Lose Weight the Healthy Way
Marlene Mathis

It’s definitely no fun to lose weight — put it back on, lose weight, put it back on, and so on. Just as you learn the rules of a new diet, you find yourself trying to get around them. What if all you had to do to lose weight was to eat less?

You may think it can’t be done. However, experts say it can. Of course it sounds simpler than it is, but it’s no more difficult to commit to healthy eating habits than it is to follow the diets most of us have tried.

In the end, it will actually be easier because you will feel less restricted as you begin to learn how to eat right instead of how to follow the rules of the newest popular diet. Here are a few tips to help you started:

• Eat smaller portions, including items with protein, fat, and fiber in each meal. This combination is the one that researchers have found effective in helping to keep hunger pangs away.

• Drink two full glasses of water with each meal. It will help you feel full and keep your body hydrated.

• Eat breakfast. This critical meal jump-starts your metabolism for the day. But avoid empty calories like those found in doughnuts, many cereals, and sugar-laden pastries. They will only leave you feeling tired and hungry by mid- morning. For best results, eat items with plenty of protein and fiber.

• Don’t count calories or weigh food. Simply use the palm of your hand as a portion control guide. Most of us are fully aware of what a ‘too large’ portion looks like. We also know how it makes us feel. You should never feel bloated or stuffed-eat only until you are not hungry. You really aren’t giving up anything if you save the rest for later. If it helps, think of it as taking a break when you set food aside for another time.

• Give up something. It might be your nightly glass of wine, chocolate bars, or regular soft drinks. Then, commit to doing without the item for one full year. You’ll find that you’ll feel better without the sugar, caffeine, or alcohol. You certainly won’t miss the calories as your waistline begins to shrink.

• Identify your comfort food. What is it that you reach for in times of stress? Pizza, fried chicken, or a burger with fries all seem to top the list of foods people reach for when feeling down, anxious, and tired. Instead of reaching for food to comfort you, engage in a favorite activity. Go golfing, take a walk through your neighborhood, or hop on your bicycle for a quick spin.

• Be aware that food is often used as substitute for other types of satisfaction. Take a look at your job, your family life, and your spiritual connections. Work to improve areas that are causing you discomfort and you will see the desire for unhealthy food fade away. Maybe it’s time to start looking for a new job, go back to college, or find a church.

Taking control of your weight is more about taking control of your life than anything else. Don’t allow yourself to make decisions based on food. Why be chained to someone else’s diet rules when you know yourself better than anyone else. Put that knowledge to work, and watch your weight disappear.

If you want to make weight disappear faster, and to help keep those pounds off, be sure to exercise regularly. Walking 30 minutes daily is something most people can achieve and keep it up right into the senior years.

Marlene Mathis is webmaster at Ana Health, the comprehensive health information resource. Subscribe to her ezine Health Vista at http://www.anahealth.com.

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Healthy Fondue A Guide To Making Broth and Hot Oil Fondues
Anthony Tripodi

A pot of hot oil that you dip meat into sounds downright barbaric but it can also be heart healthy. Broth and hot oil fondues are much less decadent than their siblings, cheese and chocolate fondue but theyre just as tasty. If a little care is taken when selecting ingredients and overeating is avoided, then both broth and hot oil fondues can become a healthy meal.

Fondue Bourguignonne (also known as hot oil fondue) consists of diners who cook their own food on long forks in a pot filled with hot oil. The oil is heated in a fondue pot to about 325 degrees and guests spike cubes of meat and place them directly into the hot oil. While waiting a minute or two for the meat to cook and also to enjoy some wine and their company (the best part of fondue) the cube is removed from the oil and ready to be dunked into a variety of dipping sauces.

In order to make hot oil fondue healthier you need to start with the oil. Peanut oil is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in monounsaturated fat. This means that that just like olive oil, peanut oil will improve the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol.

Next you will need to use lean cuts of meat. Beef tenderloin, pork tenderloin and loin of lamb are good but chicken or turkey breast are your best bets. And keep the portions small. The general guideline is that the portion should be about the size of your palm of your hand.

Dipping sauces can also be made healthier with ingredient substitutions. Try using low sodium soy sauce or fat free sour cream. Take a small dip and dont drown your food in the sauce. Just say no to the barnaise or hollandaise sauce.

Broth fondues are similar to hot oil fondue except they are cooked in broth instead of oil. The benefit of cooking in broth is that it takes on the flavors of the ingredients dunked in it and you can eat it. Often broth fondue (or Shabu Shabu) is followed by a course of noodle or rice soup that is made with the leftover broth.

Start your broth fondue with low sodium chicken or beef broth. Like hot oil fondue you should use lean cuts of meat, small portions and limit the use of dipping sauces. Broth fondues add vegetables to the mix. Try adding mushrooms, green onions, carrots and celery to the broth. Loading up on vegetables will not only fill you but theyre healthy for you.

When running low on ingredients, add the remainder to the fondue pot along with some noodles or rice. Let simmer for a few minutes and serve this wonderfully flavored soup as an after dinner treat to your guests.

Chocolate fondue is delicious but fattening. Cheese fondue is not something you should eat every day. When dieting you should probably skip them both and stick to broth and hot oil fondues. If some care is taken while gathering ingredients, fondue can become a healthy meal.

About the Author

Anthony Tripodi is the webmaster of GoFondue.com – The Home of Fondue. For more information about fondue including recipes, ideas and equipment, visit GoFondue.com

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You are probably particular of those that feel that you need either pills or some new and unique magic formula to help you lose your weight. Hearty against your ideals you can actually lose the weight by just using a common sense approach. There are generally five tips which you will be able to follow to reach your weight loss goals. If you follow these tips you will see that you will be able to lose the weight both quickly and easy.

1. Count Calories

* This is the most important step of your whole overall weight loss program. Counting your calories and knowing what you are eating is a weakness have for your weight loss. This creates a very simple and healthy formula for you to follow. If you take in fewer calories and burn off more calories instead you will note your pounds drop off. Now isnt that easy enough for you?

Also the more that you eat and the less you burn the calories the more weight you will advancement. So the opposite of this would be if you takings in fewer calories and burn off more calories you will lose the weight. See the difference?

2. Watch your Portions

* You should never eat any portion that is bigger than the palm of your hand. This will enable you to take in fewer calories and therefore lose weight. This is a very good golden rule for those that are looking for losing a lot of weight. Portion size is a very important part of your weight loss program.

3. Eating the right foods

* This is another big part of a healthy weight loss program for you. This instrumentality you need to make sure you are eating plenty of fruits and vegetables as these will help you in box up your metabolism. It will also help you burn calories faster while still maintaining a healthy weight loss. You again need to make sure you are also eating plenty of fiber and other roughage in order to lose the weight while at the same time keeping your digestive system working correctly.

4. Drink plenty of fluids

* Drinking plenty of fluids, especially water, will help you lose the pounds. Fluids are also filling and therefore will help you control your rapture. Fluids will also help your system get flushed out and uphold clean. Water is one of the greatest ways to do this. You should drink 6 – 8 glasses a water a day.

5. Make headway healthy

* Your shape is going to need proteins such as nuts, fish, and treacherous among others. You need to try and stay with the healthier proteins however such as deceitful or fish.

If you follow these five simple tips you will be blooming on your way to your weight loss goals.

24 Hour Fitness
http://www.www.24-hr-fitness.com

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