If you do, you are not alone.
For many people, weight gain is a never-ending nightmare, and controlling it an obsession. In the quest to control weight, people try different fads and potions that appear in the popular media. They try weight control clinics, health and herbal supplements and even drastic surgery—often to no avail at all.
Even those who do manage to lose weight often regain it a short time later! For many of us, weight control is a kind of tyranny before which we have no power—a chronic and increasing struggle that leaves us frustrated and demoralized.
Why is weight management such a challenging and frustrating experience? Research tells us that it’s because most “solutions” fail to address the underlying psychological factors that lead a person to gain weight. Unless we can understand these, we are pretty well doomed to repeat the same cycle over and over again. Sure, we may lose a few pounds—or even a lot—relying on different diets and strategies, but keeping it off is the battle. Keeping is off is going to be a lifelong struggle unless we address the psychological factors that lead a person toward immediate gratification, loss of focus, and wavering motivation.
At Preventous we recently held a seminar on “The Psychology of Weight Management”. We achieved tremendous results with a number of people losing weight –weight that had traumatized many of them for decades! We were able to achieve this without the help of diets, without a punishing regimen of exercise, and without gimmicks. The best part is that all of these people have been able to keep the weight off!
Now, we are embarking on a weight loss program, due to begin in September of this year. If you are someone who has struggled with weight issues, you should consider joining the Preventous weight loss program. This is a program that zeroes in on the exact psychological causes leading to weight gain, and most importantly, teaches people to correct for them. If you’ve tried everything else, your struggle will end here. The result is freedom from the tyranny of excess weight—freedom to live and breathe freely again.
A healthy refreshing treat.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup low-fat chocolate milk
- 1 1/2 cup ice
- 1/3 cup tofu (firm or medium-firm)
- 3/4 cup banana slices
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee (decaf or regular)
Directions:
In a blender, combine all ingredients. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!
Serves one.
If you’re interested in harnessing the benefits of exercise, one of the best things you can do is develop a routine. Routines help ensure that we consistently get the most important work done each day, week and month. But be warned! Daily routines are easy to create—and not so easy to follow.
Whether you have decided to exercise in order to lose weight or to maintain a healthy lifestyle, committing to a schedule tends to be the hardest part of the workout. The key to success is learning to maintain your exercise regime by identifying your self-sabotage techniques and addressing them.
Remember, there’s no magic pill that brings discipline and motivation to your workouts. It’s all in the way you think.
Step 1 – Make a Commitment
Commit to three months. It’s not that long, but it’s long enough so that you will see changes as a result of a regular exercise routine and healthy eating habits. This will help facilitate long-term adherence.
Step 2 – Manage Priorities
Protect your schedule against sabotage by refusing to bargain with yourself. Maintain the schedule that you set for yourself and do not allow friends, work or family to intrude upon your exercise time—unless they are joining you for a workout! Remember, putting yourself first does not mean you’re being selfish. Becoming fit and healthy is a gift to yourself and your loved ones.
Step 3 – Block Time
Consult your schedule and construct an exercise plan that fits into your current routine with a minimum amount of change. Make sure you pick times that you know are distraction-free so you will not have an excuse to skip your routine, and only commit to what you are able to accomplish. Also, when it comes to something as important as your health, beware of procrastination.
Step 4 – Keep a Log
Keeping an exercise log will keep you accountable because you will clearly see what you are doing. You should also write your exercise schedule on your family calendar. Not only will this help you remember when to exercise, but it will also let your family know your plans and see that you are honouring your commitment.
Step 5 – Set Goals
Set a fitness goal and be specific about what you are trying to accomplish. If you make realistic short-term goals, you can see little victories easier and, over the long term, achieve the big victory that you are striving for.
Step 6 – Reward Yourself
Rewarding yourself with a shopping trip or a movie gives you something to work for. Do not make the reward something that will negate your efforts.
Step 7 – Keep Motivated
Re-evaluate after 6 months to see how you are doing. You may find that the schedule you constructed for yourself has been challenging to keep; if so think about why and consider scaling back to a more achievable schedule.
Step 8 – Enjoy Yourself
Ask yourself, what kind of exercise you would enjoy. Don’t be afraid to try different things. Try going for a run and see how you feel afterwards, or check out an exercise class.
Step 9 – Add Variety
Variety will keep your muscles from getting complacent and can prevent workouts from becoming monotonous.
Step 10 – Meet with a Professional
A certified personal trainer will put you on the right exercise program that will best help you achieve the results you’re looking for.
Step 11 – Avoid Negativity
Change your attitude and stop focusing on the ‘can’ts’. Focus on who you are and what you expect in your life, not just the change you want to make. This shift in thinking calls for action and helps foster your success.
On a final note, you have to be patient. You didn’t get in your current shape overnight, so don’t expect to change overnight. If you develop a routine you will be well on your way to success.
Love your java, guys? Here’s good news.
According to research, coffee may lower the risk of prostate cancer.
The U.S. Health Professionals Follow-Up Study tracked 48,000 men over a period of 20 years. They found that men who drank a moderate (1 to 5 cups, or 8-40 ounces) amount of coffee showed a 30% lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer in comparison to men who drank no coffee. The interesting part of these results is that the risk was lower for coffee-drinkers regardless of whether the coffee they drank was regular or decaf.
So do you need to increase the amount of coffee you drink?
Not necessarily. While this is good news for coffee lovers, keep in mind that one research study is not enough to prove a preventative effect.
For those that drink regular coffee, caffeine in small amounts may have positive effects such as increased alertness and ability to focus. However, for those people who are sensitive to caffeine, negative effects may include insomnia, headaches, irritability and nervousness.
Other adverse health effects of caffeine include:
- Muscle tremors, nausea, anxiety and mood changes
- Increased heart rate, cholesterol and blood pressure
- Calcium imbalances leading to lowered bone density and increased bone fracture risk
Health Canada has reviewed these studies and has concluded that healthy adults are not at risk for these adverse effects as long as they limit their caffeine intake to 400 mg daily. This equals about 24 oz (3 cups) of caffeinated coffee per day.