DOES STRESS CAUSE YOU TO OVEREAT?

I have always been an "emotional eater". I overeat when I am happy, sad, angry, bored, depressed, stressed out...

This time of year, who isn't stressed?

Add to that the fact that there is food lying around everywhere, and you have a recipe for disaster! There are goodies at work, there are special holiday parties and events to attend, friends invite you to their homes to visit over the holidays. Before you know it, you've gained an extra 10-15 pounds. Make this the year that you either:

• maintain your current weight over the holidays,
  

OR

• lose a few pounds between now and January 1st

HERE ARE A FEW IDEAS:

1. Choose 1 food to give up totally from now until January 1st (not vegetables, either!!!). I chose sugar, including all candy, cookies, cakes, deserts- all sweets. By committing to not eating a single Christmas cookie, I am saving myself a lot of unwanted and un-needed calories, not to mention avoiding the heartburn that is always sure to accompany overeating on sweets.
2. Commit to exercise every day- even if it's just a quick 15 minutes on the treadmill before or after work. It's better than nothing.
3. Be sure to plan out your meals. Eat a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. You will be less likely to overeat if you are not starving.
4. Have a healthy snack before going to a party or to friends' homes for the evening. A few nuts, some fruit, or wheat crackers with peanut butter or hummus are some of my favorites- just enough to take the edge off so that I can keep myself on track.
5. Make smart choices. Don't deny yourself everything, however choose what you will indulge on carefully.
   
6. Continue to keep your food journal. Writing down every bite that goes into your mouth somehow makes it easier to be reasonable!
   
7. Remember that food will not relieve stress. Overeating will only add to your stress in the long run. You will feel better and have more energy if you continue to eat healthy and to exercise.
8. DON'T FORGET TO CONTINUE TAKING YOUR HOODIA! I find that I am less inclined to overeat when I am taking the Hoodia faithfully and don't feel hungry. It may be your best defense against that 10-15 pound holiday weight gain. You sure will appreciate it come April, when the winter coats get put away!!!!
   

MAKE A PLAN, AND STICK TO IT!

HOW MANY CALORIES DO YOU NEED EACH DAY? PART 1

This is one of the most common questions asked by those who are trying to lose weight. Although it is tempting to try to cut down to a very low calorie diet, it has been proven that this will not help you to lose weight any faster than if you follow the recommendations below. A very low calorie diet will actually cause your body's metabolism to slow down further, resulting in an even slower weight loss. Although we all would love to wake up next week at our goal weight, the reality is that you should aim for a loss of 1/2 pound to 2 pounds per week; this is the rate that is safest for your health.

Stick to a few simple strategies instead of becoming too bogged down with rules and restrictions of any particular diet:

1. Identify how many calories you need to lose weight safely at your current weight; you will need to adjust this as you lose weight, as you will need fewer calories when you weigh less. Set a daily calorie goad and stick to it.
2. Keep a food diary of all the food and beverages that you consume. This means all- "tastes" and "nibbles" have calories and should be counted. This will help you to track your progress and to spot problem areas. The food diary doesn't need to be elaborate; you can write it in a plain notebook if you want. It is not being graded; it is for your use as you develop new behavioral skills that will allow you to reach your goals. If you want a more elaborate diary, you can print one out from an online site. Don't treat the food diary as a "job", or else it will become one. The diary is meant to be a useful tool for you, not a tedious chore.
   
3. Learn how to read and interpret nutrition labels on the foods that you buy and eat. Become familiar with the nutrient component of common foods as well as the recommended portion sizes.
   
4. Reduce fat intake to <>
5. Consume an adequate amount of lean protein each day. This will help to conserve lean body mass. A good rule of thumb is to eat a 3-4 oz. serving of protein with every meal; protein sources include lean cuts of meat, poultry, fish, low-fat dairy foods, legumes, and nuts. Vegetarians will need to plan their diets carefully so that they are getting enough protein.
6. Drink plenty of water (10-12 glasses per day).
7. Fill up on fruits and vegetables.
8. Incorporate exercise into your weight loss plans. Increase physical activity slowly. If you have been very sedentary, simply walking from a further parking spot or taking a few extra flights of stairs is a good start.

Utilize a support system, whether it consists of friends, family, or even an online forum. You will find that people who care about and for you want you to be successful almost as much as you do!

MORE IN THE NEXT PART OF THIS POST (PART 2)

KNOWLEDGE IS POTENTIAL, BUT ACTION IS POWER

The way that Hoodia works is simple- the molecule P57, which is the active ingredient in the Hoodia gordonii succulent responsible for its appetite suppressant properties, imitates the effects that glucose has on the nerve cells in the brain. In other words, Hoodia tricks the brain into thinking that it is full when it's not. Results of clinical trials have showed a reduction in calorie consumption of up to 2000 calories per day as compared to placebo. When you are feeling full and satisfied, it is much easier to stick to a well-planned healthy diet than if you were constantly feeling hungry and deprived.

As with any appetite suppressant or weight loss plan, however, it is important to also understand how it will work for YOU in YOUR LIFE. Suppressing the appetite is the first step, but you still have to eat healthy, nourishing food to keep your body going.

In addition to making healthy food choices, exercise is a vital part of any successful weight-loss program. Set aside time each day for exercise; it can be going to the gym, playing with the kids, bicycling, resistance training with weights, or simply going for a brisk walk. It doesn't matter so much what you do as it does that you do it consistently.

One final thought- adjust your mindset to keep a "winner's attitude". Believe that you can be successful at losing weight and becoming healthier, and you will be well on your way.

Check out the previous posts on this blog for more information about Hoodia and how it works.

THE BEST WAY TO SUCCESSFULLY LOSE WEIGHT AND TO BECOME HEALTHIER AND HAPPIER IS TO COMBINE SMART FOOD CHOICES, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND A POSITIVE ATTITUDE.

STAYING ON TRACK

So far, so good with avoiding all candy, cookies, cakes, and any other form of desert or concentrated sweet. I made it through Halloween, now I just have to get through Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, The SuperBowl, and Valentines Day!!

My motivation is that I genuinely feel better when I am not eating sweets; sugar is definitely a trigger for me to throw all of my efforts out the window and to lose my momentum and motivation. A cookie today leads to a small piece of chocolate tomorrow, and then a doughnut or piece of cake a few days later... before I know it I will be totally out of control again. I will lose all motivation and will stop exercising. I will be overeating on the "good" foods again and I will be eating fast food. A few pieces of chocolate is not worth it to me.

If you are a compulsive overeater and have not identified any specific triggers for losing control, I suggest that you take some time, do some soul-searching, and think really hard about the foods that you eat when you are out of control and what seems to trigger you to eat them.

Now is a good time to re-gain your momentum and committment to eating healthy and losing weight. By doing so, you will avoid re-gaining the weight that you have lost. I am looking forward to starting a New Year without knowing that I gained 10 addtional pounds over the Holiday Season. This will be a first for me!

I have been taking my Desert Burn Hoodia faithfully. Although I cannot say that Hoodia takes away all cravings for chocolate and candy, what it does do is make me feel full; it causes me to forget about food so that I don't obsess about things that I "think" I want to eat. I think that this supplement is going to be a lifesaver throughout the Holidays.