July 5, 2011
Overtraining – Your Body’s Way of Saying “Screw You”
Overtraining – Your Body’s Way of Saying “Screw You”
Filed under Blog, Expert Advice by Dr. Saman
Balanced Diet Awareness
Obesity has turned out to be the biggest epidemic in America.
Other Countries believe, that today America is a country of fat and extremely lazy people.
This alarming growth of weight affects people of all age groups.
A recent study shows that Americans showed significantly higher rates of diseases that are related to obesity compared to Britons.
Filed under Blog, Nutrition Tips & Strategies by Dr. Saman
It’s NOT About the Calories!
Weight loss seems so simple.
Eat fewer calories than you burn and you will lose that dreaded belly fat for good.
But ask any of the 50+ million individuals who are attempting to lose weight each year and they will tell you it is not that easy.
It’s not just changing what you eat and exercising.
It feels like a battle.
After all, you are tackling the 10 year daily visit to the vending machine habit, the 20 year snacking while watching TV habit, or maybe the “dinner’s not complete unless I eat something sweet” conviction.
If you want to kick those bad habits that prevent you from eating fewer calories overall and few quality calories, than you need to be prepared to understand and change your behaviors.
To get you started, here are some pointers to keep in mind:
* Know Yourself:
First, understand your motivation.
Why do you want to lose weight?
If you do not have a reason that is truly meaningful to you, than you will have a tough road to climb.
People who attempt weight loss because they feel they should, but aren’t invested, won’t be able to make the necessary permanent change in behavior.
If you can’t identify a reason, brainstorm.
Write down every possible reason why you want to lose weight, set it aside for a day or so.
When you return to the list, write down why that reason is important to you (what will it do for you specifically).
When you’ve identified your top 3 and you feel strongly about them, it’s time to get started.
If you still struggle, put the list away and return every couple of days, adding answers and revisiting old ones until you have identified your reason WHY.
* Motivate Yourself
Once you have identified the very specific reason as to why, hang onto it.
Make visible reminders.
The reminders could be pictures of yourself, your kids, a swimsuit model hung in the kitchen, bathroom, etc., or the reminder may be a pair of pants you would like to fit into.
When you are feeling like giving up, try on the pants.
Notice how they fit, where they are still tight, where they have gotten bigger.
Now imagine what it will be like to fit into them again.
Take an index card and write one sentence summarizing your motivation.
Carry the card with you.
Read it when your motivation wanes.
* Coach Yourself
We are our own worst enemy.
Despite working hard at changing our behaviors and making efforts to make it happen, we subtly tell ourselves things like “I hope I can do this”, “I’ve been good, I deserve to take a day off”, or “I blew it today, I might as well write today off and start fresh tomorrow.”
The problem with these thoughts is they are all negative.
Telling yourself you hope you can do this indicates uncertainty and that some element is not within your control. Remember weight loss is possible. Direct your thoughts positively and keep your motivation in sight.
* Reframe Your Mind
Put exercise in the same perspective as the rest of your life. A lot of people think of exercise as something extra in their lives; something that happens when they have the time.
Treat exercise as though it’s obligatory.
When you wake up each day, plan your exercise as just something else that needs to happen.
* Celebrate You!
Do you give your best to your job, your family, and your friends but never devote anything worthwhile to yourself?
Use these behavior changes as an opportunity to put yourself first. Remind yourself you are taking steps toward a healthier, leaner you. If you do not see changes in your body or on the scale immediately, be patient.
Fat loss WILL happen when you remain committed to your goal.
Calories DO matter, so you should have an idea of just how many you are eating if you want to be leaner, sexier, and stronger!
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Filed under Blog, Expert Advice, Nutrition Tips & Strategies by Dr. Saman
Why Your Environment is Making Fat Loss Tough The first step in “spring cleaning” your house is identifying the negative triggers slowing fat loss.
Step 2 is doing something about it…
That step is to “Clean up” and replace negative cues with more positive ones throughout the house:
The Kitchen
The kitchen is the by far the worst location for negative eating cues. When “spring cleaning” the kitchen, remember the cliché “Out of sight, out of mind.”
If tempting, high fat, high calorie foods in the house are a must have, they should not be visible. But before you automatically put them away in the ‘junk food cabinet’, consider this cabinet’s affect on your behavior as well.
Most houses have them.
It’s the place you turn to when you’re looking for a snack, the first place the kids open when they come home from school hungry, etc.
“The cabinet” contains all foods easy to reach, easy to snack on, and more likely than not, most likely to sabotage your diet.
If eliminating “the cabinet” and its high calorie items is not possible, consider moving it. Pick an out of reach, less accessible cabinet or drawer in the kitchen and switch the items in each location.
The next time you unconsciously open “the cabinet” just because, instead of finding a pantry full of high calorie foods, you’ll be faced with something different such as storage containers or spices.
This alone will provide a mental cue that you intentionally wanted to break this habit, and may lead you to choose a healthier snack, or forget the snack altogether.
Next, check the countertops.
Do you see tempting foods out in the open?
Make the switch from clear storage containers to opaque ones so food is not visible.
Anytime you walk past food that is visible, you receive a cue for food and eating. This does not mean you will act on that cue every time, but the more frequently you are cued, the more likely you are to act The Living Room/Family Room Take a walk through the rest of your house. Think about your typical habits. Does walking into the living room entice you to sit in “your” favorite seat on the sofa or chair and turn on the TV? If so, make some changes.
Rearrange the furniture or make a conscious effort to sit someplace else when you watch TV to break this learned pattern of behavior.
If you own exercise equipment such as a treadmill or bike, don’t keep it hidden in the corners of your house as a clothes hanger or storage unit, move it to a key location such as the living or family room. By having exercise equipment in an enjoyable location, you are more likely to use it regularly.
The Bedroom
Think about your normal morning and evening routine.
Eliminate the things that stall your commitment to exercise. If you typically hit the snooze button on the alarm clock instead of getting out of bed to exercise, move the clock. Place it in a location in the bedroom where you have to get out of bed to turn it off.
Do you find it difficult to keep track of your exercise clothes and shoes? Organize your exercise clothes in a drawer or section of the closet so they are easily accessible.
Create a place to keep your exercise shoes so you can always find them.
There you have it – simple tips and strategies to helping you take control of you and “spring cleaning” your house.
Filed under Blog, Expert Advice by Dr. Saman
