medifast Meals. Make sure that you check back every time you are submitting your Medifast order and get the latest Medifast Coupon for 2011. You deserve it!

Filed Under Health Tagged With medifast diet, weight loss

Medifast Success Story

November 12, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Losing weight One of the things that really make my day is when we receive success story letters from our readers. One reader has sent us her story on how Medifast has helped her gain back the body that she used to have in college.

Stories like this reinforces our belief that anything is possible as long as you put your mind and body into it. With her permission, I have copied the letter below so you too can be inspired with her story.

Dear Rachael West,

I am one of the many people who truly enjoy your site and your blog. I enjoy reading your posts and insights on the complex world of dating, dieting, wedding and relationships. You have also been my source for Medifast coupons and I cannot thank you enough for the savings that you have passed on to me.

I have to admit that at first, I was hesitant to get into the Medifast program. I have tried various programs in the past and have come to the conclusion that all diets on the net are nothing but scams.

About 6 months ago, for some reason, I was encouraged to try the Medifast diet. I had been hearing about it and since you had Medifast coupon codes on your site, I thought I’d give it a try.

When my first Medifast meal package arrived, I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the meals did not taste as bad as the other meal supplements that other diet programs have. Compared to the other meal supplements, the Medifast meals didn’t taste like “diet food” at all.

Since then, I have become a fan of the Medifast diet and have recommended it to people who like me, have lost all hope of every getting our old body back. I am now in the Medifast Maintenance program and have lost a whooping 35 pounds! I am very happy, content and thankful for what I have achieved.

I have to admit that it was not all fun and games. I had bad days too. Days when you feel like giving up. Days when you want to just eat nothing but pizza. Days when you would like to sit all day and watch TV while devouring tubs of ice cream.

Luckily for me, the Medifast team provides you with your own health coach who you can contact during these bad days. They are there to help you out and compared to other health coaches, I would have to say that they are one who can truly understand. They are not the usual health coaches who have been fit and slim all their lives. They have once been in my shoes too and they know how it is to live in my body. As an extra bonus, they too have used the Medifast diet to regain back their health.

So, thank you Rachael West for providing me with all these coupons. You have no idea how much you have helped me achieve my goal at a fraction of the usual price.

Sincerely,
Kiera

Results not typical. Typical weight loss results on the Medifast program are up to 2-5 pounds a week.

Filed Under Health Tagged With diet, dieting, Medi, Medifast, Medifast Coupons, Testimonial, Wedding, weight, weight loss

Diet Menu

August 19, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

What to Expect From A Diet Menu

When we think diets and diet menu’s we tend to think of mini meals of cardboard. The truth is that dieting is not all about starvation, it is simply about changing the way you eat. You no longer have to starve to lose weight, you only need to eat a balanced with that is with in your diet plans requirements. You will of course have to watch your calories and fat intake however there are a ton of diets out there now days that allow you to eat real food that taste good. Some of these diets are Medifast, Nutrisystem, eDiets. These diet plans allow you to eat food an not starve your self to death.

What Can You Expect In A Diet Menu

The following is a sample diet menu from the Medifast Diet plan. We have found this this diet is not only a safe and effective weight loss plan but the food is pretty good as well!

Sample diet menu to get you started on the Medifast Diet plan.

Diet Menu for Day 1

Breakfast
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal with Green Tea
Mid-morning
Cappuccino
Lunch
Chicken Noodle Soup
Afternoon Snack
Chocolate Snack Bar
Dinner
Lean & Green – Grilled Chicken Salad
Evening Snack
Chocolate Pudding

Diet Menu for Day 2

Breakfast
Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal with Green Tea
Mid-morning
Banana Creme Shake
Lunch
Chicken & Wild Rice with Multigrain crackers (not included in Medifast Meals)
Afternoon Snack
Chocolate Mint Bar
Dinner
5oz Pork Cutlet with 1 1/2 Cup of Broccoli
Evening Snack
French Vanilla Shake with DaVinci Sugar-free Butter Rum Syrup

Diet Menu for Day 3

Breakfast
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Mid-morning
Green Tea
Lunch
Cream of Tomato Soup (add a dash of Tabasco sauce for taste)
Afternoon Snack
Lemon Yogurt Bar
Dinner
6oz Halibut with 1 1/2 Cup of Green Beans
Evening Snack
Dutch Chocolate Shake

Benefits of a Diet Menu

Developing a proper diet menu will help you develop a proper eating habit. When you take the time to manage what you eat, you manage your life more smoothly. There are many benefits of a diet menu, and one of the best is the structure. People have the ability to manage their lives more easily when they plan things out. A diet menu lets you not worry about what you plan on eating next as you already know what you’ll be eating. The menu is already designed to have you know what you’ll be eating.

Most people find themselves eating unhealthy meals because they can’t decide what they want to make or know what to make. Diet menus help you avoid this event. Now you won’t have to deal with the frustration and stress of not knowing what to eat or make.

One thing you will want to ensure is that you change up your diet menu as much as possible. You don’t want to find yourself getting fed up with eating all the same things over and over again. Interchange meals, try new things and make the experience better for you. If you don’t like something, don’t force yourself to eat it. The only way you can experience successful weight loss is enjoying what you are doing for yourself. If you aren’t enjoying yourself and what you are eating then you are limiting your chances at succeeding your diet, and throwing that very useful diet menu out the window.

Filed Under Health Tagged With Diet Menu, weight loss

Nutritional Basics – Quick Weight Loss Tips

July 28, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Nutritional Basics – The Where and How To’s

You need to eat the right food to fuel and energize your body throughout the day and through your workouts. Think of your body like a high performance race car. Always use the highest octane fuel in order to get the best results. This is a good analogy to use when thinking about what foods to put into your body. Always use nutrient dense power foods to provide enough energy (octane) to really boost your performance so you can run at optimal levels.

Key factors to include in your high performance nutrition plan:

Eat a nutrient dense meal every 2-3 hours
Eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day
Learn how many calories your body needs per day
Include a lean protein source at each meal
Eat enough protein for your bodyweight (chart below)
Drink at least drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day
Make sure to eat a nutrient dense healthy breakfast
Eliminate processed sugars from your dietary plan

Your Training Goal	Daily Protein Needs
Bodybuilding	1.0 – 1.6g/lb bodyweight
Power & Speed	0.9 – 1.1g/LB bodyweight
Dieting	0.35 – 1.0g/LB bodyweight
Endurance	0.7 – 0.9g/LB bodyweight
Trauma Recovery	0.9 – 1.4g/LB bodyweight
Stressed	0.45 – 0.7g/LB bodyweight

Focus on nutrient dense foods which includes lean protein, whole grain carbs and the right kind of fats. You need food to fuel your body and increase your metabolism. The less you eat, the lower your BMR gets and your body eventually goes into a starvation mode where it holds onto fat as much as possible.

Remember to “eat breakfast like a king and dinner like a peasant”. Your breakfast should be large and each meal after this becoming smaller and smaller. Your dinner should be much smaller than your breakfast. Your body is slowing down at night and doesn’t need high calories to fuel it. Stick with a salad with lean meat (chicken, turkey) and steamed veggies. The main focus should be eating clean nutritious food while eliminating all the empty calories from your nutritional plan.

Fill your diet with nutrient dense foods. Examples are:

Lean Protein Sources (chicken breast, turkey breast, fish, egg whites)
Healthy Starchy Carbohydrates (brown rice, sweet potatoes, oatmeal)
Lean Fibrous Veggies (broccoli, mushrooms, squash, zucchini)
Fibre Packed Fruit (apples, berries, oranges, grapes)
Healthy Fats (flaxseed oil, avocados, walnuts, olive oil)

Sample Daily Meal Plan:

8am:
1 chicken breast (6 ounce), 1 cup of steamed brown rice, 1 small salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing
11am:
turkey sandwich with whole wheat bread (6 ounces of lean turkey breast, lettuce, tomato, mustard) (NO cheese or mayo).
2pm:
6 ounces of top round steak, 1 cup of broccoli, 1 cup of non-fat cottage cheese
5pm:
egg white omelet (6 egg whites, mushrooms), 2 pieces of whole wheat toast (NO butter)
8pm:
6 ounces of fish (salmon, catfish, trout, halibut, etc.), 2 cups steamed zucchini, 1 small salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing

We are making shopping for healthy foods even easier. Now you can check off each nutrient dense food item by using our healthy shopping list below. Don’t forget to bring it to your local grocery store to help you shop smart and live well!

Shopping for healthy foods, and healthy eating, go hand in hand. You are more likely to cook nutritious meals if you have all the ingredients you need in your fridge or cupboard. Use these foods as the staples of a healthy diet that you should have on hand at all times!

LIST OF HEALTHY NUTRIENT DENSE FOODS

Beverages

Bottled Water or flavored.
Crystal Light
Diet Soda
Green Tea
Sugar Free Kool-Aid

Carbohydrates

Grains + Grain products
Alfalfa
Barley
Brown Rice
Corn
Cream of Wheat
Fiber One Cereal
Gluten Free Bread
Gluten Free Rice
Oat Bran Cereal
Oatmeal (Old Fashioned or Quick Oats)
Rolled Oats
Rye
Ryebread
Teff
Wheat and low sugar Wheat Cereals
Whole-grain Wheat Bread
Wild Rice

Legumes + Pulses

Beans (Black, Broad, Garbanzo, Green, Kidney, Haricot, Lima, Mung, Pinto, Runner, String)
Green Peas
Lentils
Peanuts
Soybeans

Miscellaneous

Cress
Kale

Pasta

Protein Enriched Pasta
Whole Wheat Pasta

Veggies

Asparagus
Artichoke Hearts
Avocado
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Collard greens
Cucumber
Eggplant
Fennel bulb
Garlic
Leeks
Lettuce. (Cos, Iceberg, Romaine)
Mushrooms, (Crimini, Shitake)
Mustard greens
Olives
Onions
Parsley
Red Potatoes
Rhubarb (stalks not leaves)
Sea vegetables
Spinach
Squash (Summer and Winter)
Swede
Sweet Potatoes (Yams)
Swiss chard
Turnip Greens
Zucchini

Condiments & Misc.

Balsamic Vinegar
Carb Options Marinades & Sauces
Chili Paste
Chili Powder
Cholula Hot Sauce
Extracts (vanilla, almond, etc)
Fat Free Mayonnaise
Low Sodium beef or chicken broth
Mrs. Dash
Mustard
Pam Cooking Spray
Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
Reduced Sodium Teriyaki Sauce
Salsa
Steak Sauce
Sugar Free Maple Syrup
Walden Farms No-Calorie Dressings

Eggs/Dairy

Egg Whites or Eggs (Egg Beaters)
Low Fat cheese
Nonfat Cheese
Nonfat Cottage Cheese
Nonfat Milk (Carb Countdown)
Nonfat Plain Yogurt
Skimmed milk

Fish

Bass
Catfish
Cod
Flounder
Grouper
Haddock
Halibut
Kippers, (smoked)
Mackeral
Mahi-Mahi
Pilchards, (drained)
Salmon
Sardines, (drained)
Snapper
Tilapia
Trout
Tuna (water packed)

Fruits

Apples
Bananas
Bell peppers
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Grapefruit
Grapes
Gooseberry
Kiwifruit
Lemons
Limes
Melon
Nectarines
Oranges
Papaya
Peaches
Pears
Pineapple
Pink Grapefruit
Pink Guava
Plums
Pomegranate
Raspberries
Strawberries
Tomato, fresh
Watermelon

Healthy Fats

Canola Oil
Coconut Oil
Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil
Fish Oil
Hemp Oil
Natural Style Peanut Butter
Nuts (Almonds, Brazils, Cashews, Chestnuts, Coconuts, Hazelnuts)
Olive Oil or Safflower Oil
Omega Fatty Acids
Peanut Oil
Sunflower Oil
Sunseed

Meat And Poultry

Chicken Breast (Boneless, Skinless)
Extra Lean Ground Beef
London Broil
Pork Loin
Top Round
Top Sirloin
Turkey Breast (Boneless, Skinless)
Turkey Ham

Natural Sweeteners

Blackstrap Molasses
Cane Juice
Honey
Maple Syrup

Spices & Herbs

Basil
Black pepper
Cayenne pepper
Chili Pepper, Red, dried
Cinnamon, ground
Coriander seeds
Cumin seeds
Dill weed, dried
Ginger
Mustard seeds
Nutmeg
Oregano
Peppermint leaves, fresh
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme, ground
Turmeric, ground

Snacks

Beef Jerky (low sugar)
GeniSoy Soy Crisps
Healthy Choice Popcorn
Protein Bars (low sugar – 10 grams max)
Sugar Free Jello

Extras

Whey Protein Powder

Macronutrient Rich foods

Beans
Brown Rice
Lean Oily Fish
Low Fat Cheese
Protein enriched Pasta
Peanuts
Soybeans
Wild Rice

If you have found this information useful we also have some great weight loss tips that you can view as well.

Filed Under Health Tagged With basics, nutrition, tips, weight loss

Going From Obese to Healthy

May 21, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

All you have to do is turn on the news and the health channel and you see that one of the fastest growing problems in our country is obesity. It seems to be everywhere that you turn. With more than two thirds of the people in this country being overweight, obesity is closer to an epidemic than a simple problem. And this is not something that can be fixed overnight. For some people it will never be fixed.

If you are overweight, it is only a matter of time before you will begin having problems with your health. Even people that are young are not exempt from obesity related health issues and it is becoming more common to see teenagers with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. For someone that is obese, losing weight should be about your health. Once you have that in check then it can be about whatever else you want it to be about, for example, the way you look. Bottom line is, if you do it with your health as a priority, the rest will follow.

When you get to the point of being obese, it is hard to do everything on your own that it will take to be healthy again. There are wellness programs available through hospitals and health care facilities that can help get you on the right track. There is one of these programs in the city I live in that is offered by a large hospital. They teach you how to follow a basic and nutritious food plan. You are required to keep a food log of what you eat as well as how you felt before and after eating. You will work with a nutritionist and will be given a healthy number of calories that you should eat each day.

You will also be introduced to the gym and taught about the difference in aerobic exercise, strength training and stretching exercises. They will teach you how to use the different pieces of equipment in the gym and get you set up on an exercise program that will work for your weight. The instructors will monitor your progress and adjust your food plan and fitness plan accordingly.

The program will also include classes that focus on dealing with life on life’s terms. Many people eat emotionally. There are others that put family and work first and do not do the things for themselves that they should. There is any number of challenges that you will have to learn to deal with in a healthy manner in order to lose weight and keep it off. We were also taught ways of managing our lives without having to eat to deal with life situations. This comprehensive program helped many very large people lose enough weight to get healthy again.

For those that would like help with making changes to their eating habits, consider getting involved with a meal replacement diet. There are many different options available to make changes to any diet. It can be hard going from obese to healthy, but it is something that anyone can do with the proper guidance to do it. Consider opting into a Medifast Diet for help with your eating habits. You can save on the Medifast Diet with our Medifast Coupons.

Filed Under Health Tagged With healthy, obesity, weight loss

Small Goals Lead to a Bigger Weight Loss (Part 2)

May 20, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

As I have mentioned, there are no quick fixes when it comes to dieting. What we need to do is to create many small goals which will lead to your bigger goal. On my previous post, I have given you four small goals to work on. Here are some additional small goals to help you achieve your bigger goal:

5. Drink 8 glasses of water everyday.

We all know that drinking eight glasses of water is a healthy habit. In addition to this, drinking eight glasses of water will help you feel fuller longer. You will be less hungry and will avoid consuming additional calories during the day. While eight glasses of water per day may sound intimidating, with proper planning, you will be able to manage this easily.

6. Live as normally as possible.

While on a diet, it is very possible that we may be faced with situations that will make us unable to eat healthy. A family member could have a birthday party or maybe your office mates would like to celebrate reaching the department’s goals. If you find yourself in one of these situations, do not feel bad. It is okay to celebrate with them. What you can do instead is to compensate for it on one of your diet-free days. So, instead of dieting on a Friday, you can opt to diet on a Saturday instead.

7. Choose the healthier food option.

Understandably, there will be some things that you may not want to sacrifice from time to time. During these instances, what you can do is to choose the healthier option. If you are craving for some soda, what you can do is to opt to drink diet soda instead of the regular one. If you cannot do without coffee, what you can do is to cut on the sugar and creme. Doing these small changes will let you satisfy your cravings without the calories.

8. Walk further.

Adding some steps to your day will help a lot in reducing calories. You do not need to allot an hour to do some walking. Simple changes to your lifestyle will go a long way. For example, instead of parking at the nearest spot, choose to park at the far side of the parking lot. You can also opt to take the stairs instead of the elevator. All these add steps to your day. To monitor your progress, you can opt to wear a pedometer to track how many steps you take each day.

9. Opt to exercise instead of being idle.

Finding the time to exercise is always an issue. There are times when you would rather sit back and enjoy your favorite sitcoms instead of going to the gym to exercise. However, keep in mind that you could have finished your workout in the time that it took you to watch your sitcom. If you find that missing your favorite sitcom is too much sacrifice, what you can do is to exercise while watching TV or to exercise during commercial breaks.

10. Have a different time perspective.

Dieting for four months can seem like forever. However, if you compare four months to a lifespan of 60 years, you will realize that four months will just amount to .55% of your time. Less than one percent of your life. If you look at it this way, .55% seems to be such a good deal for all the benefits that you will reap out of it.

In a similar fashion, if you find that 30 minutes of your day is a lot of time, realize that this is only 2% of your day. Working out 2% of the day doesn’t seem so bad.

Filed Under Health Tagged With diet, dieting, exercise, healthy alternatives, healthy living, weight loss

Small Goals Lead to a Bigger Weight Loss

May 18, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Dear Rachael,

Like many others, I am struggling with my weight. I constantly count my calories and try to exercise as much as I can but nothing seems to work. I am attending a wedding in two months and I really, really need your help. Is there anything else I should be doing to help me lose weight faster. I am getting frustrated and very impatient.

Thank you.
Leah

Too often, when we diet, we are all looking for a quick fix. Sometimes it is for a wedding in two months, or a meeting with a friend you haven’t seen in ten years when you were 30 pounds lighter. Whatever the occasion is, we are all looking for a quick fix and when we do not achieve it, we get frustrated and discouraged.

However, with diets, it is important that we know that there are no quick fixes. What we can do instead is to create small goals and aim to complete many small goals in a short period of time. These small goals work in three ways:

It helps us keep our focus.
It helps us achieve the bigger goal.
It keeps us motivated.

Here are a list of some of the “smaller goals” which you can work on:

1. Get yourself a digital scale.

When choosing a digital scale, it is to your advantage to buy a scale that is accurate to two-hundredths of a pound. You will appreciate this when you weigh yourself and see that you have lost .8 pounds. There is a huge difference from weighing 150.8 pounds yesterday and 150.0 pounds today. Without this kind of accuracy, you will be thinking that all your diet efforts are really not working. This will be very discouraging for you.

Seeing small changes like this will keep you motivated and will definitely help you want to work harder.

2. Weigh yourself everyday.

While others will recommend that you only weigh yourself once a week to see the changes, I recommend that you weigh yourself everyday. Weighing yourself once a week is not effective as you can catch yourself on a bad day and feel like all your efforts were wasted.

Weighing yourself once a day will help you keep track of your progress on a daily basis. This will allow you to see the small dips and raises which will help you adjust accordingly. Be sure to log your weight everyday. Track your progress on a daily basis and make a mental note of the things you have done or the food you have eaten which causes the dips and raises. This will be very valuable and will help you a lot.

3. Let everyone know that you are dieting.

Letting people know that you are dieting will help you feel accountable for your diet and having their support will likewise be very beneficial. In addition, I find that people who let others know that they are dieting have a stronger motive to succeed as they do not want their family and friends to see them fail.

4. Take a breather.

Weekends are good days to take a breather from all the dieting that you have been doing. It is a good time to recharge and to congratulate yourself for the five straight days that you have done well. This does not mean that you can splurge on all the chocolates and junk food that you eat. What it simply means is that you can allow yourself to have a treat on these days or maybe you can opt to exercise for 30 minutes on these days instead of an hour.

Doing this will help keep you motivated and will help you look forward to your diet on weekdays.

Aquatic Exercises that Help You Lose Weight

May 12, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Hi Rachael,

You have a very nice blog. You cover very interesting topics which keep me coming back.

I’d like to get your help with water exercises. With the warmer weather here, I am spending more and more of my time on the pool. I am currently working to lose a few pounds and I am wondering if I could use the time I spend in the pool to help me reach my goal. Admittedly, I am not fond of exercising but I would definitely not mind doing it in the water. Please share with me any articles you may have on exercising in water. It will really be helpful.

Thank you.

Michelle

Aquatic exercises are actually a great way to burn calories. In fact, simply treading the water vigorously for eleven minutes will cause you to burn about 11 calories. This is comparable to running six miles per hour for a minute. An added bonus is the fact that exercising in water creates a natural resistance which does not cause undue stress on your joints. It is a great zero impact exercise that you will definitely enjoy.

Before you dive into this program, here are some of the things that you need to remember:

The ideal water level should be just below your chest, at the height of your abs.
You can wear water shoes or other aqua equipment to increase resistance and intensity of your exercises.
Ensure that you keep your posture while doing your water exercise routines to achieve maximum benefit from your workout.
If you are just starting with your aquatic exercise program, it is best that you do the upper and lower body water exercises separately.

Here are some of the aquatic exercises that you can do to strengthen both the lower and upper major muscle groups so you can achieve maximum weight loss and toning. You can do each water routine for 3 minutes, then tread the water gently for 30 seconds, using both the arms and legs to help.

1. The Frog Exercise

The frog exercise is divided into upper body and lower body movements. You may do this separately.

The upper body movements are performed by joining your hands in a scoop shape just below the water surface. While keeping your hands under the water surface, push your hands up and down. To increase resistance, you can use water gloves.

On the other hand, the lower body movements are performed by standing with your legs wide apart and bringing your knees up through the water surface and then down again to the pool floor. This aquatic routine is great for the obliques.

2. Marching High

Stand with your legs wide apart, lift your knee one at a time just below the water surface and then stomp your foot. Alternate between the left and right leg and make sure that you bring each leg back down to the pool bottom before you lift your other leg. This water exercise helps your rear and thighs.

For upper-body movements, spread your arms out in front of you but bend it a little at the elbow joints to reduce stress. Now, push one arm down to your hips and bring it back up. You can either wait until your arm is completely back up before starting with the other arm or you can push the one arm down while the other is moving up for a more intense workout. You can also wear water gloves to increase the intensity of your workout. This aquatic exercise work on your upper back, arms and shoulders.

3. Ski Away

To work on your upper body, extend your arms out to the sides at the water surface level. Make sure your bend your elbows slightly to reduce stress. Keep your shoulders back and your chest slightly out. Lower your arms back to your sides and repeat the movement. To increase resistance use water gloves or aquatic hand buoys.

The lower body exercise is performed by starting from the lunge position. The difference is that you put one leg behind the other and keep your knees slightly bent. From this position, hop and switch legs moving one leg in front of the other. This workout concentrates on your legs, shoulders and back.

Filed Under Health Tagged With aquatic exercises, diet, exercise, weight loss

Healthier Options to Comfort Foods (Part 2)

May 4, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Yesterday, I talked about some of the Healthier Options to Comfort Foods. Those who have read it have sent me some messages asking for alternatives to the following comfort foods -

5. French fries

If you are craving for some of McDonald’s deep fried french fries, it would be to your advantage to remember that these fries are cooked in unhealthy oils. A medium serving of french fries will give you approximately 350 calories and 18 grams of fat.

A better alternative would be baked fries. You can either create your own or you can purchase the ready made frozen fries which you can conveniently reheat in your oven. Compared to deep fried french fries, baked fries only gives you 200 calories per serving.

tall cup of fresh coffee latte with wipped cream, isolated on wh 6. Hot chocolate

If you are craving for hot chocolate, the easiest way to satisfy this would be to head to your favorite Starbucks and order hot chocolate with whipped cream. Their tall hot chocolate has about 330 calories, 18 grams of fat and 28 grams of sugar.

A better alternative to satisfying your craving would be to make your own. Not only is it healthier, but it is also inexpensive. Here is a recipe for some delicious, healthy hot chocolate -

Heat one cup of skim milk or water just until it begins to boil. Remove from heat, and stir in one tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder and two teaspoons of agave syrup which is naturally low in sugar but high in flavor. Add in some cinnamon and vanilla extract as well as a splash of whole milk. Compared to the Starbucks hot chocolate, this has only 130 calories if made with milk and 50 calories if made with water.

7. Candy bar

A standard sized chocolate bar will have approximately 250 calories derived from sugars and fat. You do not need to be reminded that this should only be consumed as an absolute treat.

A better alternative would be dark chocolate. Not only does it satisfy your sweet tooth, but you’ll get the benefits of antioxidants too. In addition, it contains Phenylethylamine which releases endorphins in your brain that produce a mild feeling of euphoria, mimicking the sensation of being in love. One ounce of dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa content or higher) contains about 154 calories, 12 grams of fat, 2 grams of fibre, and 2 grams of protein. If you wish, you can also spread a little natural peanut butter on your chocolate if you’d like a homemade mini peanut butter cup.

8. General Tso’s Chinese chicken

If you are craving for some Chinese food, it would be best that you avoid ordering some General Tso. When it comes to Chinese food, General Tso is considered the most dangerous because of the deep fried battered dark meat cooked in sweet, sugary sauce. In fact, a 2-cup serving would probably give you about 830 calories, 37 grams of total fat, and 7 grams of saturated fat.

A better alternative to this would be Szechuan chicken. It is made with lean white meat and sautéed vegetables. Two cups contain 500 calories, 21 grams of total fat, and 2 grams of saturated fat.

Filed Under Health Tagged With comfort foods, diet, dieting, healthy alternatives, weight loss

Five Habits that Damage our Diet

April 30, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Even as we are dieting and carefully paying attention to what we eat and how we keep healthy, admittedly there are times when we slip up and unconsciously make choices which could affect our diet unfavorably. Here are some of the things we do that damage our diet -

1. Eating when you are not hungry

heavy woman watching TV while eating junk food When you are in front of the television and you see some chips lying around, you are bound to grab a few chips and munch away. The same happens when you are in front of your office computer or even when you are dining out with your friends and family.

The urge to munch is there even if you have just finished eating. To avoid this, you can do one of the following -

brush your teeth immediately after eating so you wouldn’t want to dirty them again
chew a sugar-free gum
keep all food out of your sight

When you are in a restaurant, you can also avoid unnecessary munching by asking your server to take away the food after you have had your fill. This way you do not get tempted to overeat and finish it all up.

2. Eating more diet foods

When dieting, we tend to look for opt for “diet” foods as these contain less fat, sugar or calories. However, what we are not aware of is that making this option can actually make us gain weight. In the International Journal of Obesity, they published a study which indicated that the sweeteners found in many of the low-calorie and diet foods actually interfere with how the body processes the amount of calories it ingests. The danger in this is that it leads the body to believe that the other sweets it digests are calorie-free too. We end up gaining weight when this happens.

What you really need to do is to pay attention to what you eat and how much you are eating. This way you get to monitor your calorie intake.

3. Skipping meals

Contrary to popular belief, skipping meals won’t help you lose weight. It will in fact, cause you to gain more weight. To illustrate, liken your metabolism to a furnace. It needs fuel (food) to keep the fire burning. Without fuel (food), it will lower the flame. Such that, when you actually eat, the calories will not likely be burned off as efficiently as they would if there was a regular supply of energy.

What you need to do is to aim to eat every three to four hours a day. Doing this will not only keep your metabolism going, but it will also prevent you from craving for sugary and fatty foods.

4. Eating richer and fattier meals during cold weather

As much as we’d like to believe, fall and winter in itself does not make us gain weight. It is actually what we do during these months that cause us to gain weight. If you opt to eat high calorie foods and laze around during these months, it will definitely add a couple of pounds to your weight.

What you need to do is to act as how you would during the warmer weather. Get out more often and continue on your exercise routine.

5. Buying food in bulk

Needless to say, buying food in bulk will cause you to eat more than just the regular portion. With all the extra food lying around, you will be tempted to munch and eat more than the appropriate amount of food that you should consume.

To address this issue, you can opt to do one of the following things -

buy regular sized packages
if you must buy in bulk, always divide and pack them according to the right portion sizes. You can use either Ziploc bags or plastic containers for this.

Doing this, will help you control how much you eat and will keep your diet in check.

Filed Under Health Tagged With diet, dieting, weight, weight loss