how to get rid of the holiday indulgence

Ok I know I have been a slack devil recently. The reason is I've been on holiday and just wanted to show off my new shape. Problem is I got lazy and after two weeks of total debauchery have managed to plow five kilos of fat back on. Bugger!
I often get emails from those attempting to get rid of the fat and freshen themselves a bit, who are frustrated and pissed off. They aren’t achieving their goals and they tell me they have “tried everything”. Some are in the throes of giving the whole thing up and resigning themselves to being fat and un-attractive. Ready to throw in the towel on exercise and nutrition. They feel nothing works. They start to buy into the idea that “diets don’t work so there’s no point in trying”. And sometimes they are right! Sometimes we want to indulge- just as I have.
I was like that once. The most annoying thing was that I could not figure things out. I ate well. I felt I was active. Yet I was 30 kilos overweight
The worst part was exactly this "what the hell is wrong" part. I felt doomed by genetics. I felt out of control. I felt powerless to do anything about it. I knew that crash dieting wasn’t a solution but I didn’t know how to change my eating (or that I should change my eating – I thought I was eating perfectly well). I wanted to feel good but I didn't, and no amount of rationalising or ranting about the health and beauty conspiracy worked.
In my years of experience as and someone on the journey of physical culture what I have discovered is that human perception has only a loose connection to reality. We do not see ourselves -- or others -- as we really are. We may see ourselves as fatter or thinner, healthier or less healthy, more or less muscular and so on. but unless we are highly experienced professionals, we are generally not in any position to judge our food intake, activity levels, degree of fitness, or body composition. So having said that now I start again getting rid of the 5 extra bloody kilos I put on.
Just watch this space and we'll see how we do it. Just hang in and don't give up.

The Best free diet - Water

The singularly finest diet help you can have is free and does more to assist your weight problems than anything else- Good old water. Drink water as often as you can!

Water-the most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off.
Don’t be under any mis-apprehensions – WATER. The ONLY permanent ingredient for weight loss!

Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body flush out stored fat. Studies show, a decrease in water intake causes fat deposits to increase, while increasing water intake (drinking the stuff) really reduces fat deposits. Here's why:

Drinking plenty of water is the best treatment for fluid retention. When the body gets less water, it goes into survival mode! It perceives lack of water as a threat to survival and begins to hold on to every drop.

Fluids are stored in extra-cellular spaces (outside the cell). Resulting in swollen feet, hands, ankles and stomach! Diuretics offer only a temporary solution at best. They force out stored fluid, the body perceives the threat and will replace the lost water at the first opportunity. The condition, of course, quickly returns. The best way to overcome the problem of fluid retention is to give your body
what it needs- plenty of water. Only then will retained fluid be released. If you have a constant problem with fluid retention- excess salt may be at fault.

The more salt you eat the more fluid your system retains to dilute it. But getting rid of unneeded salt and other unwanted stuff, is easy -just drink more water. As it's forced through the kidneys it takes away excess sodium and fat.

The overweight person needs more water than a thin one. Larger people
have larger metabolic loads. Since we know that water is the key to fat metabolism,
it follows that the over weight need more water.

Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone assisting the muscles’ natural ability to contract by preventing dehydration. Water also helps to prevent the sagging skin that follows weight loss - shrinking cells are buoyed by water which supports the skin and leaves it clear, healthy and resilient.

During weight loss, the body has a lot more waste to get rid of - all that metabolised fat must be shed. Water in adequate supply flushes out the waste! Leaves you feeling clean!

Water relieves constipation. When the body gets too little water, it syphons what it needs from internal sources. The colon is the primary source. Result? Constipation. Drinking plenty of water, gives normal bowel function almost immediately.

REMEMBER! THIS IS WATER WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE. NOT SODA POP, COCA- COLA OR THE OTHER SUGAR RICH CRAP! LET’S BE CLEAR ABOUT THIS!

The body will not function properly with insufficient water and will NOT metabolise stored fat effectively. Fluid retention shows up as excess weight! To rid yourself of excess fluid - drink more water! Drinking water is essential to weight loss!

How much water is enough? On average, a person should drink 4 liters every day. However, an overweight person, needs one additional glass for every 10 kilos of excess weight.

The amount you drink should be increased with brisk exercise or if the weather is hot and dry, just drink water steadily throughout the day. Keep a bottle handy all the time.

When the body gets the water it needs to function properly, its fluids balance. You reach "breakthrough point".

Now you’re talking! Endocrine-gland functions improve. Fluid retention is alleviated as it’s no longer stored. More fat is used as fuel because the liver is free to metabolise stored fat. Natural thirst returns. There is a loss of the hunger feeling, almost over night!

WATER - THE GIVER OF LIFE

Tips on Fighting the Fat

I know how it feels to want to lose weight, but find it hard to stick to a diet. There are so many different diets with conflicting advice that you just don't know what to, or not to, eat anymore

For someone who can't afford the pricey Mediterranean Diet, or cringe at the thought of a carbohydrate starvation diet, here are a few great tips that work as long as you adhere to them. Common sense tips on how to get your weight down even if you are a weak devil, like me and cant keep to any form of diet.

If you are drinking lots soda-then stop now! Change to water and it is usually enough get rid of 10 kilos a year! On average a can of soda contains 150 calories! If you stopped drinking just one a day, that's more than 50,000 calories annually. Seven kilos of calories, the sugar, plus the carbonated water gives fluid retention weight. Get rid of the carbonated soda drinks now!

Drinking lots of water, apart from reducing liquid calories ( for some people this makes up around a third or even half of their daily calorie intake), drinking five glasses of cold water in a day burns about 50 calories. It's not much, but it is about 3kilos a year. Switching from one or two cans a day to five glasses of water; you make over a ten kilo shift in one year! Easy eh?

Now, we mentioned this in earlier blogs but for Gods sake get off your backside and go for a walk! It’s is one of the best ways of burning calories and increases your metabolism. It’s easy on the joints, great for toning the muscles and believe it or not very natural. Just forty-five minutes a day not only burns loads of calories, but it simply makes you feel wonderful. Go before breakfast, early, before anyone is around!

Replace "bad fats" with "good fats." Bad fats are especially found in junk food, processed foods, and red meat. Good fats are found in nuts, fish, and olive oil. While you do not want to go to a high fat diet, the fats found in nuts, fish, and oil tend to fight the bad fat and bad cholesterol, and generally contain less calories than beef, for example. Lighter meats are generally better than dark. Get rid of the skin on chicken. Its only fat- doesn’t change the taste and halves the calories!

Use the stairs. Everyone likes elevators, but a few flights of stairs is muscle and aerobic exercise simultaneously. Since more muscle equals a higher metabolism, climbing the stairs has benefits well after you finish.

Fruit and Vegetables are the best because they contain vitamins, have very low amounts of calories, but are filling. A steak fills you up, so does a large dish of broccoli, cauliflower, or musk melon. Care to guess which one puts on less weight? Fat is non existent another plus.

Don't eat before bed time. This food is less likely to fully digest, meaning it goes straight into fat storage. Now this is the hard one because we all like to go out for dinners. It’s part of our social culture. Just be careful not to stuff yourself with too much junk. If possible, take a long leisurely walk before you go to bed

Drink green and other fruit teas. Other than water, there is no better drink. Tea is full of anti oxidants, it helps your organs run more efficiently, and your body requires calories to burn it. For those people getting off the soda, this can also ease caffeine headaches and other withdrawals.

Eat slowly. Many people grab seconds after wolfing down a first plate. If you are used to taking two or more plates and you eat slowly, you may be surprised after half an hour to realize that you aren't quite done, but you're already full!

Remember the apple pie versus an apple calculation? Apple pie gives 540 calories and takes 150 calories to burn! Meaning you store 350 calories as guess what –FAT.

An apple contains 50 calories and requires 150 calories to burn result- your fat reserves supply the needed 100 calories. Makes sense doesn’t it. It ain’t easy but persevere. For you and for your families sake.

I made it! 17 kilos in 10 weeks easily!

Well, I always thought that these lose” 10 kilos in 8 weeks and look fantastic” was an easy call.

But lets get something straight, I am not about to become an elite athlete or an ultimate fighter. The chances are you are not either.

If you are just interested in loosing a few pounds and then reverting back to sitting on your fat backside watching TV stuffing your face with giant portions of chips, ice cream and pizzas then don’t bother reading any further. Just carry on, suffer the consequences. High blood pressure. Heart attacks.etc. Put your family through the trouble of looking after you until you die of obesity. All you will be remembered for is your size and your great sense of humour, because you laugh a lot and make jokes to hide about how you really feel about being fat.

I’m fat and proud! Rubbish! You are ashamed and you know it. But you haven’t figured out how to fix it.

So in the interests of research I decided to try myself and let you people out there judge for yourselves.

I looked long and hard for realy good common sense advice and found this book called Burn the Fat What attracted me about this plan was the fact that I could eat 6 times a day! Cynical as usual I decided to at least give it the benefit of the doubt.

Would it work?

On the 1^st of May I weighed in at 102 kilos (220 pounds for our American friends). Strangely enough that sort of weight doesn’t look too bad on me because I’m tall, 6 feet 2. Just that I don’t feel good at that weight and it was in fact creeping up a bit at a time.

I don’t drink excessively but I love a drink and good food and I am not about to make any stupid radical changes that I can’t continue with but I stopped alcohol completely for a month. So, it might be difficult saying no to that beer or glass of wine after work but believe me I felt and feel absolutely wonderful without it.

Do you know what, when you are looking and feeling better you don’t need to take the edge of the day with a couple of beers or a joint” do you? Make sense? I decided that there would be no other radical changes that stupid fad diets encourage but something that I could carry on with easily the rest of my life and enjoy doing. Just an acceptance that something has to change but gently.

The problem most people have is putting the body though massive shock treatment. Trying to change years of bad diet over night is a killer for anyone and impossible for most

Let’s do it the easy way...

Did you ever see a fat person have the courage to walk into a gym?

Too daunting.

So what was I to do? Find something that anyone can do, on their own, when they want or with someone else...

You don’t even need to buy any expensive gym equipment! You will need some iron and vitamin supplements though and I would highly recommend that you get some.

All that is required is that you get off your arse in the morning go for a 45 minutes walk and do 30 minutes of light weight workout three or four times a week at home or the gym if you prefer.

Now it may be that you can manage more. And good for you. What I want to tell you about is how you can continue for ever without getting fed up.

You can also go three or four days without the exercise as long as it is no longer than four days. Just get yourself and Burn the Fat together. It works and I don't starve. Take a look at these pictures and tell me.

Today ten weeks later I weigh in at 85 kilos (190 pounds), have got rid of the unwanted fat, shaped up, jettisoned 17 kilos (36 pounds). Not bad eh?

Winning Weight Loss Strategies

6 Ok, Time to take control of your favourite foods.

Don’t let your favourite foods prevent you from being your favourite size.

You are well aware of those wonderful foods you just looooooooove to eat?
What are your favourites?
Are any of them a problem for you when it’s a question of your weight?
Can you use another method of handling your favourites?

Look it’s not about not eating your favourite food. Eat for heavens sake but not whenever or in unlimited amounts. Smarten up with your eating!

You have two alternatives:

A Keep your favourite food and why not? But make sure that you have control not the food.

You need to find a way to limit yourself as to how often and much you eat each time.

You also need to ensure that it’s not easily accessible. Otherwise you will easily fall in to the it’s there so I’ll eat it trap.

So make sure that you don’t keep it at home in the pantry. If the others in the family eat the same tell them not to leave the temptation lying around the kitchen.

The more you see the ice cream or the bag of crisps, the more difficult to keep control.

• Eat your favourite food on special occasions only. On your birthday or when you are invited. When you go to a restaurant. On Saturdays only. The upside is you appreciate your favourite more when you’re not eating it so often.

• Buy smaller packs. Giant bags of chips, or gallons of ice cream. Oh it was reduced price. To hell with the reduced price. It's cheaper with one portion of expensive ice-cream than a gallon on sales. Keep the cookies at work (not by your desk, make it difficult to get to them) and bring a couple with you home to eat after dinner- I know, it might sound a bit silly, make sure it works for you.

• Get the support from your family. Tell your family never to leave tempting food around. The more you see it the harder it will be to resist it.
  

B comes into play when you recognise that it is always the (chocolate, pasta with cheese sauce, ice cream or fries) that stop you from keeping the weight down and off.

Alternative A isn’t an alternative at al for you.

When you have finally made a decision you will be well surprised at how simple it all is.

You don’t need to count the calories or eat small portions- of all the food in the world there are only two or three things that you shouldn’t eat.

• Make the decision that you don’t eat “THAT” even in mini portions.

• Refuse to feel sorry for yourself. There are loads of other foods you can eat so what does it matter what you have to distance yourself from? Tell yourself you are allergic to it or just tell yourself “this doesn’t do it for me”. Don’t pull the old I deserve a treat if that thought enters your head. Start thinking I deserve to be a size …

• Avoid the temptations. Don’t look in the ice cream department. Don’t drool over others big Mac with double fries.

7 Don't feel ashamed. Learn from your mistakes.

There is one thing that is absolutely forbidden:

If you want to succeed in losing weight, never never ever say “I blew it” or “I failed”.

If you want to loose weight and stay that way then you have to learn from your mistakes and go on. Don’t loose your enthusiasm and console yourself with a giant portion of sticky cake and cream washed down with a full cream latte.

Just ask “What went wrong there? How can I do it better next time?”

(Treat life the same way)

Now if you have absolutely made a complete dunce of yourself and eaten loads of what you really shouldn’t have. Then immediately go into the twenty four hour treatment. Immediately. Secrets on weight loss...

The twenty four hour remedy:

1 Stop blaming yourself.
You are only human after all.Yeh ok it was wrong. But it’s not the end of the world is it?

2 Don’t give up and sigh what you know you mustn’t say. Don’t push the double milk shake down just because you think you have failed. Stop there you have the twenty four hour remedy to help.

3 Immediately make a strategy for the rest of the day. What are you going to eat the rest of the day? Force yourself to write a menu. Choose only the food that you like and that is hopefully healthy.

Don’t hop over meals don’t even reduce the amount a little just to get out weigh your over eating. In fact don’t bother just carry on as if it hadn’t happened.

4 Write down what you are going to eat tomorrow. Make sure you have the ingredients at home.

5 Give yourself a short mental lesson before the next confrontation with the type of food you have just indulged in.

Think about how you are going to feel and think and what you answer for example when you smell the pizza. Hmm it smells great. I can see that tasty pizza.

Tell yourself, it doesn’t do it for me to eat pizza. That’s whets made me overweight. Say it until your reply ability is dead tired of it. The brain reacts by being tired of the sight and smell s that tempt you.

6 Stick to the menu!

7 When you wake up next day be aware that your taste buds are now in overdrive. When they start shouting out after sugar or fast carbs let them. That is your hang over.

8 Start the day with 15-20 minutes exercise. That will strengthen you at least physically.

9 Go through your eating plan for today. Make sure that it’s food you really like so that you don’t go through PMS “poor me syndrome”

10 Important. Don’t under eat. It’s important to regain control don’t be afraid if the scales show a kilo or two extra. If you ate extra carbs and salt it will be soaked in water by the body. It will disappear.

11 Eat an extra main meal. Eat four main meals plus an in-between instead of the usual three plus. Have it when you need it most usually late afternoon.

12 Don’t go shopping for food.

13 Keep busy. Meet friends. Go to the pictures, think of other things than food...

24 hours has gone and your back on track. Well done

8 Stop feeling sorry for yourself.

If you want to loose weight it’s not enough just to change your eating habits. You have to change the way you think. Get your mind right!

It is essential if you want to loose weight and keep it off that you learn to think differently.

It wont work if you start to feel sorry for yourself.

"Poor me I don’t want to starve myself to death. I can't chomp as much as I want.
I have to stay away from French fries, cream, chocolate and jummy cakes."

It won't work either if you are continually comparing yourself to others. "How is it she can eat all those cakes and not put on weight? How come he can eat a whole sirloin, fries and béarnaise sauce and never get fat?"

This is about YOU and your life and your body. What do you think is more important to get to eat without restrictions or to be really bloody healthy and have a body and soul you are happy and can live with? Your choice!

Talk to yourself like this, instead of defending your habit. I have been eating like this for so many years and it hasn’t made me happier only fatter.

Quick fix for the craving

• Take a throat lozenge of menthol and eucalyptus. Within five minutes it’s taken hold of your taste buds and the smell of pizza is far less attractive.

• Don’t go hungry. Eat at least every third or fourth hour. The bodies “eat immune” defence keeps the unwanted temptations away.

Make sure you get the most from your calorie budget

Lets get something straight from the start. You can not continue to eat what you want and as much as you want, stay happy, healthy and keep the body size you would like!

That’s a fact and make sure you take it in.

Food is like money. You have a limited budget and it’s important that you get as much as possible from the resources available.

You may choose to throw your calorie budget at fast food and quick kicks.

Or you can use your calorie budget wisely to get all you need to feel great, look fabulous, and get the luxurious benefits with the perceived value for money.

Try this;

• Look for food that has few calories but lots of taste.

• Look for nutrition that burns more fat than others.

• Find a healthy alternative to your favourite food.

• Avoid the food and the habits that continually bust your budget.

Great Budget tips

1. Choose food that burns lots of fat. All food contains calories but during digestion they also burn calories. Lean meat needs more calories to digest than it contains. Give priority to fish, egg whites, fibre and crustaceans...Read the book "Negative Calories" and learn how you can loose weight by eating. It gives you tasty and simple recipes to help you reach your goal weight and maintain it.

2. Prioritise food that makes the fat cells work harder. Dairy products and cinnamon.

3. Find tasty replacements. More often than not you can find products that taste just as good and often better. Take the time to find them.

4. Eat food that gives a feeling of being full. Fish and crustaceans are in first place followed closely by boiled potatoes.

5. Go for grapefruit and pineapple. Science has no idea why but it’s clear that these two fruits eaten regularly with the rest of your diet greatly assist in weight reduction.

10 Remember the past but keep your weight in the future.

Loosing weight is the easy bit. Keeping it off is the difficult bit. This is the bit where you learn success.

When you are trying to loose weight it’s a dilemma. In the beginning, you feel lousy. You are not at all happy with your body. Then you start to drop a few pounds (kilos), the compliments start coming in. You feel satisfied. At last you have succeeded.

You have reached your target weight and you don’t need to loose any more. You start to be used to your mirror image. No compliments about how fresh and slim you look any more, people are used to you. This is when it starts to get difficult.

This is when it’s so easy to let it all slip and get back to your old ways.

Make sure that the way there was worth the effort. It’s a life long process. Get the secret of the "Tibetan Rites" to help you on the way!

Understand that even if you've gotten rid of the weight your vulnerability is there. You still have the same weaknesses. It’s still easy to fall into your old ways.

Get rid of your old fat clothes. Sling them out now!

Give yourself an ideal weight. Because your weight always varies don’t worry about any change until you have increased your weight by 1.5 kilos and you’ve
kept it for three weeks or more. Now you need to act to get back. Need some extra help on the way?

Weigh yourself on the "Hold my weight scales"
Ask yourself once a week the following questions:

1. Have I started to eat food or snacks that I ate too much of in the past?

2. Am I loosing my grip on the strategies of how I live and plan?

3. Have I started to eat too much of the good food?

4. Have I started picking again?

5. Do I still weigh myself as often as I should?

6. Do I have problem food at home?

7. Have I started to hop over meals. Do I go more tan four hours without eating/

8. Are my clothes feeling tight?

9. Do I allow my feelings to rule how I eat?

10. Do I not bother with exercise?

Good Luck!

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