Tag: Calorie

Frustrated With Weight Loss?

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.1 Comment
Wally's Before and After Profile Pic
What Healthy Living Did for Me!

Let’s face the truth! Most people make losing weight much too complicated. It doesn’t need to be. Listed below are the pitfalls most people make when trying to lose weight.

Doing anything temporally will give you temporary results! You have to get this, a diet is temporary.

  • Change your diet gradually– Many people jump right in and and totally change their diet to the extreme. They go from the typical American diet rich in processed foods to a very restrictive diet. Any time you make sudden change in your diet and lifestyle you highly increase your risk of failure. Make the change slowly. Instead of taking foods away try adding healthy foods to your diet. You will begin to crowd out the harmful foods with healthy foods. Replacing breakfast with a nutritious balanced meal replacement drink like Vive is a great way to begin the change.
  • Stop Stressing about life and losing the weight.  Because we make it so complicated we get overly stressed. If you have stress from work or home you need to manage it or remove the source. Stress will make it almost impossible to lose much weight. In addition stress kills!
  • Eat enough calories– Many people begin by drastically cutting food intake thus calories too much. If you go below 1200 calories for more than a couple of days your body senses a famine has arrived and it lowers your metabolic rate to conserve energy. You can even gain weight if you cut calories to much. If you stay in a severe calorie reduction under (800 calories or less, like anorexia) you body shifts to the catabolic effect of starvation and your body will begin to consume muscle and organs for its nutrition needs.
  • Do Not Skip Meals! You need to eat at least 5 times per day. It keeps blood sugar balanced and energy available. It also keeps the metabolism boosted. A healthy meal replacement shake is an option and can serve your body well. I recommend Vive, it was created for weight loss and energy and is packed with an abundance of nutrition!
  • Drink plenty of water– Many will not drink enough water. It takes water to release and burn fat for energy. Water is so important for your health!
  • Exercise– If you are obese you can lose weight for a short time by just cutting calories, however that will eventually slow and then stop. You must move more. Exercise does many wonderful things for our body. One benefit is that it speeds up our metabolic rate causing us to burn more calories through out the day! Just walking is a great exercise. Increase your speed and time as your fitness and health improves. Before beginning any exercise program please consult with your doctor for their approval. Walk twice per day to speed up the weight loss!
  • Stop weighing everyday! You weight can change up or down five or more pounds in any given day. You will set your self up for disappointment by weighing all of the. Weigh your self every two weeks. Do it first thing in the morning immediately after waking up and after your first urination.
  • Stop beating your self up! No body is perfect. Treats are allowed, even unscheduled ones. The next time you eat make a healthy choice. Bashing your self, will make you eat more.
  • DO NOT DIET!  It is our mindset to use the word diet and when we do we automatically set up in our mind that we will change our diet and lifestyle for a period of time and then come back home to that awesome food that got us fat to begin with. Plus because you have starved your body (both calories and nutrients) before, your body senses this and begins to subconsciously increase your desire for fatty and sugary foods. Sure you lose 30 pounds and then you gain 50 back. Dieting will only make you fatter one diet at a time! Think lifestyle change!
  • Nutrition Nutrition Nutrition!!!!  When you body is getting loads of nutrients it begins to clean and detox getting rid of toxic materials you have stored for years. Your body does not like to let go of fat unless it can detox adequately. Your body stores toxins in your fat. Depleted nutrient stores in your body get filled up and topped off. Then the bodies systems begin to come back into harmony with one another. Blood sugar begins to balance,cravings begin to disappear, energy improves, thinking improves, your hair and skin begins to glow. Your body starts regenerating itself to a new healthy one.

The bottom line is that weight loss and health do not come from a “diet” they comes from living a healthy lifestyle. That’s it. Adopt a healthy way of living and watch your body change!

Healthy Wishes.

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

The contents of this blog is not and should not be  considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.

Should You Count Calories, Yes or No?

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.1 Comment
The American Diet is Rich In Calories!
The American Diet is Rich In Calories!

Maybe, maybe not! There are differing opinions on the subject and truthfully there is no wrong or right answer.  The answer is subject to what works best for the person needing or wanting to lose weight.

I will say this however; it is very hard to become overweight or obese if 80% to 90% of your diet is healthy and vegetable based. Nutrient dense foods do not cause weight problems.  All the overweight and obese people I know did not get overweight eating healthy. No, they were all on the Standard American Diet (SAD) menu and didn’t move much.  Unfortunately, the overweight and obese don’t eat healthy.

If you need to lose say 15 to 20 pounds or do not have a weight problem then calorie counting probably isn’t an issue. So, if that is you, there is no need to count calories.  You should eat a wide variety of very healthy foods.  I say eat every color available every day as much as your wish!

However, if you need to lose 30 pounds or more, then I believe counting calories is a must, at least until you have established a healthy dietary and lifestyle foundation.

I see a lot of people with weight and obesity issues and there are some common things they share.  For the sake of this discussion, when I say overweight I am talking about people that need to lose a minimum of 30 pounds.

Every overweight or obese person I have counseled in the past seven years had the following traits;

  • They had no clue how many calories they should be eating or were eating.
  • They over consumed or under consume calories.  (yes, too few calories and your metabolism will stall preventing weight loss)
  • They had sedentary lifestyles.
  • They ate from the SAD menu.
  • They tried dieting multiple times with no permanent success.
  • They wanted a quick fix or a solution without having to change much in their life.

All of these points drastically affect the way we burn calories.  If you don’t know how many calories you actually should be eating you will never take charge of losing the weight.  Calories from nutrient poor foods equal substantial weight gain.

The mind-set of the obese or overweight person must change. For them every diet approach has been a failure for one reason. It was not a healthy approach they could center their life on forever.  They must accept that this isn’t about dieting or even their weight, it’s about living a healthy lifestyle.

They must erase bad habits that have been ingrained in them for years and teach them new approaches that can become ingrained healthy habits over time.  Once they have a good grasp of what a healthy diet and lifestyle is and they are living it comfortably, then calories aren’t so much of a concern.

And I know, some people say it stresses them to count calories.  However,

for them knowing their calorie budget may be a big part of the solution.

Focus on living a very healthy lifestyle and in most cases the weight issues will take care of themselves. (this does not account for medical conditions, see your doctor)

Just my opinion.

Healthy Wishes

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

WebND

The contents of this blog are not and should not be considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.

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Lose the Weight Forever, New Years Resolution!

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.8 Comments

new years resolutionsIt’s that time of year again. Time for all of us to make New Years Resolutions. Almost everyone has some form of health improvement on the list. Losing weight tops the list because almost 70% of Americans are overweight. Next might be adopting a healthy lifestyle so you can lose weight, keep it off and improve your health. One result I can promise you is; If you are not motivated enough and serious enough about your goal the chances of achieving it are slim.

It’s seems around the beginning of March something happens. The wellness warrior becomes the wellness whiner.  I notice that the gym has fewer people, my classes get thinner and clients and friends begin to avoid me because they don’t want me to know they are off of the new plan.  I am glad they feel a sense of accountability to someone.

This year make part of your New Years Resolution “ I am sticking to the goals I have set”.  Really, doesn’t this make sense? Why put all of this effort into your goals for two or three months and then give up.

I am going to tell you how to keep your weight loss goal going forever. I want you to have what I have. I want you to lose all the extra weight you have gained and keep it off forever.

Most goals are never reached because the goal is not important enough, the goal is unrealistic and there was not enough planning.

1)  Set your date to begin your change. Get rid of bad foods in your house. Buy healthy foods for meals and snacks.

2)  Tell your friends and family what you are doing. This sets up a level of accountability for you. Ask your friends to urge you or even join you in this new lifestyle.

3)  Be realistic about your diet and weight loss goals. Set goals for weight loss in 10 pound increments. The first goals is 10 pounds, the second is 10 pounds. Do you get it? This makes the goal very achievable and builds confidence.

4)  You must understand your energy requirements. If you eat to many calories or under consume your calories you will not lose weight.  Try to eat 500 to 1000 calories less than you actually need. However never eat less than 1200 calories per day. You can use our daily calorie calculator to help you understand how many calories a day you need to eat.

5)  Understand that to lose weight you must exercise.  If you have not exercised in a long time start slowly and consult with your doctor. If you can only walk for 10 minutes, then walk for 10 minutes and work your way up to at least 1 hour.  You can even break up the walking and exercising into 20 or 30-minute sections and do them multiple times per day. This actually keeps your metabolism burning fat at a higher rate for more hours in the day.  This translates to faster weight loss.

6)  Never deprive yourself of any food. If you must have that brownie eat just 1 and be happy. The next time you eat, it should be healthy. If you eat healthy 80% of the time it will allow you to indulge or splurge 20% of the time. This will keep you happy and help you lose weight by not bingeing.

7)  Never beat yourself up for having an unscheduled indulgence. Look at it as a treat because you have done so well. The next time you eat make healthy choices.

8)  Eat a lot of plant foods like vegetables, fruits, beans and nuts and seeds. Most are very low in calories and very high in nutrient content. They also have a lot of fiber, which is satiating and filling. However limit your fruits to 2 servings per day. They have a lot of sugar in the form of fructose that can interfere with your weight loss.

9)  Limit your grains to whole grains and then even limit those to no more than 4 servings per day. Grains cause cravings and can raise blood sugar levels.

Make sure you drink plenty of water. Water is necessary to breakdown fat and create cellular energy. The general rule is to consume ½ your weight in fluid ounces of water per day.  If you weight 150 pounds you would need 75 ounces of fluid per day. If you exercise, are ill or sweat a lot you may need more fluid.

There are two items I use everyday that make this easy for me. First is a product called Vive (rhymes with liv) it is a whole food drink mix that I use twice per day. It is the best tasting shake mix out there and is highly nutritious. The next is my NutriBullet blender. It is engineered to make the nutrients easier to absorb from the blended foods. It makes great smoothies when using the Vive shake mix.

I want you to have great success and I do not want weight loss to not be on next years list unless you’re continuing on the journey. So, please start planning, get excited about the new body you are going to have, the new health you are going to enjoy, the new clothes you get to buy!

It’s simple; plan, execute, do it, lose it, and keep it off by continuing to live a lifestyle of wellness and healthy.

Healthy Wishes for a new year!

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

WebND

The contents of this blog is not and should not be  considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.

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Weight Loss, Calorie and Energy Balance

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.5 Comments
Weight Loss Happens When You Consume Fewer Calories Than You Burn, However Not Too Many Fewer

Have you been on a quest to lose those extra pounds?  This information is critical if you want to have weight loss success. Success means losing the weight, building health and keeping the weight off.

I hated to make today’s blog so lengthy, however this information is vital for healthy, long-term weight loss.

I will be using the terms below in this blog, get familiar with them.

Glucose= carbohydrates converted into blood sugar

Glycogen=glucose that is stored in muscle cells and the liver for later energy needs

Triglycerides=excess glucose, dietary fats and unused proteins converted into body fat

BMR= basal metabolic rate

EER= estimated energy requirements

TER= total energy required

One principle many people overlook is their calories in/calories burned factor.  If you do not know how many calories you need to consume per day to maintain your weight or more importantly how many calories you should consume to lose weight, it would be like driving your car on a long trip to a place you have never been with your gas gauge and odometer broken.  The gas gauge represents your calories needed and the odometer represents how many calories you are burning.  Without these facts you are totally relying on luck and a guess to not end up stranded on the roadside. With your body it can mean unhealthy weight loss or even weight gain.

Calories are very important ( so are the type, another blog). They provide energy and valuable nutrients. Our bodies depend on nutrients to turn the fuel (food we eat) into energy. Carbohydrates, fats and to a lesser degree proteins are used as fuel. The body really loves carbohydrates and fat for fuel. Our brains will only use glucose or glycogen (glucose that is stored in the liver and muscle cells) for fuel. Most people will need about 100 grams of carbohydrate each day to meet the brains demands.  The blend of fuel type our cells use depends on the demands at that given moment.  Muscle cells will use primarily glucose and glycogen for anaerobic activity and primarily dietary and triglyceride fats for aerobic activity.  During both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism the muscle cells will always burn a ratio of all three fuel types.  The intensity of the physical activity dictates the ratio of  glucose, fat and protein. It is important to maintain a good dietary ratio between your carbohydrate, fat and protein intake for your particular lifestyle.  If you do not consume enough carbohydrate the body will burn the protein for brain fuel robbing your body of protein needed to make and repair tissues, enzymes, white blood cells, red blood cells, hormones, hair,  finger nails and antibodies.  If you continue to under consume carbohydrates the body will also break apart muscle and organs to convert the protein into glucose. This is highly inefficient and causes ketones ( COMPOUNDS THAT HARM THE BODY) to be released into the blood. The over consumption of protein is also harmful for the body.
 
How to determine your protein requirements.
It is really amazing how many articles I have read from bodybuilding sources that say a person should consume between 2 to 4 grams of protein for every kg of body weight, or that a person should consume 1 to 1 ½ grams of protein per pound of body weight. That would mean a 200-pound man would need to consume between 200 grams and 363 grams of protein daily. The DRI for protein intake under normal bodily demand would be .8 grams of protein for each kg of body weight. To figure your body weight in kilograms, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2, that number is your weight converted from pounds to kilograms. For the obese the protein intake would be .8 grams for every kg of muscle mass.  For an athlete with heavy demands on muscle performance such as a body builder or an Olympic athlete the intake would be 1.6 to 1.7 grams of protein per kg of body weight meaning that same 200 pound man would consume 145 grams of protein at the high-end. An endurance athlete such as those running marathons, iron man events and triathlons requires less because they are not placing as much stress on the major muscle groups. Their needs can be met in most cases with no more than 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kg of body weight. The average person who works out in the gym and is very active hiking and playing organized sports does not need this level of protein intake. For the complete truth on protein in our diet read the complete article “The Truth About Muscle Building and Protein Intake”.
 
So lets say you need to lose 30 pounds. Where do you start? I am going to assume you know that 1 pound of body weight represents 3500 calories.   If you want to lose 1 pound per week, then you would need to burn 3500 more calories than you consumed that week.  Are you still with me?  To know how many calories you body needs daily, we need to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR), the amount of energy your body uses at rest.  We then apply the Harris Benedict equation to determine your estimated energy requirement (EER) based on the your daily activity level.  We then add the two together to get the estimated actual number of calories you burn per day. Thankfully there are calculators on the web that will estimate these numbers for you.  These are estimates.  I have found most of them to overstate the number of calories actually needed by approximately 10%.   I have two links for you at the end of this blog that will do the math for you.  I think you will find them helpful.
 
Now that you can determine the number of calories you need daily to meet your energy requirements, you need to be able to track the number of calories per day you are consuming. There are a number of web-sites that offer free food journals. For the first 90 to 120 days you should count your calories, fat grams, protein grams, sugar grams, sodium grams and fiber grams every day.
 
Studies have shown that people who use food journals on a daily basis lose weight and keep it off a higher percentage of the time.
 
You can load a tool bar calorie counter and online food journal at www.fatsecret.com it is very easy to use.  I really like it because  it is very convenient to access from my toolbar. It will also allow you to add custom foods to the data base. This means that if you like a certain food that is not in their database you can add it to the database for everyone to use as well.
 
I recommend, never losing more than two pounds per week unless under the supervision of an appropriate health professional.  Studies show that losing weight quicker than two pounds per week increases your chance of  is regaining the weight.  It also means you are consuming less nutrients that are present in those calories. This can cause bodily harm due to a lack of nutrients.
 
Guidelines
  • Shoot for consuming 500 calories less per day, try eating 250 calories less and exercising away 250 extra calories.
  • Eat 6 times per day (3 meals and 3 snacks) keeps hunger at bay and blood sugar balanced.
  • Eat breakfast (Renew is a great breakfast and snack)
  • Never consume less that 1200 calories per day unless under the supervision of a health professional.  This will put the body in starvation mode forcing your body to conserve energy and actually store extra fat. Not only will it stop the weight loss it can cause you to gain weight.  Let’s say your BMR is 1500 calories, then you will need to exercise the extra 200 calories so you do not drop your calories under 1200 but still bank those 500 calories per day towards your 1 pound per week of weight loss. I have many clients that ask for my help that are consuming 600 to 1000 calories per day and can’t seem to lose weight.  They just don’t understand that just like you have a household budget to maintain a certain lifestyle.  Your body also has a calorie budget to meet the demands you place on it.  If your income is reduced  by 30 percent, you must start to reduce your spending by 30%. Your body’s total energy requirements (TER) represent your household budget, Your income represents your calorie intake.  When consuming fewer calories than the body needs,  the body has no choice but to reduce its internal processes. Life support functions and processes are the priority. Extra energy and fat metabolism are reduced.  Like wise if your body gets accustomed to getting plenty of calories to meet its daily calorie budget it will begin to spend those extra calories towards energy for mental and physical activity, immune and hormonal processes, the repair and building of muscle and organs etc….  Like wise, if you believed your bank account had plenty of money, you are naturally going to spend more right? By meeting your BMR you body knows it can satisfy its basic needs and does not have to conserve energy or store fat for life support when the famine arrives. Your behavior of cutting calories too much makes your body think starvation is near. Feed your body a generous amount of nutrient dense foods and your body will be happy to spend extra calories in the form of stored fat.
  • Drink plenty of water,  fat metabolism is dependent on hydrolysis, which is the breaking down of fatty acids for use in the body.
  • Exercise often, if you are just starting, begin with walking. Start slow then when you are able include resistance training to build muscle and interval training to build a stronger lungs and heart. This increases fitness.
  • Make sure you are getting at least  30 or more grams of fiber per day.  Fiber is very filling, keeps our intestines clean and absorbs some fat. Refer to this list for high fiber foods.
  • Limit the intake of processed and refined foods, not only are they poor sources of nutrients they actually rob our bodies of nutrients
  • Eat highly nutritious foods,  check out www.whfoods.com
  • Cut your salt intake, it makes your body retain fluids
  • Eliminate foods with added sugars
  • Eliminate refined grains and flours, use only whole grains
  • Reduce your intake of saturated fats, they should provide no more than 10% of your daily calories
  • Use the tools below to determine your calorie needs

Advanced BMR/EER Calculator

http://www.google.com/ig/adde?moduleurl=www.bizcalcs.com/GG/Daily-Metabolism.xml

Simple BMR/EER calculator

http://www.google.com/ig/adde?moduleurl=www.bizcalcs.com/GG/Daily-Metabolism.xml

Body Analysis Calculator

http://www.google.com/ig/adde?moduleurl=www.bizcalcs.com/GG/Full-Body-Analysis.xml

Calories Burned by Activity Type

I hope you now understand how to determine your calorie needs and the way to monitor your calorie intake and the calories you burn daily.

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

WebND

The information contained in this blog is not medical advice. Never stop taking prescriptions or stop following the advice and directions of your doctor. Always seek the advice of your doctor when making diet or health related changes to your lifestyle particularly if you have health challenges.When beginning a diet or exercise routine always consult with your doctor first. The information contained in this document is not intended to be and should not be considered medical advice.

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Supercharge Your Metabolism

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.1 Comment
Couch Potatoes Do Not Have a Super Metabolism

Would you like to have a supercharged metabolism that melted fat like ice in a sauna?  Follow the tips below to supercharge your metabolism and accelerate your fat loss.

The term “metabolism” refers to the sum total of all activities that keep our bodies functioning.  Definition: the sum of the physical and chemical processes in an organism by which its material substance is produced, maintained, and destroyed, and by which energy is made available, compare anabolism, catabolism.

Your metabolic system is highly complex and actually has many sub-systems operating within it.  To keep it simple, let’s discuss your metabolic system relative to energy expenditure, or more simply “calories burned”.  After all, for weight loss, the amount of energy you use, dictates the number of calories you burn. The type of activity will determine the fuel source for your energy; if you are going to burning a higher percentage of fat or sugar.

If you want to maximize your weight loss safely, make a few of these suggestions a part of your daily routine.

Eat Thermogenic Foods

The foods you eat can have a major impact on raising or lowering your metabolism.  Some foods have a thermogenic effect. This means it takes more energy for your body to digest and metabolism the food than the amount of energy the food actually provides in the way of caloric energy. For example there are approximately 30 calories in 1 cup of raw broccoli. It takes more than 30 calories for your body to digest and metabolize the 1 cup of broccoli. Many vegetables are thermogenic.

Thermogenic foods list

  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Salsa
  • Hot Peppers
  • Hot Peppers
  • Ice Water
  • Green Tea (Iced or Hot)
  • Apple Cider Vinegar Drink
  • Cabbage
  • Celery
  • Brussel Sprouts
  • Broccoli and Cauliflower
  • Lemon or Vinegar
  • Vinaigrette Dressing
  • Grapefruit
  • Berries
  • Fatty Fish
  • Soup
  • Oatmeal
  • Pumpernickel Bread

Drink Adequate Water

You cannot turn fat into energy without adequate water intake. Aim for a minimum of ½ your weight in ounces of water. If you are exercising or sweat a lot you will need more. It is important to make sure you keep your electrolytes balanced if you are sweating or consuming a lot of water.

Eat Monounsaturated Fats

Studies show that people that eat nuts and seeds 5 days per week lost weight and keep it off.  Monounsaturated fats speed up the metabolism, are satiating and are very heart healthy. Most nuts and seeds contain about 60% monounsaturated fat. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health found three times as many people trying to lose weight were able to stick to a Mediterranean-style moderate-fat weight loss diet that included nuts, peanuts and peanut butter versus the traditionally recommended low-fat diet. (International Journal of Obesity, Oct. 5, 2001). Avocados are also an excellent source of monounsaturated fats. Just remember to stay within your calorie budget. Nuts, seeds and avocados contain a lot of calories. 1 to 2 ounces of nut and seeds per day is a fine. having more may add to your waist line.

Have a Little Protein With each Meal or Snack

Protein provides a satisfying feeling and helps fuel the metabolic burn. It does not take much protein and the source of protein in not important. Organic eggs on a piece of whole grain toast is a good selection. Try peanut butter or almond butter on triscuits, apple slices or celery stalks. Add nuts to your oatmeal or cereal. For your salad add beans, nuts and seeds.

Your protein needs should be reflected as 10 to 15% of your total daily calories. If you have a 2000 calorie budget your protein intake should be between 50 grams and 75 grams of protein. 10% of 2000 calories is 200 calories, there are 4 calories per gram of protein. Divide the 200 calories by 4 and you have the grams of protein you need per day. This is of course an approximation. If you exercise really hard or are sick you may need more protein.

The Multiple Exercise Principle

I lost a lot of my weight following the multiple exercise principle.  When I began my journey, I walked multiple times per day. It started as twice per day and worked up to 3 to 4 times per day. I did it initially in 10 minute blocks. As my fitness improved I extended it to 15 minute walks.  Now, 4 years later, I exercise hard twice per day 6 days per week. 30 minutes per session. It involves cardio, interval training and strength training. Do not over exercise. Over exercising can lower your immune system and cause other adverse health problems. I highly suggest you consult with a certified personal trainer and nutritionist to maximize your weight loss safely.

The reason for multiple exercise sessions is that it will keep your metabolism revved up for a much greater period of time.  Muscles require a lot of calories to create energy. Additionally the body burns more calories replenishing glycogen (stored sugar), creating more enzymes, building and repairing muscles and creating other necessary compounds. Exercise also creates metabolic heat and the body spends calories working to keep your core cooler.  When you get too warm the body dilates blood vessels pushing blood flow to your skin releasing fluid through the  sweat glands to cool your body.  A higher metabolism burns more calories and more fat. For example, 1- 40 minute walk or exercise session will keep your metabolism boosted for approximately 7 hours, whereas 4- 10 minute walks will keep your metabolism boosted for 11 hours. Exercise does not have to be hard to facilitate fat loss. As you build your level of fitness you should increase your level of intensity and duration. This will further increase fitness and fat loss.

Staying Cool ( bet you didn’t think of this one!)

Keeping your body cooler requires your body to burn more energy to stay warm, thus increasing your metabolism. When your body experiences temperatures so cold your that your metabolism can’t keep your core warm enough, it induces involuntary muscle tremors or “shivering. The shivering burns more energy producing metabolic heat to warm the body’s core.   I am not suggesting you expose yourself to extreme cold. I am suggesting you keep your environment a little cooler. We keep our thermostat set at 65 in the winter.  If you are elderly or ill stay warm.

Get Adequate Sleep

You need 7 to 8 hours of good sleep per night. A lack of sleep will cause your body to produce more of the stress hormones that build fat around the abdomen.

Practice Stress Relief Strategies

Stress is not only a major cause of many adverse health conditions but also excessive weight gain. It will cause you to build fat around your waist and hips. It will also make weight loss next to impossible.

Eat Enough Calories for Your Body’s Metabolic Needs

If you drop below 1200 calories per day your body is thinking it is starving and will want to turn everything you eat into fat. In addition it is going to drastically lower your metabolism making fat burning next to impossible.  Use this calorie calculator to determine how many calories per day you should consume to maintain your current weight. Eat 500 calories less per day and you will loss 1 pound per week. You can eat less and exercise more to achieve the 500 calorie per day deficit.

Eat Breakfast

If you don’t eat breakfast, you slow down your metabolism and send the body into “hoard mode,” thinking it’s starving because you’re going a long period of time without food.

Eat 6 Times per Day

Eating smaller meals and snacks more often keep the metabolic furnace stoked. It also helps to keep your blood sugar balanced eliminating cravings and fatigue. Your body needs fuel and nutrients every 2 to 3 hours in small amounts.

Supplement Your Diet with High Quality Nutrition

Certainly as a nutritionist I eat very healthy. I still need additional nutrition. Everyone does. I do not care how healthy you eat; you need to fortify your diet with extra nutrition.  A one a day pill is not going to cut it, they are a waist of your money. They consist primarily of synthetic or isolated nutrients and are not absorbed very well in our bodies.

I want you to have the success I have had! These suggestions work and should become the norm and not the exception if you really want to lose weight.  I did it and you can too!!

Healthy Wishes

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

WebND

The contents of this blog is not and should not be  considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.

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New Years Resolutions, Successful Weight Loss, Part 1

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.1 Comment

The Holiday Season between Thanksgiving and January 1st  is a dietary challenge for most  of us.  How did you do? Were you able to keep the pounds off or did you gain a few?  Now is the time to get in the right frame of mind to tackle your weight and health issues. This New Year,  can be the year you really improve your health and develop a lifestyle that will promote vibrant health forever!

If you are serious about taking the pounds off and keeping them off read on! Having lost over 200 pounds and kept it off, I guess you could say I know what I am talking about when it comes to weight loss.

Most people start with a great attitude and lots of enthusiasm. This last for about 3 months and before you realize it you are slowly sliding back to your old habits. I am sure that’s not what was intended however over 90% of those making dietary resolutions do not keep them through the year. They did not have a plan to carry them through. They lasted 3 months on desire alone and it takes much more than desire to have successful long-term weight loss. If desire is all that is required to lose weight, we would all be at a great weight and healthy.

If you really want to reach your goals you must be determined that nothing will get in your way.  Success in business or weight loss requires a plan or formula.  So what is required?

Resolution Tools

  • clear picture of the goal
  • path to reach the goal, a plan  (diet, exercise, detoxification, relaxation, education etc…)
  • strong determination ( you can’t let family, friends or circumstances sabotage you and rob you of your goal)
  • knowledge ( do you know how many calories you should consume, the right ration of carbohydrates, fat and protein in your daily diet, which foods increase metabolism, which foods promote health and which ones don’t etc…)  This is one of the areas most people get trapped by. There is an incredible amount of information in the internet. Much of it is wrong and even harmful in some cases.  Trust a dietary health professional to give you safe and effective advice.

Weight Loss Forever

The fact is, losing weight requires a change in the way we think, eat and the amount of activity we engage in. If you keep doing what you doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve got. So change is necessary. There is no magic bullet or pill. Diets do not work. What we eat is vitally important to proper weight balance. If you want permanent change, a change in your lifestyle is what works.

Why Diets Do Not Work

In America when someone uses the term “diet” in the context of losing weight it usually means they are going to change what they are eating and maybe exercise a little for a temporary period until they have achieved their desired goal. Then what do they do?  They will return to their original eating and lifestyle habits. They have not established healthy lifestyle habits or fixed the problem that caused the weight gain to begin with. Yes they are going right back to the very same behavior that got them to that point of needing to lose weight to begin with. Hopefully you are getting the message. If you only want to lose a small amount of weight for a few months, OK diet. If you really want to lose weight and keep it off you must quit thinking a diet will do it. You will set yourself up for failure.

A Healthy Food Relationship

Our relationship with food can be out of balance or skewed. Most people look at foods as an enjoyable hobby, event or even a means of comfort when sad, frustrated or angry. Without understanding the mechanics that drive us to eat we fall into the traps of over consumption.

Hunger vs. Appetite

You must also learn to identify the difference between hunger ( a real physiological need) and appetite ( a false sense of hunger). Appetite is usually caused by eating at the same time everyday, during events such as when watching football, by social influence going out for beer and pizza with friends or a holiday party or event.  Dietary consumption driven by appetite will almost always cause weight gain.  Overeating when hungry will cause weight gain.

Calories In vs. Calories Out

You must understand your energy balance. This means you must know how many calories you need based on your activity and exercise levels. If you consume more calories than you burn per day you will gain weight. Every day you have a limit, think of it as a calorie budget. As long as you do not exceed the budget you will not gain weight. To lose weight you must consume fewer calories than you burn so your body must use stored energy in the form of fat to function. To lose one pound per week you must burn 500 more calories per day than you eat.  Never eat less than 1200 calories per day. This will slow down your metabolism drastically to the point that you will not lose weight. You may even gain weight. Your body thinks it is starving. Never lose more than 2 lbs. per week on a continuous basis.

Does Weight Loss Equate to Health

Weight Loss does not mean you are healthy. I had a client state, “When I get my excess weight of I will be healthy.”  I had to explain that just losing weight does not mean you are healthy.  The qualities of the foods you consume are much more important for your health than the weight loss. Losing weight without a proper diet will lead to future regain of the weight and other possible health conditions. There are plenty of people at the right weight for their height that are not healthy. For example, some people manage weight through the unhealthy practice or purging or bulimia where they purge the foods they eat and they over exercise. This can lead to a potential for very serious health consequences.  There are many people who may look healthy because they are at a normal weight however they could be eating a very poor diet of fast foods that are making their body’s nutrient bankrupt. Eventually nutrient bankruptcy of the body will lead to illness and possible disease. Weight lost achieved in a healthy way can give an excellent foundation for vibrant health providing a long quality life.

Nutrition

Our health is really dependent of the consumption of the building blocks of our bodies. Refined and processed foods are devoid of the nutrients required to keep us healthy. We need vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, enzymes, proteins, complex carbohydrates and fiber for vibrant health. Eating foods devoid of them will cause blood sugar imbalances which will cause cravings for carbohydrate rich foods.  In addition the lack of nutrients means you can’t turn the foods you eat into energy. To make energy from foods requires many nutrients and just taking a supplement or eating foods enriched or fortified with the nutrients they are missing is no replacement for nutrients from real foods.

Happy New Years

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

Nutritionist

WebND

The contents of this blog is not and should not be  considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Always seek medical clearance before starting a new exercise routine. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.