Six Steps to Get to the Weight of Your Dreams

What habits have been keeping you the weight you are right now?
You really can lose a significant amount of weight by making only a few small lifestyle changes. Try one of these or shoot for them all, and see the weight melt off after a few short weeks.

1. Keep a diet diary: This is a simple step that requires no more than a pen or pencil and a small notebook. Yet it's been proven over and over again during the past few decades that recording a person's intake invariably results in their weight loss. It increases awareness of what is being eaten, and gives one a second thought before unconsciously eating something for a purpose other than hunger. You'll find yourself putting back all sorts of sweets and treats and walking away shaking your head, thinking, "I sure don't want to record that I ate that"!

2. Regular walks: Although vigorous cardiac exercise will certainly burn more calories, a regular walking routine helps millions of people lose weight and keep it off. Simply put, every mile walked burns an average of 100 calories, regardless of your speed, and this will add up to a pound of weight loss after approximately one month. Keep in mind, this adds up to 12 pounds of weight loss by the end of the year!

3. Feel good now, and envision yourself feeling better: Getting down on yourself about your weight, appearance, or eating habits doesn't do anything positive for you. Start learning to like yourself for who you are and remind yourself of all the positive attributes you possess. Feeling good about yourself may reduce the number of times you turn to food to feel better. Then envision who you want to be, and spend a great deal of the day feeling what's it's like to be in those shoes. Whenever you have time (while you're showering, driving, walking, or doing other tasks which you currently spend berating your last binge) practice being the person you want to become. Thinking positively is immensely powerful in getting you to where you want to be.

4. Know what you're eating: Read labels, comparison shop, look up restaurant menus on the internet, and collect fast food nutritional information. You can't know what is in a food (how many calories, grams of fat, grams of sugar, etc) without the nutritional label. Lots of websites have information on the foods that do not yet have labels, so seek these out and be an informed consumer. You may easily find ways to save hundreds of calories a day by choosing a different fast food entree or another brand of soup!

5. Eat healthy foods: You do not have to give up chocolate forever or go on a crazy fad diet in order to lose weight. Get in the habit of eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and while you're at it you can have a snack in between meals, and--yes--even before bed. Find snacks that contain fewer than 200 calories, like Skinny Cow Ice Cream Novelties, Weight Watcher bars, or granola-type bars which are abundantly available.
As for meals, try using smaller plates and take only one serving. Don't starve yourself--you can start eating like this and keep losing weight for a long time to come, and you won't feel like you're on a diet!

6. Hang out with healthy eaters: It's difficult to be around people who want to go out for pizza, ice cream, or buffets. Concentrate on socializing with others who like to eat healthy foods and take a cue from them.
Maybe you'll even take a walk together :)
Try starting some new healthy habits and see yourself shrink to your old healthy weight once again.

If you would like the assistance of a personal diet coach to get you on the road to weight loss, come on over to http://www.mycoachlaurie.com or email me at laurie@mycoachlaurie.com. We'll get you started right away!

The Five Worst Ways To Attempt Weight Loss (aside from cutting off a limb)

There are some pretty bad ideas out there to supposedly help people lose weight. Unfortunately there are more people who are desperate to lose weight. So they will try anything... things that are unbelievable, pills and potions that are unhealthy, and procedures that are downright dangerous. Have you been using one of these methods to lose weight? Let us know how they worked for you!

1. Diet pills, including over-the-counter and 'herbal' supplements

Do you really believe any claim that tells you, “eat whatever you like and no need to exercise!” or “lose weight while you sleep”? You must be kidding … do you think if such a magic pill or potion existed that Oprah would still be anything over a size 6?

Whatever is included in these pills may include stimulants similar to caffeine to simulate the speedy feeling you can get that blunts your hunger response. It can also increase your blood pressure and cause other serious side effects.

If the supplement is made from ‘herbs’ or other ‘natural’ ingredients, it’s likely not regulated by the FDA so you really don’t know what’s in it, or if it’s unsafe.

2. Crash Diets

Going on a diet plan that provides you with less than 1200 calories can help you lose weight very quickly—but that’s not all. You can’t possibly get the nutrition you need if you’re eating less than 1200 calories, so you’ll end up suffering in the long run. That is, if you can stay on the diet for more than a couple of days!

Chances are you’ll find yourself starving and miserable and give up in a short time. If you don’t, you may lose several pounds, but—I’m sure you know—you’ll gain it right back when you return to your usual eating habits.

3. Liposuction

Don’t get me wrong: liposuction does have its place. It’s designed to suck fat off of small body parts where fat can accumulate and cannot be lost by dieting: places like your chin.

It is not a procedure for sucking 15 extra pounds of fat off your midsection! Any plastic surgeon who agrees to this is likely not board-certified (check out his credentials) and is putting your health at risk to use this technique when a healthy diet and exercise plan would work just as well.

4. Colon Cleanses

Colon cleanses do not help you lose weight. Oh, sure, you may see a lower number on the scale when you step on, just as you would if you had an episode of food-poisoning induced diarrhea, or heavy sweating from spending too long in a sauna.

You can lose water-weight, along with water, electrolytes, and other essential nutrients that can leave you feeling downright weak and sick.

Colon cleanses are not regulated by any state licensing bureaus, so you never know what you’re in for … it’s just not a good idea. It’s not necessary either, since your body naturally cleanses your intestines regularly—it’s called having a bowel movement.

5. Fad Diets

These diets, like any other, work for as long as you can stay on them. Not to be confused with some of the popular diet-chain centers that provide you with group support, nutrition classes, and counseling (which can be very nutritious and simple to follow, and end up working for many people) fad diets aren’t typically ones you can stay on for long. Something like the Cookie Diet, the Cabbage Soup Diet, or the Beverly Hills Diet have set plans for each day, and warn you to ‘drink plenty of water’ and stay on the diet only for a limited period of time. That’s because these diets are incomplete sources of many nutrients and the promoters know you could get truly sick from eating like this for any length of time.

These are the bad ideas--how can you tell if a diet plan is good? The hallmark of a good diet is one that provides nutrition, but also gives you fewer calories than you burn. You can stay on it for any length of time. And there aren't any crazy promises like "lose up to 80 pounds this month (results not typical)". It is possible to lose weight while staying healthy, and not feel like you are starving and deprived. An optimal weight loss diet is one you can stay on indefinitely, as you see the pounds come off and feel satisfied at the same time. It actually becomes a way of life as you replace healthy new habits for older bad ones.

If you are ready to lose weight the healthy way, consider having your own diet coach. I can provide you with one-on-one counseling—short term or long term—or you can do-it-yourself with some aid from my e-course or e-books. Check them out on http://www.mycoachlaurie.com/productmenu.

You Can Lose Over 50 Pounds: Just Take Your Time

Losing a lot of weight can be extremely intimidating. Start with a few simple steps, see quick results, and stay motivated to continue on with your success.

1. The first step is acknowledging that you did not gain 50 pounds overnight, so you aren’t going to lose it that quickly either. Experts recommend aiming to lose 10% of your body weight over the next six months. This means losing 20 pounds in six months if you weigh 200 pounds.

Chances are, this is not the amount of time you had in mind to lose 20 pounds—many people want it off in a month or less. But once you recognize that slow and sure is the way to get it off and keep it off, you’ll be more comfortable making simple changes in your diet for lasting weight loss. You probably know from numerous crash diets in the past that losing eight pounds in a week doesn’t mean a thing when you gain it right back; nor is it pleasant to be starving for any length of time.

Eating a healthy diet means the weight will come off in time, and you won’t be suffering during the next several months while you lose weight.

2. Second, you can’t know what to change in your diet without knowing how you eat on a typical day. We don’t usually realize all that we eat during any given day: the Danish we hastily gulp down at the breakfast meeting; the quick drive-thru lunch to give us some energy before we get back to work; the leftovers we clean off our child’s plate; the munching we do while watching TV: these all add up to hundreds of calories a day without us even realizing we’ve eaten any of it! So it’s imperative you start keeping a food diary.

Just write down what you eat within 10 minutes of eating it (or selective memory will forget you ever ate it). This helps people lose weight by making us aware that we are going to eat something. You’ll find that very often you stop and think, “I don’t really want to eat this—I’ll have to write it down and add it to my intake list and it’s a lot of empty calories”.

Trust me on this: try it for two weeks. Numerous research studies have proven this as an effective weight loss technique that works without going on any crazy diet.

3. Finally, learn to eat reasonably. This doesn’t mean you can never eat chocolate again or you can never go out to eat again: Start with just trying to eat a basic, healthy diet. You know what good foods are and what crappy, high-calorie/empty nutrition foods are. Just eat more of the better ones (like fruits and whole grain and veggies and low-fat dairy) and less of the junky ones.

Schedule meals if you have to, like you would an appointment. Skipping breakfast invariably leads to making up for it later; same with lunch. Have a sensible breakfast (cereal or toast or yogurt and fruit) that doesn’t take up too much of your time if that’s an issue in the morning; find a lunch you like and try to stick with a consistent menu every day…. Maybe a frozen diet meal with less than 300 calories with a salad or fruit you can add to round it off, or a sandwich and some veggie sticks and a yogurt or string cheese.

Dinner should be a lean, broiled or baked meat portion of 6 ounces or less, a vegetable, and a cup of starch (such as pasta, rice, or potatoes). Plan a snack in the evening if you like to have one; just find one that has less than 200 calories and save yourself another few hundred over that bag of chips or pint of high-fat ice cream.

Including 30 minutes of walking a day will be a big help also. The more you move, the more calories you’ll burn.

The idea is to change your lifestyle for good. Try small and easy changes one step at a time so that you replace all the bad habits that led to gaining weight, with great habits that will keep you lean and healthy for the rest of your life.

Want more ideas on how to develop healthy habits that are simple? Choose from a selection of e-books to assure you will make the best choices for snacks, breakfast, fast food meals, and all-around lifestyle changes for weight loss at http://www.mycoachlaurie.com/products

Eat The Part You Like!

I happened upon a great method of weight loss a few years back, when I made friends with a woman at work and we started having our lunch together. We quickly discovered we liked different parts of the same dishes in many cases: she liked the chowder and I liked the clams; she liked the chocolate chips and I liked the cookie; she liked the apple pie filling and I liked the crust. We started to share certain foods, realizing we were only eating half as much as we would have been had we ordered the food by ourself! We would share a slice of layer cake at office birthday parties, she taking the chocolate layer and handing me the white which I preferred.

This is a great principle I have developed and used by myself in the years since: only eat the part you like! Even though I don't work with this woman any longer, I remember that I didn't miss the apple pie filling when we split a slice and I ended up with a plate of just apple-moistened crust. I now order hamburgers in restaurants without the bun (I don't care for the bread, but enjoy the meat patty) and salads without the cheese or croutons; I remove the crumbs from breaded fish and pick the meat and green beans out of beef stew, leaving the carrots and gravy behind.

I leave things on my plate that aren't my favorite instead of feeling compelled to eat the entire dish. And then I count the calories left behind, adding them all up in my head to calculate how much weight I won't gain this month because I didn't eat the part I didn't like!

What can you leave behind to save a hundred calories?

Make Friends With Snacks

Are you struggling to lose weight? Can't stick to your diet? Is one of your rules "No eating between meals?" Well toss that one right out the window! Snacks can be a nourishing contribution to your diet, as well as a great pick-me-up in the afternoon. The key, as you may have guessed, is choosing the right snacks.

Here are a few rules to follow to keep your snacks smart and healthy and prevent them from sabotaging your diet:

1. Plan snacks ahead of time. Know that you have one coming up can really help get you past a dessert craving or walk past a candy dish. Keep smart snacks in your desk at work or even in your handbag so their available whenever the hungries start to overwhelm you. I'm a big fan of granola-type bars like those pictured above. Look for those providing less than 150 calories, and containing some vitamins and fiber. Also try to compare labels and choose the lowest fat grams per serving. If you have the storage facilities, other healthy snacks are fresh fruits (canned fruits work, too), yogurt (again, look for those under 150 calories per serving), or a bowl of cereal.

2. Have that conversation with your inner child. When you hear that two-year-old having a tantrum in your head, screaming "I want a candy bar now", take a minute to address her instead of just trying to push her away with a loud 'NO'... after all, think about how that's worked for you in the past. Go ahead, even though it sounds silly, and ask her, "what is it you're looking for right now?". Chances are that part of you is stressed, or bored, or anxious, or--yes--maybe even hungry. If you're hungry, it's time for a healthy snack! If you're looking for something else, food won't really help. Consider taking a break from your desk, a quick walk, a drink of water, or emailing a friend to vent. Give yourself ten minutes to wait and see if the child settles down. Even if this works one or two times, you're getting some positive results!

3. Start living with healthy habits. Get a mantra to help you dedicate your behaviors to what really is important in your life. Whatever is meaningful to you (like, "I am nourishing my body and treating it right so it will treat me right when I'm older", or "garbage in, garbage out", or even "my body is my temple") write it down and post it everywhere until it becomes imbedded in your brain so it is a belief you don't even question! Challenge your inner child when she starts whining and convince yourself to avoid the vending machine: How much satisfaction will you get from that candy bar? Most people answer "about two minutes"--as long as it takes to eat it! How long will you be feeling good about skipping the candy bar? As soon as the craving passes you'll be patting yourself on the back for at least the rest of the day! And the results will be showing on you for the rest of your life, every time you choose the better option.

Decide what's really important to you, and if it's living healthy, that includes eating healthy! Make up your mind to develop new habits and eat right every day, every hour. (And if you mess up one hour, don't beat yourself up about it! Just get back on track the very next minute and don't wait until Monday!)
Now go out and buy some healthy snacks so you can start living right tomorrow, and throwing away your fat clothes in a few weeks!

If snacks are sabotaging YOUR diet, download my e-book "Smart Snacks", and learn how to start snacking healthier and see weight loss results right away! Find this book and others for under $10 at http://www.mycoachlaurie.com/products.html

Going Out For Ice Cream

Here's a great tip to save calories when you're taking the family out for an ice cream treat: Order the kiddie cone! That's right, most establishments offer a very small sized cone that's usually served to little kids. But adults may order them as well.

After all, when you go out for ice cream it's usually the taste of the ice cream and the experience you're after, and that can be achieved with a few bites and a little cake cone. How often do you go out and get ice cream because you're really starving? How many times have you finished a cone and gone back for another because it wasn't enough?

Here's what you can save by ordering the tot-sized serving:

McDonald's kiddie cone has 45 calories and a small cone has 150 calories

Dairy Queen tot sized cone has 150 calories and their small is 230 (their medium is 330 calories)

If you order a blizzard, go for the small size as well: it has a whopping 550 calories, but the medium (which most people order because, well, "small" just doesn't have the appeal) has an average of 775 calories.

Choose a small size when going for a treat, or share your calories with a friend! You can still treat yourself, but treat yourself well by saving a few hundred calories every time you do.

Let us know about the next time you order a small size instead of large or medium ... do you notice any difference in your satisfaction?

Do The Math and Lose It Now

A very common question I am asked is "How much weight can I lose in two weeks?" or "How long would it take me to lose 25 pounds?" The idea of losing a specific number of pounds in a set amount of time is how most people set out to lose weight.

My question for them is, "and then what?" What will you do after you lose 25 pounds and attend your high school reunion? What will you do after you go on a crazy diet for three weeks to fit into that little black dress?

Chances are you will go back to your usual eating habits (which, face it, probably aren't very healthy) and gain the weight right back. Then you'll be writing me six months later because it's time for holiday parties or beach season and you have 25 pounds to lose again.

What if your goal was not to lose a number of pounds by a certain date, but to adapt healthier eating habits? What if you could reduce your portions, substitute a candy bar for a piece of fruit or a granola bar, and go for a 20 minute walk each day? Well then you could lose two or three pounds a month. Most people would say that's not worth it, but lets take a look:

Ona scale from 1-10, how hard would it be to fit in a 20 minute walk on most days? This will lead to a pound loss each month.

On a scale from 1-10 how difficult would it be to check your portions at dinner and resist taking seconds and eating until your stuffed. You would probably feel much better well into the evening. This would lead to a pound loss at the end of the month.

On a scale from 1-10 how miserable would you really be to give up your afternoon candy bar? How much do you enjoy eating it, versus just looking forward to it? For how long after you eat the candy bar do you feel good? Substituting a healthier snack with more nutrients, including fiber, and less sugar and fat can lead you to yet another pound of weight loss at the end of the month.

Slowly, but surely, the weight will gradually come off as you adapt a few healthier habits. No crash diet, no giving up foods you like, no hours of exercise at the gym. Just a little walk, a little less food, a little smarter snacking. And one year from now--do the math--you'll have lost 36 pounds. Now how good does that sound?