Expert Weight Loss Tips For Women Over 40

My lady clients who are over 40 are constantly telling me that they just can't believe all that's going on with their bodies that nobody bothered to warn them about. The number one complaint is the weight gain experienced when nothing much in their diet or exercise routine has changed over the years, yet suddenly, they are packing on pounds and it seems to be showing the most in the mid section.

There are two main culprits behind this over 40 weight gain amongst women: 

1. Slowed metabolism.

2. Hormones.

As any of us get older, our metabolism slows down. When this happens, what we used to get away with in terms of diet and lack of exercise suddenly catches up with us. Maybe this isn't a big surprise to many, but what you might find surprising is that the usual response to this dilemma is probably one of the worst things you can do. Many women simply skip meals and avoid eating when they are hungry to try to reverse the weight gain caused by the lowered metabolism. This is terrible for your metabolism and it will not help you achieve lasting weight loss.

Grazing all day long on small quantities of healthful items such as veggies and lean protein allows your body to run at an optimum metabolic rate. When you starve yourself, your body's metabolism slows even more because what you've done is put it on survival mode. It stores everything it gets because it's not sure when it will get another bite of energy. When you feed it frequently throughout the day, it does just the opposite. It burns everything because it's being provided with energy frequently.


The other culprit to female weight gain after 40 is hormone balance.

There are many important stages in a woman's life that we all seem to talk a lot about. Adolescence, the child-bearing years and then of course the hot-flash ridden menopausal stage. But what lies between having children and menopause? This hellish time called perimenopause is just now being recognised by the medical community as being the stage prior to menopause in which there can be severe and noticeable symptoms that deserve attention. Weight gain, hair loss, extreme mood swings, irritability, anxiety, and inability to focus are some of the lovely symptoms associated with this time in a woman's life that can last from just a few months to many years prior to actual menopause.

Why? Well, quite honestly, it's the body's way of telling you to stop for a moment and pay attention to taking care of YOU! There aren't a lot of great medical options out there for treating the symptoms of perimenopause and that's only if you actually get somebody to listen to you and help you in the first place.

What you can do, what you can do all on your own, is to take care of yourself. Proper nutrition and exercise are your biggest defense against the symptoms of perimenopause. Vitamins, minerals and protein are the basic components of hormones in the body and when your body isn't receiving adequate nutrition, there is bound to be even more imbalance. You need a wide variety, a rainbow if you will, of veggies in your diet.

Exercise not only aids in weight loss and overall good health, but believe me, it's a heck of a good way to take a bad mood and make it better. More and more over 40s are taking to the gym and hiring personal trainers such as myself to assist with their weight loss goals and stress levels.

It won't solve everything, but eating a wide variety of veggies and lean protein and exercising regularly will most certainly have an affect on your overall health, hormonal balance and weight loss.

Here's some other interesting facts to note:

• As we age out maximal heart rate drops by 1 beat per year
• Cardiac Output decreases by approximately 20-30% as we age
• 40% of muscle fibres are lost between the early adulthood and 80yrs
• Strength and inability to move quickly reduce with age
• There is a reduction in bone density with aging
• Women in particular are prone to Osteoporosis due to decreasing levels of estrogen in post-menopausal stages.
• Joint degeneration occurs commonly in the over 55 age group which due to bad posture and inactivity. Osteoarthritis sets in and can effect range of movement.

Simon's Fitness Tips for Over-40s

• As we age, there's more reason to kick-start a fitness programme, from maintaining your heart, to maintaining bone density, muscle strength and self-esteem, the list goes on. So get started tomorrow!
• Begin a structured weight training programme with a personal trainer to help reduce floppy skin and increase your cardiovascular health.
• Join a local exercise class that will provide you with a great social scene as well as the benefits of structured sessions - they're really great fun!
• Consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program.
• Set yourself mini challenges and attempt to build on your results over time. Walk further, be quicker, lift slightly heavier weights etc. This way you will see results quicker and gain a great sense of achievement.
• If you experience pain or discomfort slow down. Let your body tell you when it's time to reduce the intensity or stop.
• Keep hydrated throughout - this will not only prevent dehydrated but also flush toxins from your body.

Simon Lovell is celebrity personal trainer, fitness expert to Marie Claire, Women's Fitness and author of the 5 star rated Lunch Box Diet ( http://www.lunchboxdiet.co.uk ) voted 'the best diet' by Elle Magazine.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Simon_Colin_Lovell/656977

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Weight Loss For Women Over 40 - Love Yourself First

If you are 40 something, you know that it is getting harder to manage your weight. This is true for most, but it doesn't mean you cannot still maintain a healthy weight.

First you may need to re-frame your outlook. If you are dreaming about your high school weight, you may need a reality check. For some, this may be possible, for others it may simply be unrealistic and unnecessary. When determining what your goal weight is, consider this:

- Calculate your BMI (see below). This is the best way to assess whether you really need to lose weight, or you just want to look better in your jeans. If your BMI is in the healthy range of 19-24, then you can be assured that your weight is not adversely affecting your health. If it is over 24, then you could reduce your risk for disease by losing a few pounds.

- Love yourself first. If you think that losing fifteen pounds will solve all of your body image problems, you are probably wrong. Work with a therapist or life coach so that you can come to peace with who you are and the body shape you were born with. Try not to let your appearance be your biggest motivator to eat well and exercise.

- Consider inches, not just the scale. Take your waist, arm and thigh measurements now. Then compare every two weeks for three to four months after you have been exercising and eating better. You may not always see huge losses on the scale, but lost inches means lost fat and better health.

Secondly you need to make some changes in your eating habits. Most women at this age are pretty busy. They may be juggling a family, career and aging parents. This often adds up to skipping meals, eating junk food, and being dehydrated! Keep these tips in mind each day to get you out of a bad habit:

- Sit down and take a lunch break. While breakfast may be quick, lunch should not have to be on the run. Often we think that we are saving time by eating at our desks or in our car! But your body and mind need some downtime and a twenty to thirty minute break will likely leave you more focused and energized. Plus, sitting down will help you eat more slowly, which will help you eat less and stop when you're full.

- Plan two to three snacks a day. If you work out of the home, bring two snacks with you each day. If you work at home, choose your snacks in the morning or the night before. You may even want to post a "Healthy Snack List" on your refrigerator to help you make good choices. Portions are important. Snack ideas: Low fat yogurt; 1-2 ounces pretzels; low fat string cheese with 6 wheat crackers; low fat granola or high fiber bar; 10 animal crackers and a glass of skim milk; a piece of fresh fruit or a cup of melon or berries; raw carrots; hummus with 6-8 wheat crackers; a glass of low fat chocolate milk.

- Consider keeping a food log. Writing down what we eat helps keep us accountable for all the little tidbits and go into our mouth.

- Be patient. Weight loss after forty is slower than it was before. You have to simply accept this. Make small changes, stick with them, and you will eventually see results.


Finally, exercise is more important than ever. Again, with the busy and often content lives that 40-something women may lead, they may get relaxed on exercise. It's never too late to start an exercise program. Check with your doctor first to find out if there should be any restrictions, then shoot for exercising 3-5 times a week. While this may seem like a lot, keep in mind, household activities count too. So consider more formal exercise (like jogging, walking, weight lifting) to be done 3-4 times a week.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and American Heart Association (AHA) have released updated physical activity recommendations for adults and older adults. The recommendations are an update and clarification of the 1995 recommendation on the types and amounts of physical activity needed by healthy adults and older adults to improve and maintain health. Specifically, the guidelines recommend all healthy adults aged 18 to 65 years need moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes on five days each week or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 20 minutes on three days each week. So the good news is that once you increase your intensity, you can get by with 3 days a week of activity. Keep these ideas in mind when planning out your activities:

- If you are not active at all, start walking. A nice walk outside each morning will be a great way to start your day. Even if you only have time for a 30-minute walk, start there. Some activity is always better than no activity.

- If you are already a walker, try jogging. Increasing the intensity of any activity will help boost your metabolism. Start by jogging for 30 seconds, then one minute, and continue alternating minutes of jogging with walking. Before you know it you will be jogging two miles.

- Don't hire it all out. Often individuals may have a comfortable lifestyle at this point and be able to hire folks to do the weeding, mulching, dig a new garden, mowing, or housework. Consider doing some of these old chores yourself. Shoveling mulch builds muscle and burns lots of calories!

- Try weight lifting. Weight training doesn't mean you have to turn into a body builder nor does it mean you have to go to a gym. If you want to join a gym, that's fine. It is a good idea to get some initial training from a personal trainer to be sure you are doing the activities with good form, but once you have the form down, you can easily work out at home. Invest in a set of light hand weights (usually 2, 3 and 5 pounds each) and start doing repetitions. We lose muscle as we age and weight lifting is one way to build some back and burn more calories.

Take your weight loss goals one at a time and you will see results eventually. In the meantime, think about your short-term goals and how eating healthy foods and using your muscles keeps your body well. Before you know it you will be inches smaller and a few pounds lighter


Rosanne Rust, MS, RD, LDN
Registered Dietitian, Nutrition Consultant
Writing, Speaking, Teaching
http://www.rustnutrition.com
Licensed Provider for Real Living Nutrition Services
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rosanne_Rust/87115

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Why You're Not Seeing Results In The Gym

As a personal trainer I feel the need to cover a topic that I think may help many of you out there. Most of us at some point of our life have started some form of fitness program rather its riding a bike three times a week or joining your local gym. We all exercise for the benefits of becoming a more healthy person but let's be honest what we really want is to look better naked. While I firmly believe adherence is the key to any fitness program it's no easy task for some people. The number one reasons people quit going to the gym or exercising is lack of results. Nobody wants to continue doing anything if there isn't any results to come from it. I'm now going to give you my top reasons why you're not seeing the results from your time spent in the gym.

1. Eat For Your Goals (weight loss/muscle gain)

Most people get caught in a cycle with their diet. The people that are over weight eat to stay over weight and the people that are skinny eat to stay skinny. If your goal is to lose weight then you must break the bad habit of over eating and choose foods to help you along the way. The same goes for skinny people trying to gain muscle mass you can't eat like a bird and expect to roar like a lion. So based on what your goals are should determine the foods you choose to eat.

2. Same Weights Week After Week (muscle gain)

The human body reacts to weight training by building more muscles in order to accommodate for the amount of resistance. If you never challenge your muscles with more resistance and continue to use the same amount of weight every week then you can't expect to see muscle growth. The goal is to slowly add weight every week or two. Even if it's just a few pounds. This will promote new growth by putting the muscle under more stress.

3. Too Much Cardio (weight loss)

If you're spending hours a week doing cardio and your weight loss has come to a plateau maybe it's time to start resistance training more. When people think weight loss they instantly think cardio. Cardio is a great way to burn calories and start dropping weight but there is another way that often gets overlooked.

Resistance training builds muscle and what many people don't know is the more muscle you have the more calories your body burns at rest. A resistance training session can elevate your metabolism for up to 35 hours after the workout. Meaning that when you go home after a gym session your body continues to burn calories and fat even when you are sleeping.

4. Changing Your Program Too Soon (weight loss/Muscle gain)

This is a big problem I see all the time in the gym. People get very impatient and think if they don't see results after one week they need to change what they are doing. Remember it took years for your body to become the way it is and you can't expect it to change over night. I like to spend a good 6-12 weeks to reach a plateau or adapt to my current fitness program before I change and shock my body into change. 

5. Never Changing Your Program (weight loss/muscle gain)

While changing your program too much is never good, never changing it is just as bad. Changing your fitness program is what keeps us seeing results. The goal is to let your body adapt or plateau to your current program then change it up to shock it into new growth.

6. Muscle Isolation Training When You Don't Have Muscles To Start With (muscle gain)

Muscle isolation lifts are for shaping the muscle. Too often people start resistance training for the first time and jump straight to muscle isolation lifts like the biceps curl. While its okay to do a few sets of isolation lifts it's far more important to build strength and muscle by doing compound lifts. Compound lifts are squats, dead lifts, bench press, any exercise that engages two or more joints to fully stimulate entire muscle groups.

7. Over Training (weight loss/muscle gain)

Listen to your body. Over training is just as bad as not training enough and can really kill your gains in the gym. Remember every three months a week break is well deserved. When you come back stronger than the week before don't be surprised.

8. Under Training (weight loss/muscle gain)

Just like over training not training enough is just as likely to stop all results. You can't expect to see changes if your not putting in the work needed.

9. Too Much Rest Between Sets (muscle gain)

Spending too much time resting between sets is great way to kill your progress. Your not a power lifter so there is no need to be spending five minutes resting between sets. If you spend too much time resting or TALKING between sets next thing you know a hour has gone by and you have only got ten sets in. The best rest period is anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on your goals.

10. Intensity (weight loss/muscle gain)

A good lesson I was taught is no matter what you're doing in life give it your all. If you don't push yourself then you're already lost. If you're not seeing the results you want stop and ask yourself if you are giving it everything you got. Nobody knows your limits better than you so it's up to you to push and achieve your goals.

Online Personal Trainer at https://www.thefitnesstemple.com
I don't promote:
*Supplements
*Fad Diets
*Fad Exercise Programs
*Steroids

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Cole_Dowell/2240151

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5 Common Mistakes to Avoid for Healthy Weight Loss

Conventional or commercial diets help people lose weight fast by using very restrictive and unsustainable diets. So the end result is that people will regain this weight in a very short period of time and here comes the frustration and another dieting cycle.

In my holistic nutrition practice many clients come to me for natural weight loss. Most of them have probably tried different diets and experienced different weight loss results on these diets.

Some of my health conscious-clients were also concerned that some of these conventional diets they tried recommend foods that are full of preservatives, chemicals and sodium which is not something they want to put into their bodies.

So how can you make sure that you lose weight in a healthy way? Simply by following a balanced and whole-foods diet providing adequate nutrients that naturally cleanses your body of toxins, balances your hormones and boosts your metabolism.

Such a diet will not only allow you to naturally release the extra fat but also maintain your muscle tissue, improve your body shape and feel good about yourself in the process. Best of all, it's proven and tested to help you keep the weight off for good without deprivation or struggle.

As a holistic nutritionist and weight loss consultant, I see common weight loss mistakes that people make that don't help them to lose weight and can compromise their health on the long run.

So here are 5 common mistakes to avoid for healthy weight loss.

1 - Starvation

Some people starve themselves by fasting or eating only one meal a day in order to lose weight. This method usually doesn't work as it will deprive your body of many essential nutrients, slow down your metabolism and even cause more weight gain. You might be surprised to know that some of my weight loss clients actually need to eat more in order to lose weight.

2 - Skipping Meals

Skipping meals is not a good idea because it will affect your blood sugar level and probably cause more eating in your next meal and cravings for fatty or sweet foods. Keeping a balanced blood sugar throughout the day is crucial for healthy and permanent weight loss.

3 - Calorie Restriction

Calorie diets are not realistic or practical. Calorie counting puts a lot of pressure on you and ignore the fact that all calories are not created equal. For example two foods with the same caloric value will not have the same effect on your body. Example dates and candy.

4 - Fat-Burning Supplements

I got asked a lot about these supplements that are advertised as magic pills for weight loss. The truth is that a few of them might have a metabolism-boosting effect but unless you're following a proper diet, nothing will work.

My experience with my weight loss clients is that most of them don't need these supplements unless there is a specific problem affecting their metabolism. A whole-foods diet and a few basic supplements are usually enough to see measurable weight loss results within a short period of time.

5 - Laxatives

Using herbal laxative supplements or medications to release extra weight is not a good idea. It can cause some very transient effects however it can dangerously deplete your body of essential minerals in the process. It also causes dehydration and interrupts the normal elimination function of the large intestines and dependency problems which is not good for your health.

So what's your choice?

Is it better to risk losing your muscle, regaining more fat afterwards and compromising your health with conventional diets? Or naturally and safely releasing the fat for good, maintaining your muscles and revitalizing your health with healthy weight loss? Feel free to post your choice or your experience with weight loss diets in the comments section below.


For more information about Healthy U Turn Weight Loss Program, contact Registered holistic nutritionist Maha Nasr at +1 416 876 4634 to book an appointment or sign up for a FREE Clarity Session at http://www.healthyuturn.com to learn more about our approach and how we can help you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Maha_Nasr/1761533

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Lose Face Fat - Find Out How To Lose Face Fat Today!

There are a lot of attempts people make to lose face fat. However, few only achieve what they desire. Some fail because they were not able to point out what are those unhealthy habits they practice. They only opted for exercise and diet. The major principle of losing facial fat is to recognize your unhealthy lifestyle and find ways to get rid of it and eventually change it into a more healthy way thereby learning from it.

People hate their face when they feel as if it's totally bloated and inflated like a balloon. They even hate the most their puffy chicks and double chins. However, the face is the most superficial part of the body, and no matter how you hide it, it will always be transparent to the eyes of many. Your confidence and selfesteem can go down to its lowest level.

It cannot be denied that our FACE is the window of your inner self. It reflects your feelings, thoughts and overall health. Through the face, we will be able to know if the person is lonely, sad or happy. Sometimes, our face can be deceiving, and when you look at it deeply, you know if the face is masking its emotions or not. Your face will tell you if you are in good condition or not.

There are many factors why facial fat occurs to some, this is not only attributed to aging, toxicity and weight gain, but it is also related to your unhealthy lifestyle.

Unhealthy Diet

When you eat foods rich in animal fat often, fats will accumulate into the different parts of the body including the face. Processed foods with high salt content can cause water retention in the face causing it to bloat. Sugar is thought to cause as well water retention.

• Stress: Lack of sleep is a form of stress. When this happens, your body's system that produces hormone which determines blood and sugar storage will not function well, this can then cause weight gain and fat in the face.
• Allergy: It can also make your face puffy on certain days and normal on some days.
• Smoking: Decreases your body's supply of vitamin C. Without vitamin C your body won't be able to manufacture elastin, leading to a sagging face.
• Alcohol Intake: It can cause failure of the liver to metabolize fats causing weight gain and fat accumulation on the face.

Do you really want to lose face fat? The solution to looking younger and feeling better is all about you. This article is for you if you think your face is fat and want to learn how to lose facial fat without having to go to a surgeon or face clinic.
Diet

1. Eat fresh, raw fruits, vegetables, sprouts, nuts, and seeds every day. Not cooking them ensure that you are getting essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fiber, enzymes, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids. It has not fats so it can cause weight loss, and the calories from these foods are less than what the body needs.
2. Choose foods rich in fiber, as it can help your entire body more lean by flushing out unwanted toxins and fats from the body. Try to avoid refined sugar and excessive consumption of carbohydrates. Although carbohydrates are needed by the body for energy, take only in moderation. Do not attempt "carbo" loading such as eating rice with spaghetti, or pizza, pasta and rice. Avoid as well refined sugar and too much sodium such as slat and soy sauce because they all can lead to water retention in the face.
3. Take 5-6 small meals a day with vegetables, whole grain and lean meat on it. The more you eat with essential nutrients needed by the body, your body will properly helping fat burning process fats making you lose weight more. Drink non-fat milk every day. It will help you lose fat in your body including your face.

Burn The Fat

1. Facilitate the detoxification processes initiated by your new healthy diet by sweating through exercise. Practice exercising daily to burn the fat in your entire body. When you'll do a regular exercise you're making your body leaner and slowly lose fat in your face. You can do some aerobic exercises like jogging, dancing, brisk walking or even swimming.
2. If you want to go to the gym, you can. You will be given programs that pay attention to your face and neck together with other resistance training. Remember a regular exercise must need to be a part of your lifestyle in order to maintain a healthy weight. Usually, those people close to you will immediately notice that you lose weight through your facial appearance. Exercise combined with a proper diet can effectively lose overall body fat. You can do it daily for 30-45 minutes, or take 2 days for rest.
3. Facial exercises could reduce cheek fat and tone the muscles of the face. Try to begin doing this short exercises with your mouth closed. After which, puff your right cheek, hold it for about 5 to 7 seconds and relax your facial muscles. Repeat this procedure 4 times for each side of your cheek. Open your mouth wide and let your lower jaw move up and down in circular motions to exercise the lower facial muscles and also your chin.
4. Exercise can promote good blood circulation which will give a natural blush on in your cheeks.
5. Practice discipline to get away with laziness, delayed plans, and not sleeping on time. Make a schedule and a to-do list everyday for you to be reminded. Give ample time for exercise. Develop the willpower and motivation to empty your liquor cabinet, throw away your lighter and pack of smokes and practice eating healthy. If you really want to lose face fat, it will not be hard for you to do it.

Next, learn how to stay motivated and accordingly to your weight loss plans without falling short. Click on the following link and learn what is needed in order to eliminate belly fat.
Are you lacking the motivation to lose weight? Visit our Stay Slim Lose Weight website and find out how you can lose the extra weight and stay slim with a healthy body.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Stepfanie_Wayne/771993

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Flat Tummy Exercises - The 5 Great Exercise Moves That Will Help You Achieve a Flat Tummy

Flat tummy exercises are aimed at burning the fat from the stomach and achieving a toned belly. It is much effective when combined with resistance training exercise and food intake with reduced calories. These enable the body to develop into a fat burning machine and reduce fat around the stomach slowly. The caution here is not to reduce too many calories to prevent weight loss plateau because this tends to lower the metabolic rate eventually resulting in weight gain.

Myths about stomach exercises...

Due to mass media about stomach exercise in the TV advertisements about the latest tummy flattening machines, fitness magazines and even gym influence that just by doing some abdominal exercises and crunches, the accumulated fat in the stomach can be removed. This is truly a myth and it is the root cause of fitness failures. The truth is, one cannot reduce the fat from the stomach (midsection) area just by using exercise alone.

The best and proper way to lose fat is working out the entire body causing burning more calories than one consumes. Sad to say but many people are of the opinion that they get a flat stomach by performing hundreds of crunches per day. They are also under the influence of one meat that they can get flat stomach through abdominal crunches. Even today, people are still under the misconception. Again, it is to be corrected that to achieve a flat stomach, healthy planned diet, resistance training exercises and the most direct exercise, the flat tummy exercises that work together to achieve the best result.

Moreover, this article will give you an idea what are those exercises for tummy that can be helpful in one way or the other to tone abdominal muscles and eventually lose those unwanted fats when combined with other health related techniques.

Before starting any exercise, it is but a must to know postural guidelines for stomach exercises so that it will be effective and prevent injury.

• While doing the exercise, your head should always be horizontal to the ground over the shoulders.
• Knees should be aligned and lie with your feet spaced comfortably apart.

Pelvic Tilts

• What you need to do is to lie down on the floor with your back pressed against the floor.
• Put the soles of your feet flat on the ground with your knees bent and your arms at the side.
• Lift the hips (pelvis) section up and hold for 1-3 seconds before lowering slowly back on the ground.
• The upper body must remain flat on the floor while doing this.
• Do this as desired and as long your body can tolerate.

Right Twist Left Oblique

• Just lie down flat on the floor with your hands behind the neck.
• The body should be twisted upward towards the right flexed knee.
• Try to lift your right leg to meet your left elbow.
• Repeat on the opposite side; do this as long as you can.

Scissor Kicks

• Lie on the floor and place hands under your buttocks.
• Keep your back pressed against the floor and raise one leg off the ground and slowly lower it down.
• Raise the other leg off the ground and slowly lower it back down.
• Do 3 sets for 10 counts.

 
Hanging Frog Kicks

• With hands about shoulder width apart, hang your body straight down from a bar and move your legs and pull your knees up to your chest, while simultaneously bending your legs completely.
• Hold this position for a moment as long as you can and lower to the starting position.
• Do this as long as you can.

Reverse Crunches

• You need to lie flat on the floor with your legs elevated.
• Pull your legs towards the chest while contracting the lower abdomen.
• Get back to the starting position and repeat as long as you can tolerate.

Next, check out how to Get Rid of Tummy Fat and remove away that excess fat now.
Find out which weight loss program is suitable for you through our Compare Weight Loss Programs page here. Click on the above link to discover which programs can help you lose weight today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Stepfanie_Wayne/771993

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Lose Weight and Feel Full With Fewer Calories

Lose weight and feel full with fewer calories. Does this claim sound like another quick-fix diet promise with a disappointing ending? I can understand why you might feel that way, but believe me, this is not a gimmick.

Not only is it a legitimate claim, it's simple and easy to do. And best of all, you won't feel hungry and deprived.

Here's how it works. All you need to do is learn which foods fill you up with the fewest calories and choose them most of the time. Think of it like this. If most of your food choices pack lots of calories into each bite - by the end of the day - you will consume more than you need. And as a result, you will continually gain weight or find it hard to lose. However, by choosing foods that are less calorie-dense and yet filling, you can manage your weight without feeling hungry all the time. This will increase your chances of sticking with your plan and reaching your ultimate weight and health goals.

Starving yourself to lose weight is not only unnecessary - it's unhealthy. Follow these simple steps for a healthier more effective way to shed those extra pounds and maintain your desired weight.

1. Bulk up. Squeeze more fruits and vegetables into your diet throughout the day by topping cereal with berries, snacking on an apple or carrot sticks, tucking your favorite veggies into your sandwich, or simply increasing the proportion of veggies on your plate.

2. Eat soup. One component of food that has a big impact on how much of it you eat is water. Water adds weight and volume to foods without adding calories; in other words, it lowers the calorie density of foods. Broth-based soup such as vegetable barley is a water-rich food that will fill you up without packing on the calories. Eaten at the start of your meal, it will take the edge off your hunger. Even with this extra course you are likely to eat fewer total calories during the meal.

3. Cut the fat. Without sacrificing taste, you can cut calories by reducing the fat in foods. Use a smaller amount of highly flavorful oil such as extra-virgin olive oil, switch to lower fat dairy products, and buy the leanest cuts of meat and eat less. Fat packs more than twice as many calories into an ounce of food than both carbohydrates and protein.

4. Stock your kitchen. Fill you cabinets, pantry, and fridge with a variety of your favorite low calorie- density foods so these are what you eat when you have the munchies. For example, apple slices with a low-fat cheese wedge, tomato soup with baby carrots, a small scoop of fat-free cottage cheese with a few chunks of fresh pineapple, a multigrain cracker with a dollop of low fat ricotta cheese and a drizzle of honey; the choices are endless.

5. Eat what you like. Tweak your favorites rather than eliminating them. For example, add vegetables to your favorite mixed dishes - bulk up chili, stews, and even macaroni and cheese with water-rich veggies like broccoli, carrots or tomatoes.

6. Make it positive. Focus on what you can eat, rather than what you can't. Experiment with different low calorie-dense foods and create eating habits you enjoy so you stick with it.
Step aside McDonald's and Burger King. For a "real" extra value meal, try this delicious recipe packed with flavor and nutrition - without all the calories.


FRESH TOMATO SAUCE ON PASTA

Courtesy of Supermarket Savvy
1 (16 oz.) pkg. Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Milled Flaxseed
1 cup red onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
8 - 12 fresh ripe tomatoes, peeled & coarsely chopped (8 cups) or 2 (28 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

Salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese to taste
In a large saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Stir in fresh tomato chunks, herbs and spices.

Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and simmer for 5 minutes longer or until heated through.

While the tomatoes are simmering, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain but do not rinse. Serve hot pasta topped with Fresh Tomato Sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
Yield: 6 servings

Each serving: 276 calories; 9 g. dietary fiber; 49 g. carbohydrates; 12 g. protein; 3 g. fat; 1 g. saturated fat; 600 mg omega-3; 0 mg. cholesterol; 40 mg. sodium.

The key to permanent weight loss is having an eating style that is both nutritious and satisfying. With all the quick-fix diet gimmicks out there, this can be very challenging. I'd like to help you lose weight by creating a personalized plan that allows you to enjoy healthy satisfying food - one bite at a time.

Lorraine Matthews-Antosiewicz, MS RD, is a food and nutrition expert specializing in weight management. She is committed to empowering people through education, support, and inspiration to make real changes that lead to optimal health and lasting weight loss. Sign up for her Free Consultation and receive expert advice on how to lose 20 lb. - or more. Jump Start your weight loss today! http://njnutritionist.com/freeconsult

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