Weight Reduction Weight Loss Tip
To most people, losing weight is an unending attempt. Usually, the shedding of extra pounds is a momentary event which will sooner or later be followed by the steady regain of the lost weight. Some well-known diets are mostly unsuccessful after some time because they failed to tackle the complicated nature of what entails a permanent and successful weight loss. Fortunately, most studies have informed the society that there are many strategies and tips which aid in anyone who needs to get a permanent loss in weight.
Reasons why people undergo weight loss
As far as we all know, losing weight is simply following a method to decrease the weight in numerical count. Obesity has been one of the main concerns in most countries because of the serious dangers it may cause to people. This is mainly due to these days’ easier life style, preferences in food and the presence of high-tech gadgets and machines. All too often, people who face this kind of problem also suffer from other health-related diseases like high blood pressure and other heart-problems, diabetes, feelings of insecurity that usually lead to depression. Moreover, recent news has informed the public that people who are obese have a 60% chance to likely develop some types of cancer. So that obesity is brought to an end, constant weight loss has been the idea to maintain a healthy life. Individuals who experience this problem have probably tried many different means to overcome this.
How to manage on losing weight
There are probably many reasons why most people are unsuccessful in losing weight. Others, however, may have been better on the early stages of losing weight but after some time, they were tired of maintaining their weights to normal. Before undergoing weight loss, one must establish a few goals for him/her to follow. Here are some goals that could help anyone who wants a successful loss of weight:
• Halt any further additional weight gain.
• Learn to establish realistic goals that should maintain the process of losing weight.
• Maintain a healthy life style while reducing weight.
• Form a group of people who also want to lose weight so that everyone will benefit from others like sharing ideas on weight loss plus it would be fun too.
What can be done to lose weight
Oftentimes, obesity calls forth a tough diet so that one is able to reach the “idyllic body weight”. However, losing weight is a very long process. Almost 95% of people who tried to lose weight were able to regain weight within the next three to four years.
To start losing weight, one must also learn what the real causes of obesity are. When obesity is considered to be a chronic disease, it can be administered like any chronic disease such as high blood pressure or diabetes. In treating obesity, it cannot be done for only a couple of days, instead; it will be an ongoing process. Although it may be hard, one must be able to look beyond the attainment of the “ideal weight”. He/she must accept that even the slightest bit of weight loss can be very beneficial. Proper weight loss can bring major health gains such as:
•Blood pressure is lowered
•Reduction on cholesterol level
•Reduction on the risk of having an adult-onset diabetes
•Decrease in the chance of having a stroke or complications in other heart–related problems.
What Should You Do If You Have Acid Reflux?
Acid reflux, also known as gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), occurs when the sphincter that is positioned at the bottom of the esophagus stops functioning properly. This will allow food in the stomach to come back up through the sphincter into the esophagus and sometimes even into the mouth, resulting in a painful heartburn (a burning sensation in the chest and throat) or even permanent damage to the esophagus if no proper acid reflux treatment is sought.
Acid reflux treatment varies among individual upon diagnosis. To some, lifestyle changes will be necessary to reduce the pain and discomfort of the disease. One such change is to avoid foods that trigger the symptoms. Foods that give rise to Acid Reflux are aplenty and obtaining a list of them is a good place to start. Yet, a food that cause problem for one may be perfectly fine for another. Therefore, patients are regularly advised to keep their own diet diary, so that offensive foods can be identified and avoided.
Those diagnosed with Acid Reflux should also avoid overeating, alcohol, coffee and smoking. A person who is obese may be advised to loss some weight as part of an acid reflux treatment plan. Since symptoms can get worse after a night of lying flat, one might find relief in the morning by elevating the upper body by about eight inches during sleep.
Acid Reflux Drugs Are Very Effective
If lifestyle changes are not able to provide the desired relief, one can then consider taking Acid Reflux drugs. Sometimes readily available antacids will do. In other cases, a prescription drug might be required. A point to note is that this form of treatment will have to be taken regularly and continued indefinitely
The good news is that the treatment is not difficult to administer for acid reflux in adults and children. It is rather excellent and extremely fast in relieving most, if not all of the symptoms of the person suffering for quite some time.
Are The Acid Reflux Drugs Good Or Bad To Treat The Acid Reflux
The acid reflux drugs are highly capable of getting rid of all the symptoms within a day or two from the start of the treatment. They will be free of chest pain, heartburn, and etc. These treatments are simple and direct which include one of two main acid reflux drugs.
If you do not like too many drugs, you can consider using herbs and other alternatives which can be just as effectively.
Understanding Acid Reflux Surgery
For those who do not wish to continue with medication forever or the medication is ineffective, they can consider surgery.
It is important to understand the surgical process and the complications involved if you are considering it as an option for your suffering. This is a grave matter that deserves serious consideration in terms of your options. Unless all your natural options are unsuccessful and you cannot find effective relief in either a dietary or a lifestyle change, then you can consider surgery as a solution for your recovery. You will thus have to consider the plus and minus of the surgery before deciding.
The Surgical Procedure
One procedural option for acid reflux surgery is called laparoscopy. This is a technique that is similar to tying the Fallopian tubes in females. The same principle applies and the surgeon would fold the upper stomach. It is wrapped and sutured to the esophagus from this point, wrapped around both sides of the food tube. This technique aims to restore the typical amount of pressure on the sphincter and, thus, creates a normal operation procedure that allows the correct quantity of acid to flow to the right places.
An alternative to the surgical procedure is to reduce the amount of stomach acid through medication. This is preferred to acid reflux surgery only if the surgery is deemed too dangerous for the patient or if it is not thought to work with the patient’s biochemical reactions.
The choice of treatment lies with the individual whether surgical or non-surgical procedure is used to eliminate the pervasive problem of acid reflux.
The Cure And The Suffering
The cure for acid reflux actually lies in your hands. It is not about the medicine, drugs and surgery available to cure Acid Reflux. It is about having the right diet to combat the symptoms. For someone suffering from acute acidity and acid reflux, their diet should be specially designed and they should make sure that they are never caught hungry.
People who skip breakfast or spend two hours eating lunch/dinner would never get their health back. When the stomach stays hungry for prolong period, a lot of acid is created, and it is possible for the stomach to ‘fight back’ and force it up towards the mouth. This is when you get a sour taste in the mouth.
Visit a doctor if you suspect that you are suffering from acidity. If treatment is delayed, the danger of getting esophageal ulcers will be greater. This might lead to cancer at a later stage. Always remember, “Prevention is always better than cure.”
Flat Belly Diet Warning – Case Study Reveals Major Doubts
The most recent nutritional fad is the Flat Belly Diet and the notion of “Belly Flattening Foods.”
Lately there has been a lot of word of mouth about something known as the Flat Belly Diet that features foods that are supposed to be able to burn stomach fat. This belly fat – aka visceral fat – dwells within abdominal cavity and can surround and impact the function of internal organs, which makes stomach fat potentially more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. Subcutaneous fat is what constitutes the dreaded “spare tire” or “beer belly” that most people are long-familiar with.
The Flat Belly Diet was formulated in response to a study done in Spain where eleven overweight people who were progeny of diabetics, were fed 3 contrasting diets comprising of the equal amount of calories each with a different concoction of carbohydrates and fats. One diet was high in carbohydrates, one diet was high in saturated fats and one diet was high in monounsaturated fats. People spend 4-weeks on each diet.
According to Prevention Magazine the promoters of the Flat Belly Diet, researchers ascertained that the people who consumed the diet high in monounsaturated fats lost more weight without additional exercise. However, in interpreting conclusions published in the actual study, this statement is dubious. Here’s what the study tells us, “RESULTS- Weight, body composition, and resting energy expenditure remained unaltered during the 3 sequential dietary periods.”
And while the Flat Belly Diet puts forward that a diet high in monounsaturated fats cuts down weight and visceral fat, here’s what is published in the study. “Using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry we observed that when patients were fed a CHO-enriched diet (carbohydrates), their fat mass was redistributed toward the abdominal depot, whereas periphery fat accumulation decreased compared with isocaloric MUFA-rich (monounsaturated fats) and high-SAT (saturated fats) diets.”
What this signifies – despite the propaganda spread by the Flat Belly Diet – is that the monounsaturated and saturated fat diets resulted in less “stomach fat” accumulation than did the high carb diets. The researchers also clearly state that weight and body fat percentage were unaltered as a result of all 3 diet interventions.
Here is the conclusion as published in the study, “CONCLUSIONS- An isocaloric MUFA-rich diet prevents central fat redistribution and the postprandial decrease in peripheral adiponectin gene expression and insulin resistance induced by a CHO-rich diet in insulin-resistant subjects.”
So despite the statements made by the advocators of the Flat Belly Diet, eating a diet high in monounsaturated fats had no effect on slimming or body fat percentage, and a diet high in saturated fats was just as effective as the monounsaturated diet in preventing visceral – belly – fat from accumulating. And these results were found in people who were overweight and the offspring of diabetes patients. Not exactly life changing results are they?
The inclusion of particular kinds of foods in this reduced calorie eating program does not alter the truth that the Flat Belly Diet is merely the most recent edition of an externally regulated, restrained eating program, simply another gimmick that applies exhausted, old, ill-conceived hope statements such as, “Eat and think your way thin.”
You don’t have to take my word for it, you can check out the abstract of the study for yourself. I’ve a tough time trusting the hype that circles the Flat Belly Diet given the way these results have been twisted. As a result, the Flat Belly Diet should be viewed as simply another diet, a diet – like all the rest – that is not deserving too much of your time or excitement.
Ultimately, and if you’ve read the facts over at my website, you’ll understand that although these exercises might do some good for getting a flat stomach and possible six pack abs, there is no way that you’ll get to that point with these exercises alone, and the good news is that it’s not all about doing more exercises! It’s ultimately about doing things smarter, not always harder…
You need to have a well balanced, concentrated diet along with a proven abs training program to see the best results in the quickest possible time. See http://secretsixpackabs.com/Which_abs_training_system_should_you_buy_.html for more details.
Why obesity is a big issue in the United States
One reason obesity is increasing is that antidepressants and medications for bipolar disorder are increasingly prescribed. And these medications are associated with significant weight gain.
If you are about to start taking medications for depression or bipolar disorder, they may be the key to regaining a fulfilling, successful life. But beware: an improved quality of life may not be the only thing you’re gaining. Weight gain is commonly associated with antidepressants and medications used for bipolar disorder. The good news is that this weight gain is preventable and reversible as long as you tap into your brain’s natural appetite control mechanism mediated by serotonin. The other piece of good news is that the key to serotonin and weight control is eating carbohyrates – the right carbs, in the right amount, at the right times.
First, it’s important to state that why these medications cause the weight gain is not entirely clear to anyone. But what is clear is that patients taking these pharmacologic agents experience increased food cravings, particularly for sweet and starchy carbohydrates often loaded with fat. Potato chips, ice cream with chocolate sauce, and pizza become the obsession for many. Along with these cravings comes a sense of of never feeling full no matter how much is eaten. For example, someone could eat a dinner containing enough calories and then, an hour later, consume a second dinner.
Eating in response to these cravings or even if one is full is the body’s reaction to the brain saying it needs more serotonin. When you eat sweet or starchy carbs, your brain makes serotonin, the feel-good brain chemical that controls your appetite, gives you a mental boost, and puts you in a good mood. Fruit, although healthy, does not lead to increased serotonin, though. And when you eat protein along with the carbohydrates, serotonin is not made, so eat protein when your body doesn’t need the serotonin as much such as at breakfast and lunch so the protein can give you mental energy and focus.
So, the best ways to boost your brain’s serotonin is to do two things as outlined in The Serotonin Power Diet:
1. Have a late-afternoon low fat carbohydrate snack such as half a bagel, a cup of breakfast cereal, or some pretzels.
2. Flip your menu: eat mainly wholesome carbs like whole wheat pasta and vegetables for dinner with minimal protein and make sure you include protein at breakfast and lunch along with fruits and vegetables.
You will feel more satisfied eating less and you may even sleep better. It is indeed possible to be well treated with medications and stay slim.
Gastric Bypass Surgery Recovery And Expectations
Gastric bypass surgery is the latest medical technique in the field of controlling obesity and obesity related diseases. Weight loss procedures are either restrictive which reduce the size of your stomach or malabsorptive which lessen the flow of food from stomach to the intestine thus reducing the absorption of fat and other essential vitamins and minerals. These techniques are used in combination in gastric bypass surgery which creates a small pouch in your stomach making a larger area of your stomach not participate in retaining the food. Also, a bypass is created in the small intestine which allows partial absorption of food leading to weight reduction.The more pertinent question is of the recovery after the operation. The good news is though it is an operation taking several hours and a lot of precision, the recovery is relatively fast. The patient is discharged from the hospital within two to seven days depending upon individual condition. Doctors generally allow discharge once you are able to eat liquid or pureed food without vomiting, walk without major discomfort and are not taking injections for pain. This implies that the main discomforting symptoms are over by the first week. The vomiting results because the patient is not in-sync with the amount of food his newly created smaller stomach would be able to take and also because the new system created within the body takes a little time to assume smooth activity.Another serious condition during first two months of recovery can be dumping syndrome the indications of which are nausea, vomiting, sweating and fatigue. These conditions however would not appear if the diet guidelines are being followed carefully. Most importantly, you would have to be prepared for frequent doctor visits at least in the first whole year to keep a check on your diet, lifestyle, proper healing of the incisions, general recovery and progress and if there are any further surgical requirements.So, what should be the general expectations of a person considering Gastric Bypass Surgery? The expectations should be good overall. On health front, you lose about sixty to eighty percent of excess weight with this operation. A person after this operation loses ten pounds a month on an average, the loss being higher in the initial months when liquid diets are part of the health maintenance and recovery regime. Your body reaches a stable weight within eighteen to twenty four months. Another good news is diseases like sleeping apnea, heart diseases, diabetes, pains in the lower back, knees and other joints reduces significantly and may even disappear with the weight loss. The good news however comes with various changes in lifestyle and food habits.On physical front, you would look good with the weight loss but there may be issues of skin sagging due to sudden weight loss. At relatively younger ages, skin can recover and get back to adjust with the new weight but at later ages further surgery for correction may have to be considered. These include face lifts, tummy tuck, breast reduction, eye lid corrections, neck lifts and more.Overall, it can prove to be a blessing for an excessively overweight person who would benefit from weight loss, reduced chances of diseases associated with weight gain and a surge in confidence.
Latest news regarding the Wonder Drug Zimulti, this time from Down Under.
Scientists in Perth, West Australia will be testing a brand new weight-loss pill in the hope it will not only help patients lose weight but also cut their chance of heart diseases by increasing levels of good cholesterol or HDL.
Royal Perth Hospital test, as part of an international test, could prove the weight-loss drug called Rimonabant, developed by the French drugmaker Sanofi Aventis, can preclude the condition known as metabolic syndrome, a particularly high risk form of weight gain which entails problems controlling cholesterol, insulin and blood pressure.
Gerald Watts, Royal Perth Hospital professor of medicine, who specializes in metabolic disorders, said the drug is expected to be approved in Australia within a few months and the hospital aimed to enroll 15 to 20 patients as part of the 80 being studied worldwide.
The pills that have been available until now have had toxic outcomes and some work but have no long-term safety data, so this is a new approach to the management of obesity.
The drug works by preventing chemical operations in the brain, which results in loss appetite and also acts on the liver to help the body burn more fat, but side-effects can include nausea and diarrhea.
Were curious in the mechanism of how this drug works and the function it could play in obese people who have several risk factors for heart disease, one of which is low HDL cholesterol, or metabolic syndrome, he said.
Professor Watts said the bottom line is to help people lose weight, which then reduces their chance of other sicknesses such as diabetes. It means that people end up eating less and burning more fat so its a very strong instrument for targeting obesity, but beyond that its also an strong instrument for helping smoking and even alcohol abuse, he said.
Royal Perth Hospital is enroling men and women aged between 35 and 65 who are overweight or obese with a waist perimeter of more than 102cm in men and 88cm in women and have high triglycerides with low HDL cholesterol. They will be put on a diet to lose 5 per cent of their body weight and some will be selected to continue on the Rimonabant test.
In test that have been done, the gains that have been seen in terms of increasing HDL cholesterol could not be excused by the weight loss alone, so it clearly has a direct outcome on the good cholesterol.
Weight Loss Market Today
Today, I am going to deal with three pieces of back-to-back news about the weight loss market in general and Acomplia in particular.
Decision Resources is one of the world’s leading research firms on health care and pharmaceutical issues. In a recent report, it confirms that obesity has reached epidemic proportion in seven of the world’s major markets: France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Spain and the United States. Given the potential need for effective treatments, the company predicts that the market will grow fivefold by 2016 from the base figures in 2006 where sales are estimated at $478 million to $2.7 billion.
Given the rate of growth in the incidence of obesity, Decision Resources predicts that the need for safe, effective and well-tolerated medications will be strongest in the US. But, the experience of Sanofi-Aventis is instructive. When it applied to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the approval of Acomplia, the FDA proved sceptical and demanded significantly more evidence of the medication’s safety. Sanofi-Aventis withdrew the application and will resubmit next year. But this reaction from the FDA has become more common and it could slow the arrival of all the new medications in this category (Amylin, Arena Pharmaceuticals, Merck and Pfizer all have antiobesity medications in the development pipeline).
So we have an interesting situation developing. Looking at the current medications in development, they either work in the same way as Acomplia and so may run into the same safety concerns, or they rely on injections which are less a convenient delivery system. Thus, there are no obvious “blockbuster” medications due to appear in the US market in the next eight years — a sobering thought for those planning the US public health response to the obesity crisis.
Which brings me to the specific Acomplia news. Last June, the Berlin social court classified Acomplia as a “lifestyle” drug. In doing so, the court was confirming the decision made by the G-BA — a self-regulating body of doctors and health insurers that makes drug recommendations. German law does not allow the state-run health insurance companies to reimburse patients for non-therapeutic expenditure. There is a prejudice that being overweight is not an illness requiring treatment but the result of lifestyle choices by the individual. This month, an appeal against this decision was rejected which leaves Acomplia firmly restricted to the middle and upper classes who can afford to pay for it, and denies treatment to the poor whose diet may put them more at risk of obesity.
And back in the US, the latest edition of the journal Cell Metabolism is carrying encouraging new animal-study findings that Acomplia may be useful in blocking the development of alcoholic fatty liver — a major cause of liver disease. Mice treated with Acomplia did not experience alcohol’s fat-building effects. The researchers speculate that Acomplia could be an effective treatment in humans to reverse the fatty deposits and so prevent the progression into a full liver disease without the need to make the full lifestyle change to give up the addiction for alcohol (which is often not possible). They call for full clinical trials.
How ironic that we should have such good news about how effective Acomplia may be at the same time as the US and German authorities seem so unsympathetic to the antiobesity market’s needs.
Kick your sugar habit
That piece of cake may taste delicious when it is fresh off the fork, but it can do serious damage to your waistline.
Whether you’re a comfort eater or reach for convenience snacks in the middle of your busy day, indulging in a sugar-laden diet can result in any number of unwanted health problems. Mental and physical laziness, pre-diabetes, and a “spare tire” are but a few responses you body may make when fed a diet of simple sugars and over-processed food.
The good news? It’s not too late to wean yourself off sweets and begin making healthier choices that will result in a healthier body, more energy, and a slimmer waistline. Some tricks to a successful change are to keep your energy levels stable and retrain your sluggish digestive system, while providing yourself with positive opportunities to “cheat”.
The first step is to remove unnecessary processed sugar from your daily diet – and it’s often hiding in the most unsuspecting places. Check the labels of your food for telltale signs – glucose, fructose and sucrose are all pseudonyms of sugar, and they all have the same results. Another easy way to cut out sugar is to drink only water – whether you’re eliminating your morning glass of juice, the sugar from your coffee, or your daily soda, drinking plain water will help to flush out your system and allows you to avoid unnecessary sources of sweetness.
One of the main reasons that people cheat when they diet is because their body has a physical craving for sugar – in most circumstances, their blood sugar has dropped substantially and they need a “quick fix” in order to get it back up to its former level. The problem with reaching for a candy bar? Your blood sugar will spike, but will soon come crashing back down again – an endless cycle that results in unnecessary hormone fluctuations and a constant need to feed the cravings.
The solution to this problem is simple – keep your blood sugar as regulated as possible. For most, this means filling your meals with high fibre, complex carbohydrates and high protein choices like lean meats, leafy vegetables and whole grains. The proper balance of “good” carbs with “good” fats will ensure that your blood sugar levels taper off gradually, eliminating the sudden drop caused by the simple sugars found in candy and convenience snacks. Also, once you are getting the right balance of nutrients, your cravings will all but disappear. A high-quality multivitamin will usually do the trick.
The second trick to kicking your sugar habit is to allow yourself to “cheat” on occasion; by giving yourself the opportunity to indulge a little, you can avoid those moments when you’re tempted to eat the whole box of doughnuts. However, instead of focusing on your favourite type of dessert, replace those snacks with a healthier option whenever possible – the natural sugars found in most fruits are balanced by the fibre they also contain, making a snack like berries and yogurt an ideal way to satisfy your sweet tooth. When you do need to grab a bite of chocolate, aim for high quality – you’ll need a lot less to get the same satisfaction.
Cutting out the sugar habit is not an easy decision to make, and the first few weeks can be very difficult to endure. The payback, however, is a life of energy and power – two perks that are much more meaningful than a slice of cherry pie.
What does it take to make poverty an important news story?
Technically, any poverty related issue should warrant the full attention of the world’s media, but the present scale of the issue will usually determine whether a story will make headline news throughout the globe.
The two main influences that repeatedly arise within the media are when the poverty directly concerns the basic human requirement of food and clean water. Images of children weak from
malnourishment, their stomachs swollen due to insufficient diet as flies swarm over their bodies, are commonly recorded and displayed because of their hard-hitting impact upon the rest of civilisation. Nobody likes to witness these soul destroying images, but it is a proven method in obtaining the attention it deserves.
The famine in Ethiopia during the 1980s was one such incident that made international headlines. However, it is now regarded as a crisis that could, and should, have been averted or at the very least minimised. The west has been accused, and heavily criticised for not reacting in time to the warnings by both the Ethiopian Government and Aid agencies. Nearly one million of the local population lost their lives due to famine, in a case of too little, too late.
This leads to a question of ‘Why does it take an event to occur before it is acted upon?’. Should the international media increase its efforts in profiling the potential for such an incidence before it actually happens? The answer, in theory, is yes. And although reports filter through of incidences of poverty, the depths to which it is investigated and reported are minimised behind actual events that are occurring at that precise moment. Is this therefore a case of ‘out of sight and out of mind?’
Poverty is evident throughout the earth’s nations, from health issues to social care and living conditions. A recent news report highlighted the continued use of child labour. High street stores were indirectly obtaining merchandise that had been produced by children because of the cheap labour involved.
When news footage revealed how children as young as six or seven were making garments for major fashion labels, people became outraged and demanded this be stopped. Measures were implemented that were meant to prevent this occurring again in developing countries and it appeared to have been successful.
The story of child labour was highlighted in the BBC NEWS in October 2007 – http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wor ld/south_asia/7066019.stm
But the story became second-hand news and people simply
Why Can’t I Stick to a Diet?
So you need to lose 10 (or 20 or 30) pounds – or think you do – but we’ll get to that later, missy. Well what is so hard about that? All you need is a little self discipline. After all, you only need to eliminate 3,500 calories from your intake, and whoosh – it’s gone.
A one time deal and you never have to think about it again, Right? Right?? Don’t I wish!!
Why is it that I don’t hear cheers and the sound of high fives from around the room? What I do hear is the sneaky rustle of potato chip bags and Twinkie’s wrappings. Ah, you say, I could stick to a diet if it weren’t for those nasty food cravings.
All right, I hear you, and yes, I’ll admit that food cravings are real, and the good news is that there could be medical reasons for these cravings.
· Are you pregnant? If you think you could be, please get tested. Don’t wait for nine months to find out, girls. That kid needs to be fed right, and fed right NOW. (You want a pickle? Go for it, mom! Just don’t use pregnancy to justify stuffing your tummy with everything you have tried to deny yourself for the past 15 years. )
· Premenstrual? Look at the calendar. Does simply being a woman make want you a candy bar? (Or several candy bars? I’ll take two plain chocolate, one with almonds, and a little bag of…but you get the point.)
· Low insulin levels? Yes, lack of insulin could be driving your irrational desire for Real Food, i.e., lots of carbohydrates. If you have low blood sugar or if there is diabetes in your family, your body will try to protect itself by storing every calorie within reach. Go to a doctor immediately, and get this checked out, will you? There are also great website loaded with information, check out www.insulitelabs.com.
· Low Serotonin? So your boss hates you, your mom won’t get off your back about your messy living room, and your guy is the reason for the messy living room, in the first place. Sure, everybody wants to feel good, and if you are under a lot of stress, your body may start to holler for a one pound bag of chocolate chip cookies, fudge-ripple ice cream or three Margaritas. Are you going to give in?
Yes, food cravings are out there, but the question is, ‘What can you do about them?’ Well, apart from the very real medical issues that some women face, you can do a lot.
Now I know that some of you do not want to go the gym, but exercise really helps. Not only does it elevate the level of those natural feel-good chemicals, it tones your muscles (making the body you have look better, even if it weighs the same), it reduces the number of calories that are available for storage on your inner thighs, and gets you out of harm’s way (that bag of potato chips can’t see you when you are at the gym). Now that’s not just a two-fer, it’s a four-fer! Of course, you don’t have to go to the gym to exercise. You can take long walks with a friend, go bowling, or swim at your local pool – better than watching TV any day.
Meditation and yoga help, too, and yoga helps keep you flexible, as well as calming your nerves (the ones that are frayed because of your guy, your boss, and your mother: see above). Sex and a bath with candles can help, too. The point is that we do have a lot of control over our lives, so let’s go girls!
