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I Need Weight Loss Help – 2 Strategies you Can Work With

March 9, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

Are you one of those people that say “I need weight loss help?”

I know, it’s frustrating to look in the mirror and notice a bit of extra pounds around your middle or you see a new double chin emerge out of nowhere. I do hope that this article will help guide you to some of my own tips and tricks of weight loss and getting the help you need. I was a fairly thin girl until the age of 12, the magic number of 12. Then from that age on, I was pretty chubby. I couldn’t understand how my siblings stayed so thin and trim throughout my young life and I was not.

Then when I turned 20, I found out that I had a low thyroid problem which explained a lot of my up and down weight problems. Now that I am pushing the late 40′s, I realize I have struggled all of my adult life with the extra pounds on my hips and thighs which has somehow saddened me. When you don’t feel or look good in the mirror, somehow it makes you lose self esteem. Then when you have low self esteem, then you don’t feel like trying to lose the weight.

It is a vicious circle. It was just about 6 months ago that I found out that I am borderline diabetic. It was such a wake up call for me that I decided right then and there, that I was to change my ways and stop the vicious cycle of my weight problem. I was now forced to do something about it. I wasn’t going to become a diabetic. I read and researched everything I could on cutting out sugar, cutting back on calories, less fat, less carbs and the list goes on.

I came to the conclusion from all of my research that I just needed to eat less and exercise more. You probably don’t want to hear those words but its true, eat less and exercise more. It’s so simple and yet so hard at the same time. When you become a diabetic, it’s not the calories you watch or the fat that you keep a check on, it the wonderful world of watching your total carbohydrate intake.

The carbs are what elevates your blood sugar and that is a no no. I have learned to study the labels on all of the food products I buy. It’s been a great learning experience because now for the first time in my life I can say that I am gradually losing weight and feeling 100 percent better. So now in place of a candy bar, I reach for a celery stick with peanut butter and I’m satisfied.

I walk 10-15 minutes on the treadmill each day. I’ve started out slow on each little change and remarkably I have lost 9 pounds in 2 months. It’s also by replacing some of your more high calorie, high glycemic index foods during the day to low glycemic food. This will do a world of good for you and your body. I will continue my quest to lose 21 pounds and be fit as a fiddle. I challenge you to do the same.

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Dating Tips for Guys That Really Work

March 8, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

Dating tips are something we see everywhere, especially on the Internet. People are always giving you their dating “knowledge” and the Internet is full of “great” advice. Well, we’ve had it and want to give you dating advice that will actually help you. Yes, some advice is better than others, but in the end it is your life and your dating efforts that will make it all work out perfectly. If you aren’t ready for dating, then don’t. There is no point doing something that you aren’t ready for, even if everyone else thinks you are.  Let’s get into some dating advice that can help you get through the first steps of dating and on your way to an amazing relationship.

Dating Advice That Helps

Dating Tip #1

Don’t give up. No matter how hard the dating scene can be and the amount of rejection you experience never give up. If you have the ability to get through the beginning trials of dating there is no chance you won’t be ready to take on a full blown relationship. Women love when you take the time to make them feel wanted. If you make it known you want to get to know them on a deeper level your chances of dating are much greater then the other guys. You need to take chances, meet new people and be yourself all at the same time. Dating can be hard, but it can be a great experience at the same time.

Dating Tip #2

Be interested. This is something very basic, but very rarely practiced. When you show genuine interest in a female and what they have to say, you are going to amaze her. By sitting paying attention to what she says, even if it doesn’t interest you, and trying to get to know her your dating experience is going to be much more satisfying. Listening is a skill every man needs to develop and use. She will have much more respect for you if you show her the respect of listening. It is not like listening is the hardest thing you could do in your daily life, especially since you do it all day everyday.

Dating Tip #3

Be romantic. Many say romance is dead, but it is usually coming from the man who is single and not enjoying the idea of dating. Guess what? Romance is not dead. Romance will never be dead. When you are a romantic you are going to quickly win your date over. This doesn’t mean you need to go out spending hundreds of dollars on her, cook her a romantic dinner, buy her flowers and treat her like a goddess. Romance should never reflect the amount of money spent, but the love and care put into the date. You want her to have a memorable and lasting impression. When you can give her a memory she cherishes, you could become apart of the future of many more memories.

Dating Tip #4

Be yourself. This is something that should be so easy to do, but many men don’t know how when it comes to going on a date. People are always trying to impress and be someone they aren’t because they think that person is better, but who you are is much better. Females want a genuine man, not a clone of the many other men out there. When you are you, your long term dating chances increase drastically. No one likes being lied to, and when you aren’t yourself right from the start, you are technically lying to her to make her like “you”. Be a real man and show her what you offer, not the fake you. She will be much happier knowing you then that other guy.

Dating Tip #5

Don’t stress. Dating can be stressful and difficult. Don’t let this get to you. Dating doesn’t have to be stressful and won’t be if you don’t make it. Only go on dates when you know you can and want. Don’t force yourself into it if you aren’t ready or willing. If you stress yourself about dating your chances of finding that special someone decreases and you get a bad feel from the dating scene.

Conclusion

When you are ready to get into the dating scene do not hesitate. It is not as scary as you may think it is. All it takes is you, the real you, and a little drive. The above tips can not only help you get through that first date, but many more dates. Enjoy dating for what is it, a great night out with someone you want to get to know.


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The Truth About Nutrisystem – Does It Work?

March 1, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment


Nutrisystem is a very popular weight loss plan that has become a very successful and healthy form of losing weight. Commercials are all over the television advertising the advantages of using their diet program, including eliminating those worrisome cravings that are felt throughout the day. On these television commercials, you will also see some of the most popular Hollywood starts who have successfully completed the Nutrisystem weight loss program, which is enticing to say the least. Does it work?As with any diet, if you stick to the weight loss plan you will find that it is working for you. Of course you must give it time, normally Nutrisystem says after 30 days you will notice a weight loss, depending on how strict you were in sticking to the diet. Of course exercise is important as with any weight loss plan, this helps with the diet to tighten up and shed the pounds as well. Eating smaller portions is definitely the primary solution when using Nutrisystems diet system. The meals are already prepared and to the perfect size. Basically if you stick to what is on your plate with a little fruit here and there, you will find that the diet is not as hard as it may seem. How does it work?Nutrisystem actually has its own line of weight loss food that is proportioned to the exact amount that the diet requires. The food comes to your door normally in a 28 day food plan. There food is tasteful and even includes desserts as a bonus. There is a menu on their site that allows you to choose what foods are more appealing to you; this way you will not receive food that will just sit in your cabinet. The tough part about Nutrisystem is getting used to the lower portions, but once you get accustom to the new portion size it will be much easier to consume. With the food delivered to your door, it makes it much easier to stay on track as well. This helps to make things much more convenient and helps to keep things on a good path. You can change your food around every month and have orders simply continue to renew arriving on time every month. The price of Nutrisystem is around $11 a day and they offer a free week of food upon signing up for the program. There are tips online that help you maintain their weight loss program. There is also a weight calculator that will help you figure out your ideal weight. The best thing about Nutrisystem is that you do not have to worry about counting calories, due to their already prepared food. There is also snack available to prevent cravings throughout the day. Portion control and remaining true to this control is perhaps the one thing that could make you get deterred, but really if you give it time, you will succeed in losing weight. Giving the diet a chance is the toughest part, but once two weeks have passed, it will be much easier.

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Can long distance relationships really work out?

February 26, 2010 By Karen Hiser 1 Comment

I like this guy, and he likes me. I know that I can be faithful, but I don’t know if I can trust him to be faithful. It’s not that I don’t trust him, it’s his ex-girlfriend and the way she is with him. I basically want to know if long distance relationships are worth the pain that I could possibly endure.

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Medifast Experiment – Does Medifast Work

February 26, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment


I’m a 24 year old entrepreneur who wanted to look hot for summer. I weigh about 128lbs and I’m 5’2. I would like to get to my goal weight which is 115lbs. I ordered Medifast online (search for coupons!) for $265.00. 4 week plan so let’s see if it works. To read more about me and my business tips for young business women check out www.prettyceo.com Plus, I’ll be blogging about my Medifast experience every day!

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Losing Weight with Medifast – Does it Work?

February 23, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

I’ve lost sixty pounds on Medifast. I’m often asked for tips on how to make this diet work faster or better. Here are three tips compiled from the things that I think contributed most to my success on this program.

1. Don’t Be Afraid To Make Additions Or Enhancements To The Meals: For the most part, the medifast food is pretty good. However, sometimes you will want something different or will want more variety. One easy way to do this is to add sugar and fat free syrups. There are numerous choices (caramel, cherry, apple cinnamon, etc.) and these can be added to the shakes, oatmeal, pudding, fruit drinks, lattes, cappuccinos, and crackers. The possibilities are endless. You can also mix some items together. For example, the cocoa mixed with the latte is a very good mocha coffee in the morning.

Additionally, I add fat free cheese, fat free sour cream and salsa to the eggs, soup, stew and chili. I sometimes also add a fat free tortilla to make either a burrito or a breakfast wrap. You can also take the pudding and oatmeal and use them as the main ingredient in low fat cookies and muffins. Taking these liberties has not slowed my weight loss in any way. In fact, it has helped me stick to the program and has contributed to my success.

2. Embrace Fun Exercise That Doesn’t Feel Like A Workout: I used to absolutely hate exercise, but now I really do love it. It gives me a feeling of happiness and power. However, no where is it written that exercise has to be a chore. You don’t have to choose any activity that you don’t like. The key is to take what you enjoy and make it a workout. For example, my daughter and I often walked after dinner, but I never broke a sweat and this activity was doing me no good physically. Now, my daughter roller blades or rides her bike while I power walk with ankle weights or a weight vest. Sometimes I garden with the weight vest. I try to complete twenty minutes of movement and five to ten minutes of toning each day. That has been more than enough to make huge changes in my weight and how my body looks.

3. Once You’re Happy And Comfortable, Keep Repeating The Process: I have no doubt that the biggest factor in my weight loss has been sticking with the program. My routine is now a habit. I no longer have to think about it. Once you’ve experimented with the foods and exercises and have found the combination that makes you happy, comfortable and effective, just keep it up. Eventually it will become a habit. A few pounds each week will eventually add up to huge losses over several weeks.

The key is to make the program fun and appealing to you so that you will stick with it. Small changes will eventually become a new, healthy lifestyle that can contribute to your losing a great deal of weight on this program.

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Make your meal replacement diet work for you

February 17, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

Diets come in all shapes and sizes for people of all shapes and sizes. Some folks can make low-calorie diets work for them, but many people have trouble sticking with the low-calorie foods, or they don’t control portions, or they misjudge the nutritional content of what they are eating. This can make the diet fail from the beginning. For those folks that have a hard time with the plain jane low-cal diets, meal replacement diets are an excellent substitute.

Even meal replacement diets can be cumbersome to do. However there are some tips and tricks to simplify things and give you a boost for making this type of diet work for you.

Variety

When you place your first order, usually the company will suggest a variety of shakes, soups, food bars, etc. It’s very tempting just to choose only the ones that sound good, but you might be surprised by some. After the first order you can be pickier about what you choose.

Organize your daily meals

Rather than make the decision of what to eat from your meal replacement on a meal-by-meal basis, take a few minutes as soon as you get your order to package your food for each day. Grab a box of baggies and start gathering 4-5 meal replacements for the day. A suggestion is a breakfast item, a drink item, a food bar, a soup & a shake for each day. This way when you are getting ready to go work, you don’t have to sort and sift through the boxes trying to figure out what sounds appetizing that day. You just grab a bag and you are good to go.

Make healthy choices for your daily non-replaced meal

Most meal replacement diets allow for one regular daily meal. This doesn’t mean you should go hog-wild and grab that super-sized, fatty meal deal. Why go on a meal replacement diet if you aren’t going to make your own healthy decisions. Most meal replacement diets typically offer a guide to picking foods that will compliment the diet.

Meal replacement meals aren’t only for when you are on a diet

Once you are no longer participating fully with the diet, your body might still crave those smaller meals and you might be tempted to grab whatever is close. Keep in mind that the meal replacement meals are ideal for a mid-morning snack or even for a quick lunch when you only have time for fast food.

Stick with it

This might seem like obvious advice, but too often just sticking with it is the hardest thing to do. Even if you don’t feel like doing the meal replacement diet, just grab your daily bag and do it. As you see your new and improving self, staying with it until you reach your goal will get easier.

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Does NutriSystem Really Work?

February 17, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

After all the years that Nutrisystem has been around the question still gets asked.

The short answer is yes. The truth is a little more complicated than that however. You will still need will power and it will still take sacrifice.

Nutrisystem can cost an inordinate amount of money. Not only do the meals cost over 10 bucks a day if you pay full retail. There is also the supplements that are recommended that are not included in the cost.

If you lead a busy life and don’t have time to eat sensibly without someone preparing your meals and you don’t have the time, Nutrisystem is a viable alternative and you can nutritious meals that you simply have to pop into the microwave. The downside is that this was positive selling point 30 years ago it isn’t so much now. Many companies sell just as nutritious meals with just as much or more variety and you can buy them in your local supermarket.

Notice we haven’t dealt with taste. Some of the meals are good and some are absolutely terrible. The downside is that you won’t know that you don’t like it until you are at work and sit down to lunch at work and taste it. It is a little too late at that point.

One positive is that Nutrisystem is built with the glycemic index. This means that if you are diabetic you won’t have to worry about Nutrisystem meals being causing issues for your diabetes and the meals are designed to be eaten often enough that you shouldn’t have problems with your sugar getting out of balance.

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How do you make college long distance relationships work?

February 13, 2010 By Karen Hiser Leave a Comment

College students often find themselves in relationships with partners who live far away. This article provides tips for making a long distance romance work.

Long Distance Relationship Statistics

Rachael West Designs surveyed 200 people in a long distance relationship, and found out:

  • Couples live an average of 125 miles apart, and visit each other 1.5 times per month.
  • Phone calls are made every 2.7 days; the average call lasts 30 minutes.
  • Letters (not counting emails) are exchanged 3 times per month.
  • Most couples expect to be separated an average of 14 months.

Are you and your high school sweetheart trying to make it work even though you’re going to different schools? Did you meet somebody at a party while you were visiting one of your old high school friends? If so, you are probably trying to find a way to make your long distance relationship (LDR) work.

The success of your long distance relationship will depend on you and on your significant other. Some people can do it while others cannot. If you’re willing to try to make it work, here are ideas that could help you:

Establish Trust

Trust is an important element in any relationship. It’s especially important in a long distance relationship because there’s often a lingering fear that your significant other might fall into the arms of another person at any minute. However, there are ways for partners to show they can be trusted. Tell your partner if you’re going away for a trip whether it’s for a job interview, a game, or club event. If you spontaneously leave without any warning, your partner may wonder who you’re spending time with. Keep any phone or online dates that you set up. Being prompt shows your sweetheart that you’re just as reliable as ever and encourages the trust you share with each other.

Make Time for Each Other

Spending time together can be difficult when you’re far apart. You may find the awkward moments of silence increasing during phone calls. The text messages, emails, and IMs can start sounding redundant. ‘How many times can you ask somebody about his or her day?’ is a question that will probably cross your mind once or twice. However, it’s important to spend time together. If your phone dates are starting to be tedious and boring, try something new to make it interesting again. Try renting the same movie and having a movie date. Both of you could go to the beach and talk to each other about the ocean. You could both look at stars together and talk about it. If both of you like to read, buy the same book and read it together. Try anything that will make conversations interesting and make it seem like you’re not that far apart.

Be Thoughtful

Being thoughtful involves a variety of things. Send your significant other a love note, leave a message to remind him or her how much you care, or visit them. The gesture doesn’t always have to be grand or expensive. The important thing is that it comes from the heart -no matter how cheesy that sounds, its true! Sometimes it can be hard to feel like you’re in a real relationship when you’re in a long distance relationship because you don’t get to see your partner often, so you need to find ways to show your partner how much you care.

A Final Thought on Long Distance Relationships

Long distance relationships can be difficult. There may be moments when you or your significant other want to give up. If you keep working at it, you may be able to make it work.

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