healthy eating/weight loss: January 2011

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Met considering weight loss hypnotherapy for overweight officers

A superintendent at Scotland Yard is considering hiring a hypnotherapist, in a bid to tackle obesity levels among police officers.

Superintendent Raj Kohli is thinking about using a cognitive hypnotherapist, to carry out weight loss hypnotherapy as part of a pilot scheme for 20 overweight officers in Camden. Around five per cent of staff at Scotland Yard are thought to be overweight, which is the equivalent of nearly 2,000 officers.

The 20-stone man trying to GAIN weight because he is not fat enough to qualify for a gastric bypass

Diabetic, 45, must gain another stone before being considered for surgery

A 20-stone man is desperately trying to gain weight after doctors told him he was too light for weight-loss surgery.

Diabetic Darin McCloud, 45, was denied a gastric bypass by his local NHS Trust in Portsmouth who will only consider him if he is 21 stone.

Now he says he is determined to reach this weight to give him the chance to have the drastic and potentially risky surgery.

I Can’t Stop Binge Eating and Purging. This is the story of Kim. Kim has bulimia and cannot stop binge/purging. Take a look at the world through Kim's eyes

Bulimia nervosa has been classified as an eating disorder only since the late 1980’s. Bulimia comes from a Greek word and means ravenous hunger but that certainly does not describe how I feel.

My name is Kim and I can’t stop binge eating and purging. I binge/purge most days and sometimes when I get really down I do it several times in a day. That seems to be the worst time, when I get down. Something just seems to come into my head, it’s usually about my ex and then I will ask myself why he left me. What is it that is wrong with me? I’m only a few pounds overweight…I’m not fat…am I ugly then?

When I think about it I realise that I started the binging after he left me.
So I am feeling down or stressed and the urge to binge comes over me and I try to fight it because I know that I am going to be disgusted with myself afterwards - disgusted and ashamed. I just hate myself afterwards. But I can’t stop it now. Now all that I can think about is eating. I must have food.

I am alone when I binge/purge, always alone. I could never let anyone know about what I do, let alone see me doing it. So the door is locked and my phone is switched off. I don’t want to be disturbed or interrupted.

When I binge one thing is always the same - it is always junk food. I can’t stop eating junk food....

To see the rest of this article go here

posted by Zuma2

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

How Can I Stop Eating Too Many Calories? by Alan Lord

Controlling your calorie and fat intake requires some thought particularly when you are new to a diet plan, but how do you control the calories when you are dining out?

Your daily calorie allowance should be known to you. If you don’t know what it is then you are shooting in the dark with your healthy eating plan. You can calculate your allowance online but it is far better to ask your doctor and explain your weight loss intentions before you begin any kind of weight loss plan.

It is likely that your calorie limit will be somewhere around the 2000 mark. It could be as low as 1500 depending on your start weight and daily activity level. I would advise you never to go below 1200. Below this amount there is a danger of going into starvation mode and thus slowing your metabolism.

The RDA, recommended daily allowance of fat is 65-70 grams and with some meals in certain restaurants you could meet this or even pass it with just one meal so a certain amount of care is required.

Eating out can be a nightmare of indecision. Deciding what to eat and determining the calories contained in your choice of meal can be difficult....

To read the rest of this article click here

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Stop Emotional Eating - 7 Tips to Stop Eating Junk Food by Alan Lord

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Are you really hungry? Before you reach for that slice of pizza ask yourself when you last ate, if it was only an hour or two ago then it’s likely that you are having an emotional hunger attack. Did the feeling of hunger come on suddenly? Will only a certain type of food satisfy it? If your answer is yes, then it’s probably emotional. Do not give in to it and it will soon pass.
Keep a journal and write down the times and content of your meals and also episodes similar to the point above. What emotion were you feeling during this hunger attack? Did you overcome it and if so, how did that make you feel? Record all of your emotions.
Boredom is a big problem for emotional eaters. Try to keep busy. Take up a hobby. What were you good at in school? Is there something you used to enjoy but have not done for years? Why not take it up again now? Your enjoyment and positivity levels will soar. What about all those jobs around the house you have been meaning to do? Those friends you have been promising yourself to look up. Those emails you need to write? Turn off the TV and get busy!
De-stress. Stress is a big one for sending us to the bottom of the cookie jar. Yoga is a marvellous discipline for reducing stress. It is not competitive so it will not matter what your capabilities are or how much weight you are carrying. You work within the limitations of your own body. You will feel the calming benefits of yoga from the very first lesson and from there they only increase. It is great for weight loss too. There will be a local class that you can join and this will also help to reduce your boredom levels.
The devil is in the cookie jar. Stop filling up your larder and your cookie jar with comfort foods. You are turning your battle into an impossible struggle. If your kitchen is full of tempting sugary snacks and chocolates, pizzas and soda’s then clear them out and do not buy them anymore. The temptation is simply too great.
Healthy snacks. It is okay to snack on healthy foods: fresh fruit, vegetables such as carrots and celery make a great crunchy snack. Pumpkin seeds, sesame and sunflower too. A small helping of unroasted nuts, perhaps a sugar-free low fat yoghurt. Remember that it is often not hunger that you are trying to satisfy it is many times simply for something to do!
Talk to someone. Help and support is going to be a big plus. Enlist the support of your family or maybe a sympathetic friend. If you feel this is not possible then there are support groups out there and forums where you can let your feelings and emotions out. It will help to release these emotions.