Forget About That Resolution!

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

January 1^st begins the year in our western culture and January was named after Janus, a mythical Roman king. He was a  king of beginnings who was also the guardian of doors and entrances…perhaps, a kind of mythical ‘bouncer.’ Depicted with two faces, one which looked backwards and one looking forwards, the Romans saw him as reflecting upon the old year and looking forward to the new.

Of course this is something we all continue to do to this day, many of us tend to look back at the past twelve months and reflect upon the highs and the lows, our achievements and our disappointments alike and we look forward to the new year and often feel full of hope for new beginnings and new opportunities.

The Romans believed that Janus could forgive them their wrong-doings and so, many gave gifts and made promises, believing that Janus would then bless them throughout the coming year.

This tradition continued and became what we have today where many people make promises to themselves and to others. These promises consist of such things as stopping smoking or to see more of the kids or to lose weight…and a thousand other things.

We now call them resolutions and the unfortunate thing about resolutions is that most people fail at them. Research shows that only 8% of people are successful at converting their resolutions.

Did you make any resolutions last year? Did you stick to them? More than likely not, I’m sure. Was one of these resolutions to get fit and lose x amount of pounds? You were going to start jogging right? You may even have bought the running shoes and track suit or maybe you paid a subscription to the local gym? Be honest now…how long did it last? One month, maybe two? And now at the end of that year when you were going to achieve so much, so many things that you were going to change about your appearance and life-style; how did it end up? Did you lose that weight? Do you have that six-pack that you so desired?

I hope the answer is yes…but unfortunately statistically, the likelihood is that the answer is no.

Let me tell you where you went wrong.

Resolutions! Do not make them! Most of us hate feeling compelled to do something even if it is from our own compulsion. When you make resolutions you only put yourself under unnecessary pressure to perform and then you broadcast it to all your friends and acquaintances. Being motivated is essential and of course you must have goals if you are going to achieve anything in life but new years resolutions are not the way.

You stand a far better chance if you decide positively that you are going to lose that weight or drop two dress sizes or whatever it is…and then just do it! Tell your partner or perhaps a sympathetic friend if you must but do not broadcast it around as a resolution, because the problem with resolutions is that when your best friends give up on theirs, or your partner stops doing what they were so going to keep on doing forever; then you may feel inclined to give up too.

 

Follow us here at how can I stop eating and we will do our best to guide you and encourage you through your weight loss battle in 2011.

Let’s make this the year when you achieve your goals.

We wish you luck and success and every happiness in all of your endeavours throughout the coming year and beyond.

New Weightloss Jab

Filed Under: Cosmetic Surgery News

A new dieting drug looks set to be released in the UK to help women drop up to two dress sizes in six months – a perfect solution for women looking to lose weight but who don’t fancy going under the knife to have liposuction, gastric bands, stomach stapling or other extreme weightloss solutions.

The drug is called liraglutide and it is already in use in the treatment of diabetes. Liraglutide helps to lower blood pressure, helps to raise ‘good’ cholesterol levels in the body, and can help prevent diabetes. However slimmers have also said that it also produces a ‘feel-good’ factor when taken regularly.

Danish firm Novo Nordisk are the manufacturers of liraglutide and they are currently in the middle of a large scale slimming trial following 5,000 obese men and women, the results of which should be available in 2013.

Liraglutide tends to be injected from a pen. It is based on a gut hormone that tells the brain it is time to stop eating. Usually, this hormone is quickly broken by the body however the injected drug stays in the body for hours.

Preliminary trials on 550 patients have shown that the drug is better at helping people lose weight than one of the other most popularly GP-prescribed weightloss drugs, orlistat. Of the 550 participants, some were given placebos, some were given orlistat and some were given liraglutide.

28 percent of those on the highest dosage of liraglutide lost at least 10 percent of their body weight – almost three times the number of those achieving the same with orlistat. Those who were given liraglutide were also shown to have lost an average of a stone and a half over six months, around double as those on orlistat. The average women on liraglutide lost three inches from their waistlines over the six month trial period.

Of those who took liraglutide for a further 18 months, their weight loss tended to stay off. However many of those who were taking orlistat found that some of the pounds crept back on.

brought to you by howcanistopeating

The Road to Healthy Eating and Permanent Weight Loss

Most of us at some time overeat.That extra helping of mashed potato or that second pudding. How easy is it to sometimes dunk your way through almost a full packet of biscuits before you realize what you are doing? Or munch your way through a family-size bag of potato crisps or a large bar of chocolate whilst watching a movie?

It is so easily done.

For some perhaps it isn’t too extreme and may occur only occasionally. But for many others it is extreme and unfortunately all too regular.

There are many labels applied to the various forms of overeating. You may be familiar with some of these terms: compulsive eating, binge eating, emotional eating, comfort eating; even bulimia.

You may consider that you fit into one of these categories; trapped in the black- hole of despair and self-hate that they hold you in.

But please despair no longer. Help is at hand.

read the rest of this post at =>  www.howcanistopeating.com

body detox

This being the time of year when many people suffer from colds and flu a great way to boost your immune system is with a detox. If you suffer from lethargy, headaches, stomach pain/cramping, wind, constipation then a colon cleanse will sort you out. It is not far easier than you might imagine and you will feel vitalised and full of energy...all ready for the Christmas celebrations. .to read more and see some great offers click here =>                Detox

THE DAY HE DIED (JOHN LENNON TRIBUTE)

Interval Training

Listen up! If you want to lose 2lb of fat, every week, supercharge your fitness levels, boost your metabolism, increase your cardiovascular endurance threshold, lower your blood pressure and your risk of getting Type2 diabetes then I can tell you how to do it. What is more, it will only need 20 minutes of exercise every other day. YES! ONE HOUR PER WEEK! Too good to be true eh? It's gonna cost a fortune eh? NO! It's completely TRUE and completely FREE! Do your physique and your weight loss struggle the best favour that you probably ever will and check out this article NOW!                                                                                                           Interval Training to Lose Weight Fast

Use the Thermal Effect for Best Results

It has been hard to get up for my morning jog lately but today I managed it and the world always seems so much better when you are this side of your jog, Jogging is very effective for fat burning but here is one fact that may surprise you; 30 minutes of jogging will only burn 20 calories more than the same time spent walking fast. Another point to remember is that it is the post-jog thermal effect that is most effective in the fat burn. The body uses an enormous amount of calories trying to cool down your body. If you jump into a shower straight after a jog then you are missing out on this valuable fat burning process. Stay in your sweats for at least half an hour, preferably longer. If you do not do this you are missing out on a massive fat burning opportunity, which after all you have done all the work to achieve, only to wash it away in the shower.

DO NOT DIET!

If you want to lose weight…forget the word diet. People who begin a diet set themselves up for disaster from day one. The word itself immediately makes us think of restriction, of giving things up. Dieters are challenged to perform and produce results from the moment they begin. When they are unable to reach the targets that have been set…which are invariably way too high or in too short a time frame…then depression, hopelessness and feelings of inadequacy are the result. Dieters only learn how to mismanage their eating habits and are extremely liable to end up with serious eating disorders.

HFCS

High-Fructose Corn Syrup has replaced sucrose(table sugar) in the States. It is the primary sweetener and used in such things as bread,cereals, breakfast bars yoghurts and soft drinks. There is much consternation about the extent of its usage and claims that it helps increase weight loss and tooth decay. It has become prevalent because of corn subsidies and higher import tax on foreign sugars. The truth is that research is still ongoing and in fact they do not know what this stuff will do to you long term. So guess who are the Guinea pigs! Best advice is to not touch it and stay away from all sugars in general. You know it makes sense! 

Views from The Wagon

Since I've stopped drinking I've been wondering how much the booze has cost me over the years. Lets say i spent on average about £40 per week ($60). Over the 34 years that i have been a drinker that amounts to over £65,000. Now £40 is a conservative estimate and many weeks it was easily a lot more than that but probably not often less. Into this amount needs to be factored money spent occassionally on certain recreational drugs that sometimes just seemed so necessary with the booze buzz. Not forgetting the money lost from days missed at work because of hangovers and the real total is probably between £80 and £100th. A staggering amount I'm sure you would agree. On top of this is the emotional cost...booze has been a major factor in the break-up of several relationships i have had with women. I guess you could say that booze has cost me dear over the years. What about the good times? Well yeh, I've had many good times. Would i change anything? Well i think your experiences mould your character, so no, I wouldn't change anything. But i would love to have that money in the bank now!   

How can I Stop Eating at Night

Night Eating Syndrome or NES is a big problem for many people.Often, after eating very little throughout the day, NES sufferers will eat a large evening meal and then continue to consume vast amounts of food over the course of the evening and night. Sleep is disturbed and often sufferers will get up in the night to eat. More than 50% of the days' calorie intake is consumed between the evening meal and breakfast.Guilt, shame,stress and overweight problems go hand in hand with this eating disorder.

Green Tea.

You can boost your weight loss efforts simply by drinking green tea! It has been known for thousands of years by the Chinese to have health benefits. Evidence now shows that drinking green tea lowers the risk of heart disease and developing certain types of cancer. Green tea helps with fat oxidation and lowers cholesterol raising the good HDL to bad LDL ratio.

You may not like the taste at first but it can very quickly be acquired. Do not miss out on this natural health drink.

The path of Temptation.

1.Set achievable goals and give yourself a reasonable time to achieve them. If you are trying to cut out all the junk food from your diet do not attempt it all in one day. Better to replace one item each day. First day swop pastries for fruits, next day fizzy drinks for fresh fruit juice etc.

2.In the same way…bad habits cannot be broken in one day…if you are used to a snack at 11am or mid-afternoon it is better not to cut it out immediately but to modify what you eat. Instead of cake or a chocolate bar take yoghurt or fruit.

3. Resist temptation when it comes along outside of meal times do something to take your mind from it…go for a walk, phone a friend…drinking water will temporarily remove the feeling. Try anything and everything that will prevent you giving in to the temptation.

Self-Belief.

Self- confidence and self-esteem are a big, big part of successful weight loss. If you are a long term overweight person you have probably suffered many times from taunts and whispers. Pointing and sniggering and possibly outright cruel insults. Over time it will wear away your belief in yourself. Try to look to your positive traits…you do have them. Take up hobbies that you enjoy, maybe you were good at art in school but have not done any since…well now is the time to have another go. Seek out friends and family who are sympathetic towards you and leave behind the ones who are just pathetic! We are all of us special and you are just as special as anybody else.
<!--2b127fef4eaa4410a872bb38853c6036-->

Don't Starve!

Get this straight. Dieting does not mean starving yourself! If you do not eat enough calories your metabolism will slow. Fat deposits will be stored and not burned for energy. Muscle mass will be lost. You will feel low and lacking in energy. You will be unable to exercise and soon you will be off dieting for good!

You need food. You need calories to function, eat the right amount and your metabolic rate will rise again. It is the type of calories you intake that matter. Eating ten apples a day wont make you fat, although they would amount to about 700 calories, but eating ten packets of crisps a day would certainl pile on a few pounds. What you do not need are not the empty calories obtained from junk food. The negative calories obtained from some fruits and vegetables for example, will be a great help to weight loss. Negative calories means that for your body to digest these foods it will burn more calories than the food provides. This calorie deficit will result in weight loss.

Throw some regular exercise into the mix and you are well on your way.

Tips to Weight Loss

So you have decided you are going to lose that excess weight…you have done your research and decided on your healthy eating plan.

A few words of advice to help you along: Do not expect things to happen overnight. You are going to have to make changes to your diet plan and lifestyle but if those changes are too drastic it may cause you to lose heart and give up and we do not want that to happen. Be positive in your thoughts. If you keep telling yourself that you cannot do this or that these exercises are too hard…you will fail! Your life may have been full of negative thoughts and insecurities before but that is all over now! The moment you set foot on the road to healthy living and permanent weight loss then you leave those thoughts behind you. You can do this! Tell yourself every day. If  you want to jog but cannot then walk at a fast pace…and know that 30 minutes of jogging will only burn 20 more calories than walking fast for the same amount of time…nice to know eh? If you can’t manage 30 sit ups then do 10 and take a rest before continuing. Do what you can and work at gradually increasing it…this will give you far better results than convincing yourself that you cannot do it and then giving up. Positive support is a big help. Surround yourself with family and friends who support and encourage your efforts. If this isn’t possible then join a weight loss club or support forum. This will help you through the low times that every one experiences from time to time…it is not only you!  Do not be discouraged and do not give up. You can do this. Set your mind to what you want to achieve and focus on that…believe in yourself…and enjoy the journey!

Addicted to the wagon?

So i was told once, by an expert in the field, that i have an 'addictive personality.' I was told not to worry and he infact had one too and it merely meant that i had to be more 'careful.' To say that i havn't always done that would be an understatement. So now here i am facing this thought...having abused alcohol to a degree for some time...now that i have stopped drinking and i am exercising regularly and have lost weight and am feeling great...am i still obsessing, as my addictive personality causes me to do?  Am i now obsessing by being addicted to healthy things.?..On healthy living instead of destructive living?...Not sure...and if i am, does it really matter? I feel bloody marvellous for it!

The Weight Loss Plateau

So you have been not on a diet, but on a healthy eating plan for a while now and things have slowed down a little eh? For the first few weeks all was going good and you were losing weight but now??? Well you have reached what is called the weight loss plateau. Don't despair it happens to all of us at some time. Your body has become accustomed to your calorie intake and exercise level and has adjusted to it...it needs a bit of a shake up is all. Firstly be sure you are taking in enough calories, if you do not then the body can go into 'starvation mode' whereby it will conserve energy and not burn fat, lean muscle tissue will be used for energy and you do not want to lose muscle. Try not to drop below 10 calories per 1lb of body weight, so if you weigh 150lbs do not go below 1500 calories per day. Weight loss is not simply a case of the less you eat the more you lose...you have to intake enough to sustain yourself. Secondly increase your level of exercise. This should ideally be a thing that you do automatically from day to day or week to week...as you improve and get fitter you must push yourself further. Act upon these two principles and you will leap out of the plateau...never to return.

Natural Highs...further travels aboard the wagon.

A friend said to me the other day, "The thing about not drinking is, you know that when you wake up in the morning that is the best you are gonna feel all day."  He went on to explain that because he is a drinker he has the prospect of inebriation to look forward to...whereas i have nothing. If only he knew how wrong he is. Yes, i do wake up feeling good...in fact i wake up feeling bloody marvellous! Clear headed, happy and relishing the prospects of the day ahead of me. I remember how i used to struggle to get up after getting plastered and then spend all day fighting to feel normal again.I have taken up jogging and go early mornings most days now...well it was post-jog today as i was towelling off after a shower that i had a kind of an epiphany. I felt so good, so clear headed...my mind sharp and focussed and active and in tune with my body which tingled from the recent exertion. I felt fit and strong and ...well...let's just say i was in a great place...and i thought, 'this feeling is better than any drug.' Getting in tune with yourself...mind and body focussed is so much better than chemical 'highs', better than alcohol 'highs'.....with the natural highs you stay higher longer and you dont get the lows...those dreadful comedowns. If only i had learnt this lesson thirty years ago...who says you can't teach old dogs new tricks!

Cats 'n' Dogs

...understatement mate...it's been p*****g down here all day and off an on for about 10 days now...'spose it is the rainy season (i'm in Thailand at the mo). Stuck indoors...but not because of the rain...i love the rain...but i suffer from 'Brollyphobia.' Whenever the heavens release a few drops of water out come the 'brolly brigade,' wielding their 'hoods of doom' and if i am careless enough to be caught outside when this happens i am foced to bob and weave; ducking and diving in mortal fear of losing an eye to one of the many vicious barbs that encompass this would be impaling device that cleverly tries to masquerade as a weather protector. The sadistic b******s who wield these menacing, mediaeval devices of torture seem oblivious to the distress they are causing me and other unfortunates whose only crime is to be of just the right height that alines the barbs with our eye lines. why in this modern age are these lethal weapons still produced? Surely these nasty spikey ends can be capped? Then maybe i could release my brollyphobia.

Compulsive Eating

Compulsive eating is far more dangerous and prevalent than many people would think. Apart from the lonely hell that it enslaves its sufferers in, filling them with feelings of guilt and shame; as they fill themselves with food, it also causes many health problems and can lead to death.
It is a problem of the mind which can be beaten with the correct treatment. If your first reaction upon seeing someone who is very overweight is scorn or derision (voiced or not) spare a thought for their situation. They could be one of the many compulsive eaters who are trapped in a metaphorical hole from which, for them, there may seem to be no escape.

Travelling aboard the wagon.

Stopped drinking alcohol five weeks ago and only wish i had done it years ago. Got so much enrgy...up at 6.30am jogging every day (well almost) walking loads, gym training and swimming. My mind feels far more alert and i have lost a stone (14lbs) to boot! I shudder when i think of how much money has been p****d up the wall over the years.

Hi there

Just set up this blog, its my first one and i am runniing it along with my new website which i hope will help people dealing with weight loss.
I am an ex overweight person myself and have managed to keep the weight off for many years. I would like to share my knowledge and experience with anyone who may need help in this emotional minefield.
If you have anything you would like to say i would be delighted to hear from you and will do my best to answer any queries. Best wishes