You Don't Have To Have An Overweight Child!

Weight Management

Hi all,
Good day to you.
Just like to let you know that I will be away for the next three days, ie. I would not be posting any writing for the next three days, but before I leave, I would like to share with you.........

There Is No Excuse To Have An Overweight Child!

Getting children down to normal weight is easier than doing the job with an adult for the simple reason that most kids do not have the money to go into a store and come home with boxes of pastries, cases of beer and gallons of ice cream. If you have no junk food in your house, don't use sweets as a reward and don't keep nagging your child to eat, there should be no great difficulty.

Every time I have seen a fat child, I have seen parents whose behavior needs modification, with the most common error being offering over and over again the child food he doesn't need. Many parents who claim that they have to buy junk food because the children "demand it" are deceiving no one but themselves: What they're really doing is using their child as an excuse to bring home junk food so they can eat it, too!

Other parents seem intimidated by their children and let them buy or eat anything they want. I would strongly suggest that such parents seek help from a counselor or psychologist. Or better yet, a relative or parent whose children are slim. What that friend might tell them is that it's perfectly okay for kids to squawk, complain, nag and even cry, holler and tell you they hate you. Kids act like that for all sorts of reasons. The major purpose behind 90 percent of that whining and nagging is the desire to have the parent establish firm limits on what the child can get away with.

Children need limits, they need discipline. They crave it; it's an integral part of their development. But there's no kid on the face of the earth who needs potato chips and bottles of soda. If you have trouble handling that approach, consider how your daughter is going to feel about you when she's 17 years old and weighs 70 kilos (or 150 pounds) as well as remembers how you gave in to her infantile whining for sweets which her high school psychology course will probably have taught her was nothing more than a disguised request for discipline and love.

Sure, kids will eat junk at their friends' houses and can buy their own candy bars. But I doubt if 1 child in 100 is going to get fat that way. More advice: Don't try to ingratiate yourself with your child by bringing home gallons of ice cream or boxes of snacks. There are better ways to express love. Don't urge the overweight child to take seconds or keep asking him if he's had enough to eat, just because your parents always did that to you. Don't tell the child he can have ice cream or a snack if he's good. And if he doesn't feel like eating at all or only plays with his dinner, what's wrong with that? Why not let his natural appetite control express itself? And if you have to throw out his food, fine!

Ok, that's all for today folks.
Till we 'eat' again, take care of yourself as well as your children of what is put in your.their mouth.

Cheers.

Weight Management

You Can Loss Weight & Enjoy Good Food At The Same Time!

Weight Management

Hi all,
Lets take on this myth today.

Fat Fighting Myth: You'll Never Enjoy Food Again!

Healthy foods do not have to be bland, low-calorie foods are not tasteless, and living by your healthy eating plan does not mean abandoning everything you ever loved in the world of food. There are whole schools of cooking - from the nouvelle cuisine of France to the new "light" cuisine of California - that are based on healthy, low-fat foods. You can eat out and eat well at gourmet restaurants the world over and still maintain food control.

The great irony of our foodie culture is that it has such an extraordinarily limited imagination. Most people rely on a very small, very dull, and not particularly healthy assortment of foods that they eat over and over again - the same few vegetables, the same few meats, and the same snack foods that satisfy an eat-and-run lifestyle. Despite the fact that we can buy practically any food - no matter how exotic or out of season - at any time of the day or night, few of us venture beyond the limits of our favorite foods.

"But I can't live without them! I can't live without them!" That is what the losers of fat fighting would have you believe. They claim the lure of these morsels is so powerful that trying to eat without them is like trying to breathe without air. But the foods that this society considers so vital - the sweets and snack foods that so many people live for - did not even exist for most of human history. There are entire societies that live perfectly well without the "benefits" of chips, dips, double cheeseburgers, trench fries, cookies, or M&Ms. Indeed, for almost all of human history, the overwhelming majority of humankind has never seen, tasted, or wanted these foods. There is nothing inherent in these tastes that is critical to human survival.

Even in countries where such treats are popular, there have always been men and women who have abstained. Some abstain for medical reasons, knowing that eating certain foods can mean illness or even death. Others abstain for religious reasons, following the tenets of their faith out of a devotion to a higher good. Whatever the reason, however, all of these people live full, productive lives.

When you decide it's time to let go of some of those troublesome old favorites of yours, you will discover something wonderful: There is a virtually unlimited selection of foods out there that are healthy, low-fat, and delicious to eat. You don't need to be a chef to enjoy them. You don't need a state-of-the-art kitchen. All you need is a willingness to go beyond the limits of your old eating habits.

Ideally, the combination of these new foods and a new perspective on the "bad old" foods should be enough to quell any longings for your triggers. But we don't live in an ideal world. And it is also understandable that giving up all of your triggers all of the time can, for some people, seem nearly impossible. Some people can get so discouraged, they'll give up on all the other strategies they've mastered. I tell those individuals that not every trigger is a problem in every situation. For some triggers, there is a healthy, controlled alternative to total avoidance. If you have one or two trigger foods that you would like to keep in your life, you can do it - if you're careful.

Yes, you can have a delicious meal and yet manage your weight.

Ok, till we 'eat' again, just watch what you put in your mouth.

Cheers.

Weight Management

What To Do When Eating At The Restaurants?

Weight Management

Hi all,
Following yesterday sharing of saying no to fast food, today lets touch on eating at the restaurant.

Controlling Your Eating At Restaurants

The greatest danger of eating in restaurants isn't the entree, it's the breads, chips, and other foods that most restaurants supply customers with before the entree is even ordered. How many times have you gone out to dinner and found yourself saying, "I'm not even hungry anymore," when the entree arrived, all because you had stuffed yourself on bread or some other appetizer? And how often did you go ahead and eat the entree anyway?

You can save yourself a lot of grief and temptation by doing one of two things. First, never go to a restaurant hungry. The same golden rule that applies to dinner or cocktail parties is most applicable when dining at any commercial establishment. If you are starving when you arrive, you know what will happen. The first thing brought to the table is the bread basket and you will dive right in. There is a natural inclination to pick. If ever there is a place where finger control is important, it is at a restaurant.

Second, simply tell your server that you would prefer not to have a bread basket on the table. If your dinner companions want bread, turn your bread plate over, ask them to keep the bread basket on the other side of the table, or ask the waiter to remove the basket after everyone has taken what they want. You may find, as I have, that others share your susceptibility to the temptations of the bread basket and are only too happy to have it gone.

The same goes for the little cookies or mints that some restaurants serve with coffee or dessert. Ask the waiter about it in advance. You needn't feel embarrassed or timid about such requests. More and more people are making these requests every day. Invariably, a good waiter always appreciates anything specific you can tell him about what you need to keep you pleased and satisfied.

When it comes to ordering beverages, mineral water is better than club soda from a nutritional perspective - have it with lemon or lime. Don't let the menus tempt you. Some people find that reading the menu sabotages them and makes them crave. You can just ignore the menu and ask the waiter for a simple prepared grilled chicken breast. Or ask the waiter for his recommendation on the best fish entree in the house. Or just keep your reading to the chicken and fish sections of the menu. Dining out should be fun and a rewarding experience. Don't deny yourself this joy because you are afraid to read the dessert section on a menu.

Predressed salads are a big source of hidden calories, since most restaurants tend to drown their healthy green salads in less-than-healthy oil-based dressings. To control the amount of dressing, request your salad with dressing on the side and choose a vinaigrette dressing.

When ordering your entree, steer clear of foods that are prepared with heavy sauces or gravies. Instead, look for dishes that have been prepared without butter, cream, and other fatty condiments.

Ha, now you know what to do when eating at the restaurants. Eating at the restaurants is an enjoyment but just watch what you eat.

Cheers.

Weight Management

How To Say 'NO' To Fast Food?

Weight Management

Hi all,
Today, I am going to share two short sharing with you.

Fast Food Choices

A fast food joint isn't exactly a nutritional paradise, but sometimes you have absolutely no other choice. Try the following tips for making better choices.

Don't assume that a salad is the healthiest choice. At Taco Bell, a taco salad with ranch dressing, weighing in at 1,167 calories, has more calories than any other item on the menu. (61 percent of which come from fat.) Salad bars can be a danger zone, too. If you drown your lettuce in blue cheese dressing or pile on the marshmallow ambrosia and potato salad with olives, you may be even worse off than if you order a burger and fries.

When you order burgers and sandwiches, look for words like "Junior" and "small." Order your burger without the cheese, special sauce, and mayo; lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard, ketchup, and pickles supply plenty of flavor. And avoid items with the words "double" or "super" in the description. If you can't resist those two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions on a sesame-seed bun, at least try to balance out the damage with exercise.

Learn To Say "No"!

The next time you are faced with a trigger food and find yourself feeling sorry for yourself, stop! Don't exhaust yourself by fighting imaginary enemies. Pull yourself together and make your choice. Decide whether you are going to walk away or exercise your option to eat that food - with full knowledge that if you eat it you'll have to wear it.

Whatever your choice, take responsibility for it and don't blame the diet, or the food, or the argument you had twenty minutes before. Don't complain about your weight and bore everyone with talk of how you're going to go on a diet.

Being thin is not a birthright. Neither is being able to have anything you want anytime you want. If you want to be thin, you must occasionally say no. And if you are going to say no you have to do it of your own free will. Such self-chosen avoidance isn't deprivation, it's liberation. And with each "No, thank you" you will gain a little more control, self-reliance, and self-esteem.

Ok, that's all for today folks, till we 'eat' again, watch what you put in your mouth.

Cheers.

Weight Management

Why Eating Fast Food & Quitting Smoking Will Pack On The Pounds?

Weight Management

Hi all,
Today, gonna share something all of us know which is bad for our health and their relationship with Weight Management.

Why Eating Fast Food & Quitting Smoking Will Pack On The Pounds

If you eat out frequently, especially in fast-food restaurants, you're probably eating more fat and calories than you want or need. Fast food has several problems. First, although low calorie choices are available, most people don't order them. A typical fast-food meal averages 700 to 1,200 calories. Part of the blame rests on the fact that portion sizes are out of control. "Super-sizing" an order of fries or a soda may only cost a few cents more and seem like a bargain, but it comes at a big caloric price. A super-sized order of fries has a whopping 540 calories and 26 grams of fat (in comparison, a small order has 210 calories and 10 grams of fat) and a large 32-ounce cola has 310 calories, compared to 150 calories in a small.

Secondly, whether you eat in the restaurant or in your car, you're probably eating quickly, much too quickly. Researchers have consistently shown that one of the best ways to moderate how much you eat is to relax, eat slowly, and focus on your meal. People dining in restaurants at booths and benches that offer only about ten minutes of comfort. They're wolfing down their meals so they can head off on their next errand or rush back to work. Particularly when it comes to fast-food chains, people tend to eat in response to outside cues such as advertising, bargain prices, convenience, and speed - very rarely for health or pleasure.

The Fat-Smoke Connection

You may gain up to 10 pounds when you quit smoking, but most people return to their normal weights at the end of a year. The gain, according to research conducted at Kaiser Permanente in California and published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (1996; 11:1150-1155), seems to be due to eating extra calories in the first month after you quit, and peaks at about 6 months. Although it's not clear why quitting smoking leads to weight gain, it's likely that nicotine somehow increases metabolic rate, and quitting smoking lowers it.

A study published in the American Journal of Public Health (1996; Volume 86, Number 7) offers a solution. When researchers followed 9,000 women for 2 years, they found that light smokers (24 cigarettes or less per day) who quit and added 1 to 2 hours of vigorous physical activity each week averaged a 4'/2-pound weight gain; formerly heavy smokers (25 cigarettes or more per day) averaged a gain of 8'/2 pounds. Even more beneficial was exercising 2 or more hours per week. Light smokers had an average gain of just 3 pounds, and heavy smokers 6 pounds. By comparison, light smokers who quit but did not change their activity level gained 5 pounds on average, and heavy smokers nearly 9 l/2 pounds. Meanwhile, women who continued to smoke still gained, too: about 1 pound during the study.

So, stay away from Fast Food and Smoking.

Till we meet again, stay healthy.

Cheers.

Weight Management

Which Is The Best Exercise For Getting Flat Stomach?

Weight Management

Hi all,
Since today is a weekend, would like to share with you a very simple tip in shedding fat at the stomach area.

I used the fasting method I shared a few days back to loss weight but my stomach was still not flat until I did this exercise.

The Best Exercise For Getting That Flat Stomach

How can you tone up your belly without wreaking havoc on your back? Some abdominal strengthening exercises are tough to those whose back muscles are also weak. While a fit individual can do straight-leg sit-ups until the cows come home, someone not so fit may find that maneuver nearly crippling.

Instead, consider the Abdominal Curl. Lying flat on the floor, keep your knees bent and your arms across your chest. Rise up slowly, curling up each vertebra separately until you're at a 45-degree angle. This means your lower back should still be on the floor. Lower yourself slowly, which is a complementary exercise called the Curl Down.

According to fitness authority Charles E. Kuntzleman, Ed.D., who calls this "the best exercise you can do," this simple movement uses only the abdominal muscles. Because you keep your lower back firmly on the floor at all times, you don't involve weak back muscles that could be injured. Just be careful not to do this exercise with your arms behind your neck. The temptation is to pull on your neck, which could damage those muscles.

Believe me, it works. But you have to be consistent, you won't see result immediately, be patient and press on, and you will receive the reward - flat stomach. :o)

Ok, that's all for today, have a wonderful weekend.

Cheers.

Weight Management