Top 4 secrets of weight loss – in my opinion

Top 4 Secrets to Weight loss – in my opinion

First up Water!!

The human body is made up of about 65 % water – and here is why that is important…

• Besides giving your skin a glowie hydrated look – water increases your metabolism. Being hydrated allows our body to function at an optimal rate – kinda like the oil in your car motor – thus exerting more energy and increasing your metabolism.
• Water boost your energy level – because we are mainly made up of water when we are dehydrated we feel sluggish and tired – since our brain is 75% water – when you’re dehydrated we get brain fog, feel tired and are unable to concentrate. Sound familiar – drink up!
• Water helps suppress your appetite – a lot of people with think they are hungry when they are actually thirsty – btw if you are thirsty you are already dehydrated…. The key is to stay ahead of dehydration by sipping water throughout the day… Oh and next time you feel hungry – do the water test… drink a glass of water and if you still feel hungry after – have at it.
•  Water releases water storage in your body – retaining fluid?? The trick to relieve that is drinking more water… What!? I know… the reason is the more water you drink the less water your body retains… if you don’t drink enough water your body will hold onto every bit of it and store it in the
  body for later – and yes when you finally start to drink the correct
  amount of water you will be in the bathroom every 5 minutes, but once
  your body adjusts it will regulate itself.
• So how much water should you consume anyway? The rule of thumb is half your body weight in oz. So a 160 lb person should consume a minimum of 80 oz of water a day that is 10 – 8 oz glasses… spread out through the day … very do-able – right?

Next up Fiber – Fiber is huge!

Did you know according the national fiber association a woman between 19-50 needs to consume at least 20 -25 grams of fiber a day! Seems like a lot – but it can be done without too much pain….

Benefits of fiber –

• The number 1 benefit of fibrous foods is they keep you fuller longer, which helps regulate weight … Suh-weet!
• It also traps cholesterol and fat, which helps lower cholesterol and slows the absorption of sugar improving blood sugar levels.
• Fiber not only promotes general wellness and intestinal health, it lowers the risk of developing many diseases and conditions that can put your life in danger – heart attack,   diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, obesity, and certain cancers (according to John Hopkins Medical Center)

Win – Win! Get your Fiber in!

High Fructose Corn Syrup –

Oy – this stuff is the devil…. HFC is a man-made sweetener made from corn starch. Leptin, your fullness hormone tells your body when to stop eating…. HFC slows down the secretion of leptin in the body. The signal that basically tells us we are full is shut off… This has been noted as a reason for obesity in this country and actually the world and it’s in almost everything we eat – soda, breads, etc. Next time you go shopping check the labels. Honestly – I have 2 things in my house with HFC in it –which I will not give up – my Heinz Ketchup and my Catalina salad dressing.

Cortisol –

Cortisol is a hormone our body secrets to help deal with stress…When we are under stress it shuts down what it thinks are unnecessary functions like our reproduction and immune system so that all our energy is directed toward dealing with the stress at hand.

You may have heard to it referred to as our fight or flight hormone. This hormone is meant to be short lived. A burst of energy to help you get away from a saber tooth tiger or something… However, in this day and age with all kinds of stressors being thrown at us left and right – it has become a chronic problem. This hormone increased the production of insulin in the body which increases the storage of fat in fat cells and prevents the cells from releasing it for energy. Why? Because our bodies cannot break down
fat when it’s under the influence of insulin (I got this from Jillian Michaels book 24/7 Fat loss – fascinating right?)

So how do we battle this? How do we get all this stress out of our lives?

Love the skin you’re in Baby!

• Self-nurturing – allow yourself to have fun – relax
•  Well-being is acceptance or satisfaction in our current condition. A sense of peace, wholeness and happiness.
•  Self-appreciation is a part of your well-being – self is defined as an entire person, appreciation is defined as a judgement or evaluation – an expression of gratitude approval.
• Self-appreciation is saying I accept myself as I am– say it with me – I accept myself as I am… how freeing!
•  Rediscovering joy –Joy-o-Joy-o…. Joy is not a destination, but a journey that we take one day at a time, one moment at time. I call this living in the
  moment….