Motivation To Lose Weight

Everyone wants to lose weight but very few people are serious about it. Most people have not found the real motivation to lose weight. Weight loss is going to challenge the core of your character. You are going to need to cultivate habits that may be the exact opposite of your current habits. Without a strong enough “why”, it is very unlikely that you will continue the journey when the going gets tough.

Here are 5 common drivers for most people to lose weight.

1. Losing Weight for Vanity
This is the main reason for many people to lose weight. People want to look good. Carrying excess weight makes one feel miserable and depressed.

Unfortunately, this is the weakest motivation to lose weight unless there is a deep enough desire. Most people who try to lose weight for vanity have to go through a lot of pain. They have to cross a threshold where they can’t take the mental of physical pain anymore. Its only when they cross this threshold that they decide to do something serious about their weight.

2. Losing Weight to Impress the Opposite Sex
This can be a strong motivation for younger people and for those who are looking for partners. Whether one likes it or not, physical appearance does play an important role when trying to woo someone. A lot of people who lose weight to impress the opposite sex do succeed because the desire can be very strong.

3. Losing Weight to Keep up With Spouse
This can be a strong motivation to lose weight for someone whose spouse does not have a weight problem. This desire gets even greater as the couple age. The overweight person tends to age faster than the slim spouse. The slimmer spouse gets more attention from the opposite sex. This can be a very strong motivation for the other spouse to lose weight.

Spouses who try to keep up with each other do end up living very healthy lives. They are able to maintain healthy weight levels as they are constantly competing to keep up with one another.

There are times when the overweight spouse tries to sabotage the slimmer spouse. It is easier for the overweight spouse to drag the other down to his or her level rather than rise up to the challenge and lose weight.

4. Losing Weight for an Occasion
This is an extremely powerful motivation to lose weight. One could be preparing for a wedding, a reunion or a holiday.

People who have such goals almost always achieve them. Setting specific and measurable goals yield unbelievable results. The only downside to this type of motivation is that it is a short term goal. Once the occasion has passed, there are no follow up efforts or concrete steps to maintain the weight loss.

5. Losing Weight for Health
This is another strong motivation to lose weight. Health is something that you do not miss until you start losing it. Most of the time, an increased appreciation for health comes from a wake-up call. This wake-up call could be the sudden death of a friend in the same age group. It could also be attributed to a doctor’s visit.

Increased awareness about health need not come in the form of a health calamity. It could also come from increased awareness via education. People who are lucky enough to have this awareness are the ones who end up having healthy and sustainable weight loss.

Identify Your Motivation to Lose Weight
Find out why you want to lose weight. Make sure that the reasons are not superficial. An example of a superficial reason is trying to lose weight because your friends are doing it. Another superficial reason could be because your spouse wants you to lose weight. Unless there is a deep desire within, you would quit at the first obstacle that comes your way.

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), Romeo and Juliet

The sweetest honey is loathsome in his own deliciousness. And in the taste confounds the appetite.

Chow Hor Fun

Ingredients :
Flat Noodle
Prawns
Fishcakes
Fishballs
Chicken slices
Choy Sum
Chicken stock - 2 cups
Eggs - 2 nos
Dark soy sauce - 1 tablespoon
Light soy sauce - 1 tablespoon
Sesame Oil - 1 tablespoon
Cornflour - 3 tablespoon to 2 tablespoon water
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in wok
Add flat noodle, dark soy sauce and light sauce
Stir until noodles are covered with the soy sauces
Remove and place in a bowl
Heat oil in wok
Fry prawns, chicken, fishcake and fishball.
Add chicken stock
Once boiled add in choy sum.
Add in sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste.
Add in cornflour mixture.
Switch off heat then add in eggs while constantly stirring the gravy.

Memory and Food

As we get older, we found that our memory has started to abandon us. No matter how hard we tried, sometimes we just couldn't remember the keys that we left on the kitchen sink that particular evening or the items that we want to buy when we go to 7 Eleven that afternoon. Admit it, some of us if not most of us are having that kind of problem. Well, I do believe that food we consumed does contribute in boosting our memory.

Here are ten foods that may improve your memory, if you can remember to eat them. You might notice that many of the foods on this list are red or purple in color. That's because the phytochemical that colors them, anthocyanin, is the same phytochemical that's good for your brain.

Blueberries
Blueberries have been shown in numerous studies to do wonderful things for memory and the brain in general. Old rats that were fed blueberries scored the same as young rats on memory tests. Blueberries contain anthocyanin, a known memory-boosting phytochemical. They also contain many other phytochemicals that may contribute to healthy brain function.

Apples
Apples contain high levels of quercetin, an antioxidant that has been shown in recent studies to protect against Alzheimer's disease. Although it is also present in the flesh, the most quercetin is found in the skin. Red apples also contain anthocyanin in their skins.

Spinach
One study found that feeding rats spinach prevented and even reversed memory loss. This may be due in part to its high folic acid content, a nutrient that is believed to be protective against Alzheimer's disease and age-related memory loss. Just a half-cup of cooked spinach provides two-thirds your daily requirement of folic acid.

Onions
Red onions contain anthocyanin and quercetin. Yellow and white onions also contain good levels of quercetin. In India, where onions are an important staple, onions have been used as a folk remedy to boost memory for centuries.

Broccoli
Broccoli contains quercetin. It's also a good source of folic acid.

Red Beets
Beets are a good source of anthocyanin and folic acid.

Grapes
Red, purple, and black grapes all contain quercetin and anthocyanin. Red wine also contains good levels of these phytochemicals, but overindulging in red wine may negate the benefits so keeping consumption to one glass per day may be wise.

Cherries
Another red food that is a good source of anthocyanin.

Eggplant
Eggplant is a great source of anthocyanin. It also contains nasunin, an antioxidant that protects the lipids in brain cell membranes.

Rosemary
Researchers have found that the carnosic acid in rosemary is neuroprotective and may play a role in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative brain disorders. One study even found that just the scent of rosemary improved the memories of office workers.

Ironically, there are times when we want to forget certain memory, yet it came crawling back into our mind like it just happen yesterday. Just like Kate Morton's quoted in her book titled The Forgotten Garden, "Memory is a cruel mistress with whom we all must learn to dance".We got to embraced it and let it passed us by like a wind blowing in cold windy night.

Care to dance?

Dancercise has become the new craze among fitness freaks. Right from helping you lose weight and tone muscles to inculcating grace and poise, dance is an inexpensive and fun way to keep fit. Here’s how:

• Burns calories: Dance, unlike any other exercise form, involves movements that are isolator and coordinate almost every part of the body. In fact studies show that, dancing can burn up to 300 calories per hour.

• Stress buster: Dancing feels like fun rather than exercise, which is good thing since exercise can become a chore after some time. Moreover, dances such as the rumba or jazz are as aerobically challenging as jogging, and the tango can work your heart harder than a game of squash. Those with hectic schedules often look to dance as a stress buster. Experts say, relaxing and de-stressing dancing releases tons of good endorphins, which simply keep you happy and put you in a positive frame of mind.

• Inner massage: Dancing rejuvenates the internal organs. If internal exercises such as vigorous sport, weight training, aerobic classes, running, etc, are not balanced by internal exercises, the organs will be depleted and result in premature ageing. Dancing harness vital energies to rejuvenate the internal organs that produce hormones and thus replenish the overall hormonal balance in the body. It energizes the body and heals the internal organs at the same time.

• Mental stimulation: Trying to remember each move and step not only ensures a good physical workout, but a sound mental state as well. Researchers have found that dancing also reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

• Grace and poise: Dancing helps you to develop grace and poise. Dancing has the power to change your body language and makes you stand out in a crowd. It teaches you to stand taller with your shoulders held back, your tummy in and your chin held high. So if you’re yearning to add grace to your carriage, fit into trendy designer wear and stays stress free, try adding dance to your fitness routine and feel the difference.

• Muscle power: Dancing is a form of weight bearing exercise and helps to strengthen the weight bearing bones.

• Healthy heart: Dance boosts your cardiovascular system by getting your heart pumping as you keep up with the moves, swinging and swaying from hips to shoulders. It is also a great way to build endurance and energy levels.

You don’t have to be Madonna or a Shakira to get your body grooving. All you need to do is put on your dancing shoes and whirl away not just your blues, but the extra kilos as well.
Well, it would be more fun if you have someone to dance with you...wink!

Courtesy of maxabout.com

10 Common Weight Loss Mistakes Everyone Should Be Aware Of

A lot of people make some very common mistakes that keeps them on a downward spiral in their weight loss journey. They eventually get frustrated and give up on weight loss all together or spend all their time and money on one weight loss gimmick after another.

Here are a list of 10 weight loss mistakes that could be holding back your weight loss success;

1. Unrealistic Goals
This is one of the main weight loss mistakes. People are more optimistic about their weight loss goals than they are about other goals. They are conservative about their financial goals but set ridiculous targets for the amount of weight they want to lose. They pick a number out of nowhere and set it as their goal. One must remember that with a proper diet and exercise regimen, typical weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week is possible. Hoping for anything more than this is going to lead to frustration and disappointment.

2. No Exercise
This is another one of the very common weight loss mistakes. A lot of people look for all kinds of diets and weight loss programs that do not need any exercise. It is not common to try to starve all day than exercise for an hour. Any regime or program that does not include exercise, will not be able to give sustainable weight loss.

3. Starvation Diets
It seems logical that if we consume less food, we should lose weight. Unfortunately our bodies do not work in a logical way. Trying to cut calories drastically could cause your body to shut down fat burning. Do not cut your calorie consumption to more than 10% of your daily requirements.

4. Very Strict Diets
Do not attempt to go on very strict diets unless you are looking for temporary results. Do not waste your time with diets that you could not practice for the rest of your life. A lot of athletes and models go through extreme dieting for that one occasion where they need to be lean. They are not able to sustain that physique for a prolonged period. If you are going to go on a diet which you are going to eventually come off, don’t bother going through it unless you need momentary results such as preparing for a wedding or another occasion. Instead, choose a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise and a healthy diet which will help you lose weight and keep the weight off.

5. Lack of Foundational Weight Loss Knowledge
There is no excuse for being ignorant in the information age. Information is available at your finger tips via the internet. One has to educate him or herself about the basics of weight loss. One should be aware of the basics of weight loss such as starvation diets, rate of healthy weight loss, building muscles to lose fat and other useful information. When you educate yourself, you will less likely fall for weight loss gimmicks that can cause psychological stress and financial strain.

6. Looking for Quick Fix Solutions
Some people spend their entire lives going from one quick fix solution after another. They keep thinking that the next gimmick would give them the weight loss that they want. This is no different from a gambler who keeps thinking that the next roll of the dice will go his way. The only way to attain sustainable weight loss is via dedication, perseverance and hard work. If there was a quick fix for weight loss, Oprah would had found it by now. This type of weight loss mistakes stem from a lack of foundational weight loss knowledge.

7. Lack of Social Support
Social support is essential for weight loss. Ideally, you should be getting this from your immediate family. If you are not able to get support from the people who are close to you, find a friend who wants to go down the same road as you. Support each other and see each other through until the finish line.

8. Lack of Time
This is another one of the common weight loss mistakes which can be overcome easily by prioritization. Weight loss will need time and effort. Most people want weight loss but do not set activities such as exercise as a high priority. They try to do exercise if they can find the time. Obama found time for exercise during the run-up to the presidential elections. It just shows that you can get anything done once you set it as a high priority.

9. Weight Loss as a Destination and Not a Journey
Most people see weight loss as a destination. It’s a number on the scale that they want to achieve. They fail to realize that weight loss is a journey. You need to always work at sustaining a beautiful and well-defined body. Once you hit your target, set a new goal so that you are continuously in pursuit of a goal. Set goals to become fitter, stronger and leaner. As the saying goes, you cannot be rich enough or lean enough.

10. Not Losing Weight Correctly
Correct weight loss essentially means weight loss that comes from losing fat. You should maintain or build on your muscle stores. Correct weight loss is sustainable in the long run. Unfortunately or fortunately, it requires discipline, perseverance and effort. Be aware of these common weight loss mistakes so that you could avoid them.


Image courtesy of stock.xchng

Fruit for Thoughts....

EATING FRUIT

This is informative!

We all think eating fruit means just buying fruit, cutting it up and popping it into our mouths.

It's not that easy. It's important to know how and when to eat fruit.

What's the correct way to eat fruit?

IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUIT AFTER A MEAL!



FRUIT SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.

Eating fruit like that plays a major role in detoxifying your system,

supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities..

FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD.

Let's say you eat two slices of bread, then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it's prevented from doing so. In the meantime, the whole meal rots and ferments, and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach, and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.



Eat your fruit on an empty stomach, or before your meal!



You've heard people complain: Every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats,

when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet, etc. This will not happen if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach.

Fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas. Hence, you bloat!

Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes

all of these will NOT happen if you eat fruit on an empty stomach.

There's no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruit becomes alkaline in our body,

according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter.

If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruit, you have the Secret of

Beauty, Longevity, Health, Energy, Happiness and normal weight.


When you need to drink fruit juice drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans.

Don't drink juice that has been heated. Don't eat cooked fruit; you don't get the nutrients at all.

You get only the taste. Cooking destroys all of the vitamins..

Eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice.

If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly,

because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it.



You can go on a 3-day fruit-fast to cleanse your body.

Eat fruit and drink fruit juice for just 3 days, and you will be surprised when your friends say how radiant you look!

KIWI: Tiny but mighty, and a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange!

AN APPLE a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C, thereby helping to lower the risk of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

2 - 4 ORANGES oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones, and reduce the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. Also a key source of lycopene, the cancer-fighting oxidant. Also found in watermelon: Vitamin C & Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene, good for your eyes.

Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer!

Can u believe this? For those who like to drink cold water, this applies to you. It's nice to have a cold drink after a meal, however, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you've just consumed, which slows digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

10 Principles to Cooking Healthier

I guess most of us already knows the basic principle of eating or cooking healthily. But if you’re ready for just a bit more guidance, our 10 principles of healthy cooking will get you started:





1. Use smart fats.
Not all fat is bad. Opt for unsaturated (e.g., olive oil) over saturated fats such as butter. But still use them in moderation because all fats are loaded with calories.


2. Go unrefined.
Pick whole grains over refined grains. Whole grains like brown rice and bulgur have their bran intact and thus have more fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, zinc and other nutrients.


3. Eat more fruits and vegetables.
Most people don’t get enough! Aim for 5 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Pick produce in a variety of colors to get a range of antioxidants and vitamins. A serving size is 1⁄2 to 1 cup depending on the fruit or vegetable.


4. It’s not all about the meat.
Meat is a great source of protein but it’s also a big source of saturated fat in many people’s diets. So eat small amounts of lean meat, fish and poultry. Fill up the rest of your plate with healthy vegetables and whole grains.


5. Choose low-fat dairy.
Dairy products like milk, sour cream and yogurt are a good source of calcium. Replacing whole-milk dairy products with low-fat or nonfat is an easy way to cut saturated fat in your diet.


6. Keep portions reasonable.
Even though we would all like a magic bullet for weight control, it really boils down to calories. One of the easiest ways to manage calorie intake is by eating healthy portions.


7. Use sweeteners judiciously.
Sugars of any kind, whether corn syrup, white sugar, brown sugar, honey or maple syrup, add significant calories without any nutritive value.


8. Keep an eye on sodium.
Whether you have high blood pressure or not, it’s wise to watch your sodium intake. The USDA’s dietary guidelines for Americans recommend consuming less than 2,300 mg (about 1 teaspoon salt) daily.


9. Go for the flavor.
Enhance food with bold flavors from healthy ingredients like fresh herbs, spices and citrus. When your food has great flavor, there’s no reason to feel deprived.



10. Be mindful and enjoy.
Make conscious food decisions rather than grabbing for what is most convenient. Make sure it is something delicious and savor it. When you enjoy what you eat, you feel satisfied

Tips on Losing Weight

I browse the internet last last few days to search for some healthy food recipe but instead I stumbled upon few tips on losing weights. Well, I guess sharing is caring.

You know the drill when it comes to losing weight--take in fewer calories, burn more calories. But you also know that most diets and quick weight-loss plans have about as much substance as a politician's campaign pledges. You're better off finding several simple things you can do on a daily basis--along with following the cardinal rules of eating more vegetables and less fat and getting more physical activity. Together, they should send the scale numbers in the right direction: down.

1. Once a week, indulge in a highcalorie-tasting, but low-calorie, treat.
This should help keep you from feeling deprived and binging on higher calorie foods. For instance:

Lobster. Just 83 calories in 3 ounces.
Shrimp. Just 60 calories in 12 large.
Smoked salmon. Just 66 calories in two ounces. Sprinkle with capers for an even more elegant treat.
Whipped cream. Just 8 calories in one tablespoon. Drop a dollop over a bowl of fresh fruit for dessert.

2. Treat high-calorie foods as jewels in the crown.
Make a spoonful of ice cream the jewel and a bowl of fruit the crown. Cut down on the chips by pairing each bite with lots of chunky, filling fresh salsa, suggests Jeff Novick, director of nutrition at the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Florida. Balance a little cheese with a lot of salad.


3. After breakfast, make water your primary drink.
At breakfast, go ahead and drink orange juice. But throughout the rest of the day, focus on water instead of juice or soda. The average American consumes an extra 245 calories a day from soft drinks. That's nearly 90,000 calories a year--or 25 pounds! And research shows that despite the calories, sugary drinks don't trigger a sense of fullness the way that food does.

4. Carry a palm-size notebook everywhere you go for one week.
Write down every single morsel that enters your lips--even water. Studies have found that people who maintain food diaries wind up eating about 15 percent less food than those who don't.

5. Buy a pedometer, clip it to your belt, and aim for an extra 1,000 steps a day.
On average, sedentary people take only 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day. Adding 2,000 steps will help you maintain your current weight and stop gaining weight; adding more than that will help you lose weight.

6. Add 10 percent to the amount of daily calories you think you're eating, then adjust your eating habits accordingly.
If you think you're consuming 1,700 calories a day and don't understand why you're not losing weight, add another 170 calories to your guesstimate. Chances are, the new number is more accurate.

7. Eat five or six small meals or snacks a day instead of three large meals.
A 1999 South African study found that when men ate parts of their morning meal at intervals over five hours, they consumed almost 30 percent fewer calories at lunch than when they ate a single breakfast. Other studies show that even if you eat the same number of calories distributed this way, your body releases less insulin, which keeps blood sugar steady and helps control hunger.

8. Walk for 45 minutes a day.
The reason we're suggesting 45 minutes instead of the typical 30 is that a Duke University study found that while 30 minutes of daily walking is enough to prevent weight gain in most relatively sedentary people, exercise beyond 30 minutes results in weight and fat loss. Burning an additional 300 calories a day with three miles of brisk walking (45 minutes should do it) could help you lose 30 pounds in a year without even changing how much you're eating.

9. Find an online weight-loss buddy.
A University of Vermont study found that online weight-loss buddies help you keep the weight off. The researchers followed volunteers for 18 months. Those assigned to an Internet-based weight maintenance program sustained their weight loss better than those who met face-to-face in a support group.

10. Bring the color blue into your life more often.
There's a good reason you won't see many fast-food restaurants decorated in blue: Believe it or not, the color blue functions as an appetite suppressant. So serve up dinner on blue plates, dress in blue while you eat, and cover your table with a blue tablecloth. Conversely, avoid red, yellow, and orange in your dining areas. Studies find they encourage eating.

Courtesy of Reader's Digest Stealth Health.

Quotes by William Osler

We are all dietetic sinners; only a small percent of what we eat nourishes us; the balance goes to waste and loss of energy. ~William Osler