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Sunday, January 20, 2013

The Dieting Mind Set

The Dieting Mind Set

When it comes to dieting, far too many people set themselves up for failure before they even begin the process. They literally dread going on their diets and before they start the process are planning their mishaps along the way. Sad to say but true, far too many would be dieters are planning their first Rocky Road mishap while eating their last bowl of Rocky Road before the big event.

I have no idea why we tend to do this to ourselves but it is something I see in dieters everywhere. The far too popular notion is that one must binge on the foods most loved and enjoyed before beginning the dieting process because these things must be completely eliminated in order to shed those unwanted pounds. If you are honest with yourself, nothing could be further from the truth. Moderation is simply a concept that many of us are loathe to embrace.

You must change your way of thinking about food and your personal enjoyment of food in order for any diet you embrace to be successful. Food isn't the enemy. And that is something that not enough people really understand. Even the 'tasty' foods aren't the enemy. The enemy is your personal inability to properly portion the foods you eat. The problem is that the vast majority of us eat the wrong foods far more often than we eat the right foods. This is where the problems lie.

Our bodies need the nutrients we are lacking by not eating the five servings of vegetables and three servings of fruit each day that we should consume. Our bodies know that something is missing and we feel hungry or deprived. If we were actually consuming the proper balance of fruits and veggies each day we would find that we were far less likely to feel hungry and desire those foods that aren't as healthy. This means we would be much more likely to enjoy them in moderation as they should be enjoyed.

Portion control is another problem that we have. We live in a society of "up selling". Super sized fries and empty calories by the gallon of your favorite cola are offered with almost every fast food meal that can be bought. You must learn to say no to these things and avoid situations in which you may feel tempted to partake in these up sized orders.

To be truly successful when dieting you need to embrace the process as building a healthier you rather than depriving yourself of something. Do not think of your weigh loss plan as something negative but rather a positive force in your life to make changes for the better. When you have negative thoughts do not direct them at your diet. When you feel deprived remind yourself that you are depriving your bones of carrying around that excess weight. Remind yourself that you are depriving your wardrobe of those bulky clothes that are designed to hide the bulges. Remind yourself that you are depriving your body of years of bulges and bringing back the body of your youth.

Do not get so caught up in the dieting process that you forget to enjoy some of the goodies that life has to offer. Watching your weight and counting your calories does not mean that you can never go over your allotment. The goal however is to find balance. If you learn to portion your food correctly, indulge in moderation, and incorporate enjoyable calorie burning activities into your daily routine you may be amazed at the results.

Dieting for weight loss and health is only depriving if you allow it to be. If you cannot control yourself when it comes to indulging then by all means avoid indulging. However, if you can learn to incorporate those small treats into your routine in moderation and burn those extra calories as well, then you should find yourself a much happier and more successful 'dieter' than you have ever managed to be in the past.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

LA weight loss program overview


About the LA Program

LA Weight Loss is proven to work with your body's natural processes for quick and consistent weight loss results. Fire up your metabolism with our customized LA Weight Loss Menu Plan. You'll enjoy flavorful meals made with real foods right from your local market. Then, by incorporating two LA Lite™ Bars™ into each day, cravings will become a thing of the past. Finally, as your body changes, LA SmartTrim Nutritionals™ will supply all the vitamins and minerals you need.

Within the first 7 days, we want you to experience real results – rapid results that will keep on rewarding you as you get closer and closer to your weight loss goal. But it doesn't stop there. Real success is losing weight and keeping it off – using the 3 phases of the LA Weight Loss system:

Phase 1 – Weight Loss
Taking into account your busy lifestyle, activity level, and other factors, we'll help you set your weight loss goal and date. Once you select a custom menu plan, you can jump right into the LA Rapid Results Plan.

Phase 2 – Weight Loss Stabilization
Once you've reached your goal, we'll show you how to introduce even more variety to mealtimes. You'll learn everything you need to know to keep your weight right where it needs to be.

Phase 3 – Weight Loss Maintenance
With some simple but powerful guidelines and weight loss tips, you'll reach the ultimate goal: permanent weight loss. With it comes the lasting rewards of better health, more energy, and looking better – for life.

 ca.laweightloss.com

 The LA Complete Success System, which includes all products and guides as well as online support, costs $289.99 a month if automatic rebilling is selected or $419.99 if one month is purchased at a time.

 PRO
  • Recommendations for dining out
  • No food restrictions
  • No counting
  • No prepackaged meals to purchase or order
  • Easy to follow program
  • Entire program can be done online
  • Two day kickstart for results
  • Inspiring success stories
  • Helpful for those who have large amounts of weight to lose
  • See results quickly
  • Several support tools available
  • Program is different than the previous high pressure LA Weight Loss method
  • Five simple steps
  • Choose from auto-ship or single month program
  • Includes detailed instructions for daily guidance
  • Meal plans customized based on your current weight
CON
  • Program can be expensive due to monthly charges for the bars and juice; you must still purchase your own groceries
  • Must purchase snack bars and supplements every month to get the other program elements
  • Single month option costs $100 more than the monthly auto-ship option

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Sunshine Snack Mix


Your air conditioner isn’t the only thing that uses energy in the hot weather-your kids do, too.

Warm months usually means children are playing outside more. All that running, jumping and swimming uses up plenty of energy, so it’s important to keep your kids well-fueled. Here’s a recipe that can do just that. It’s a fun, portable snack mix made with California raisins, so it has a sweet taste and supplies lots of energy.

Sunshine Snack Mix

Ingredients:

2 cups California raisins

2 cups low-fat granola cereal

1 cup candy-coated chocolate pieces

1/2 cup sunflower kernels

Directions:

In large bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well.

Yields: 51/2 cups

Serves: 11

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Fun Fuel

The potassium in California raisins helps lower blood pressure, which has been shown to help reduce the risk of heart disease. In addition to adding fiber to the diet, raisins rank among the top antioxidant foods and even contain phytochemicals that contribute to oral health.

The Taste Of Health

Of course, nutrition facts probably don’t matter much to your children. Kids tend to focus on taste, and California raisins hold up well there, too. They make sweet, plump treats, which means they can be an easy way to help your children maintain a healthful diet-and to keep their energy levels up throughout the day.



Looking for more summertime snack ideas? The California Raisin Marketing Board offers a host of tasty, easy-to-make recipes that require little to no time spent in the kitchen, giving you more time to spend with your kids. Try making Raisin Peanut Butter Balls for a quick snack or Spiced Apple Pie Party Mix for a good dose of dried fruits, nuts, cinnamon and nutmeg. Raisin Nachos with Cinnamon Dipping Sauce is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, and try Raisin Delights for bite-size balls of cream cheese and sunflower seeds rolled in coconut. Or just snack on California raisins straight from the box.